Power in waiting

Reducing the power that electronic products consume in standby mode is becoming ever more important in the face of new regulations. With the goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and the concomitant need to conserve the world's energy supply, there is a continual emergence of regulation mandating power efficiency in electronic applications. Semiconductor suppliers are increasingly playing a key role in compliance with these regulations from the standpoint of reducing standby power, improving efficiency and providing solutions that improve power quality. The United States, European Union, China, Japan and Korea all have regulations that limit the amount of standby power various products may draw. These limits apply to virtually all household, consumer and office products. Semiconductor companies are providing power supply solutions for product manufacturers to meet these standby requirements.