> > > > ...The common Zenith MDA monitor, ... The one that combines the > > > > efficiency > > > > of a linear with the reliability of a switcher. > > > > Double take, resulting in coffee in nasal cavity ... ;-)
> > I am not joking. > > ----------------- > > Well, linears are noted more for their weight and caloric output than > efficiency > while switchers seem to have sacrificed reliability for higher efficiency so I > took it as a delightful bit of irony, like a car combining the safety of a > Pinto > with the graceful lines of an Edsel... > Oh well, I got a chuckle out of it... Of course I was being ironic. The 'not joking' part refers to the fact that it really is a switcher with a linear regulator. The reverse (mains transformer feeding low-voltage switching regulators) was relatively common (think of the older PDP11 PSUs, for example). These are big and heavy (massive iron-core transformer) and not as efficient as a mains switch-mode PSU, but are more efficient than a linear regulator (obviously) and seem quite reliable. -tony
