What is the difference between a power adapter and a charger?

Difference: 1. The power adapter consists of a casing, transformer, PCB board, etc; A charger consists of a casing, input terminals, output terminals, etc. 2. The current mode of the power adapter is from AC input to DC output; The current mode of the charger uses a constant current limited voltage charging system.

The difference between power adapter and charger

The main differences between power adapters and chargers are as follows

1. Different definitions. A power adapter is a device that converts the power supply of electronic devices and appliances. A charger is a device that utilizes high-frequency power technology and advanced intelligent dynamic adjustment charging technology.

2. The structural composition is different, and the power adapter consists of a housing, transformer, PCB board, etc. A charger consists of a casing, input terminals, output terminals, etc.

3. The current modes are different. The current mode of the power adapter is from AC input to DC output. The current mode of the charger uses a constant current limited voltage charging system.

Charger:

The English name Charger usually refers to a device that converts AC power into low-voltage DC power. A charger is a dedicated DC power source for rechargeable batteries, which includes control circuits such as current and voltage limiting to meet charging characteristics.

Chargers are widely used in various fields, especially in common appliances such as electric vehicles and flashlights in daily life. It usually charges the battery directly without any intermediary devices or equipment

The process of the charger is: constant current constant voltage trickle current, three-stage intelligent charging. The three-stage charging theory during the charging process can greatly improve the charging efficiency of the battery, shorten the charging time, and effectively extend the battery life. Three stage charging adopts constant current charging first, then constant voltage charging, and finally floating charging for maintenance charging.

Generally divided into three stages: fast charging, supplementary charging, and trickle charging:

·Fast charging stage: Charge the battery with a high current to quickly restore battery power, with a charging rate of over 1C. At this time, the charging voltage is low, but the charging current will be limited within a certain range.

·Complementary charging stage: Compared to the fast charging stage, the complementary charging stage can also be referred to as the slow charging stage. When the fast charging phase terminates, the battery is not fully charged and a supplementary charging process needs to be added. The supplementary charging rate is generally not more than 0.3C, because the battery voltage increases after the fast charging phase, so the charging voltage during the supplementary charging phase should also increase and remain constant within a certain range.

·Trickle current charging stage: In the later stage of the supplementary charging stage, when the temperature rises beyond the limit or the charging current decreases to a certain value, a smaller current is used for charging until certain conditions are met before ending the charging.

The power adapter:

The common power adapter in the market is a power converter that undergoes voltage transformation, rectification, and stabilization. The output is DC, which can be understood as a low-voltage regulated power supply while meeting the power requirements.

Power adapters are widely used in devices such as routers, telephone mother and child machines, game consoles, language repeaters, portable speakers, laptops, and mobile phones. Most power adapters can automatically detect 100-240V AC power (50/60Hz).

A power adapter is a power conversion device for small portable electronic devices and appliances. It connects the power source externally to the host with a wire, which can reduce the size and weight of the host. Only a very small number of devices and appliances have the power source built into the host.

It is composed of a power transformer and a rectifier circuit inside, and can be divided into AC output type and DC output type according to its output type; According to the connection method, it can be divided into wall mounted and desktop mounted. There is a nameplate on the power adapter, which indicates indicators such as power, input/output voltage, and current, and special attention should be paid to the range of input voltage.

What is the function of a power adapter

Generally speaking, the function of a power adapter is to serve as a transformer and rectifier. The household AC power is 220V, while our computer uses DC 12V (as if), so it can be confirmed that the power adapter is a transformer and rectifier. The adapter is a transformer, so we should all know that AC 220V is transformed through a transformer and then converted into DC through a rectifier. There is consumption here, and this consumption will be converted into heat, so it is normal for the power adapter to generate heat.

Transformers are made of silicon steel sheets. When the transformer is powered on, it generates magnetic flux, which causes force between the silicon steel sheets, resulting in a humming sound. This is normal. But excessive ground noise is abnormal for many reasons: 1. Unstable AC voltage. 2. Chip damage. 3. Interturn short circuit. 4. Component damage, etc. By the way, the function of an adapter is to convert AC power into DC power for electronic products

Power adapters with large space are usually built-in, and the size of the adapter is generally not small. Small sized machines are external. In order to save space and facilitate replacement, the adapter uses mains power with high voltage, which is more dangerous to store inside the machine.

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