What Is a Linear Power Supply?
As the name implies, a power supply is a component that provides power to an electrical device. The simplest design of power supply is the linear power supply. It uses a transformer and a rectifier to convert voltage from a wall outlet into the type of power the device needs. There are two types of linear power supply: regulated and unregulated. Electricity is distributed to homes and businesses in the form of alternating current (AC) power. It is called alternating current because the electrical charge changes direction periodically. Many electrical devices need direct current (DC) power to work correctly. The electrical charge used in this form of power does not change direction. A power supply takes the AC power and converts and smoothes it into the kind of power an electrical device can use.
