Transformer laboratory power supply diagram. Power supply: with and without regulation, laboratory, pulsed, device, repair

Many already know that I have a weakness for all kinds of power supplies, but here is a two-in-one review. This time there will be a review of a radio constructor that allows you to assemble the basis for a laboratory power supply and a variant of its real implementation.
I warn you, there will be a lot of photos and text, so stock up on coffee :)

First, I’ll explain a little what it is and why.
Almost all radio amateurs use such a thing as a laboratory power supply in their work. Whether it's complex with software control or completely simple on the LM317, it still does almost the same thing, powers different loads while working with them.
Laboratory power supplies are divided into three main types.
With pulse stabilization.
With linear stabilization
Hybrid.

The first ones include a switching controlled power supply, or simply a switching power supply with a step-down PWM converter. I have already reviewed several options for these power supplies. , .
Advantages - high power with small dimensions, excellent efficiency.
Disadvantages - RF ripple, presence of capacious capacitors at the output

The latter do not have any PWM converters on board; all regulation is carried out in a linear manner, where excess energy is simply dissipated on the control element.
Pros - Almost complete absence of ripple, no need for output capacitors (almost).
Cons - efficiency, weight, size.

The third is a combination of either the first type with the second, then the linear stabilizer is powered by a slave buck PWM converter (the voltage at the output of the PWM converter is always maintained at a level slightly higher than the output, the rest is regulated by a transistor operating in linear mode.
Or it is a linear power supply, but the transformer has several windings that switch as needed, thereby reducing losses on the control element.
This scheme has only one drawback, complexity, which is higher than that of the first two options.

Today we will talk about the second type of power supply, with a regulating element operating in linear mode. But let's look at this power supply using the example of a designer, it seems to me that this should be even more interesting. After all, in my opinion, this is a good start for a novice radio amateur to assemble one of the main devices.
Well, or as they say, the right power supply must be heavy :)

This review is more aimed at beginners; experienced comrades are unlikely to find anything useful in it.

For review, I ordered a construction kit that allows you to assemble the main part of a laboratory power supply.
The main characteristics are as follows (from those declared by the store):
Input voltage - 24 Volts AC
Output voltage adjustable - 0-30 Volts DC.
Output current adjustable - 2mA - 3A
Output voltage ripple - 0.01%
The dimensions of the printed board are 80x80mm.

A little about packaging.
The designer arrived in a regular plastic bag, wrapped in soft material.
Inside, in an antistatic zip-lock bag, were all the necessary components, including the circuit board.

Everything inside was a mess, but nothing was damaged; the printed circuit board partially protected the radio components.

I won’t list everything that is included in the kit, it’s easier to do this later during the review, I’ll just say that I had enough of everything, even some left over.

A little about the printed circuit board.
The quality is excellent, the circuit is not included in the kit, but all the ratings are marked on the board.
The board is double-sided, covered with a protective mask.

The board coating, tinning, and the quality of the PCB itself is excellent.
I was only able to tear off a patch from the seal in one place, and that was after I tried to solder a non-original part (why, we will find out later).
In my opinion, this is the best thing for a beginner radio amateur; it will be difficult to spoil it.

Before installation, I drew a diagram of this power supply.

The scheme is quite thoughtful, although not without its shortcomings, but I’ll tell you about them in the process.
Several main nodes are visible in the diagram; I separated them by color.
Green - voltage regulation and stabilization unit
Red - current regulation and stabilization unit
Purple - indicating unit for switching to current stabilization mode
Blue - reference voltage source.
Separately there are:
1. Input diode bridge and filter capacitor
2. Power control unit on transistors VT1 and VT2.
3. Protection on transistor VT3, turning off the output until the power supply to the operational amplifiers is normal
4. Fan power stabilizer, built on a 7824 chip.
5. R16, R19, C6, C7, VD3, VD4, VD5, unit for forming the negative pole of the power supply of operational amplifiers. Due to the presence of this unit, the power supply will not operate simply on direct current; it is the alternating current input from the transformer that is required.
6. C9 output capacitor, VD9, output protective diode.

First, I will describe the advantages and disadvantages of the circuit solution.
Pros -
It's nice to have a stabilizer to power the fan, but the fan needs 24 Volts.
I am very pleased with the presence of a power source of negative polarity; this greatly improves the operation of the power supply at currents and voltages close to zero.
Due to the presence of a source of negative polarity, protection was introduced into the circuit; as long as there is no voltage, the power supply output will be turned off.
The power supply contains a reference voltage source of 5.1 Volts, this made it possible not only to correctly regulate the output voltage and current (with this circuit, voltage and current are regulated from zero to maximum linearly, without “humps” and “dips” at extreme values), but also makes it possible to control external power supply, I simply change the control voltage.
The output capacitor has a very small capacitance, which allows you to safely test the LEDs; there will be no current surge until the output capacitor is discharged and the PSU enters current stabilization mode.
The output diode is necessary to protect the power supply from supplying reverse polarity voltage to its output. True, the diode is too weak, it is better to replace it with another one.

Minuses.
The current-measuring shunt has too high a resistance, because of this, when operating with a load current of 3 Amps, about 4.5 Watts of heat are generated on it. The resistor is designed for 5 Watts, but the heating is very high.
The input diode bridge is made up of 3 Ampere diodes. It is good to have at least 5 Ampere diodes, since the current through the diodes in such a circuit is equal to 1.4 of the output, so in operation the current through them can be 4.2 Amperes, and the diodes themselves are designed for 3 Amperes. The only thing that makes the situation easier is that the pairs of diodes in the bridge work alternately, but this is still not entirely correct.
The big minus is that the Chinese engineers, when selecting operational amplifiers, chose an op-amp with a maximum voltage of 36 Volts, but did not think that the circuit had a negative voltage source and the input voltage in this version was limited to 31 Volts (36-5 = 31 ). With an input of 24 Volts AC, DC will be about 32-33 Volts.
Those. The op amps will operate in extreme mode (36 is the maximum, standard 30).

I'll talk more about the pros and cons, as well as about modernization later, but now I'll move on to the actual assembly.

First, let's lay out everything that is included in the kit. This will make assembly easier, and it will simply be clearer to see what has already been installed and what remains.

I recommend starting the assembly with the lowest elements, since if you install the high ones first, then it will be inconvenient to install the low ones later.
It is also better to start by installing those components that are more of the same.
I'll start with resistors, and these will be 10 kOhm resistors.
The resistors are high quality and have an accuracy of 1%.
A few words about resistors. Resistors are color coded. Many may find this inconvenient. In fact, this is better than alphanumeric markings, since the markings are visible in any position of the resistor.
Don’t be afraid of color coding; at the initial stage you can use it, and over time you will be able to identify it without it.
To understand and conveniently work with such components, you just need to remember two things that will be useful to a novice radio amateur in life.
1. Ten basic marking colors
2. Series values, they are not very useful when working with precision resistors of the E48 and E96 series, but such resistors are much less common.
Any radio amateur with experience will list them simply from memory.
1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 2, 2.2, 2.4, 2.7, 3, 3.3, 3.6, 3.9, 4.3, 4.7, 5.1, 5.6, 6.2, 6.8, 7.5, 8.2, 9.1.
All other denominations are multiplied by 10, 100, etc. For example 22k, 360k, 39Ohm.
What does this information provide?
And it gives that if the resistor is of the E24 series, then, for example, a combination of colors -
Blue + green + yellow is impossible in it.
Blue - 6
Green - 5
Yellow - x10000
those. According to calculations, it comes out to 650k, but there is no such value in the E24 series, there is either 620 or 680, which means either the color was recognized incorrectly, or the color has been changed, or the resistor is not in the E24 series, but the latter is rare.

Okay, enough theory, let's move on.
Before installation, I shape the resistor leads, usually using tweezers, but some people use a small homemade device for this.
We are not in a hurry to throw away the cuttings of the leads; sometimes they can be useful for jumpers.

Having established the main quantity, I reached single resistors.
It may be more difficult here; you will have to deal with denominations more often.

I don’t solder the components right away, but simply bite them and bend the leads, and I bite them first and then bend them.
This is done very easily, the board is held in your left hand (if you are right-handed), and the component being installed is pressed at the same time.
We have side cutters in our right hand, we bite off the leads (sometimes even several components at once), and immediately bend the leads with the side edge of the side cutters.
This is all done very quickly, after a while it is already automatic.

Now we’ve reached the last small resistor, the value of the required one and what’s left are the same, which is not bad :)

Having installed the resistors, we move on to diodes and zener diodes.
There are four small diodes here, these are the popular 4148, two zener diodes of 5.1 Volts each, so it’s very difficult to get confused.
We also use it to form conclusions.

On the board, the cathode is indicated by a stripe, just like on diodes and zener diodes.

Although the board has a protective mask, I still recommend bending the leads so that they do not fall on adjacent tracks; in the photo, the diode lead is bent away from the track.

The zener diodes on the board are also marked as 5V1.

There are not very many ceramic capacitors in the circuit, but their markings can confuse a novice radio amateur. By the way, it also obeys the E24 series.
The first two digits are the nominal value in picofarads.
The third digit is the number of zeros that must be added to the denomination
Those. for example 331 = 330pF
101 - 100pF
104 - 100000pF or 100nF or 0.1uF
224 - 220000pF or 220nF or 0.22uF

The main number of passive elements has been installed.

After that, we move on to installing operational amplifiers.
I would probably recommend buying sockets for them, but I soldered them as is.
On the board, as well as on the chip itself, the first pin is marked.
The remaining conclusions are counted counterclockwise.
The photo shows the place for the operational amplifier and how it should be installed.

For microcircuits, I do not bend all the pins, but only a couple, usually these are the outer pins diagonally.
Well, it’s better to bite them so that they stick out about 1mm above the board.

That's it, now you can move on to soldering.
I use a very ordinary soldering iron with temperature control, but a regular soldering iron with a power of about 25-30 watts is quite sufficient.
Solder 1mm in diameter with flux. I specifically do not indicate the brand of solder, since the solder on the coil is not original (original coils weigh 1 kg), and few people will be familiar with its name.

As I wrote above, the board is of high quality, soldered very easily, I did not use any fluxes, only what is in the solder is enough, you just need to remember to sometimes shake off the excess flux from the tip.



Here I took a photo with an example of good soldering and not so good one.
A good solder should look like a small droplet enveloping the terminal.
But there are a couple of places in the photo where there is clearly not enough solder. This will happen on a double-sided board with metallization (where the solder also flows into the hole), but this cannot be done on a single-sided board; over time, such soldering may “fall off”.

The terminals of the transistors also need to be pre-formed; this must be done in such a way that the terminal does not become deformed near the base of the case (elders will remember the legendary KT315, whose terminals loved to break off).
I shape powerful components a little differently. Molding is done so that the component stands above the board, in which case less heat will transfer to the board and will not destroy it.

This is what molded powerful resistors look like on a board.
All components were soldered only from below, the solder that you see on the top of the board penetrated through the hole due to capillary effect. It is advisable to solder so that the solder penetrates a little to the top, this will increase the reliability of the soldering, and in the case of heavy components, their better stability.

If before this I molded the terminals of the components using tweezers, then for the diodes you will already need small pliers with narrow jaws.
The conclusions are formed in approximately the same way as for resistors.

But there are differences during installation.
If for components with thin leads installation occurs first, then biting occurs, then for diodes the opposite is true. You simply won’t bend such a lead after biting it, so first we bend the lead, then bite off the excess.

The power unit is assembled using two transistors connected according to a Darlington circuit.
One of the transistors is installed on a small radiator, preferably through thermal paste.
The kit included four M3 screws, one goes here.

A couple of photos of the nearly soldered board. I won’t describe the installation of the terminal blocks and other components; it’s intuitive and can be seen from the photograph.
By the way, about the terminal blocks, the board has terminal blocks for connecting the input, output, and fan power.



I haven't washed the board yet, although I often do it at this stage.
This is due to the fact that there will still be a small part to finalize.

After the main assembly stage we are left with the following components.
Powerful transistor
Two variable resistors
Two connectors for board installation
Two connectors with wires, by the way the wires are very soft, but of small cross-section.
Three screws.

Initially, the manufacturer intended to place variable resistors on the board itself, but they are placed so inconveniently that I didn’t even bother to solder them and showed them just as an example.
They are very close and it will be extremely inconvenient to adjust, although it is possible.

But thank you for not forgetting to include the wires with connectors, it’s much more convenient.
In this form, the resistors can be placed on the front panel of the device, and the board can be installed in a convenient place.
At the same time, I soldered a powerful transistor. This is an ordinary bipolar transistor, but it has a maximum power dissipation of up to 100 Watts (naturally, when installed on a radiator).
There are three screws left, I don’t even understand where to use them, if in the corners of the board, then four are needed, if you are attaching a powerful transistor, then they are short, in general it’s a mystery.

The board can be powered from any transformer with an output voltage of up to 22 Volts (the specifications state 24, but I explained above why such a voltage cannot be used).
I decided to use a transformer that had been lying around for a long time for the Romantic amplifier. Why for, and not from, and because it hasn’t stood anywhere yet :)
This transformer has two output power windings of 21 Volts, two auxiliary windings of 16 Volts and a shield winding.
The voltage is indicated for the input 220, but since we now already have a standard of 230, the output voltages will be slightly higher.
The calculated power of the transformer is about 100 watts.
I parallelized the output power windings to get more current. Of course, it was possible to use a rectification circuit with two diodes, but it would not work better, so I left it as is.

For those who don’t know how to determine the power of a transformer, I made a short video.

First trial run. I installed a small heatsink on the transistor, but even in this form there was quite a lot of heating, since the power supply is linear.
Adjustment of current and voltage occurs without problems, everything worked right away, so I can already fully recommend this designer.
The first photo is voltage stabilization, the second is current.

First, I checked what the transformer outputs after rectification, as this determines the maximum output voltage.
I got about 25 Volts, not a lot. The capacity of the filter capacitor is 3300 μF, I would advise increasing it, but even in this form the device is quite functional.

Since for further testing it was necessary to use a normal radiator, I moved on to assembling the entire future structure, since the installation of the radiator depended on the intended design.
I decided to use the Igloo7200 radiator I had lying around. According to the manufacturer, such a radiator is capable of dissipating up to 90 watts of heat.

The device will use a Z2A housing based on a Polish-made idea, the price will be about $3.

Initially, I wanted to move away from the case that my readers are tired of, in which I collect all sorts of electronic things.
To do this, I chose a slightly smaller case and bought a fan with a mesh for it, but I couldn’t fit all the stuffing into it, so I purchased a second case and, accordingly, a second fan.
In both cases I bought Sunon fans, I really like the products of this company, and in both cases I bought 24 Volt fans.

This is how I planned to install the radiator, board and transformer. There is even a little room left for the filling to expand.
There was no way to get the fan inside, so it was decided to place it outside.

We mark the mounting holes, cut the threads, and screw them for fitting.

Since the selected case has an internal height of 80mm, and the board also has this size, I secured the radiator so that the board is symmetrical with respect to the radiator.

The leads of the powerful transistor also need to be slightly molded so that they do not become deformed when the transistor is pressed against the radiator.

A small digression.
For some reason, the manufacturer thought of a place to install a rather small radiator, because of this, when installing a normal one, it turns out that the fan power stabilizer and the connector for connecting it get in the way.
I had to unsolder them, and seal the place where they were with tape so that there would be no connection to the radiator, since there is voltage on it.

I cut off the excess tape on the back side, otherwise it would turn out completely sloppy, we’ll do it according to Feng Shui :)

This is what a printed circuit board looks like with the heatsink finally installed, the transistor is installed using thermal paste, and it is better to use good thermal paste, since the transistor dissipates power comparable to a powerful processor, i.e. about 90 watts.
At the same time, I immediately made a hole for installing the fan speed controller board, which in the end still had to be re-drilled :)

To set zero, I unscrewed both knobs to the extreme left position, turned off the load and set the output to zero. Now the output voltage will be regulated from zero.

Next are some tests.
I checked the accuracy of maintaining the output voltage.
Idling, voltage 10.00 Volts
1. Load current 1 Ampere, voltage 10.00 Volts
2. Load current 2 Amps, voltage 9.99 Volts
3. Load current 3 Amperes, voltage 9.98 Volts.
4. Load current 3.97 Amperes, voltage 9.97 Volts.
The characteristics are quite good, if desired, they can be improved a little more by changing the connection point of the voltage feedback resistors, but as for me, it’s enough as is.

I also checked the ripple level, the test took place at a current of 3 Amps and an output voltage of 10 Volts

The ripple level was about 15mV, which is very good, but I thought that in fact the ripples shown in the screenshot were more likely to come from the electronic load than from the power supply itself.

After that, I started assembling the device itself as a whole.
I started by installing the radiator with the power supply board.
To do this, I marked the installation location of the fan and the power connector.
The hole was marked not quite round, with small “cuts” at the top and bottom, they are needed to increase the strength of the back panel after cutting the hole.
The biggest difficulty is usually holes of complex shape, for example, for a power connector.

A big hole is cut out of a big pile of small ones :)
A drill + a 1mm drill bit sometimes works wonders.
We drill holes, lots of holes. It may seem long and tedious. No, on the contrary, it is very fast, completely drilling a panel takes about 3 minutes.

After that, I usually set the drill a little larger, for example 1.2-1.3mm, and go through it like a cutter, I get a cut like this:

After this, we take a small knife in our hands and clean out the resulting holes, at the same time we trim the plastic a little if the hole is a little smaller. The plastic is quite soft, making it comfortable to work with.

The last stage of preparation is to drill the mounting holes; we can say that the main work on the back panel is finished.

We install the radiator with the board and the fan, try on the resulting result, and if necessary, “finish it with a file.”

Almost at the very beginning I mentioned revision.
I'll work on it a little.
To begin with, I decided to replace the original diodes in the input diode bridge with Schottky diodes; for this I bought four 31DQ06 pieces. and then I repeated the mistake of the board developers, by inertia buying diodes for the same current, but it was necessary for a higher one. But still, the heating of the diodes will be less, since the drop on Schottky diodes is less than on conventional ones.
Secondly, I decided to replace the shunt. I was not satisfied not only with the fact that it heats up like an iron, but also with the fact that it drops about 1.5 Volts, which can be used (in the sense of a load). To do this, I took two domestic 0.27 Ohm 1% resistors (this will also improve stability). Why the developers didn’t do this is unclear; the price of the solution is absolutely the same as in the version with a native 0.47 Ohm resistor.
Well, rather as an addition, I decided to replace the original 3300 µF filter capacitor with a higher quality and capacious Capxon 10000 µF...

This is what the resulting design looks like with replaced components and an installed fan thermal control board.
It turned out a little collective farm, and besides, I accidentally tore off one spot on the board when installing powerful resistors. In general, it was possible to safely use less powerful resistors, for example one 2-Watt resistor, I just didn’t have one in stock.

A few components were also added to the bottom.
A 3.9k resistor, parallel to the outermost contacts of the connector for connecting a current control resistor. It is needed to reduce the regulation voltage since the voltage on the shunt is now different.
A pair of 0.22 µF capacitors, one in parallel with the output from the current control resistor, to reduce interference, the second is simply at the output of the power supply, it is not particularly needed, I just accidentally took out a pair at once and decided to use both.

The entire power section is connected, and a board with a diode bridge and a capacitor for powering the voltage indicator is installed on the transformer.
By and large, this board is optional in the current version, but I couldn’t raise my hand to power the indicator from the maximum 30 Volts for it and I decided to use an additional 16 Volt winding.

The following components were used to organize the front panel:
Load connection terminals
Pair of metal handles
Power switch
Red filter, declared as a filter for KM35 housings
To indicate current and voltage, I decided to use the board I had left over after writing one of the reviews. But I was not satisfied with the small indicators and therefore larger ones with a digit height of 14mm were purchased, and a printed circuit board was made for them.

In general, this solution is temporary, but I wanted to do it carefully even temporarily.

Several stages of preparing the front panel.
1. Draw a full-size layout of the front panel (I use the usual Sprint Layout). The advantage of using identical housings is that preparing a new panel is very simple, since the required dimensions are already known.
We attach the printout to the front panel and drill marking holes with a diameter of 1 mm in the corners of the square/rectangular holes. Use the same drill to drill the centers of the remaining holes.
2. Using the resulting holes, we mark the cutting locations. We change the tool to a thin disk cutter.
3. We cut straight lines, clearly in size at the front, a little larger at the back, so that the cut is as complete as possible.
4. Break out the cut pieces of plastic. I usually don't throw them away because they can still be useful.

In the same way as preparing the back panel, we process the resulting holes using a knife.
I recommend drilling large-diameter holes; it does not “bite” the plastic.

We try on what we got and, if necessary, modify it using a needle file.
I had to slightly widen the hole for the switch.

As I wrote above, for the display I decided to use the board left over from one of the previous reviews. In general, this is a very bad solution, but for a temporary option it is more than suitable, I will explain why later.
We unsolder the indicators and connectors from the board, call the old indicators and the new ones.
I wrote out the pinout of both indicators so as not to get confused.
In the native version, four-digit indicators were used, I used three-digit ones. since it didn’t fit into my window anymore. But since the fourth digit is needed only to display the letter A or U, their loss is not critical.
I placed the LED indicating the current limit mode between the indicators.

I prepare everything necessary, solder a 50 mOhm resistor from the old board, which will be used as before, as a current-measuring shunt.
This is the problem with this shunt. The fact is that in this option I will have a voltage drop at the output of 50 mV for every 1 Ampere of load current.
There are two ways to get rid of this problem: use two separate meters, for current and voltage, while powering the voltmeter from a separate power source.
The second way is to install a shunt in the positive pole of the power supply. Both options did not suit me as a temporary solution, so I decided to step on the throat of my perfectionism and make a simplified version, but far from the best.

For the design, I used mounting posts left over from the DC-DC converter board.
With them I got a very convenient design: the indicator board is attached to the ampere-voltmeter board, which in turn is attached to the power terminal board.
It turned out even better than I expected :)
I also placed a current-measuring shunt on the power terminal board.

The resulting front panel design.

And then I remembered that I forgot to install a more powerful protective diode. I had to solder it later. I used a diode left over from replacing the diodes in the input bridge of the board.
Of course, it would be nice to add a fuse, but this is no longer in this version.

But I decided to install better current and voltage control resistors than those suggested by the manufacturer.
The original ones are quite high quality and run smoothly, but these are ordinary resistors and, in my opinion, a laboratory power supply should be able to more accurately adjust the output voltage and current.
Even when I was thinking about ordering a power supply board, I saw them in the store and ordered them for review, especially since they had the same rating.

In general, I usually use other resistors for such purposes; they combine two resistors inside themselves for rough and smooth adjustment, but lately I can’t find them on sale.
Does anyone know their imported analogues?

The resistors are of quite high quality, the rotation angle is 3600 degrees, or in simple terms - 10 full turns, which provides a change of 3 Volts or 0.3 Amperes per 1 turn.
With such resistors, the adjustment accuracy is approximately 11 times more accurate than with conventional ones.

New resistors compared to the original ones, the size is certainly impressive.
Along the way, I shortened the wires to the resistors a little, this should improve noise immunity.

I packed everything into the case, in principle there is even a little space left, there is room to grow :)

I connected the shielding winding to the grounding conductor of the connector, the additional power board is located directly on the terminals of the transformer, this is of course not very neat, but I have not yet come up with another option.

Check after assembly. Everything started almost the first time, I accidentally mixed up two digits on the indicator and for a long time I could not understand what was wrong with the adjustment, after switching everything became as it should.

The last stage is gluing the filter, installing the handles and assembling the body.
The filter has a thinner edge around its perimeter, the main part is recessed into the housing window, and the thinner part is glued with double-sided tape.
The handles were originally designed for a shaft diameter of 6.3mm (if I’m not mistaken), the new resistors have a thinner shaft, so I had to put a couple of layers of heat shrink on the shaft.
I decided not to design the front panel in any way for now, and there are two reasons for this:
1. The controls are so intuitive that there is no particular point in the inscriptions yet.
2. I plan to modify this power supply, so changes in the design of the front panel are possible.

A couple of photos of the resulting design.
Front view:

Back view.
Attentive readers have probably noticed that the fan is positioned in such a way that it blows hot air out of the case, rather than pumping cold air between the fins of the radiator.
I decided to do this because the radiator is slightly smaller in height than the case, and to prevent hot air from getting inside, I installed the fan in reverse. This, of course, significantly reduces the efficiency of heat removal, but allows for a little ventilation of the space inside the power supply.
Additionally, I would recommend making several holes at the bottom of the lower half of the body, but this is more of an addition.

After all the alterations, I ended up with a slightly less current than in the original version, and was about 3.35 Amperes.

So, I’ll try to describe the pros and cons of this board.
pros
Excellent workmanship.
Almost correct circuit design of the device.
A complete set of parts for assembling the power supply stabilizer board
Well suited for beginner radio amateurs.
In its minimal form, it additionally requires only a transformer and a radiator; in a more advanced form, it also requires an ampere-voltmeter.
Fully functional after assembly, although with some nuances.
No capacitive capacitors at the power supply output, safe when testing LEDs, etc.

Minuses
The type of operational amplifiers is incorrectly selected, because of this the input voltage range must be limited to 22 Volts.
Not a very suitable current measurement resistor value. It operates in its normal thermal mode, but it is better to replace it, since the heating is very high and can harm surrounding components.
The input diode bridge operates at maximum, it is better to replace the diodes with more powerful ones

My opinion. During the assembly process, I got the impression that the circuit was designed by two different people, one applied the correct regulation principle, reference voltage source, negative voltage source, protection. The second one incorrectly selected the shunt, operational amplifiers and diode bridge for this purpose.
I really liked the circuit design of the device, and in the modification section, I first wanted to replace the operational amplifiers, I even bought microcircuits with a maximum operating voltage of 40 Volts, but then I changed my mind about modifications. but otherwise the solution is quite correct, the adjustment is smooth and linear. Of course there is heating, you can’t live without it. In general, as for me, this is a very good and useful constructor for a beginning radio amateur.
Surely there will be people who will write that it is easier to buy a ready-made one, but I think that assembling it yourself is both more interesting (probably this is the most important thing) and more useful. In addition, many people quite easily have at home a transformer and a radiator from an old processor, and some kind of box.

Already in the process of writing the review, I had an even stronger feeling that this review will be the beginning in a series of reviews dedicated to the linear power supply; I have thoughts on improvement -
1. Conversion of the indication and control circuit into a digital version, possibly with connection to a computer
2. Replacing operational amplifiers with high-voltage ones (I don’t know which ones yet)
3. After replacing the op-amp, I want to make two automatically switching stages and expand the output voltage range.
4. Change the principle of current measurement in the display device so that there is no voltage drop under load.
5. Add the ability to turn off the output voltage with a button.

That's probably all. Perhaps I’ll remember something else and add something, but I’m more looking forward to comments with questions.
We also plan to devote several more reviews to designers for beginner radio amateurs; perhaps someone will have suggestions regarding certain designers.

Not for the faint of heart

At first I didn’t want to show it, but then I decided to take a photo anyway.
On the left is the power supply that I used for many years before.
This is a simple linear power supply with an output of 1-1.2 Amperes at a voltage of up to 25 Volts.
So I wanted to replace it with something more powerful and correct.


The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review was published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.

Planning to buy +249 Add to favorites I liked the review +160 +378

Every radio amateur, whether he is a beginner or even a professional, should have a power supply on the edge of his desk. I currently have two power supplies on my desk. One produces a maximum of 15 Volts and 1 Ampere (black arrow), and the other 30 Volts, 5 Amps (right):

Well, there is also a self-made power supply:


I think you have often seen them in my experiments, which I showed in various articles.

I bought factory power supplies a long time ago, so they didn’t cost me much. But, at the present time, when this article is being written, the dollar is already breaking through the 70 ruble mark. The crisis, motherfucker, has everyone and everything.

Okay, something went wrong... So what am I talking about? Oh yes! I think not everyone’s pockets are bursting with money... Then why don’t we put together a simple and reliable power supply circuit with our own hands, which will be no worse than a purchased unit? Actually, that’s what our reader did. I dug up a schematic and assembled the power supply myself:


It turned out very well! So, further on his behalf...

First of all, let's figure out what this power supply is good at:

– output voltage can be adjusted in the range from 0 to 30 Volts

– you can set a current limit of up to 3 Amperes, after which the unit goes into protection (a very convenient function, those who have used it know).

– very low ripple level (the direct current at the output of the power supply is not much different from the direct current of batteries and accumulators)

– protection against overload and incorrect connection

– on the power supply, by short circuiting the “crocodiles”, the maximum permissible current is set. Those. current limit, which you set with a variable resistor using an ammeter. Therefore, overloads are not dangerous. An indicator (LED) will light up indicating that the set current level has been exceeded.

So, now first things first. The diagram has been circulating on the Internet for a long time (click on the image, it will open in a new window in full screen):


The numbers in circles are contacts to which you need to solder wires that will go to radio elements.

Designation of circles in the diagram:
- 1 and 2 to the transformer.
- 3 (+) and 4 (-) DC output.
- 5, 10 and 12 on P1.
- 6, 11 and 13 on P2.
- 7 (K), 8 (B), 9 (E) to transistor Q4.

Inputs 1 and 2 are supplied with 24 Volt alternating voltage from the mains transformer. The transformer must be of decent size so that it can deliver up to 3 Amperes to the load lightly. You can buy it, or you can wind it).

Diodes D1...D4 are connected into a diode bridge. You can take diodes 1N5401...1N5408 or some others that can withstand direct current up to 3 Amps and higher. You can also use a ready-made diode bridge, which would also withstand direct current up to 3 Amps and higher. I used KD213 tablet diodes:

Microcircuits U1, U2, U3 are operational amplifiers. Here is their pinout (location of pins). View from above:

The eighth pin says “NC”, which means that this pin does not need to be connected anywhere. Neither a minus nor a plus of nutrition. In the circuit, pins 1 and 5 also do not connect anywhere.

Transistor Q1 brand BC547 or BC548. Below is its pinout:

Transistor Q2 is better to take a Soviet one, brand KT961A


Don't forget to put it on the radiator.

Transistor Q3 brand BC557 or BC327

Transistor Q4 must be KT827!


Here is its pinout:

I did not redraw the circuit, so there are elements that can lead to confusion - these are variable resistors. Since the power supply circuit is Bulgarian, their variable resistors are designated as follows:

Here we have it:


I even indicated how to find out its conclusions by rotating the column (twist).

Well, actually, the list of elements:

R1 = 2.2 kOhm 1W
R2 = 82 Ohm 1/4W
R3 = 220 Ohm 1/4W
R4 = 4.7 kOhm 1/4W
R5, R6, R13, R20, R21 = 10 kOhm 1/4W
R7 = 0.47 Ohm 5W
R8, R11 = 27 kOhm 1/4W
R9, R19 = 2.2 kOhm 1/4W
R10 = 270 kOhm 1/4W
R12, R18 = 56kOhm 1/4W
R14 = 1.5 kOhm 1/4W
R15, R16 = 1 kOhm 1/4W
R17 = 33 Ohm 1/4W
R22 = 3.9 kOhm 1/4W
RV1 = 100K multi-turn trimmer resistor
P1, P2 = 10KOhm linear potentiometer
C1 = 3300 uF/50V electrolytic
C2, C3 = 47uF/50V electrolytic
C4 = 100nF
C5 = 200nF
C6 = 100pF ceramic
C7 = 10uF/50V electrolytic
C8 = 330pF ceramic
C9 = 100pF ceramic
D1, D2, D3, D4 = 1N5401…1N5408
D5, D6 = 1N4148
D7, D8 = zener diodes at 5.6V
D9, D10 = 1N4148
D11 = 1N4001 diode 1A
Q1 = BC548 or BC547
Q2 = KT961A
Q3 = BC557 or BC327
Q4 = KT 827A
U1, U2, U3 = TL081, operational amplifier
D12 = LED

Now I will tell you how I collected it. The transformer was already taken ready from the amplifier. The voltage at its outputs was about 22 Volts. Then I began to prepare the case for my PSU (power supply)


etched


washed the toner


drilled holes:


I soldered the beds for the op-amps (operational amplifiers) and all other radio elements, except for two powerful transistors (they will lie on the radiator) and variable resistors:


And this is what the board looks like when fully assembled:


We prepare a place for a scarf in our building:


Attaching the radiator to the body:


Don't forget about the cooler that will cool our transistors:


Well, after the plumbing work I got a very nice power supply. So what do you think?


I took the job description, signet and list of radio elements at the end of the article.

Well, if anyone is too lazy to bother, then you can always buy a similar kit of this circuit for pennies on Aliexpress at this link


In the process of developing and repairing all kinds of electronic devices, various equipment is used. Among them, the regulated power supply circuit, used in many variants, is quite popular. These regulated units are known as laboratory power supplies and come in many variations.

Linear power supplies

The very first to appear were linear power supplies, which are still used today and belong to devices with traditional operating principles.

The main structural elements of these devices are a step-down transformer and an autotransformer. The conversion of alternating voltage to direct voltage is carried out using a rectifier. Most well-known models use rectifiers with one or four diodes connected to each other in the form.

Some models may have individual design features, but such schemes are used much less frequently and are intended for specific situations. In some devices, the circuit is supplemented with a special filter installed immediately behind the rectifier. The filter itself is a high-capacity capacitor. Sometimes linear power supplies are supplemented with voltage, high-frequency noise filters and other elements.

Among specialists involved in the repair and maintenance of electronics and radio equipment, the most popular are linear power supplies with possible voltage adjustment ranging from 0 to 30 volts and current from 0 to 5 amperes. As a rule, these are high-precision devices with easy and fine adjustments within the established ratings. Most of them are distinguished by a dual mode of operation, when a digital indicator simultaneously displays the values ​​of output current and voltage. Many models are provided with protection against current overloads and short circuits.

Scheme and principle of operation of pulse power supplies

Today, increasing preference is given to switching type power supplies. The operating principle of these devices is completely different from that of linear equipment. In this case, the alternating mains voltage with a frequency of 50 Hz is converted into high frequency voltage. It is transformed to the required parameters, after which it is straightened and filtered.

Direct conversion is performed using a powerful transistor operating in switch mode. Together with a pulse transformer, they form a high-frequency converter circuit. This device allows you to create a frequency in the range of 20-50 kHz, which in turn makes it possible to significantly reduce the dimensions of the pulse transformer. As a result, the power supply itself becomes light and compact.

The operating principle of the pulse unit can be seen in the diagram presented:

  • First, the voltage is supplied to the surge protector, after which it enters the rectifier. Here the voltage is rectified and filtered using a capacitor.
  • Next, through the primary winding W1, the voltage enters the collector of the transistor VT1, which is affected by a rectangular pulse. As a result, the transistor takes an open position and passes an increasing current through itself.
  • At the same time, the same current passes through the primary winding of the transformer, thereby causing an increase in the magnetic flux and the induction of self-induction emf in the secondary winding.

By changing the pulse duration upward, the voltage in the secondary circuit will also increase due to the greater amount of energy released. And, conversely, with a decrease in the pulse duration, a decrease in voltage will occur. Such manipulations allow you to adjust and stabilize the output voltage to the desired level. Pulses are generated and controlled using a PWM controller.

Adjustment and stabilization

In order to stabilize the output voltage, the PWM controller must receive information about the necessary parameters. This activity is performed using a feedback or tracking circuit.

This logic circuit works as follows: when the voltage decreases, it increases the pulse duration until the output voltage reaches the specified parameters. If the voltage increases, the reverse process occurs. Thus, the presented scheme can be considered a regulating and stabilizing element.

In switching power supplies, tracking circuits can be organized in two ways - direct and indirect. The method discussed above precisely belongs to the first option, since a secondary rectifier is directly used to relieve the feedback voltage. To remove the same voltage, in the indirect tracking version, an additional winding of the pulse transformer is used.

Pros and cons of different types of devices

Currently, pulse devices are becoming increasingly popular, actively displacing inconvenient and bulky linear devices from the electronic market. Despite this, each of these devices has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Pulse blocks have a high stabilizing coefficient and efficiency. They are distinguished by a wider range of input voltages and high power, compared to linear devices. Pulse devices do not respond at all to the quality of the supplied voltage and its frequency. They have small dimensions and weight, which makes them very convenient to transport and operate. The cost of such devices is affordable to almost all consumers.

However, the regulated switching power supply circuit has a number of noticeable disadvantages. First of all, this is impulse noise, which negatively affects electronic equipment. Complex circuits make the device less reliable. Because of this, it is not always possible to repair devices on your own.

Linear or transformer units are still used today due to the simple and reliable design of all models. They can be easily repaired using inexpensive spare parts and do not create interference in the surrounding area.

The drop in demand for these products is primarily due to their large weight and overall dimensions, which create inconvenience during handling and transportation. The design itself is characterized by high metal consumption. The stability of the output voltage is inversely related to the efficiency of the device.

Thanks to the wide range, it is possible to choose one or another device for specific purposes. For use in certain conditions, specialists can independently manufacture a power supply according to a given circuit with all the necessary parameters.

Adjustable power supply: how to make it yourself

Before assembly, you need to take into account all the factors that can help or, conversely, hinder the work. Any power supply consists of a transformer, converter, indicator with ammeter and voltmeter, transistor and other parts, without which the device cannot operate. It is necessary to think in advance about protection against strong and weak currents in order to avoid emergency situations. If connected, soldered or installed incorrectly, the equipment may simply burn out.

The typical diagram shown in the figure is designed for a universal type of assembly and can be assembled even by a novice specialist. All parts are available, assembled simply and quickly, further setup is simple.

The finished device must meet certain requirements that you need to know in advance. Regulation and stabilization of the output is provided in the range from 3 to 24 volts, with a minimum current load of 2 amperes. In addition, an unregulated 12 or 24 V output device with a high current load is provided. The first output is equipped with an integral stabilizer, and the second - behind the diode bridge, bypassing the stabilizing element.

A typical design consists of a powerful transformer, a capacitor, a stabilizer chip, strapping and other elements of a specific circuit. The power supply is assembled in a prescribed sequence, all actions are performed in a certain order.

Scheme of an adjustable power supply 0...24 V, 0...3 A,
with current limiting regulator.

In the article we provide you with a simple circuit diagram of an adjustable 0 ... 24 Volt power supply. The current limitation is regulated by variable resistor R8 in the range 0 ... 3 Amperes. If desired, this range can be increased by decreasing the value of resistor R6. This current limiter protects the power supply from overloads and short circuits at the output. The output voltage is set by variable resistor R3. And so, the schematic diagram:

The maximum voltage at the output of the power supply depends on the stabilization voltage of the zener diode VD5. The circuit uses an imported zener diode BZX24, its stabilization U lies in the range of 22.8 ... 25.2 Volts according to the description.

You can download datashit for all zener diodes of this line (BZX2...BZX39) via a direct link from our website:

You can also use the domestic KS527 zener diode in the circuit.

List of power supply circuit elements:

● R1 - 180 Ohm, 0.5 W
● R2 - 6.8 kOhm, 0.5 W
● R3 - 10 kOhm, variable (6.8…22 kOhm)
● R4 - 6.8 kOhm, 0.5 W
● R5 - 7.5 kOhm, 0.5 W
● R6 - 0.22 Ohm, 5 W (0.1…0.5 Ohm)
● R7 - 20 kOhm, 0.5 W
● R8 - 100 Ohm, adjustable (47…330 Ohm)
● C1, C2 - 1000 x 35V (2200 x 50V)
● C3 - 1 x 35V
● C4 - 470 x 35V
● 100n - ceramic (0.01…0.47 µF)
● F1 - 5 Amps
● T1 - KT816, you can supply imported BD140
● T2 - BC548, can be supplied with BC547
● T3 - KT815, you can supply imported BD139
● T4 - KT819, you can supply imported 2N3055
● T5 - KT815, you can supply imported BD139
● VD1…VD4 - KD202, or imported diode assembly for a current of at least 6 Amperes
● VD5 - BZX24 (BZX27), can be replaced with domestic KS527
● VD6 - AL307B (RED LED)

About the choice of capacitors.

C1 and C2 are parallel, so their containers add up. Their ratings are selected based on the approximate calculation of 1000 μF per 1 Ampere of current. That is, if you want to increase the maximum current of the power supply to 5...6 Amperes, then the ratings C1 and C2 can be set to 2200 μF each. The operating voltage of these capacitors is selected based on the calculation Uin * 4/3, that is, if the voltage at the output of the diode bridge is about 30 Volts, then (30 * 4/3 = 40) the capacitors must be designed for an operating voltage of at least 40 Volts.
The value of capacitor C4 is selected approximately at the rate of 200 μF per 1 Ampere of current.

Power supply circuit board 0...24 V, 0...3 A:

About the details of the power supply.

● Transformer - must be of appropriate power, that is, if the maximum voltage of your power supply is 24 Volts, and you expect that your power supply must provide a current of about 5 Amps, accordingly (24 * 5 = 120) the power of the transformer must be at least 120 Watts . Typically, a transformer is selected with a small power reserve (from 10 to 50%). For more information about the calculation, you can read the article:

If you decide to use a toroidal transformer in the circuit, its calculation is described in the article:

● Diode bridge - according to the circuit, it is assembled on separate four KD202 diodes, they are designed for a forward current of 5 Amps, the parameters are in the table below:

5 Amperes is the maximum current for these diodes, and even then installed on radiators, so for a current of 5 amperes or more, it is better to use imported diode assemblies of 10 amperes.

As an alternative, you can consider 10 Amp diodes 10A2, 10A4, 10A6, 10A8, 10A10, appearance and parameters in the pictures below:

In our opinion, the best rectifier option would be to use imported diode assemblies, for example, type KBU-RS 10/15/25/35 A, they can withstand high currents and take up much less space.

You can download the parameters using the direct link:

● Transistor T1 - may heat up slightly, so it is better to install it on a small radiator or aluminum plate.

● Transistor T4 will definitely heat up, so it needs a good heatsink. This is due to the power dissipated by this transistor. Let's give an example: at the collector of transistor T4 we have 30 Volts, at the output of the power supply unit we set 12 Volts, and the current flows 5 Amperes. It turns out that 18 Volts remain on the transistor, and 18 Volts multiplied by 5 Amps gives 90 Watts, this is the power that will be dissipated by transistor T4. And the lower the voltage you set at the output of the power supply, the greater the power dissipation will be. It follows that the transistor should be selected carefully and pay attention to its characteristics. Below are two direct links to transistors KT819 and 2N3055, you can download them to your computer:

Limit current adjustment.

We turn on the power supply, set the output voltage regulator to 5 Volts at the output in idle mode, connect a 1 Ohm resistor with a power of at least 5 Watts to the output with an ammeter connected in series.
Using the tuning resistor R8, we set the required limiting current, and to make sure that the limitation works, we rotate the output voltage level regulator up to the extreme position, that is, to the maximum, while the value of the output current should remain unchanged. If you do not need to change the limiting current, then instead of resistor R8, install a jumper between the emitter of T4 and the base of T5, and then with a value of resistor R6 of 0.39 Ohms, the current limitation will occur at a current of 3 Amps.

How to increase the maximum current of the power supply.

● Use of a transformer of appropriate power, capable of delivering the required current to the load for a long time.

● The use of diodes or diode assemblies that can withstand the required current for a long time.

● Use of parallel connection of control transistors (T4). The parallel connection diagram is below:

The power of resistors Rш1 and Rш2 is at least 5 Watts. Both transistors are installed on the radiator; a computer fan for airflow will not be superfluous.

● Increasing the ratings of containers C1, C2, C4. (If you use a power supply to charge car batteries, this point is not critical)

● The tracks of the printed circuit board, along which large currents will flow, should be tinned with thicker tin, or solder an additional wire on top of the tracks to thicken them.

● Use of thick connecting wires along high current lines.

Appearance of the assembled power supply board:

Step-by-step instructions for creating a laboratory power supply - diagram, necessary parts, installation tips, video.


A laboratory power supply is a device that generates the necessary voltage and current for further use when connected to the network. In most cases, it converts alternating current from the network into direct current. Every radio amateur has such a device, and today we will look at how to create it with your own hands, what you will need for this, and what nuances are important to consider during installation.

Advantages of a laboratory power supply


First, let's note the features of the power supply unit that we are going to manufacture:
  1. The output voltage is adjustable within 0–30 V.
  2. Protection against overload and incorrect connection.
  3. Low ripple level (the direct current at the output of the laboratory power supply is not much different from the direct current of batteries and accumulators).
  4. The ability to set a current limit of up to 3 Amps, after which the power supply will go into protection (a very convenient function).
  5. On the power supply, by short circuiting the crocodiles, the maximum permissible current is set (current limit, which you set with a variable resistor using an ammeter). Therefore, overloads are not dangerous, since in this case the LED indicator will work, indicating that the set current level has been exceeded.

Laboratory power supply - diagram


Laboratory power supply diagram


Now let's look at the diagram in order. It has been on the Internet for a long time. Let's talk separately about some of the nuances.

So, the numbers in circles are contacts. You need to solder wires to them that will go to radio elements.

  • See also how to do
Designation of circles in the diagram:
  • 1 and 2 - to the transformer.
  • 3 (+) and 4 (-) - DC output.
  • 5, 10 and 12 - on P1.
  • 6, 11 and 13 - on P2.
  • 7 (K), 8 (B), 9 (E) - to transistor Q4.
An alternating voltage of 24 V is supplied to inputs 1 and 2 from the mains transformer. The transformer must be large in size so that it can easily supply up to 3 A to the load (you can buy it or wind it).

Diodes D1...D4 are connected into a diode bridge. You can take 1N5401...1N5408, some other diodes, and even ready-made diode bridges that can withstand forward current up to 3 A and higher. We used KD213 tablet diodes.


Microcircuits U1, U2, U3 are operational amplifiers. Their pin locations, viewed from above:


The eighth pin says “NC” - this means that it does not need to be connected to either the minus or the plus of the power supply. In the circuit, pins 1 and 5 also do not connect anywhere.
  • See also step-by-step instructions for creating
Transistor Q1 brand BC547 or BC548. Below is its pinout:


Transistor Q1 pinout diagram


It is better to take transistor Q2 from the Soviet KT961A. But don't forget to put it on the radiator


Transistor Q3 brand BC557 or BC327:


Transistor Q4 is exclusively KT827!


Here is its pinout:


Transistor Q4 pinout diagram


The variable resistors in this circuit are confusing - this is. They are designated here as follows:

Variable resistor input circuit


Here they are designated as follows:


Here is also a list of components:
  • R1 = 2.2 kOhm 1W
  • R2 = 82 Ohm 1/4W
  • R3 = 220 Ohm 1/4W
  • R4 = 4.7 kOhm 1/4W
  • R5, R6, R13, R20, R21 = 10 kOhm 1/4W
  • R7 = 0.47 Ohm 5W
  • R8, R11 = 27 kOhm 1/4W
  • R9, R19 = 2.2 kOhm 1/4W
  • R10 = 270 kOhm 1/4W
  • R12, R18 = 56kOhm 1/4W
  • R14 = 1.5 kOhm 1/4W
  • R15, R16 = 1 kOhm 1/4W
  • R17 = 33 Ohm 1/4W
  • R22 = 3.9 kOhm 1/4W
  • RV1 = 100K multi-turn trimmer resistor
  • P1, P2 = 10KOhm linear potentiometer
  • C1 = 3300 uF/50V electrolytic
  • C2, C3 = 47uF/50V electrolytic
  • C4 = 100nF
  • C5 = 200nF
  • C6 = 100pF ceramic
  • C7 = 10uF/50V electrolytic
  • C8 = 330pF ceramic
  • C9 = 100pF ceramic
  • D1, D2, D3, D4 = 1N5401…1N5408
  • D5, D6 = 1N4148
  • D7, D8 = zener diodes at 5.6V
  • D9, D10 = 1N4148
  • D11 = 1N4001 diode 1A
  • Q1 = BC548 or BC547
  • Q2 = KT961A
  • Q3 = BC557 or BC327
  • Q4 = KT 827A
  • U1, U2, U3 = TL081, operational amplifier
  • D12 = LED

How to make a laboratory power supply with your own hands - printed circuit board and step-by-step assembly

Now let's look at the step-by-step assembly of a laboratory power supply with our own hands. We have a transformer ready from the amplifier. The voltage at its outputs was about 22 V. We prepare the case for the power supply.


We make a printed circuit board using LUT:


Printed circuit board diagram for laboratory power supply


Let's etch it:


Wash off the toner:
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.