A bench top power supply is exactly what it sounds like; A power supply that is meant for use on a work or lab bench. Bench top power supplies are programmable and variable with a user being able to set voltage and current within the power supply’s range. ATE stands for automated test equipment. ATE systems are designed to run tests on devices under computer control. Meaning that an engineer does not need to be present and interact with the test system, beyond the initial set up. “Linear” and “switching” refer to the method the power supply uses to take the AC signal from mains and convert it to DC. A linear design is the more simple design, using a transformer to step down the voltage before rectifying with a diode and filtered by a capacitor. This simplistic design makes linear power supplies cheaper to produce while also maintaining low noise levels. However, due to the transformers used in linear power supplies, these designs are bulkier and less efficient. A switching power supply however, does not use transformers. Switching supplies rectify and filter the AC signal first without any stepping down. Next, the signal is converted into a high frequency pulse train using a chopper. After this, the signal is again filtered and rectified. Because switching power supplies don’t use a transformer to step down the input, switching power supplies are more efficient and compact.