In the summer of 2008 I made my first trip across the pond to intern at a gallery in the United Kingdom. Having met my now fiancé there, I have since made several Trans-Atlantic trips, each one a learning experience. One aspect of international travel I thankfully learned early on in my first trip two years ago was the importance of frequency converters. These seemingly less than convenient little items actually provide a much more important service than many know, unless of course they have had the unfortunate experience of not using them, the consequences of which generally include some sparks, a bit of smoke and a completely fried appliance. This is because in the UK, like many other countries, outlets provide electricity at a voltage between 220 and 250 V while the main current in the United States operates in a range of 110 to 127 V. Although very necessary in using foreign appliances, converters and transformers are also commonly required for applications in the same country and even factory. This allows the optimal operation of several different machines and appliances, with several different electrical requirements, off of the same standardized power supply. [Continue Reading Article]

Compact DC-DC converters have made their way into millions of electronic products and systems. The vast majority of these depend upon an AC-DC power supply (metal box or chassis-mount) to convert the AC into a DC voltage from which the converters can operate. In addition, regulations have mandated that these power supplies include Power Factor & Harmonic Correction (PFHC) to maximize the available power from the power grid. Add to this the need to be as small as possible and to operate with in harsh ambient temperatures and the designer is faced with a problem that is not easily solved. [Continue Reading Article]