Full custom support case study for AC/DC Power Adapter for smart meters and HEMS | Dedicated design for residential equipment

A case study of full custom support for smart meters and HEMS AC/DC Power Adapter. To meet long-term use, high-temperature and high-humidity environments, and reliability requirements, we present an example optimized from the design stage.

What Full Custom Support Means

Full custom support refers to optimization based on required specifications, including circuit design and component selection.

It is selected when semi-custom solutions cannot meet requirements such as:

Harsh operating environments
Long-term warranty and high reliability are essential
Unique standards for residential equipment

to satisfy these conditions.

Background to the Demand for Full Custom Solutions in High-Reliability Social Infrastructure Applications

For smart meters and HEMS applications:

Difficult to replace once installed
Failures have significant impact on residents and administrators
They play a role as social infrastructure

For these reasons, reliability design exceeding that of typical IT equipment is required.

Countermeasures Against Solder Joint Aging

In power supplies used over long periods, aging and cracking of solder joints become critical risks.

UNIFIVE:

Selects appropriate solder materials
Optimizes mounting conditions
Conducts evaluations through accelerated testing

to implement reliability design based on long-term use.

Component Selection and Design Supporting High Reliability

With full custom support, the following points are considered from the design stage:

Circuit design to suppress temperature rise
Adoption of long-life components
Derating according to usage environment

This enables a dedicated design suitable for residential equipment applications.

Comprehensive Measures Against Radio Interference and Noise in Indoor Environments

HEMS devices are used in the same space as Wi-Fi, home appliances, and communication equipment.

With full custom support:

Identification of noise sources
Countermeasures at the circuit and layout level
Evaluation assuming real-world environments

are carried out to implement fundamental noise countermeasures.

Cases Suitable for Full Custom Support

Long-term warranty and social infrastructure applications
Harsh operating environments
Unique reliability standards
Requirements cannot be met with semi-custom solutions

UNIFIVE provides optimal solutions for smart meter and HEMS AC/DC Power Adapter from both perspectives: efficient optimization through semi-custom support and dedicated design through full custom support.