4 ms·
> For example, in 1962 the Telstar satellite (the first satellite to transmit television pictures) and the Minuteman missile both used switching power supplies.
by rwallace 7y ago
> For example, in 1962 the Telstar satellite (the first satellite to transmit television pictures) and the Minuteman missile both used switching power supplies.
I thought switching power supplies were for converting high voltage AC to low voltage DC. I would have expected a satellite to run off solar panels and missile electronics to run off batteries, both of which already produce low voltage DC. What am I missing?
- colanderman 7y agoSMPSes are also used for DC/DC conversion (up or down). Especially with solar panels, they are mixed current/voltage-mode devices, so you want to load them at a specific voltage (which depends on the incident light) to maximize the power draw. (This is what a power optimizer does in a solar panel installation.)