Electronics > Beginners
A switching power supply in an oscilloscope?
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Zero999:

--- Quote from: Martini on March 10, 2019, 11:59:06 am ---I was born in 1985 and most power supplies I used when I was young (on my game console and whatnot) were linear. I remember thinking about the progress we had made in the 2000's about the weight and dimensions of the PSU, not knowing what technologies were behind

--- End quote ---
The games consoles of the 70s to early 90s period used relatively little power and back then, switched mode power supplies were only economical at higher power levels. For small power supplies, under 20W or so, it was much cheaper to use a chunky transformer, than expensive semiconductors. In the late 90s, games consoles became more powerful and went to CD-ROMS, which also used more power, switched mode power supplies also became cheaper, so it made sense to move to them.

Nowadays almost all mains power supplies are switched mode, because it's cheap and many countries have environmental legislation which sets limits on minimum efficiency, that can only be met by a switched mode power supply.
tooki:

--- Quote from: helius on March 12, 2019, 03:42:30 am ---As far as desktop computers, the Datapoint 2200 sold in 1970 used a switching power supply. That was 7 years before the Apple II.

--- End quote ---
Yes, though I think it'd be a stretch to consider that a "personal computer", in the sense that it was marketed as a mainframe accessory, not a computer for consumers. It does play a neat part of computing history, though!!!
helius:
Certainly not a computer for consumers.
"Prices for the Datapoint 2200 begin at $6040 with a variety of lease and purchase plans, with worldwide maintenance available."
That's $39,500 in 2018 money.
rsjsouza:

--- Quote from: Zero999 on March 12, 2019, 08:54:31 am ---
--- Quote from: Martini on March 10, 2019, 11:59:06 am ---I was born in 1985 and most power supplies I used when I was young (on my game console and whatnot) were linear. I remember thinking about the progress we had made in the 2000's about the weight and dimensions of the PSU, not knowing what technologies were behind

--- End quote ---
The games consoles of the 70s to early 90s period used relatively little power and back then, switched mode power supplies were only economical at higher power levels. For small power supplies, under 20W or so, it was much cheaper to use a chunky transformer, than expensive semiconductors. In the late 90s, games consoles became more powerful and went to CD-ROMS, which also used more power, switched mode power supplies also became cheaper, so it made sense to move to them.

--- End quote ---
To me the first striking evidence of the changing times was the advent of switching power supplies used in the Nokia cellphone chargers of the mid to late 1990s (Nokia 6110?). It was certainly not the first switching power supply I have seen, but it was the first time the small bricks were quite liberating given their lightweight and universal input voltage - quite suitable for such sleek portable device.
Zero999:

--- Quote from: rsjsouza on March 12, 2019, 08:42:48 pm ---
--- Quote from: Zero999 on March 12, 2019, 08:54:31 am ---
--- Quote from: Martini on March 10, 2019, 11:59:06 am ---I was born in 1985 and most power supplies I used when I was young (on my game console and whatnot) were linear. I remember thinking about the progress we had made in the 2000's about the weight and dimensions of the PSU, not knowing what technologies were behind

--- End quote ---
The games consoles of the 70s to early 90s period used relatively little power and back then, switched mode power supplies were only economical at higher power levels. For small power supplies, under 20W or so, it was much cheaper to use a chunky transformer, than expensive semiconductors. In the late 90s, games consoles became more powerful and went to CD-ROMS, which also used more power, switched mode power supplies also became cheaper, so it made sense to move to them.

--- End quote ---
To me the first striking evidence of the changing times was the advent of switching power supplies used in the Nokia cellphone chargers of the mid to late 1990s (Nokia 6110?). It was certainly not the first switching power supply I have seen, but it was the first time the small bricks were quite liberating given their lightweight and universal input voltage - quite suitable for such sleek portable device.

--- End quote ---
Some of them were pretty crappy, with no voltage regulation at all, just an oscillator driving a transformer open loop. I remember cracking one open and finding a very crude blocking oscillator inside. It did the job though and still used less power than an bulky old mains transformer.
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