Outdoor power supply parallel use

Using power supplies in parallel is an attractive and viable technique to realize benefits in inventory and stocking, product commonality, additional output current, and N+1 redundancy.

Parallel power supplies refer to a configuration where multiple DC power supplies are connected in parallel to increase total output current. Each power supply shares the current load, ensuring that no single unit is overloaded. Higher Current Output – Allows for increased power delivery by combining the output of multiple units.

In principle, it's possible to operate as many power supplies as you need to achieve the desired output current. The simplest is two, providing up to double the current. Principle of parallel PSU operation: The load receives at most the sum of the IMAX of the power supplies selected.

Designers connect power supplies in parallel to obtain a total output current greater than that available from one individual supply as well as to provide redundancy, enhance reliability, avoid PCB thermal issues and boost system efficiency.

The technical reasons to consider paralleling supplies are more complex, of course. First, using parallel supplies can be a form of “insurance” in case the product actually needs more current than budgeted, perhaps due to unavailability of lower-power components or new features and capabilities added by marketing.

While the above is true for many power supplies, EA's 10000 series products allow the user to combine different power levels in parallel. The only requirements are that they must have the same voltage rating, and they must be the same family. Examples are pairing PSB with PSBE or PUB and PSI with PS or PU.