Why are PCB-mount AC DC converters so expensive?

I got the PCB quotation sheet and price breakdown from supplier. The unit price is not so pretty due to AC DC converters with outstanding high price, comparing to the PCB I employed wall wart. Is it normal?

The main difference is that the volume of production for board-mounted AC-DC converters is very low, so you pay a boutique price.

Decent quality fully approved (safety and EMC) wall-wart adapters are made in huge volume so the costs are relatively low.

Read More: Supply Chain Management

#PCB Assembly

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Oliver Smith

Oliver is an experienced electronics engineer skilled in PCB design, analog circuits, embedded systems, and prototyping. His deep knowledge spans schematic capture, firmware coding, simulation, layout, testing, and troubleshooting. Oliver excels at taking projects from concept to mass production using his electrical design talents and mechanical aptitude.
Picture of Oliver Smith

Oliver Smith

Oliver is an experienced electronics engineer skilled in PCB design, analog circuits, embedded systems, and prototyping. His deep knowledge spans schematic capture, firmware coding, simulation, layout, testing, and troubleshooting. Oliver excels at taking projects from concept to mass production using his electrical design talents and mechanical aptitude.

What Others Are Asking

What’s the minimum distance from TQFP to chip cap on PCB assembly?

I want to put decoupling caps (0603) as close as possible to TQFP-48-7×7. So PCB/assembly wise how close I can put them (pad to pad, component to component)?
Does the ‘court yard’ need to be exactly square, or is it ok to place mentioned caps closer to TQFP in the corners where the TQFP pins leave kind of ‘free space’?

Do electronics distributers test each component before sending them out?

I’m trying to decide whether to order components direct from manufacturers in China or from distributors in the US. If I have to test each component either way, I’m not sure if it’s a counterfeit, especially when prices are 100x more expensive from distributors.

Read Detailed Advice From Blog Articles

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