Power design secures electricity meters

Power supply design uses the LinkSwitch-XT family to enables antitampering protection in electricity meter applications.

Power Integrations has introduced a new Power Supply Design Idea (DI-141) based on the company's highly successful LinkSwitch-XT family that enables antitampering protection in electricity meter applications.

In some countries it is estimated that 5% of electricity production is consumed illegally through tampered meters - a very real and high cost to utility companies.

New and effective antitampering strategies are in continuous demand by meter developers.

The Power Integrations design idea offers an isolated power supply in flyback configuration that delivers 150mA at 5V, even under an intense external magnetic field, the most commonly used method of disabling meters without alerting existing antitampering measures.

Power Integrations' LinkSwitch-XT family includes EcoSmartE technology, which optimises the efficient conversion of energy at different load levels.

By replacing traditional linear power supplies with the PI solution, the 2W of power used by power meters, the maximum amount recommended by the International Electrotechnical Commission (or IEC), may be reduced to around 1W while still providing the 750mW of power required by the advanced meter electronics.

The PI solution thus reduces energy expended in metering by 50%.

Comments Silvestro Fimiani, Product Marketing Manager at Power Integrations: "Adoption of this technology is an effective way for utility companies - which are investing million of dollars worldwide to install an automatic meter infrastructure (AMI) - to recover part of their huge investment by saving energy".

DI-141, complete documentation for the LinkSwitch-XT family and a description of Power Integrations' EcoSmart technology can be found on the Power Integrations website.

Back to top