Mean Well Power Supply Hiccup Mode
There are two questions that we are often asked:
- What is meant by ‘Hiccup Mode’?
- How does a MEAN WELL power supply behave in an overload situation?
As the two topics are closely related, we can answer both questions with this one blog post.
Depending on the MEAN WELL power supply in question, it will behave in one of two ways when an overload situation occurs:
- Go into ‘Hiccup Mode’, or
- Switch to ‘Constant Current Limiting’ mode.
If your MEAN WELL power supply has hiccup mode overload protection, the power supply will shut down momentarily if it sees an overload, then after a second or so will start up again. If the overload is still present it will shut down again.
The power supply will only remain on once the overload situation has been resolved.
Other MEAN WELL power supplies have a ‘Constant Current Limiting’ mode. These power supplies will continue to give full current into a short circuit, but limit the current output to that of the maximum current output rating of the power supply.
MEAN WELL data sheets contain information on the overload characteristics of the power supply.
Check the ‘Overload’ parameters, which are shown in the ‘Protection’ section of the data sheet.
Don't assume that because one model of power supply within a particular series has constant current limiting, all of the other models in the same series will also have constant current limiting.
For example, the 200 Watt MEAN WELL RSP-500-24 has constant current limiting, whereas its 240 Watt counterpart, the MEAN WELL RSP-200-24 has hiccup mode.
We strongly recommend that you read the data sheets carefully when selecting a power supply. Even some of those that are constant current limiting have a proviso - the output voltage has to be greater than 50% otherwise it reverts to hiccup mode. Both the MEAN WELL HRP-75 and HRP-100 have this characteristic.
MEAN WELL are constantly revising their data sheets, so be sure to download the latest versions from the Power Supplies Australia website before checking the overload characteristics.
If you have any questions about a MEAN WELL power supply’s ‘Hiccup Mode’, or overload protection then please do not hesitate to contact Power Supplies Australia. A member of our expert team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
