Switching power conversion spans several different areas. We know this clearly from the fact that there is almost nothing we can change at any given point in the power supply that will fail to affect some parameter or function at another point, either voluntarily or inadvertently. That is why this area is rightly considered by many as “difficult.” The author remembers one of his experienced colleagues being reminded by a nervous manager as he handed him a power supply which a customer was having problems with—”fix it, but don’t change anything.” This underscores the dread that most companies have about the obvious interplay of several engineering disciplines they don’t fully understand—and don’t believe others do too well either.

Reproduced from the book Switching Power Supply Design & Optimization. Copyright 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies. Reproduced by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies. Written permission from The McGraw-Hill Companies is required for all other uses.