DC/DC converter education . . where?
OK - the vast majority of electronic equip I have are all battery-power based: laptop, cell phone, bluetooth, tablet, cat-tracker, and portable battery pack. The most power-hungry being the laptop. A...
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A reasonable education on DC/DC converters is a very thick book indeed. But I can give you a short form
There are two types.. (Or more) if you need say 5VDC off a 12 volt line the most common is what I'm going to call an automatic resistor, The real name is 3 terminal regulator.. What this is is basically a transistor and a zener diode, the diode sets the voltage and the transistor conducts only so long as the output voltage is lower than the zener's set point. Now the problem is this.
If you are darawing say 1 amp at 5 volts (5 watts) the Three Terminal Regulator is drawing 1 amp at 12 volts (12 watts) or more likely 13.6
The other type is a switching regbulator, this is an A/B type
If voltage reduction is used you "Chop" the DC into square, or more precisely retangle waves. The output of this goes to a capacitor. a voltage sensor varys the width of the retangle turning it on and off based on the voltage at the Capicator. Because power is ON only part of the time this is very efficient. If you have 5 watts out you likely have less than six in They work very well.
Finally we have voltage INCREASERS (yes I have one< Radio Shack and others sell them (I actually have two).
Thise work a lot like the switching supplies only they chop the signal into square waves, then feed a transformer, High frequency transformers are both small and efficient. Then its a standard power supply from there on.
There are two types.. (Or more) if you need say 5VDC off a 12 volt line the most common is what I'm going to call an automatic resistor, The real name is 3 terminal regulator.. What this is is basically a transistor and a zener diode, the diode sets the voltage and the transistor conducts only so long as the output voltage is lower than the zener's set point. Now the problem is this.
If you are darawing say 1 amp at 5 volts (5 watts) the Three Terminal Regulator is drawing 1 amp at 12 volts (12 watts) or more likely 13.6
The other type is a switching regbulator, this is an A/B type
If voltage reduction is used you "Chop" the DC into square, or more precisely retangle waves. The output of this goes to a capacitor. a voltage sensor varys the width of the retangle turning it on and off based on the voltage at the Capicator. Because power is ON only part of the time this is very efficient. If you have 5 watts out you likely have less than six in They work very well.
Finally we have voltage INCREASERS (yes I have one< Radio Shack and others sell them (I actually have two).
Thise work a lot like the switching supplies only they chop the signal into square waves, then feed a transformer, High frequency transformers are both small and efficient. Then its a standard power supply from there on.
