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Tamper-Proof Electricity Meter Slashes Waste and Fraud A new Power Supply Design Idea (DI-141) introduced by , is based on the company's highly successful LinkSwitch-XT family, which enables antitampering protection in electricity meter applications. With the estimation that, in some countries, five percent of electricity production is consumed illegally through tampered meters, new and effective anti-tampering 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, which is the most commonly used non-intrusive method of disabling meters. |
Power Integrations' LinkSwitch-XT family includes EcoSmart technology, which optimizes the efficient conversion of energy at different load levels. By replacing traditional linear power supplies with the PI solution, the 2.0W of power used by power meters, the maximum amount recommended by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), may be reduced to around 1.0W, while still providing the 750mW of power required by the advanced meter electronics. This solution thus reduces energy expended in metering by 50%. Details of DI-141, with documentation for the LinkSwitch-XT family and a description of Power Integrations' EcoSmart technology, are given on www.powerint.com. EDI-new-products-Power-Integrations-08-11-07 |
