26 Jun
2013
26 Jun
'13
1:09 p.m.
Another thing that comes to mind regarding some of the
regulations are the
energy efficiency regulations. Going forward, keeping these power supplies
legal to sell/export/import worldwide is pretty much going to rule out a
magnetic transformer based design. Magnetic transformers tend to be more
What on earth is a non-magnetic transformer?
expensive than switch mode power supplies now anyway,
due to all the bulk
copper and iron in the transformer.
With the US regulations, "The Energy Independence and Security Act of
2007" did specifically exempt power supplies that are designed to supply
more than one voltage, but the US DOE already wants tighter regulations
and even higher efficiency standards for external power supplies.
http://www.eebeat.com/?p=5808
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Independence_and_Security_Act_of_2007#T…
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/pdfs/…
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/eisa
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-110hr6enr/pdf/BILLS-110hr6enr.pdf
Why can;t these politicians do something useful....
Is there an excemption for a PSU that outputs line frequency AC? There
darn well ougth to be,
Is there an exemption for prototypes, kits, designs, etc? If so, that's
another reason for producing this C64 PSU in such a form.
I suspect that these regualtions wil lactually _increase_ polution. A
mains transformer, if not overloaded, is pretty reliavle. An SMPSU will
fail catestrophicially if certian components fail. In particular, if the
snubber circuit on the cohpper transformer primary goes open circuit, the
chopper transisotr is very likely to fail. Which normally happens byy it
goign short-circuit. ANd blowing other components in the process.
Now, these little wall-wart SMPSUs are normally glued together (so
difficult to repair) and presumably assembled iwht lead-free solder, so
that failed conenctions are likely. I susepct the numbero f repalceemtn
SMPUS needed causes a lot more polution than the eneryy wasted in a
mains-frequency transofrmer (which can be pretty efficient).
Oh well...
-tony