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The Surge - Volume 1, Issue
4 - July 2003
Watch That Traffic Light By Greg Kent, RSI Power, Inc. With most states and municipalities grasping for dollars (tax or federal handouts) at every opportunity, we thought we'd share a few thoughts on an interesting money saving technique: replacing old incandescent traffic lights with LEDs. LED traffic signals are replacing old, incandescent signals for three big reasons:
By Joshua Juarez, RSI Power, Inc. Recently, I had a new customer purchase our 320 watt power supply. In my usual manner, I asked him how he was planning to use the product. His reply? "I need to power up my water pump, for my computer". "WHAT?", I thought to myself. "Water and electronics do NOT MIX. This guy had to be an OVER CLOCKER!" Every computer has a clock that beats out the working cadence of the CPU and the components that feed it. Let's say a clock ticks 2.26 billion times per second (this would be the speed of a 2.26-GHZ Pentium machine). An "Over Clocker" -- or a person who rigs his machine to get more performance out of it -- will attempt to boost the performance of the 2.26 HGZ machine by manually removing speed governors placed on the clock by the manufacturer. This enables the machine to run faster and more powerfully but at much hotter temperatures. One of the many reasons you'd want a faster computer might be to play 3D intensive computer games such as "first person shooters", games that involve navigating virtual terrain from a first-person perspective while simultaneously shooting at nasty things trying to eat you. The load on the CPU and memory is intense, as the system must process immense amounts of graphical data on a continual basis. The more electrical current a chip draws, the hotter it becomes. Without an adequate cooling system, an overclocked CPU's delicate microlithographed circuitry burns out. Thus, cooling is an obsession among over clockers, who trade tips and post benchmarks at online hangouts like HardOCP.com (the Hard Overclocker's Paradise). The simplest solution for cooling overclocked machines is to install a more conductive heat sink and a more efficient fan, but passive air cooling can only bring a CPU down to room temperature, good for a speed boost of only 25 percent or so. Serious gear heads go for water cooling: just plumb your computer's guts with pipes and pump cold water through them. Excess heat dissipates in your computer room while the PC'S frantic innards remain frigid. The best way to cool the water itself is fiercely debated. Some opt for an outboard Peltier cooler (a type of heat pump) while others use fridge-style compressors that extract heat by evaporating a liquid refrigerant. No matter what the choice, water cooled, over-clocked computer systems are popular enough to have spawned numerous fan sites and online message boards, and have enjoyed coverage in popular electronics publications because they do indeed realize substantial performance improvements. However, before you go and try to become your own Mr. Plumber, realize the vast majority of computers out there don't need super cooling systems for the applications they run, and that if you don't know what you're doing, you could easily (and seriously) injure yourself and/or your system. Substantial research and professional guidance is strongly recommended. I want to thank our customer (who will remain nameless) on explaining this to me and to Cory Doctorow who also wrote a article "Maximum Overdrive" found in Wired.com. Power FAQs Every month in this section we will address a question we are often asked by our customers. If you have one you’d like answered, please email your question to jim@rsipower.com. Q: How do I verify the efficiency of my switching power supply? A: Here are several methods of determining efficiency on a switching power supply. Here are two methods: Method 1 Steps:
The above method requires the use of a power analyzer to measure the distorted AC input current in switching power supplies. Standard RMS meters will yield erroneous readings when measuring switching power supply input current. If a power analyzer is not available, efficiency can be calculated as follows: Method 2 Steps: Determine the following information:
Efficiency can then calculated as follows:
RSI's "Just for Fun" The power supply industry is no stranger to engineers, and let's face it, they have their own sense of humor. We thought we'd share a few zingers we've heard around the office with our readers just to "brighten up" the day a bit. (Note: RSI is not responsible for any injuries incurred as a result of spontaneous knee slapping while reading these gems). Q. How do you save power? A. Kill a watt. Engineer's Statement: "The test results were extremely gratifying." Layman's Translation: "It works and boy are we surprised." Engineer's Statement: "The entire concept will have to be abandoned." Layman's Translation: "The only guy who understood the thing quit." You are an engineer if: - You stare at an orange juice container because it says CONCENTRATE. - You know which direction the water swirls when you flush. - And certainly, if you've ever saved the power cord from a broken appliance. Contacting RSI Power, Inc. To contact RSI Power, Inc., you can visit us on the web at www.rsipower.com or at the address and phone number below. RSI Power 2760 Lake Sahara Drive Suite 106 Las Vegas, NV 89117 Toll Free: 877.804.1142 Fax: 800.286.9538  (877)804-1142 Copyright 2004, RSI Power, Incorporated 4710 W. Dewey Dr., Ste. 110, Las Vegas, NV 89118 Website Design by SavvyDog Design  Home | Meanwell | Class 2 Power | Cosel | Power Mate Mousepad Request | About Us | Products | Contact | Links | Sitemap |