Choosing a Benchtop DC Power Supply

There are different voltage capacities available depending on the use it is needed for. Typical uses for a power supply would fall in the low voltage range where the highest capacity is 30 Volts. Larger voltage capacity power supply units can have capacities ranging from 60 Volts and higher. These types of power supply units are more used by developers of larger devices.

Very similarly to voltage, the current capacities on power supply units can vary from low to high current. The range for benchtop power supplies on the market is 3 Amps to about 10 Amps. Once again this depends on the type of work you plan on using the power supply for.

Many people who use the triple power supply unit choose to do so because they offer more features than single units. They provide the user with additional features like series and parallel functions to combine the multiple sources of power into one output.

Let's take a second to look at those functions and see why they are so important:

1. Series Mode!
   If during a test the user finds that they need more voltage to output they can
   use this feature to boost the voltage from 30V to 60V. This can help in
   situations where a device is being tested for 30V usage but the developer wants
   to test if it will have a negative effect with a greater input of power. When
   this happens the series feature will allow the developer to increase the voltage by at least two fold to push the limits of the device and determine what happens.
2. Parallel Mode!
   This are the opposite of series mode where it can increase the
   the current. Unlike series mode, the parallel feature is used
   less often since it is for more specific uses. Generally, the parallel mode
   is used to provide a higher current value but doubling the current capacity of the unit.

This function only allows the user to connect to an outside interface (generally a computer) for easier data storage which comes in handy when all the collected data on the power supply unit can be saved automatically to the computer instead of having to write it all down. Most programs offered for power supplies with this feature will also show a chart of the voltage and current with control on its changes. That makes it simpler for scientists and developers to work with lines that help them compare for tests and clear results.