The size of a linear power supply varies depending on its make, model, and features. However, a majority of the industry-standard units are too heavy and clunky to be considered portable. They usually end up being a permanent setup or fixture on the engineer’s workstation or bench—hence the term “bench power supply” or “benchtop power supply.”

If your project needs to run at a specific voltage level, a linear power supply is an extremely useful piece of equipment to have on-hand. They are incredibly intuitive and come with a multitude of features that allow you to simulate virtually any scenario; fine voltage and current level control, built-in circuit protection, and multiple outputs—just to name a few.

A linear power supply features a transient response time up to 100 times faster than its switch-mode counterpart, which is important in certain specialized areas. Because the size of the transformer is directly proportional to the power output of the supply, a linear power supply is larger and heavier than a switch-mode power supply. A switch-mode power supply can generate high-frequency noise that can interfere with electronic equipment, making a linear power supply a better choice for powering sensitive analog circuitry.