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Use of margin winding techniques allows the construction of a
transformer with ordinary magnet wire and readily available
insulating materials.  However, the necessity for margins, start
and finish sleeving, and reinforced insulation results in a
complex and labor-intensive transformer.  The margins waste
space inside the transformer, making it necessary to use a much
larger core and bobbin size than could be used if the margins
were not required.  One alternative to margin wound construction
is the use of triple insulated wire.
Triple Insulated Wire Construction
Triple insulated wire (Figure 5) has three separate layers of
insulation, any two of which can withstand a safety hipot test
voltage of 3000 VRMS.  Triple insulated wire thus satisfies the
requirements for a reinforced insulation per VDE/IEC
regulations, and can be used to construct a transformer without
the creepage margins required in a design using conventional
magnet wire.  A cross-section of a triple insulated wire
transformer design is shown in Figure 6.  The triple insulated
wire design uses magnet wire for primary and bias windings,
with a triple insulated secondary.  This is generally the most
cost effective and space-efficient way to utilize the benefits of
triple insulated wire, as it is larger in diameter and more costly
Transformer Construction Techniques
Figure 7 shows four styles of transformer construction for both
primary and secondary regulated flyback power supplies, using
margin wound and triple insulated wire techniques.  These four
styles are sufficient for almost all switching power supply
requirements.  The following paragraphs describe the
considerations involved in selecting a particular construction
style for an application, as well as additional considerations for
reducing EMI, stray capacitance, and leakage inductance.
Winding Sequence
Figure 7 shows optimum winding sequencing for transformers
for primary and secondary regulation schemes using margin
wound and triple insulated wire construction.  The factors
involved in determining optimum winding sequencing and
insulation placement are discussed below.
Figure 5.  Triple Insulated Wire.
PI-1795-030895
 Solid Wire Core
 3 Separate 
Insulation 
Layers
Figure 6.  Triple Insulated Wire Wound Transformer Cross Section.
BIAS (MAGNET
   WIRE)
PRIMARY
(MAGNET
WIRE)
BIAS
(ALTERNATE 
LOCATION)
PI-1678-091395
SECONDARY
(INSULATED)
than the equivalent size of magnet wire.  The secondary winding
will usually  require fewer turns of larger diameter wire than the
primary, so the cost and space impact of the triple insulated wire
is minimized.  In a triple insulated wire design, the full width of
the transformer bobbin is usable, due to the reinforced insulation
provided by the triple insulated wire.  A transformer using a
triple insulated wire design will generally be 1/2 to 2/3 of the
size of a transformer of the same power capability using a
magnet wire design.  Leakage inductance varies inversely with
the width of the transformer windings, so leakage inductance
for a triple insulated wire transformer will usually be less than
that of an equivalent margin wound design, due to more
efficient use of space on the transformer bobbin.
PI-1810-032896
Margin
Margin
Insulating
Sleeving
Figure 4. Use of Insulating Sleeving.