Every Component of a Switch Mode Power Supply Explained

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'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! 🙏

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!

As a 76 year old electrical engineer, I found this Brilliant!

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!

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....

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.

That was the best explanation I’ve ever seen in decades of being a tech.

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 YouTube. Subbed

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 🙂

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.

The best explanation of SMPS I've ever seen so far.

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!

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.

Amazing how you explained the power loss as water leakage, Thanks for the great Contant !

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.

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!

I have noticed how power supplies have shrunk over the years, but had no idea how this was achieved. This video has been a great help. Not least because, to school-level me, a transformer is a trasformer - never heard of an inductor before. Thank you.

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

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