13.

8V 20A power supply

author: Santa Cruz (Nickna e ! "o#$ ! %a&re#' Croatia

(e&ulate) *C power supply' short circuit sa+e' an) with current li iter

,his -S. has #een especially )esi&ne) +or current!hun&ry ha ra)io transcei/ers. 0t )eli/ers sa+ely aroun) 20A ps at 13.8V. 1or lower currents' a separate current li itin& output' capa#le o+ 12 a up to a total o+ 20A has #een a))e). 3et us see what we ha/e &ot here. ,he power trans+or er shoul) #e capa#le to )eli/er at least 22A at 14.2 to 20V. ,he lower the /olta&e' the lower power )issipation. ,he recti+ie) current will #e 5irone)6 #y the C1' whose capacity shoul) not #e less than 70.000u1' (a &ol)en rule o+ aroun) 2000u18A$' #ut we reco en) up to 20.000u1. ,his capacity can #e #uilt up #y se/eral s aller capacitors in parallel. ,he #ase o+ this )esi&n is a si ple 12V re&ulator (4812$. ,he output /olta&e can #e #rou&ht to )esire) /alue (here 13.8V$ #y two e9ternal resistors ((2 an) (:$ usin& this +or ula: .; 12(1<(28(:$ ,he low currents (here 12 A$ will keep the 4812 in its re&ular +unction. As soon as the current rises o/er 12 a' the /olta&e )rop on (7 will 5open6 the =3' actually han)lin& the hi&h output current. ,his is a -N- transistor (0c>22$ an) current a pli+ication +actor o+ at least 20. ,he one that has #een teste) an) pro/en here is the 2N2:83. ,he current li itin& resistance (3' +or the a9i u output o+ 20 A ps shoul) #e 0.03 ?h s' rate) at

least 12@. Aou can use the resistance wire or switch se/eral resistors in parallel' totalin& the resistance8power /alues. Values +or other currents can #e calculate) #y the rule: (3;0.480 a9 ,he (3 an) =2 (3A -N- such as "*330$ +or a short circuit 5auto atic +use6. As soon as the a9i u current reaches 20A ps' the /olta&e )rop o/er the resistor (3 will open =2' an) thus li it the "!B Current o+ =3. -arallel to =2 is =1' which li&hts the 3B* 1 whene/er the current li itin& circuit is acti/e. @hen the 5+use6 is acti/e' the =2 #ri)&es the (3' so the +ull current woul) +low throu&h the 0C1' an) )a a&e it. ,here+ore the (7 is inserte)' as to li it the 0C1 current to 12 A. ,his akes it possi#le to run the 0C1 without any coolin& ai). ,he 3B* 2 will li&ht up e/ery ti e the -S. is switche) on. ,here is an a)Custa#le current li iter in parallel to the +i9e) output' thus pro/i)in& a)Custa#le current source +or s aller currents. ,his circuit is /ery si ple too. Aou will notice that there is no current sensin& resistor. "ut it is really there' in a +or o+ the ()s!on resistance o+ the N!channel 1B,' which actually han)les the loa) cuto++ +ro the source. ,he +unction o+ the 1B, is shown in the )ia&ra 2. @hen the current 0) is risin&' the tension .)s o/er the resistance ()s rises /ery slowly in the #e&innin&' #ut /ery +ast a+ter the knick. ,his eans' that #e+ore the knick the 1B, #eha/es as a resistor #ut a+ter it' works as constant current source. ,he *2' (3 an) "!B connection o+ the =7 will sense the .)s /olta&e o+ the 1B,1. @hen the /olta&e rises enou&h' the =7 will shortcut the 1B,1 &ate to ass' an) cut the current +low throu&h the 1B, 1 o++. Dowe/er' to ena#le the 1B,1 to open' there is certain &ate /olta&e necessary' which in this case is #rou&ht up #y the /olta&e )i/i)er consistin& o+ (8' %1' -1 an) (E. So the a9i u Fate /olta&e will #e the one o+ the %1' an) the ini al will #e aroun) 3V:. ,he %1 /olta&e (.z1$ will thus )eter ine the a9 current +lowin& throu&h the 1B, 1. ,he )ia&ra 2 will show that +or 2 A ps the .z1 shoul) #e 2V:' an) +or 20A ps aroun) EV:. ,he Capacitor C7 will )eter ine the 5/elocity6 or the reaction ti e o+ the li iter. 100 u1 will ake the reaction ti e to #e aroun) 100 s' an) 1n will ake it 1us. @ithin the )esi&ne) li its' the -1 will li it the current output in the ran&e o+ 12 A to 20A. Aou can use #oth output si ultaneously' #ut the total output current will #e li ite) #y the /alue o+ the (3. ,his -S. can #e #uilt also +or hi&her outputs' as lon& as the trans+or er will han)le the current reGuire ents' an) you pro/i)e su++icient coolin& +or the =3. 0+ so e#o)y will #e intereste)' there is a -C" )esi&n rea)y. Da/e +un. "o#

(BV1.

0 ha/e recei/e) se/eral reGuests +or so e o)i+ications' an) the one 0 +in) use+ul is the a))ition o+ an a p eter. ,here+ore the sli&htly o)i+ie) )ia&ra is inclu)e) in this re/ision. All ele ents within the )otte) #or)er are now place) on the pc#. ,here is also ele ents place ent )esi&n inclu)e). Shoul) one ha/e an 22A p instru ent on han)' there is nothin& easier. Hust ount it in line an) there it &oes. Dowe/er' a ha woul) pro#a#ly +in) an instru ent so ewhere in his 5Cunk! #o96' #ut the scale woul) #e so ethin& co pletely )i++erent' let say an 5S6 or Volt eter. No pro#le . @e alrea)y ha/e a 5shunt6 +or the a p! eter' an) it is there as the Current li itin& resistor 5(36. As alrea)y known +ro #e+ore' there is a /olta&e )rop o+ 0V4 o/er the resistor at current +low o+ 20A. @hat we now ha/e to )o' is to si ply easure the /olta&e )rop o/er the resistor' an) co!relate it with the current. 3et us say that our instru ent has an internal resistance o+ 13(' an) has a +ull scale rea)in& o+ :0 V. ,he /olta&e )rop o/er the (3 is 0V4 +or 20A ps. ,here+ore' we nee) another resistance in line with the instru ent' that woul) #rin& the 0V4 to :0 V' or an /olta&e )rop o+ :70 V. ,he +or ula is si ple: U1:R1=U2:R2 :0:13;:70:I I;139:708:0 I;138.:: ,here+ore' the resistance that has to #e inserte) in line is aroun) 170(. 0 su&&est to insert a tri er (V(1$ o+ aroun) 200(' to +ine tri the rea)in& when cali#ratin& the instru ent. .sin& your +a/orite )rawin& so+tware' )esi&n your scale to your likin&s' (at least 20A +or the +ull scale$ an) insert it in the instru ent you ha/e. *ue to the any reGuests +or the -C" 3ayout' 0 ha/e inclu)e) the )esi&n here. ,he e9act )i ensions o+ the pcb are 160x100mm. Please remember, that the pcb has to be printed as a mirror image, to obtain higher quality when transferring it to the copper side of the board. @ish you a &oo) ti e. "o#