Hi everyone, I've had several comments about the lack of a section going through the controller circuitry, this was intentional in an attempt to keep the video simple and digestible by focusing only on the "power" components. There will be videos coming soon on PWM control and MOSFET gate driving, though I should have mentioned this in the video and still given a brief overview of the circuit, so sorry about that. Thanks for all the nice comments!
I'll look forward to those. As an electronic engineer (a while ago) dealing with the digital stuff I was always a bit concerned that I didn't know enough about switched-mode supplies so this was great. Would love to see how the MOSFET switching frequency is determined and then implemented though. Great work 👏
Yeah, I was just about to ask about that. I look forward to the videos explaining those parts of the SMPS circuit. I do hope you will continue to use the same power supply from this video to explain those topics; you know, to keep the continuity (wait, does that count as an electronics pun). Thanks for the the clean and clear explanation.
@@Budreaux1973 Certainly does count as a pun :) I probably won't use this to be honest as I want to be able to show live demos which is a lot easier with a custom system, I may show this at some point though.
10:21 Nice shoes! 😉 On a more serious note: Really excellent explanation of the fundamentals of an SMPS. I’ve watched many (too many tbh;) videos with the same topic and yours is the best, by far I may add. Thank you!
I'm a 50+ year old electronics graduate and lifelong hobbyist and I have to say this is one of the very best explainer videos I have ever seen. I know how switch mode PSUs work but I still felt as if I learned a lot due to the approach taken. You are a natural educator with an engaging personality, eloquent and clear delivery, and an enthusiasm that shines through. Stripping the circuit back to basics and using the mechanical spring analogy will help a lot of non EEE folks grasp this topic. This is the first video of yours that I have watched but it certainly won't be the last. Keep up the good work, and thanks! 🙏
I'm a 77 year old retired electrical/electronic engineer and my education was obviously back in the days of poorly written books, chalk boards (as classroom visual aids), and sliderules. I couldn't have imagined the ways we teach nowadays, and I am so impressed with the way you described this power supply by starting with the basic circuit and then explaining why all the extra parts are needed. Excellent!
Exactly Some of my early education over AC theory involved WW2 era 16mm films! Black and white classified training films using billiard balls on sand to illustrate conductivity, current flow and valence shells! This material here is sensationally well executed. I don't believe I've encountered a better, more engaging approach than this. Superb Considering how for we've come, imagine what's right around the corner. Thank you Much appreciated
We are truly blessed to live in an era where gems like these are completely free and accessible to everybody! In my workplace somebody would charge $$$ for the same knowledge and it wouldn’t be as lucid as your explanation. You, sir, are a hero
Finally found a channel that explains the basics of household devices and electricity in layman’s terms. It helped me start my own repair shop and sparked my curiosity to take on new projects. Your channel is hands down the best when it comes to simple, detailed, and visual explanations of important electronics and their functions. It educates us "simple folks" while keeping it interesting to watch. Thank you for your contribution to making the world a more interesting and understandable place!
You beat me to it, personally I reckon they are the most important side of things. Ham here too and its all the cheap n nasty consumer electronics out there that is destroying my hobby. Currently have a neighbor with 5x split systems and any one of them wipeout all of my operating bands.
I remember when I was trying to make a simple clock circuit for a 10Mhz CPU , I didn't knew about PLL and it became an antenna "by mistake". Thank god nothing important is at 10Mhz, right ? (well, it was just a 1w signal)
Yep. Used to repair a lot of SMPS supplies to component level. Used to see filter caps fail a lot and occasionally, pop the zener reference or optocoupler in the feedback circuit, which would then allow the drive to runaway and increase output, failing additional filter caps. A good curve tracer could save the day if the zener was starting to fail, the rest it was simpler to replace the filters than to run around disconnecting the filters and checking ESR. The cost per component was cheaper than the man-hours spent testing them anyway. Never had anything in the snubbers fail, did have the EMI caps occasionally fail. Loads of techs had trouble figuring out how these rather simple circuits worked and failed. Interestingly, those that couldn't figure them out also couldn't figure out a PLL. That caused me to joke that they were refractory to proper feedback.
I really like the way you built up the schematic by starting with the basic layout and then adding components to describe the complexity. By so doing, you effectively started with the foundational components and built on that. Well done!
@@electrarc240All that scripting, recording, re-recording and editing is much appreciated! I’m looking forward to the video where you’ll explain why those GaN power supplies can be so small yet powerful. (In due time)
@@electrarc240 Maybe the things omitted in your narration, such as the optron and control chip, are also worth explaining. I've got a broken led strip driver and already blown a USB scope and a PC it was coupled with in trying to make the driver work, but I still have many unblown things to blow (throwing the driver into trash would solve the problem, but such a simplicity is for losers), so I must learn every aspect of the SMPS before I run short of unblown things. And your video is the best I've seen before in that respect. P.S. I'm even less English guy than that wantan3_6_0 dude from the other comment is, but yet hope the letters written above are at least resemble proper English.
@@electrarc240very nicely done! Only suggestion I might have is that the black on green is tough to see, so maybe think about some higher contrast colors or just black and white. Otherwise loved the content!
Yes, that gradual buildup from simple to real of the schematic was an excellent teaching tool. And I found out I didn't know as much about switching power supplies as I thought I did. 😁... But I do now! (almost) But really, great job, you're an excellent teacher.
The explanation of how a switching power supply takes incoming voltage, rectifies it if necessary, and then chops it up at high frequencies before passing it through a transformer or inductor is particularly insightful. This method of voltage conversion is highly efficient compared to traditional linear power supplies, which dissipate excess voltage as heat. The video clearly illustrates why SMPS is favored in modern electronics for its efficiency, especially when significant voltage changes are required.
@@electrarc240 had you talked about the small one that replaces all these it would have been wonderful all that can be done by a single good fuse and all it needs it two or one mosfet and an inductor and a very few others.
BRAVO Sir! I failed out of electrical engineering 30+ years ago. I have a successful career in IT systems, but always wanted to know how the circuits worked. Looks like I have a new favorite place to watch. I send my highest respect from Canada.
I've been an electronics engineer specializing in IC test for nearly four decades. This presentation is absolutely the clearest explanation of the individual componentry and their interrelationship to each other that I have ever seen. I especially appreciated the demonstration of of the inductor's function using the spring as an analogy. If you think about it, the spring actually looks much like a physical inductor...even the schematic symbol. It would be cool to see you do the same analogy with a capacitor. Also, the water buckets sitting side by side gave an excellent analogy of isolation. All in all, this presentation is the BEST I've seen, bar none.
This type of explanation is what I need to see. Often, an instructor just buries you with theory. It becomes overwhelming, and my brain just turns off. Thank you for taking the time, and I welcome further videos.
So many years after secondary school, a university and now epiphany. Thank God for the internet and you for sharing this in the most simple, clear and clever way possible! A talent to explain things so simply is pure gold. Subscribed instantly.
It's been almost 50 years since I sat in a classroom and had one of the best instructors at the Sears Technical College explain the new switching power supplies most new portable tv's would be using. He used a blackboard to do the same type of visual association of circuits that he was lecturing on. You have the same dedication and enthusiasm and have earned my respect! Keep up the good work.
Wow I’m an electronics guy and this video is a masterclass for anyone interested in learning and understanding electronics! Saved here and will be sending this link to lots of people when trying to explain something. Very very easy to digest, amazing
It does my heart good to see a bright young person explaining electronics so well. I started studying electronics since 1983 or so. Yes - we have come a long way.
I really like the way you broke it down to the most simple possible circuit that could work and then added on the extra components sorted by function. That made it far more digestible.
Thank you you are amazing. I've been involved with electronics for over 50 years. And although I've used hundreds of switching power supplies I never really understood them clearly. Your explanation was incredible. It was clear and to the point. I hope you are using your skills to teach. Thanks again
I am what people normally called "dumbass with a tool's " its means I have or can have any tools but to stupid to do anything with it. so I'm just poke something around until it's either broke or blown. your video and explanation are really godsend to me because English are not my mother tongue yet I can follow what you are explaining...keep up the hard work man....
Wow thankyou very much! I try hard to avoid using the long "show-off words" that I find to be very common place in engineering because I'm not trying to prove anything I just want as many people to understand these cool things as possible!
I'm with you. Love math and science, finished my trig book on my own ahead of the class, used to be able to solve basic electric diagrams. Can't solder a wire to save my life.
Yeah and I learned more about fluid dynamics from taking a shower than 4 years of physics at the university. This was a refresher course for people that already knew what these components are, how they work and why they are in the box. It was enjoyable because instead of giving a test, he just read all the answers and you recognized what he said. Nothing new, just well presented. He left out a lot.
As a person who is not very well versed in electronics, I must say this was absolutely perfect. A very streamlined, concise and intentionally (and reasonably) basic explanation, and also well-illustrated. Thanks for taking your time to make this - I'm sure many more people will greatly appreciate it!
I have been an electronics enthusiast for 10 years now focusing heavily on SMPS design things although your analogies where very helpful, this video is simply brilliant.
I sat through watching the circuit building up for 20 minutes and I feel I could watch it for another 20 minutes as I've never got lost anywhere. That is one impressively easy and coherent explanation.
I've been working with electronics my entire life, especially in the Ham Radio world. This was one of the best explanations of how a switch mode power supply works. Bravo, well done!
2 years ago I had a strong curiousity about phone charger and also was looking to diy one solar DC charger and ended up deep in the rabbit hole trying to understand these. I always thought I should have wrote a blog post to analyze what I learned and share also but never did so I'm glad to stumble on this amazing refresher better than anything I would have written! Thanks
This is amazing. I met a lot of failed switch mode power supplies in my job as an industrial electrician, didn't have the know-how to repair them, nor understand the theory behind the circuitry. This helps a lot, thanks, especially if you could come up with a video on troubleshooting these power supplies.
All of the other comments are spot on. Just wanted to say thank you for exceptional content. One of the best electronics explanations I've ever watched, and I've watched hundreds, if not thousands!
You make it easy to understand and comprehend these power supplies videos and I truly appreciate your hard work. By far one of the best. Keep them coming. Thanks for sharing.
Extremely well made, thorough, well-spoken, good order, good background info to prime us. I’ve seen very few instructional videos better than this. Kudos.
Very safe and thoughtful teacher because you take the life of the listeners a priority. In the video, you drew with your pen: how we can be away from electrical shocks. With competency the video is in clear tone and practically consumed. I followed, please I need more. Be on your feet, thanks.
I learned more about electronics and circuit design than I expected. So much information packed in this video with simple and comprehensible explanation, great job. Can't wait for the video about how the controller circuit works.
You did a great job explaining SMPS’s. Your step by step approach is clear and easily understood. The piece that really made the light in my head come on was how you created the schematic as you described each component. It really made the operation of the power supply almost painfully obvious. Thanks for the video. Luckily, I just happened upon it. I will checkout your channel and I look forward to seeing what else you’ve produced, I’m sure it won’t be disappointing. Thanks again!!
"Know what I like about you, you know about the system and your coherent with your explanation(Very Smart). I like your plan diagram and your input on each device. Know that you are appreciated." 👍
I've studied and worked on electronics for the last 20 years and this video finally clicked in a couple of concepts that had been banging around in my brain for years regarding smps. Hands down the best switch mode power supply video on UA-cam. Subbed
From what I remember from my electronic studies, I have the impression we spent too much time on manually analytically solving circuitry, spending hours on differential equation solving on very trivial circuits (one transistor, a capacitor and two resistor is enough to make it quite hard to solve), a thing that is way better done by computer software simulation, and not enough on this higher scale functional diagram like in this video, that seems actually way more useful to actually understand stuff 🙂
@@ThomasKundera I saw the reference to diff eq and I had a flashback to the nightmare that course was in college as an undergrad studying computer science. I did fairly well in all my other mathematics classes but I could not wrap my head around DE and I failed the class my first time take it. i'm not even sure how I (barely) passed when I took it again the next quarter. I think it was so traumatizing that my brain has blocked out all memory of those classes. I'm feeling anxious just writing this and its been like 25 years since I graduated. ugh.
I agree with the sentiments expressed in the comments. This was a great explanation. A lot of videos will explain things, but the approach you take is unmatched in my opinion. I'm a 50 year old electrical troubleshooter/technician for a fortune 500 company, my focus is in testing the final products we produce, and the processes are very exacting. So I have a really good understanding of all things electricity, both high and low voltage applications. But I learned from your excellent presentation, and can't give you high enough ratings. Please keep up the good work!
WoW!! I knew the basics of switching supplies but this was quite thorough examination of essentially all the components of a commercial supply! I learned a lot!
The best video on UA-cam explaining the workings of a power supply. Normally I would watch 4-5 videos on a subject I want to brush up on but instead I watched this one twice. Keep them coming. New subscriber here!
h This by far is the most comprehensive detailed non long winded explanation that I've ever seen in my life on power supplies thank you sir you are such a blessing in my life for understanding how those power supplies work you broke it down like a fraction and it was totally totally not boring I could keep up I really feel that I can retain the information and you explained it in practical terms thank you keep making videos man we need more like you thank you again for not being long in the wind
As a computer engineer and power engineer, I liked your explanations and demo of increasing the frequency so that you can reduce the inductor size but with limits due to the heat, spillage in your case 🙂
Hi, I am an Electronics Eng. and have been a technical manager for many years. I learned a lot from your video. You were amazing in this video. It was a university class type teaching in a very simple form (such as spring model and so on). Your technic to start the schematic from basic components to complete the circuit at the end and describing the role of every component was brilliant and that was an excellent sample how to teach. Congratulations!
You explained it well better than my college professors in the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Department in Bulacan State University here in the Philippines - These Simple/Practical comparisons are gems. Thank you!
The circuit he described would break down (well, successfully blow its fuse to isolate) in 1/3000 s. Read an actual GaN FET's manual including the power supply use thing instead. You're welcome.
Great channel content. Been saving every power supply/adapter that's come my way for the better part of four decades. Used them for all kinds of projects. Very interesting seeing how they've provided that usefulness.
Just fyi: I recommend DiodeGoneWild videos about SMPS if you want more details. They do however require a bit more knowledge to fully understand than this truly superb video imo.
I appreciate this a lot! I was an electrical technician in the US Navy on nuclear propulsion in the late 90s, working with an older generation of switch mode power supplies. Now I have a kind of intense side hobby of electric motorcycle reverse engineering and documentation which has been a bit stymied by some of the advances and obfuscations in onboard SMPC’s that I can now speak to! I’ll try to share this video with others in the scene.
By far the best explanation on SMPS on youtube. Would be great if you made a full video on how to make one from scratch using formulas so that anyone can make their own specific SMPS input/output voltages.
The way you started with the most fundamental components in your schematic and built up the complexity was simply genius!! What a clever way to go about it. As somebody who spends a lot of time drawing electrical schematics myself, i can tell you put in a lot of work just into the drawing itself (and obviously into the rest of the video as well). What an amazing video overall. Instant sub. Please keep up the great work.
I think if you watch a few Big Clive videos you'll see that there is an alarmingly large number of appliances from dodgy parts of the world with poor or non-existent isolation!
This is the first thing that comes to mind with modern electronics. All these huge corporations trying to continuously cut costs in a race to the bottom, and what suffers? Safety, reliability, customer satisfaction. But they only care about quarterly profits. It's disgusting what the world has become.
@@grabasandwich Completely agree, it is very unfortunate. There are still plenty of high quality products being made, just not for consumers as we just aren't worthy...
Watch DiodeGoneWild videos about USB chargers that are ‘dodgy’ and ‘super dodgy’. If you like BigClive and this channel, you’ll probably like DiodeGoneWild too. Let me know if you do ;)
I got a nice jolt from the plug of a fluorescent light fixture a few years ago. I touched the prongs right after I unplugged it. I made sure not to do that again.
Even though I've been occasionally fixing SMPS's for thirty years, this was very insightful. Would be nice if you'd address the control loop and bootstrap too in a comparably easy to digest format. If you're tempted to do that then try to find a PSU that doesn't integrate everything in a single tiny chip or find a block diagram for the chip.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. A really clear and understandable explanation from someone who has prepared well, with a clear delivery and and engaging approach. Thank you I've learned much today.
would like to see some more detailed explanation about how snubber circuit do what they do, especially how it does so without disrupting the rest of the circuit
@@electrarc240 indeed snubber networks appear to be a black art only few people understand. I've tried sizing RC snubbers in the past, but wasn't really able to find any documentation on them. Felt a bit like trial and error, especially when trying it in a somewhat practical way.
Would like to add that I totally agree with the other comments how good your presentation was, I am now retired but have been an electronics engineer all of my working life and your video is one of the best I have see, I look forward to seeing more all the best
I’ve been trying to tinker with circuits for the last year or two and so much educational content is either a refresher of the simplest fundamentals or way over my head, introducing a daunting collection of terms and concepts to make an incredibly steep learning curve. This, however, is the best way I’ve ever seen any circuit explained and it’s simply brilliant. Thank you!
This was a LOVELY and nicely done video. But...please, if I may ask - draw your schematics on some white or light background, not "black on green". It is rather hard to see. I´m speaking for myself, of course, since my eyesight is poor and needs a little more contrast.
awesome!!! good job. For those wanting to understand the controller......read the data sheet! It monitors the output voltage and primary conducting current and adjusts the PWM driving the gate; often between 0 and 49% duty cycle, but sometimes very different as suggested necessary by the discussion in this video on the 'turndown' (or boost).
A truly brilliant tutorial which every student should appreciate for the rest of there lives, easily digested in just twenty-minutes and so I couldn't be better impressed.
Yes, it is also an interesting part, especially how the chip gets its power from the transformer and how this serves as short circuit protection for the secondary.
I decided to leave it out of this video for simplicities sake. I reconned more people would be here for the main power electronics flyback circuit than for control, plus I'm not going to lie control is not my strong suit and I wouldn't have wanted to make any major mistake in my explanation. The control circuit is far more complex to understand in my opinion and I thought introducing things like the tertiary winding may have taken away from the simple overview approach of the video. I will do many future videos on control for example I have a video planned on active power factor correction with boost converter that will delve into PI controllers and more.
Absolutely superb video. I am an ex electronics tinkerer, and switch mode power supplies always scared me. Now I understand them MUCH more, I am considering getting back into my shed with my soldering iron to hand.
Hands down, without a doubt, the best channel Ive found on learning components of useful electronics. Instant suscribe! Thanks for your hard work and genius!
This is without doubt one of the very best videos on electronics circuits explaining a power supply. You would've watched as many 20 or more electronic repairs here on YT and tried figure out their diagnostic steps before getting down to repair side and left feeling oh great he fixed it or no he didn't manage to fix it, well this talk through just made our understanding much more better. I did see somewhere an east asian professor actual just solder the components together but had to rely on reading subtitles to try and understand the process. I wish I could find that video again. Excellent video I know i shall watch again taking detailed notes.
Thank you. Being an old hand in vintage power supplies, the idea of how a switching power supply work has been quite a blur to me in terms of comparing it with the non-switching type. This video has helped me understand how a switching power supply is different from ( and similar In function to) the transformer-diode- capacitor simple variety of old. The concept of the flyback transformer in generating high voltages in vintage tube TVs came to good use in appreciating how it is exploited in a switching power supply. Thank you for sharing.❤
yes please more videos on smps. Diagnose and repair of common problems. Would like to see a list of common symptoms and their causes and solutions. Great presentation, Thanks
Thank you SO MUCH for this excellent video. I wanted to diagnose an issue with a power supply for an old camcorder, and felt a bit in over my head because I am still getting the hang of identifying components other than the really obvious ones; but this video made it EXTREMELY simple to pause and look up parts and identify what piece was what on the board, and more importantly, what it's doing. Never dreamed the exact video I needed for this repair would exist, let alone in such clear detail down to the very basics of the circuit and then the role of additional components. This isn't just a good video for this specific subject, it's a good video for people getting started in learning circuit boards in GENERAL.
My knowledge of electronics is zero, but the way you explained things has gotten me interested, I will definitely be looking out for your videos. Thank you
how can i apreciate you sir i love electronics from childhood I'm 20 yo now this year gonna I'm gonna get the admission in a collage with a diploma in electrical engineering now I found your awesome channel thanks for showing complex stuff in a easy manner you are great teacher sir never stop teaching subscribed 🥰
This video is awesome, I just took my circuits II class where we learned all about inductors, magnetism, reactance/impedance, RLC/filter etc. and I NEEDED this video to bring together a couple concepts that I only knew the math for and nothing else really, you're a great teacher man!
Very good!!!! Thank you. Your explanation was very much on point! It was quick, thorough and to the point. I highly enjoyed watching it as I've always wondered how power supplies work. I feel like I have a much better grasp on the components that are in the power supply because of your video.
Hi everyone, I've had several comments about the lack of a section going through the controller circuitry, this was intentional in an attempt to keep the video simple and digestible by focusing only on the "power" components. There will be videos coming soon on PWM control and MOSFET gate driving, though I should have mentioned this in the video and still given a brief overview of the circuit, so sorry about that. Thanks for all the nice comments!
I'll look forward to those. As an electronic engineer (a while ago) dealing with the digital stuff I was always a bit concerned that I didn't know enough about switched-mode supplies so this was great. Would love to see how the MOSFET switching frequency is determined and then implemented though. Great work 👏
Yeah, I was just about to ask about that. I look forward to the videos explaining those parts of the SMPS circuit. I do hope you will continue to use the same power supply from this video to explain those topics; you know, to keep the continuity (wait, does that count as an electronics pun). Thanks for the the clean and clear explanation.
Well done, I came looking for someone else asking about the control circuit and found this. Looking forward to the sequel. Well done otherwise.
@@Budreaux1973 Certainly does count as a pun :) I probably won't use this to be honest as I want to be able to show live demos which is a lot easier with a custom system, I may show this at some point though.
10:21 Nice shoes! 😉
On a more serious note: Really excellent explanation of the fundamentals of an SMPS.
I’ve watched many (too many tbh;) videos with the same topic and yours is the best, by far I may add.
Thank you!
I'm a 50+ year old electronics graduate and lifelong hobbyist and I have to say this is one of the very best explainer videos I have ever seen. I know how switch mode PSUs work but I still felt as if I learned a lot due to the approach taken. You are a natural educator with an engaging personality, eloquent and clear delivery, and an enthusiasm that shines through. Stripping the circuit back to basics and using the mechanical spring analogy will help a lot of non EEE folks grasp this topic.
This is the first video of yours that I have watched but it certainly won't be the last. Keep up the good work, and thanks! 🙏
Totally agree 👍
I'm very new to all of this. I feel like I got a grasp of the basics.
I did electronics way back in the late 1980's but never really understood all of it. Video's like this help the understanding.
Thank you so much! Reading feedback like this really makes it all worth it :)
my first video of his as well. First of many
I'm a 77 year old retired electrical/electronic engineer and my education was obviously back in the days of poorly written books, chalk boards (as classroom visual aids), and sliderules. I couldn't have imagined the ways we teach nowadays, and I am so impressed with the way you described this power supply by starting with the basic circuit and then explaining why all the extra parts are needed. Excellent!
Exactly
Some of my early education over AC theory involved WW2 era 16mm films!
Black and white classified training films using billiard balls on sand to illustrate conductivity, current flow and valence shells!
This material here is sensationally well executed. I don't believe I've encountered a better, more engaging approach than this.
Superb
Considering how for we've come, imagine what's right around the corner.
Thank you
Much appreciated
How many years I have been looking for someone to just plain and simply walk through a circuit like this. Thank you.
me about 27 years ...
We are truly blessed to live in an era where gems like these are completely free and accessible to everybody!
In my workplace somebody would charge $$$ for the same knowledge and it wouldn’t be as lucid as your explanation.
You, sir, are a hero
Finally found a channel that explains the basics of household devices and electricity in layman’s terms. It helped me start my own repair shop and sparked my curiosity to take on new projects. Your channel is hands down the best when it comes to simple, detailed, and visual explanations of important electronics and their functions. It educates us "simple folks" while keeping it interesting to watch. Thank you for your contribution to making the world a more interesting and understandable place!
As a ham radio op….. those “annoying” emc components are a thing of beauty!!!! This was probably the best explanation of SMP PSU’s I’ve seen - bravo!
Wow thank you so much!
@@electrarc240it really is fantastic to have RF quiet devices
You beat me to it, personally I reckon they are the most important side of things.
Ham here too and its all the cheap n nasty consumer electronics out there that is destroying my hobby.
Currently have a neighbor with 5x split systems and any one of them wipeout all of my operating bands.
I remember when I was trying to make a simple clock circuit for a 10Mhz CPU , I didn't knew about PLL and it became an antenna "by mistake". Thank god nothing important is at 10Mhz, right ?
(well, it was just a 1w signal)
Yep. Used to repair a lot of SMPS supplies to component level. Used to see filter caps fail a lot and occasionally, pop the zener reference or optocoupler in the feedback circuit, which would then allow the drive to runaway and increase output, failing additional filter caps.
A good curve tracer could save the day if the zener was starting to fail, the rest it was simpler to replace the filters than to run around disconnecting the filters and checking ESR. The cost per component was cheaper than the man-hours spent testing them anyway.
Never had anything in the snubbers fail, did have the EMI caps occasionally fail.
Loads of techs had trouble figuring out how these rather simple circuits worked and failed. Interestingly, those that couldn't figure them out also couldn't figure out a PLL. That caused me to joke that they were refractory to proper feedback.
I’m almost 70 years old and I’m industrial electronic technician. I found you to be a genius. Thank you very much. Joe
I really like the way you built up the schematic by starting with the basic layout and then adding components to describe the complexity. By so doing, you effectively started with the foundational components and built on that. Well done!
Thank you! It took a while to edit it all nicely but was definitely worth it.
@@electrarc240All that scripting, recording, re-recording and editing is much appreciated!
I’m looking forward to the video where you’ll explain why those GaN power supplies can be so small yet powerful. (In due time)
@@electrarc240 Maybe the things omitted in your narration, such as the optron and control chip, are also worth explaining. I've got a broken led strip driver and already blown a USB scope and a PC it was coupled with in trying to make the driver work, but I still have many unblown things to blow (throwing the driver into trash would solve the problem, but such a simplicity is for losers), so I must learn every aspect of the SMPS before I run short of unblown things. And your video is the best I've seen before in that respect.
P.S. I'm even less English guy than that wantan3_6_0 dude from the other comment is, but yet hope the letters written above are at least resemble proper English.
@@electrarc240very nicely done! Only suggestion I might have is that the black on green is tough to see, so maybe think about some higher contrast colors or just black and white. Otherwise loved the content!
Yes, that gradual buildup from simple to real of the schematic was an excellent teaching tool. And I found out I didn't know as much about switching power supplies as I thought I did. 😁... But I do now! (almost)
But really, great job, you're an excellent teacher.
That was the best explanation I’ve ever seen in decades of being a tech.
I wonder how the control circuit looks like and works. The whole thing is just a brick without it.
@@Oktokolo yes, he should follow up with that for people.
The explanation of how a switching power supply takes incoming voltage, rectifies it if necessary, and then chops it up at high frequencies before passing it through a transformer or inductor is particularly insightful. This method of voltage conversion is highly efficient compared to traditional linear power supplies, which dissipate excess voltage as heat. The video clearly illustrates why SMPS is favored in modern electronics for its efficiency, especially when significant voltage changes are required.
As a 76 year old electrical engineer, I found this Brilliant!
Thank you!
Brilliant was my feeling throughout the video. Your pedagogic style is effective and empathetic. I hope academia takes note.
@@electrarc240 had you talked about the small one that replaces all these it would have been wonderful all that can be done by a single good fuse and all it needs it two or one mosfet and an inductor and a very few others.
I’m “only” 70, but I have also copied to my sons, who work with electronics. This video may save a finger or a life.
This is the only video i have ever watched fully clearly explain all the components of the switch mode power supply in my life.
BRAVO Sir!
I failed out of electrical engineering 30+ years ago. I have a successful career in IT systems, but always wanted to know how the circuits worked. Looks like I have a new favorite place to watch.
I send my highest respect from Canada.
Thank you very much!
I've been an electronics engineer specializing in IC test for nearly four decades. This presentation is absolutely the clearest explanation of the individual componentry and their interrelationship to each other that I have ever seen. I especially appreciated the demonstration of of the inductor's function using the spring as an analogy. If you think about it, the spring actually looks much like a physical inductor...even the schematic symbol. It would be cool to see you do the same analogy with a capacitor. Also, the water buckets sitting side by side gave an excellent analogy of isolation. All in all, this presentation is the BEST I've seen, bar none.
Wow thanks so much!
This type of explanation is what I need to see. Often, an instructor just buries you with theory. It becomes overwhelming, and my brain just turns off. Thank you for taking the time, and I welcome further videos.
I've always felt buried- but knew it was simple and this guy knows how to explain it!
So many years after secondary school, a university and now epiphany. Thank God for the internet and you for sharing this in the most simple, clear and clever way possible! A talent to explain things so simply is pure gold. Subscribed instantly.
It's been almost 50 years since I sat in a classroom and had one of the best instructors at the Sears Technical College explain the new switching power supplies most new portable tv's would be using. He used a blackboard to do the same type of visual association of circuits that he was lecturing on. You have the same dedication and enthusiasm and have earned my respect! Keep up the good work.
Thank you!
Wow I’m an electronics guy and this video is a masterclass for anyone interested in learning and understanding electronics! Saved here and will be sending this link to lots of people when trying to explain something. Very very easy to digest, amazing
Thank you very much!
One of the best explanation of how a switching PSU works I've ever watched. Thank you.
It does my heart good to see a bright young person explaining electronics so well.
I started studying electronics since 1983 or so. Yes - we have come a long way.
Are you keeping up with the commodore?
I really like the way you broke it down to the most simple possible circuit that could work and then added on the extra components sorted by function. That made it far more digestible.
Thank you you are amazing. I've been involved with electronics for over 50 years. And although I've used hundreds of switching power supplies I never really understood them clearly. Your explanation was incredible. It was clear and to the point. I hope you are using your skills to teach. Thanks again
I am what people normally called "dumbass with a tool's " its means I have or can have any tools but to stupid to do anything with it. so I'm just poke something around until it's either broke or blown. your video and explanation are really godsend to me because English are not my mother tongue yet I can follow what you are explaining...keep up the hard work man....
Wow thankyou very much! I try hard to avoid using the long "show-off words" that I find to be very common place in engineering because I'm not trying to prove anything I just want as many people to understand these cool things as possible!
Yeaa... :( i feel you bro...
I'm with you. Love math and science, finished my trig book on my own ahead of the class, used to be able to solve basic electric diagrams. Can't solder a wire to save my life.
@@woodstream6137Throw the conical tip that probably came with your iron in the trash, get a few sizes of compatible bevel tips and thank me later.
I have learned more within 20minutes of watching this video than I have learned in 20 lessons in electronics class. Great video!
Yeah and I learned more about fluid dynamics from taking a shower than 4 years of physics at the university. This was a refresher course for people that already knew what these components are, how they work and why they are in the box. It was enjoyable because instead of giving a test, he just read all the answers and you recognized what he said. Nothing new, just well presented. He left out a lot.
Bravo!
Where were you back in the 70's when I needed you?
Impressive. Refreshing.
You are a natural educator, keep them videos coming please
The best explanation of SMPS I've ever seen so far.
Same here!
Thank you!
As a person who is not very well versed in electronics, I must say this was absolutely perfect. A very streamlined, concise and intentionally (and reasonably) basic explanation, and also well-illustrated. Thanks for taking your time to make this - I'm sure many more people will greatly appreciate it!
Thank you very much!
I have been an electronics enthusiast for 10 years now focusing heavily on SMPS design things although your analogies where very helpful, this video is simply brilliant.
Wow thank you so much! I'm always a little afraid of "experts" seeing my videos haha
@@electrarc240 meh, most barrels do have two bungholes. Some simply forget that one's for airflow and the other for useful product flow.
I sat through watching the circuit building up for 20 minutes and I feel I could watch it for another 20 minutes as I've never got lost anywhere.
That is one impressively easy and coherent explanation.
I'm gonna say this , this is probably THE BEST EXPLANATION VIDEOS I HAVE EVER SEEN ! I hope you were my teacher during my school days
Ahah thanks a lot I really want to be a teacher one day! Maybe that day has already come 🤔
I've been working with electronics my entire life, especially in the Ham Radio world. This was one of the best explanations of how a switch mode power supply works. Bravo, well done!
2 years ago I had a strong curiousity about phone charger and also was looking to diy one solar DC charger and ended up deep in the rabbit hole trying to understand these. I always thought I should have wrote a blog post to analyze what I learned and share also but never did so I'm glad to stumble on this amazing refresher better than anything I would have written! Thanks
From Here.
This is amazing. I met a lot of failed switch mode power supplies in my job as an industrial electrician, didn't have the know-how to repair them, nor understand the theory behind the circuitry. This helps a lot, thanks, especially if you could come up with a video on troubleshooting these power supplies.
All of the other comments are spot on. Just wanted to say thank you for exceptional content. One of the best electronics explanations I've ever watched, and I've watched hundreds, if not thousands!
Wow thanks so much!
You make it easy to understand and comprehend these power supplies videos and I truly appreciate your hard work. By far one of the best. Keep them coming. Thanks for sharing.
Extremely well made, thorough, well-spoken, good order, good background info to prime us. I’ve seen very few instructional videos better than this. Kudos.
Very safe and thoughtful teacher because you take the life of the listeners a priority. In the video, you drew with your pen: how we can be away from electrical shocks. With competency the video is in clear tone and practically consumed.
I followed, please I need more. Be on your feet, thanks.
I learned more about electronics and circuit design than I expected. So much information packed in this video with simple and comprehensible explanation, great job. Can't wait for the video about how the controller circuit works.
You did a great job explaining SMPS’s. Your step by step approach is clear and easily understood. The piece that really made the light in my head come on was how you created the schematic as you described each component. It really made the operation of the power supply almost painfully obvious. Thanks for the video. Luckily, I just happened upon it. I will checkout your channel and I look forward to seeing what else you’ve produced, I’m sure it won’t be disappointing. Thanks again!!
"Know what I like about you, you know about the system and your coherent with your explanation(Very Smart). I like your plan diagram and your input on each device. Know that you are appreciated." 👍
Thanks!
I've studied and worked on electronics for the last 20 years and this video finally clicked in a couple of concepts that had been banging around in my brain for years regarding smps. Hands down the best switch mode power supply video on UA-cam.
Subbed
Wow thank you very much! Glad I helped fill in those pesky gaps
From what I remember from my electronic studies, I have the impression we spent too much time on manually analytically solving circuitry, spending hours on differential equation solving on very trivial circuits (one transistor, a capacitor and two resistor is enough to make it quite hard to solve), a thing that is way better done by computer software simulation, and not enough on this higher scale functional diagram like in this video, that seems actually way more useful to actually understand stuff 🙂
@@ThomasKundera As a current student I couldn't agree more, it's such a shame
@@ThomasKundera I saw the reference to diff eq and I had a flashback to the nightmare that course was in college as an undergrad studying computer science. I did fairly well in all my other mathematics classes but I could not wrap my head around DE and I failed the class my first time take it. i'm not even sure how I (barely) passed when I took it again the next quarter. I think it was so traumatizing that my brain has blocked out all memory of those classes. I'm feeling anxious just writing this and its been like 25 years since I graduated. ugh.
I agree with the sentiments expressed in the comments. This was a great explanation. A lot of videos will explain things, but the approach you take is unmatched in my opinion. I'm a 50 year old electrical troubleshooter/technician for a fortune 500 company, my focus is in testing the final products we produce, and the processes are very exacting. So I have a really good understanding of all things electricity, both high and low voltage applications. But I learned from your excellent presentation, and can't give you high enough ratings. Please keep up the good work!
Wow thank you very much!
Maybe the best explanations I've ever seen regarding these components and systems. Earned a sub.
Thanks!
WoW!! I knew the basics of switching supplies but this was quite thorough examination of essentially all the components of a commercial supply! I learned a lot!
The best video on UA-cam explaining the workings of a power supply. Normally I would watch 4-5 videos on a subject I want to brush up on but instead I watched this one twice. Keep them coming. New subscriber here!
This is now my essential SMPS explainer, will always point people towards this
Learned more in this video than any of my friends that took circuit design in college did in an entire semester, thank you
Amazing how you explained the power loss as water leakage, Thanks for the great Contant !
Haha I thought of that as I was watching the footage back, it seemed too good to not add in (and pretend was intentional). Thanks!
h This by far is the most comprehensive detailed non long winded explanation that I've ever seen in my life on power supplies thank you sir you are such a blessing in my life for understanding how those power supplies work you broke it down like a fraction and it was totally totally not boring I could keep up I really feel that I can retain the information and you explained it in practical terms thank you keep making videos man we need more like you thank you again for not being long in the wind
As a computer engineer and power engineer, I liked your explanations and demo of increasing the frequency so that you can reduce the inductor size but with limits due to the heat, spillage in your case 🙂
Hi, I am an Electronics Eng. and have been a technical manager for many years. I learned a lot from your video. You were amazing in this video. It was a university class type teaching in a very simple form (such as spring model and so on). Your technic to start the schematic from basic components to complete the circuit at the end and describing the role of every component was brilliant and that was an excellent sample how to teach. Congratulations!
Thank you very much!
This is a work of art! You would have saved lives in EE college
Thanks for this video, when you said we did it in 20 mins it feels like 20 days of compacted information discuss in 20 mins. great one
This is what makes UA-cam useful
I'm a retired electriconic engineer and think this is an excellent video on SMP supply. Keep up the good work.
Welcome back 🎉
Yes we'd love to see what make that charger small in size but more efficient
I'll see what I can do!
You explained it well better than my college professors in the Electronics and Electrical Engineering Department in Bulacan State University here in the Philippines - These Simple/Practical comparisons are gems. Thank you!
This is insanely useful, thanks. I'd love to see more circuits broken down like this.
Perfect I have more planned :)
The circuit he described would break down (well, successfully blow its fuse to isolate) in 1/3000 s. Read an actual GaN FET's manual including the power supply use thing instead. You're welcome.
Congratulations! This is the best electronic teacher I ever had.
You are simply a genius. I now understood this phenomenon pretty very well.
Wow thank you very much!
This was the best circuit explanation video i've ever seen. Please continue on this theme!! You're criminally under-rated.
Good explanation. You just forgot to mention what the MOSFET does in this circuit. 😄
Great channel content. Been saving every power supply/adapter that's come my way for the better part of four decades. Used them for all kinds of projects. Very interesting seeing how they've provided that usefulness.
Please keep it up
Awesome content
Would love to see the switching ps in more detail
Thank you! I'll have a think about which parts are most exciting to delve into
More details please thank you
@@electrarc240the whole thing from start to finish
Just fyi: I recommend DiodeGoneWild videos about SMPS if you want more details.
They do however require a bit more knowledge to fully understand than this truly superb video imo.
I appreciate this a lot! I was an electrical technician in the US Navy on nuclear propulsion in the late 90s, working with an older generation of switch mode power supplies. Now I have a kind of intense side hobby of electric motorcycle reverse engineering and documentation which has been a bit stymied by some of the advances and obfuscations in onboard SMPC’s that I can now speak to! I’ll try to share this video with others in the scene.
Love the content, you really have to see all of the power supplies in person to see and feel the difference. Can't wait for the next video!
You really do
By far the best explanation on SMPS on youtube. Would be great if you made a full video on how to make one from scratch using formulas so that anyone can make their own specific SMPS input/output voltages.
I have some plans for such a video 😉
You are very good at explaining, I really liked the real life analogies.
Thank you! I like them too
Good on you! Getting into the garden with buckets and water glasses in your stocking feet! Honorary Cornwallperson!
The way you started with the most fundamental components in your schematic and built up the complexity was simply genius!! What a clever way to go about it.
As somebody who spends a lot of time drawing electrical schematics myself, i can tell you put in a lot of work just into the drawing itself (and obviously into the rest of the video as well).
What an amazing video overall. Instant sub. Please keep up the great work.
Thank you very much!
I think if you watch a few Big Clive videos you'll see that there is an alarmingly large number of appliances from dodgy parts of the world with poor or non-existent isolation!
This is the first thing that comes to mind with modern electronics. All these huge corporations trying to continuously cut costs in a race to the bottom, and what suffers? Safety, reliability, customer satisfaction. But they only care about quarterly profits. It's disgusting what the world has become.
@@grabasandwich Completely agree, it is very unfortunate. There are still plenty of high quality products being made, just not for consumers as we just aren't worthy...
Watch DiodeGoneWild videos about USB chargers that are ‘dodgy’ and ‘super dodgy’.
If you like BigClive and this channel, you’ll probably like DiodeGoneWild too.
Let me know if you do ;)
I got a nice jolt from the plug of a fluorescent light fixture a few years ago. I touched the prongs right after I unplugged it. I made sure not to do that again.
@@SwapPartLLC I always find myself doing this to check PSUs when I unplug them, definitely not wise as you say haha
One of the better explanations of a SMPS that I've seen. Well done!
I cant word how many times everything just clicked.
such a great video!!
This is the best explainer I’ve ever seen on SMPS’s, you have a gift for teaching!
Even though I've been occasionally fixing SMPS's for thirty years, this was very insightful.
Would be nice if you'd address the control loop and bootstrap too in a comparably easy to digest format. If you're tempted to do that then try to find a PSU that doesn't integrate everything in a single tiny chip or find a block diagram for the chip.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. A really clear and understandable explanation from someone who has prepared well, with a clear delivery and and engaging approach. Thank you I've learned much today.
would like to see some more detailed explanation about how snubber circuit do what they do, especially how it does so without disrupting the rest of the circuit
I'll have a think of a good way to show them in action
@@electrarc240 indeed snubber networks appear to be a black art only few people understand. I've tried sizing RC snubbers in the past, but wasn't really able to find any documentation on them. Felt a bit like trial and error, especially when trying it in a somewhat practical way.
@@j.p.hendrix4389 Yes completely agree, they are very mysterious things
Would like to add that I totally agree with the other comments how good your presentation was, I am now retired but have been an electronics engineer all of my working life and your video is one of the best I have see, I look forward to seeing more all the best
Thank you very much!
"Not only dangerous to people, but more importantly to circuitry." 3:25 😂😅😮
I’ve been trying to tinker with circuits for the last year or two and so much educational content is either a refresher of the simplest fundamentals or way over my head, introducing a daunting collection of terms and concepts to make an incredibly steep learning curve.
This, however, is the best way I’ve ever seen any circuit explained and it’s simply brilliant. Thank you!
This was a LOVELY and nicely done video. But...please, if I may ask - draw your schematics on some white or light background, not "black on green". It is rather hard to see. I´m speaking for myself, of course, since my eyesight is poor and needs a little more contrast.
Noted! Thank you
awesome!!! good job. For those wanting to understand the controller......read the data sheet! It monitors the output voltage and primary conducting current and adjusts the PWM driving the gate; often between 0 and 49% duty cycle, but sometimes very different as suggested necessary by the discussion in this video on the 'turndown' (or boost).
FULL BRIDGE RECTIFIER!!!!
Took my full concentration to hold that in when I said it haha!
@@electrarc240 LOL
A truly brilliant tutorial which every student should appreciate for the rest of there lives, easily digested in just twenty-minutes and so I couldn't be better impressed.
Why miss the control part?
yes, I was hanging on to see what drove the gate on the mosfet...just a timing circuit derived from the smt IC?
Yes, it is also an interesting part, especially how the chip gets its power from the transformer and how this serves as short circuit protection for the secondary.
I decided to leave it out of this video for simplicities sake. I reconned more people would be here for the main power electronics flyback circuit than for control, plus I'm not going to lie control is not my strong suit and I wouldn't have wanted to make any major mistake in my explanation. The control circuit is far more complex to understand in my opinion and I thought introducing things like the tertiary winding may have taken away from the simple overview approach of the video. I will do many future videos on control for example I have a video planned on active power factor correction with boost converter that will delve into PI controllers and more.
Absolutely superb video. I am an ex electronics tinkerer, and switch mode power supplies always scared me. Now I understand them MUCH more, I am considering getting back into my shed with my soldering iron to hand.
I think you should!
Hands down, without a doubt, the best channel Ive found on learning components of useful electronics. Instant suscribe! Thanks for your hard work and genius!
This is without doubt one of the very best videos on electronics circuits explaining a power supply. You would've watched as many 20 or more electronic repairs here on YT and tried figure out their diagnostic steps before getting down to repair side and left feeling oh great he fixed it or no he didn't manage to fix it, well this talk through just made our understanding much more better. I did see somewhere an east asian professor actual just solder the components together but had to rely on reading subtitles to try and understand the process. I wish I could find that video again. Excellent video I know i shall watch again taking detailed notes.
Thanks a lot!
Thank you. Being an old hand in vintage power supplies, the idea of how a switching power supply work has been quite a blur to me in terms of comparing it with the non-switching type. This video has helped me understand how a switching power supply is different from ( and similar In function to) the transformer-diode- capacitor simple variety of old. The concept of the flyback transformer in generating high voltages in vintage tube TVs came to good use in appreciating how it is exploited in a switching power supply. Thank you for sharing.❤
yes please more videos on smps. Diagnose and repair of common problems. Would like to see a list of common symptoms and their causes and solutions. Great presentation, Thanks
Thank you SO MUCH for this excellent video. I wanted to diagnose an issue with a power supply for an old camcorder, and felt a bit in over my head because I am still getting the hang of identifying components other than the really obvious ones; but this video made it EXTREMELY simple to pause and look up parts and identify what piece was what on the board, and more importantly, what it's doing. Never dreamed the exact video I needed for this repair would exist, let alone in such clear detail down to the very basics of the circuit and then the role of additional components. This isn't just a good video for this specific subject, it's a good video for people getting started in learning circuit boards in GENERAL.
Thanks so much! Glad it was helpful for you
My knowledge of electronics is zero, but the way you explained things has gotten me interested, I will definitely be looking out for your videos. Thank you
Wow really?? That's literally my life goal! 😁
how can i apreciate you sir i love electronics from childhood I'm 20 yo now this year gonna I'm gonna get the admission in a collage with a diploma in electrical engineering now I found your awesome channel thanks for showing complex stuff in a easy manner you are great teacher sir never stop teaching subscribed 🥰
as a beginner in electronics, i find your explanation of inductors very interesting and helpful.
Simple and clear. The signs of a great teacher. Many thanks
Thank you so much from Bangladesh. Your ability to explain complex topics in an easy-to-understand manner is truly helpful!
This video is awesome, I just took my circuits II class where we learned all about inductors, magnetism, reactance/impedance, RLC/filter etc. and I NEEDED this video to bring together a couple concepts that I only knew the math for and nothing else really, you're a great teacher man!
One of the best & clearest explanation of this technology , congratulations.
Very good!!!! Thank you.
Your explanation was very much on point! It was quick, thorough and to the point. I highly enjoyed watching it as I've always wondered how power supplies work. I feel like I have a much better grasp on the components that are in the power supply because of your video.
Ive seen soo many videos on switch mode power supply and this is the only video which made it so easy for me to understand thanks 😊