App note from Richtek on comparison of different connection of Common-N DCR current sensing and its effect on PCB resistance mismatch. Link here (PDF) It has been many years since GPU power solutions (OVR3i+ / OVR4i+) adopt common-N structure for DCR current sensing in multi-phase applications. There are two common-N type multi-phase controllers for graphic […]
Tag Archives: power supply
App note: Multi-source power management design
Design tips from Richtek when sourcing/selecting parts for power supply. Link here The COVID pandemic has made it clear that the semiconductor supply chain is very sensitive to sudden changes in supply and demand, resulting in worldwide shortage of semiconductors in all fields, from consumer to automotive applications. Many company production lines had to reduce […]
App note: Transformerless power supplies – resistive and capacitive
An app note from Microchip about two basic ways of getting power from AC outlet to power small circuits and microcontrollers, these involves hazard too due to non-isolation from mains but rewards cost effectivity. Link here (PDF) There are several ways to convert an AC voltage at a wall receptacle into the DC voltage required […]
Lab power supply build using old power bricks
Building a lab power supply from old computer power bricks: Over the years, I have accumulated many used computer power bricks. Although I could just use them by themselves to power other electronics with similar voltage and current requirements, I thought I would combine a few of them together as the input to a linear […]
Adjustable Lab power supply
Xristost built a DIY adjustable lab power supply: With the original schematic at hand I took the liberty to make a few changes. First of all I replaced two transistor-zener regulators with LM317L/LM337L. Circuits are calculated to produce 33V positive and 3V negative voltages. Thus total supply voltage for the opamps does not exceed 36V and […]
App note: Cable compensation of a primary-side-regulation power supply
Another tech note from Richtek on power supply regulation with cable compensation. Link here Cable compensation has been used to compensate the voltage drop due to cable impedance for providing a regulated charging voltage in battery charger applications. This application note uses a novel cable compensation method, which called cable minus compensation, as an example […]
App note: Monitoring additional supplies with the ADM1062–ADM1069 super sequencers
App note from Analog Devices about ways to extend capabilities of their ADM106x supply supervisor and sequencer chip. Link here (PDF) The ADM1062–ADM1069 Super Sequencers accurately monitor a number of input rails. The ADM1062–ADM1067 have 10 input pins dedicated to monitoring (VH, VP1 to VP4, VX1 to VX5) and the ADM1068 and ADM1069 have eight […]
Building a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) power supply using a DPS5005 module
Dr. Scott M. Baker has designed and built a PoE-powered lab power supply using a DPS5005 and custom PoE board: The DPS5005 is a DC-DC converter. It can accept an input voltage from 0 to about 55 volts or so, and will regulate an output voltage up to about 1 volt below the input. This […]
Understanding and repairing the power supply from a 1969 analog computer
Ken Shirriff writes: We recently started restoring a vintage1 analog computer. Unlike a digital computer that represents numbers with discrete binary values, an analog computer performs computations using physical, continuously changeable values such as voltages. Since the accuracy of the results depends on the accuracy of these voltages, a precision power supply is critical in […]
APP NOTE: Give your voltage regulator the margin it deserves
Texas instruments has an app note and video explaining how to make a programmable output power supply using a typical LDO voltage regulator and a DAC. This is the technique we used for the Bus Pirate Ultra power supply to get 0.8 to 5volts output, and it works a treat! Consider the currents going in […]
App note: FPGA power supply considerations
App note from Vishay Siliconix, giving us tips on powering FPGAs. Link here (PDF) An FPGA is a device that offers many logic elements – up to 1 million gates in a single device at this writing – as well as other functionality such as transceivers, PLLs, and MAC units for complex processing. FPGAs are […]
App note: Power supply topologies – Forward of Flyback? Which is Better? Both!
App note from Coilcraft camparing two recognized power supply topologies. Link here (PDF) Beatles or Stones? Michael or LeBron? Deep dish or thin crust? Forward or flyback? These are just a few of the age-old questions that have been hotly debated over the years, people arguing their opinions with great vigor. But, the truth is, […]
App note: Addressing power supply challenges for after-market electronics and infrastructure
This application note discusses key market trends and customer needs that are presenting new challenges for power supply design for after-market technologies and transport infrastructure automation. This piece will also examine solutions to address these challenges, with a special emphasis on power architecture. Link here After-market automotive products have driven remarkable innovation, from infotainment and […]
Teardown and repair of an GW Instek PSW80-40.5 1080W multi-range programmable power supply
Teardown and repair of an GW Instek 1080W power supply from The Signal Path: In this episode Shahriar investigates the failure of a GW Instek 1080W power supply capable of providing up to 80V and 40A of programmable output voltage and current respectively. The power supply does not power on. However, relay noises can be […]
DIY custom power supply
Anthony Lieuallen made this custom power supply and wrote a post on his blog detailing its assembly: You might not truly be an electronics nerd until you build your own power supply. Either way, I’ve finally passed that threshold. As I’ve mentioned previously (and previouslier), I’ve been working on mine — very slowly, off and […]
Inside a two-quadrant power supply – Agilent 66312A teardown and experiment
Kerry Wong did a teardown of an Agilent 66312A dynamic measurement DC source: Typically, a lab power supply can only operate within a single quadrant. Take a positive voltage power supply for example, it can only output or source current. If any attempt is made trying to sink current into the power supply by connecting […]
Optimizing the 5v to 170v Nixie tube power supply design (part 2)
Mark Smith has a nice write-up on optimizing the 5v to 170v Nixie tube power supply: Since this power supply is just a fun design for an upcoming Nixie tube clock project of mine, I have the time to achieve ESE. While in Part 1 I described the equations and simulations, in this Part 2, I collected […]
App note: Measuring inrush current
Inrush current evaluation from Aimtec. Link here In AC/DC power converters beyond a few watts, during the initial application of power an excessive inrush current will flow when the input capacitors are suddenly charged. If unhindered the inrush current can easily exceed 50 A at the peak of the AC cycle and severely stress the […]
App note: Choose the right power supply for your FPGA
Designing a power supply for FPGA includes multiple voltage, ripple management and power sequencing, here’s an app note from Maxim Integrated. Link here (PDF) Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs) require 3 to 15, or even more, voltage rails. The logic fabric is usually at the latest process technology node that […]
PRECIsion Power SUpply project
PreciPSU, a high performance power supply project from Mare & Gal Electronics: PreciPSU is an attempt to build high performance power supply. The idea started few years ago but it was never realised. Some major target performance specs are as follows: three isolated channels around 50W per channel 24V/3A output per channel lowest possible ripple at fastest […]