In the world of electronic engineering, few names command as much respect in the field of power management as Robert A. Mammano . A pioneer credited with developing the first monolithic pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller (the SG1524), Mammano has spent decades shaping how we convert, regulate, and protect electrical energy. In 2017, under the aegis of Texas Instruments (TI), he released what has quickly become a canonical text: Fundamentals of Power Supply Design .
Mammano’s Fundamentals of Power Supply Design bridges that gap perfectly. Published by as part of their educational series, the 2017 edition reflects modern challenges: higher efficiency demands, smaller form factors, lower quiescent current, and the rise of digital control. Mammano writes with the clarity of a teacher who has lived through the evolution from linear regulators to multi-phase synchronous buck converters. Section-by-Section Breakdown of Core Concepts The book is structured to build from first principles to advanced system design. Here is what you will master. 1. The Linear Regulator Revisited (A Necessary Foundation) While the book focuses on switching supplies, Mammano begins with the linear regulator—not as a historical footnote, but as a conceptual baseline. He explains dropout voltage, quiescent current, and thermal dissipation using intuitive analogies. He shows why linear supplies are still ideal for low-noise, low-current applications (sensitive RF or audio stages) but catastrophically inefficient for high-current or high-input-to-output voltage differentials. In the world of electronic engineering, few names
For engineers, students, and seasoned hobbyists, this book is not just a collection of datasheets or application notes—it is a structured, intuitive journey through the physics, topology, and practical realities of power supply design. This article explores the book’s core philosophy, its technical depth, and why the combination of Mammano’s expertise and TI’s resources makes this a definitive reference for the 21st century. Before dissecting the content, it is critical to understand the context. Prior to 2017, most power supply literature fell into two categories: overly theoretical academic textbooks (filled with Laplace transforms but little practical PCB layout advice) or fragmented application notes from semiconductor companies. In 2017, under the aegis of Texas Instruments