Re: Power Supply
Advantages of switching P/S:
Higher efficiency, resulting in lower heat, resulting in smaller heatsinks.
Smaller transformers, smaller capacitors, smaller overall packages.
Disadvantages: higher output noise, higher and harder to fix EMI, some stability challenges, usually more expensive, magnetics are harder to design and build.
Advantages of linear supplies:
Low output noise and ripple, can be very tightly regulated, usually the stability is not a great issue, few EMI problems.
Disadvantages: bulky, large transformers and capacitors required, low efficienty, meaning large heatsinks.
Also, you can only obtain an output voltage that is lower than the input voltage, never higher.