Why should a power supply have a wide operating temperature range?

Depending on the application, a power supply with a wide operating temperature range may provide better reliability and a longer operating lifetime, prevent the need for a cooling fan or other special design consideration for thermal management, and reduce the overall cost of your system.

What does it mean if a power supply exceeds standard operating temperatures?

Exceeding standard operating temperatures means running your power supply when the ambient temperature falls outside the operating temperatures for which it is rated. Sometimes this happens — you can't predict every possible usage scenario, and you can’t always guarantee a stable environment.

What is a good ambient temperature for a power supply?

Some applications may require ambient operating temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius and as high as +85 degrees Celsius, or an even wider range. A number of factors can influence the ambient temperature that a power supply is subjected to in a given application, including the following:

What temperature should a commercial power supply be rated?

Typical commercial power supplies are specified to support their full rated load over an ambient temperature range from zero or minus 25 degrees Celsius to around 50 degrees Celsius, and they may derate to 50% load at 70 degrees Celsius.

Do power supplies need to be housed outside?

Power supplies need to be housed outdoors, where the extreme heat of the summer and the extreme cold of the winter will both be present. Power supplies heat themselves up at different rates and intensities, and environmental influences will impact how quickly a power supply is exposed to high temperatures.

Why is thermal design important in a power supply?

Proper thermal design of the power supply will mitigate this risk, and supplies with wider operating temperatures ranges are likely to exhibit less temperature rise, resulting in lower touch temperatures for a given ambient operating temperature.