| People always ask us "exactly how does a | | | | square wave power inverters when |
| power inverter work?" The answer to this | | | | uninterrupted power flow is a critical issue. |
| question often surprises our customers. Car | | | | In fact, true sine output is sometimes |
| power inverters work much more simply than | | | | slightly superior to that of public utility |
| mysteriously, and the learning curve required | | | | power grids! Because of this, they are also |
| to understand them requires no more than a | | | | the most expensive devices of their kind on |
| very basic knowledge of electricity. | | | | the market. Recent advances in technology |
| Essentially, there are two forms of | | | | have accommodated users on a budget with a |
| electrical power in the Universe: Direct | | | | hybrid design generally referred to as either |
| Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC). | | | | a modified square or modified sine wave power |
| Direct current flows continuously from the | | | | inverter. The technical differences that |
| positive electrical pole to the negative | | | | determine how a true sine car power inverter |
| electrical pole. Alternating current flows | | | | works and how a modified sine power inverter |
| back and forth between the two poles. DC | | | | works are too minor to produce any noticeable |
| current occurs in Nature and batteries, while | | | | effects with standard electronics. Only the |
| AC current is man-made and supplies power | | | | most high-end equipment requires true sine |
| through the public utility grid that supports | | | | output, and the cost of these devices may |
| human industry and infrastructure. Car | | | | justify the additional investment in pure |
| batteries presented a problem in the past | | | | sine technology to deliver maximum quality |
| when people realized they needed to operate | | | | and reliable performance. |
| traditionally AC-powered devices in their | | | | |
| cars but could not do so because of | | | | Another new development that allows car power |
| incompatible current requirements. | | | | inverters to work with even more reliability |
| Manufacturers like Vector stepped up to solve | | | | than ever before is the sophisticated Soft |
| this dilemma by working to design car power | | | | Start Technology, branded "SST" by |
| inverters that would safely and efficiently | | | | manufacturers such as Vector. SST is the next |
| convert DC to AC. Their successful | | | | step in the evolution of how power inverters |
| engineering has resulted in a wide range of | | | | work. The very first power inverters for cars |
| compact, rectangular devices that connect to | | | | would only work intermittently during cold |
| batteries and output the resulting | | | | engine starts. Because they could not pull |
| alternating current safely through one or | | | | enough power from the battery, they would |
| more standard electrical plugs. | | | | shut down from current underload and require |
| | | | a manual restart. SST resolves this issue by |
| Two factors determine how a power inverter | | | | gradually increasing voltage ramp up during |
| works: wave output and wattage output. Wave | | | | engine startup. If the output dips for any |
| output describes the physical appearance of | | | | reason, SST makes instant adjustments to |
| electrical signals as they move across an | | | | compensate and will prevent most shutdowns. |
| oscilloscope. Square waves appear exactly as | | | | If in the rare event a shutdown does occur, |
| their name specifies: like squares on a grid. | | | | the newer car power inverters work |
| Pure sine waves, also called true sine waves, | | | | automatically to restart themselves without |
| appear as visible waves on the screen. Sine | | | | distracting the driver from the road. |
| wave car power inverters work better than | | | | |