Previously, the structure of a PC power supply was quite basic and straightforward, and it consisted of a few compact transformers and nothing else. Today they are much more complex, and that greater complexity implies a greater number of cryptic abbreviations that briefly explain how they work … to those who know them.
Power supply abbreviations
When you study the topology of a power supply, you will come across various abbreviations that define how the energy within the power supply works and is managed before it is delivered to the components of the PC. Let’s start by looking at the definitions of “Half-bridge” and “Full Bridge” using this diagram as an example.
Full deck means that four MOSFETs are used in the voltage transform stage, as opposed to Half bridge which only uses two. For its part, MOSFET is the abbreviation for “Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor”, and its main task is to generate an alternating voltage at high frequency. The maximum number of MOSFETs we can find in a power supply is precisely four, and as you will assume, a Full Bridge source has better efficiency than a Half Bridge.
On the other hand, we will also find the abbreviations AC DC (yes, like the Rock band) and DC / DC. These are transformers, because in English, alternating current is alternating current and direct current is direct current; Therefore, an AC / DC transformer is responsible for transforming the alternating current coming from the wall outlet into direct current used by the components of the PC, while a DC / DC transformer also transforms the direct current into direct current but of different voltages. , because the normal thing is that AC / DC turns current to 12v, then DC / DC removes 12, 5 and 3.3 volt rails from it.
In electronics, the letter L represents a coil, while the letter C represents a capacitor. Therefore, another of the abbreviations that we usually see in a diet is LLC y literally means two coils and a capacitor. The function of this circuit is to harmonize the alternating current by transforming square patterns (currents in capacitor circuits) into sine waves, notably increasing the efficiency.
On the other hand, we can find the abbreviation “SR” which stands for synchronous rectifier or synchronous rectifier. Normally, rectifier circuits have the problem that their diode-based architecture suffers from high energy loss. With a synchronous rectifier and the use of several MOSFETs controlled by an IC, this loss can be avoided, which implies that the sources with SR have a better efficiency than those without.
For its part, abreviatura IC driver IC precisely means integrated circuit. Circuits that work as a controller or charge regulator can be made up of multiple electrical components, or they can be encapsulated into a single chip which is the most common. This integrated circuit is generally called an integrated driving circuit or charge controller.
Abbreviations in protection systems
Through the power supply passes all the electricity which is then supplied to the rest of the components of the PC, and for this reason it is very important that it incorporates protection circuits to protect the integrity of all of our hardware in the event of a power outage, noise, or problem.
For this reason, in the power supply it is also very common that we see a whole list of abbreviations to define the protections that it incorporates, so we will summarize them all one by one so that you know what they are for. and what they are used for. each of them means.
- OCP: stands for over-current protection and, as the name suggests, it is protection against sudden surges of current intensity. This is the most important protection of all, because while most electronic circuits are able to withstand certain variations in voltage (voltage), they hardly withstand variations in intensity (intensity).
- Original packaging: means overvoltage protection, and in this case it is a protection system similar to the previous one but which checks the voltage (voltage) to avoid sudden overvoltages. It is also an important protection system because it is the one that comes into play when, for example, there is an electrical storm or lightning strike nearby and there is a surge in the power line of your home. House.
- UVP: this is a protection against undervoltage, and as its name suggests, it is a protection against current voltage drops, frequently produced by variations in the load of the electrical station assigned to your home. When there is a high demand for electricity in the substation in your area, it is not able to provide sufficient voltage and sometimes there are dips.
- SCP: from the English short-circuit protection, it is literally a short-circuit protection. The moment there is a short circuit before or after the source, this system will stop everything to avoid breakdowns. It is very important to have this protection because, in particular, motherboards can get burnt due to short circuits.
- OTP: it means overheating protection, and as the name suggests, it is high temperature protection; If the system detects that the operating temperature of the source is higher than the values set by the manufacturer, it will automatically shut down to preserve its integrity.
- OPP / OLP: This protection system can be called OPP for overload protection or OLP for overload protection, but in any case, it is overload protection. This function cuts off the power supply when the demand for power is greater than what it is capable of supplying.
You now know all the abbreviations that you can see in the technical information of your power supply, as well as the common abbreviations in protection systems. The latter is especially important, because if when you go to buy a power supply you find that it does not have one, you will know what to expect.
