Today 'My Automation Education' focuses on another basic: power supplies.

According to wikipedia, A power supply is a device that supplies electric power to one or more electric loads.

The term is most commonly applied to devices that convert one form of electrical energy to another, though it may also refer to devices that convert another form of energy (mechanical, chemical, solar) to electrical energy.

A regulated power supply is one that controls the output voltage or current to a specific value; the controlled value is held nearly constant despite variations in either load current or the voltage supplied by the power supply's energy source. Examples of power supplies can be something as basic and everyday as a 9 volt battery or as complex as large scale solar panels. Even your car alternator is an example of a power supply.

When it comes to picking a power supply its good to know a few key pieces of information.

Start with what type of power do you have coming in (single phase or three phase). Next, think about how much power you want going out. This is your wattage or amperage. Don't forget about your voltage either. If you have any questions or are not sure of any of these, call our great tech department!

Marshall Wolf Automation, your #1 industrial automation distributor, carries a number of different power supplies from Altech, Carlo Gavazzi, IDEC, Delta and more. Check out our website to look through our entire line.