Power supply

Abstract

A power supply to provide electrical power to one or more loads. The power supply may include a resonant air core transformer to provide an adjustable and adaptable source of power to electronic devices. The power supply may include isolated primary-side circuitry and secondary-side circuitry. The primary-side circuitry may include control circuitry that, among other things, provides drive waveforms for the primary-side switching circuitry. In embodiments configured to produce AC output, the secondary-side circuitry may also include switching circuitry. The primary-side control circuitry may provide drive waveforms for the secondary-side switching circuitry. The secondary-side circuitry may include measurement circuitry that measures the current and/or voltage of the output and provides those measurements to the control circuitry through isolation circuitry. The control circuitry may adjust the drive waveforms for the primary-side and/or secondary-side switching circuitry as a function of the measured values.

1 . A power supply system capable of supplying power to one or more loads comprising:
 a power supply having control circuitry configured to control operation of the power supply, said control circuitry capable of selectively varying an operating parameter of said power supply;   a power supply line supplying power from said power supply to the one or more loads disposed remotely from said power supply;   at least one remote monitor configured to measure a characteristic of power at a location remote from said control circuitry, said measured characteristic being indicative of a power loss at said location; and   wherein said control circuitry is configured to adjust said operating parameter as a function of said measured characteristic to adjust for said power loss.   
     
     
         2 . The power supply system of  claim 1  wherein said measured characteristic is voltage. 
     
     
         3 . The power supply system of  claim 1  wherein said operating parameter is a voltage set point. 
     
     
         4 . The power supply system of  claim 1  wherein said remote monitor is incorporated into a load. 
     
     
         5 . The power supply system of  claim 1  wherein said remote monitor includes a transmitter for transmitting said measured voltage. 
     
     
         6 . The power supply system of  claim 5  wherein each of said remote monitors includes a unique address. 
     
     
         7 . The power supply system of  claim 1  further including a base for receiving said measured characteristic and a computer for determining an appropriate adjustment in said operating parameter as a function of said measured characteristic. 
     
     
         8 . A method for establishing an operating parameter of a power supply applying power to a power supply line, comprising the steps of:
 connecting one or more remote voltage monitors to the power supply line;   communicating a measured voltage from the one or more remote voltage monitors to a base;   analyzing the measured voltage to determine power loss along the power supply line; and   setting an operating parameter of the power supply based on the measured voltage to compensate for the power loss.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said communicating step is further defined as wirelessly communicating the measured voltage from the one or more remote voltage monitors to the base. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further including the step of incorporating the remote voltage monitor into a load, whereby the remote voltage monitor remains coupled to the power supply line along with the load. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further including the step of coupling the base to a computer running software to interface the base and the computer. 
     
     
         12 . The method  claim 8  wherein the power supply is further defined as a power supply for landscape lighting and the power supply line is further defined as the power supply line for a plurality of landscape lamps; and
 wherein said connecting step is further defined as connecting a remote voltage monitor to the power supply line approximate a location of at least one landscaping lamp. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method  claim 8  wherein the power supply is further defined as a power supply for landscape lighting and the power supply line is further defined as the power supply line for a plurality of landscape lamps; and
 wherein said connecting step is further defined as connecting a remote voltage monitor to the power supply line approximate a location of a landscaping lamp most remote from the power supply. 
 
     
     
         14 . A power supply tuning system for tuning a power supply for supplying power to a plurality of loads via a supply line comprising:
 one or more remote monitors disposed along the power supply line remote from a power supply control circuit, each of said remote monitors configured to measure a characteristic of power at a location remote from the power supply control circuit to determine a power loss at said location, each of said remote monitors further including a transmitter to communicate said measured characteristic;   a receiver configured to receive said measured characteristic from said one or more remote monitors; and   a computer capable of determining an operating parameter set point for the control circuit as a function of said measured characteristic of power received from said one or more remote monitors, said computer configured to communicate said operating parameter set point to the control circuit to allow the control circuit to adjust for said power loss.   
     
     
         15 . The power supply tuning system of  claim 14  wherein said measured characteristic is voltage. 
     
     
         16 . The power supply tuning system of  claim 15  wherein said operating parameter is a voltage set point. 
     
     
         17 . The power supply tuning system of  claim 16  wherein each of said remote monitors is incorporated into a corresponding one of the loads. 
     
     
         18 . The power supply tuning system of  claim 14  wherein each of said remote monitors includes a unique address. 
     
     
         19 . The power supply tuning system of  claim 14  in which said receiver is further defined as a transceiver, said transceiver being disposed within a base, said base configured to poll said one or more remote monitors. 
     
     
         20 . The power supply tuning system of  claim 19  wherein said transceiver communicates with said transmitter using wireless communications.