For many equipment, the size and weight of electronic systems is a critical requirement. This is particularly obvious in applications such as aerospace, where additional size and weight in a drone, for example, reduces range and flying time. But most systems can benefit from smaller or lighter electronics. Power-system designers often focus their efforts to cut size and weight during the component selection process, but the reality is that at this stage only relatively small incremental improvements can be delivered.
Selecting the right power system architecture can have a much bigger impact than optimizing component selection for a particular design. The design of the power system determines the components and cabling required. For example, increasing the voltage used to distribute power reduces the size of the conductors required, which can be a significant factor in some applications.
