Electronics > Beginners
A switching power supply in an oscilloscope?
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tooki:

--- Quote from: james_s on March 10, 2019, 06:09:55 pm ---IIRC the Apple II was the first personal computer to use a switchmode power supply. They were around for a while, but all of the other home/hobby computers of the era had big chunky linear power supplies.

--- End quote ---
Yes, possibly the first personal computer. It's just that Jobs usually worded it as though their hardware engineer had invented something brand new, not simply newly applying it to a particular kind of product.
james_s:
Well that was Jobs for you, he had some personality traits that I find annoying, although I will agree that the Apple II was a revolutionary machine for many reasons. I never thought much of Steve Jobs when he was alive, but the quality of Apple products took a serious nose dive after he died. My current iPhone is unbelievably buggy.
particleman:
Tektronix 485 which was introduced in 1972 also had a SMPS.
David Hess:

--- Quote from: particleman on March 11, 2019, 07:22:57 pm ---Tektronix 485 which was introduced in 1972 also had a SMPS.
--- End quote ---

The 485 used the same topology and switching regulator controller as the 7904/7704A.  So did the late 434.  The early 434 released in 1972 used a discrete off-line switching regulator which I suspect was designed by the Elder Gods; a saving throw against sanity is required to understand it.

The 400 series portable oscilloscopes introduced after the 485 (except the 434) used linear power supplies so I assume this was still more economical when higher power density was not required.

The 468 which required much more power for its digital storage system included just a buck switching regulator for its +5 volt digital supply.  The 7000 series oscilloscope plug-ins which required high power for their digital circuits also included switching regulators but this was more to make up for power distribution limitations in the 7000 mainframes which could not directly supply high power logic in the plug-ins.
helius:
As far as desktop computers, the Datapoint 2200 sold in 1970 used a switching power supply. That was 7 years before the Apple II.
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