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24.09.2020
What are digital power supply units?

The catch word "digital PSU" is quite popular these days - not least from us, as we advertize our Dark Power Pro 12 as a "fully digital PSU". But what does that mean exactly?

The term "digital power supply" has been around for a while, albeit with varied meanings and interpretations, which sometimes leads to misunderstandings. One possible interpretation describes certain power supply units having helpful or playful technical additions such as a built-in screen, an interface to read out electrical values, or manual adjustment of the fan curve with supplied software. While these functions are de facto digital, they do not have much to do with the essential functionality of the power supply.

The actual definition of a digital power supply refers to the digital monitoring and control of a PSU's basic functions. This concept leads to more precise regulation of the power supply, improving signal quality and efficiency. This distinction is important, because the implementation of digitally regulated power supplies can span different magnitudes. What are called semi-digital power supply units just feature a digitally controlled power factor correction filter (PFC). Only when the LLC circuit, synchronous rectifier (SR), voltage regulation and protective circuits are digitally controlled as well, one can speak of a digital or fully digital power supply.

A digital controller reacts faster and measures more precisely than its analog counterpart, allowing for more stable voltage regulation and less ripple. The faster the MOSFETs of the LLC and SR circuits can adjust, the shorter any dead times are, resulting in higher efficiency and therefore facilitating concepts of power supplies with the highest possible "80 Plus® Titanium" rating. In addition, the microcontroller enables optimal behavior of the PFC over the entire load range of the power supply, improving the overall power factor and efficiency

 

 

That is why we decided to design our Dark Power Pro 12 PSU with fully digital regulation. Which, in combination with other innovative technologies such as the free-standing fan or the separated and funnel-shaped air inlet, results in the most powerfull and efficient PSU we've ever built. Fully digital.