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Tim Blythman’s
Dual-Channel
Power Supply for
BREADBOARDS
Things can get messy when you’re prototyping a design on a breadboard
but you don’t want to make a mistake hooking up the power supply! This
Dual-Channel Breadboard PSU is the perfect solution. It plugs straight into
a breadboard’s power rails, has two adjustable current-limited outputs
and can run from different power sources. It has already become an
indispensable part of our workbench.
We
do a lot of prototyping on
breadboards. It’s the easiest
way to test ideas, especially if you need
to tweak and modify a circuit configuration. Jumper wires make it very easy
to wire up a circuit and change it on a
solderless breadboard.
While you can get compact power
supply modules that plug straight
into a breadboard and provide 5V and
3.3V rails, like Jaycar Cat XC4606 and
Altronics Cat Z6355, they have their
drawbacks. The main problems are
that they only offer one voltage at a
time and lack the flexibility and current limiting features of a bench power
supply.
So we decided to design a low-cost,
easy-to-build replacement incorporating the most important features of a
bench supply.
The result is a Breadboard PSU
that’s versatile yet straightforward.
It plugs directly into a breadboard’s
power rails at one end, like the simpler supplies described above, but it
has two independent outputs.
We have published a similar design
called the Arduino-based Power Supply (February 2021; siliconchip.au/
Article/14741), a compact solution
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for a home workshop. Like this Breadboard PSU, it provides up to 14V output at up to 1A, although it only has
one output.
As the Arduino-based Power Supply
is controlled by a computer, it can be
tucked away. Its controls and display
are displayed on the computer screen,
so it does not take up any more valuable workbench space.
But there is nothing quite so tactile as being able to adjust a couple of
knobs to dial in voltage and current
settings while you’re testing a prototype, and that is how the Breadboard
PSU works. If you’re working close-up
with the breadboard, having the supply controls nearby is convenient, and
the PSU doesn’t make the whole breadboard set-up much bigger.
Two independent
output channels
Most breadboards have at least two
sets of supply rails, one pair on either
side. Given that, and the fact that many
circuits require two voltages (eg, 3.3V
& 5V or 5V & 12V), adding a second
channel seemed like a great idea.
Even just using the two outputs as
independent, current-limited supplies
at the same voltage can be handy for
testing and validating parts of a circuit.
Despite duplicating much of the
circuitry, we’ve managed to keep the
end result compact. The basic version
Features & Specifications
∎ Two independent channels
∎ Each channel delivers 0-14V/0-1A (depending on input supply & load)
∎ Runs from 7-15V DC or USB 5V DC
∎ Plugs straight into breadboard power rails
∎ Four potentiometers provide all controls
∎ Optional metering add-on described on page 40 (shown above)
∎ Transient load regulation: <80mV DC + 350mV AC, 0-1A
∎ Transient settling time: 300µs, 0-1A
Australia's electronics magazine
December 2022 31
doesn’t even have a display; it just
has four knobs to dial in the voltage
and current limit on each of the two
channels.
It is certainly usable on its own, but
there are evident benefits to being able
to see the output voltages and currents
as you work on your prototype. Later,
we will present a neat little display
module that not only provides readouts for the Breadboard PSU. It even
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has extra measuring channels to help
you see what else is happening on your
breadboard!
Circuit operation
For the most part, the two channels
of the Breadboard PSU have identical circuits that work independently.
They are supplemented by some common supply circuitry, as shown in
Fig.1, the full circuit diagram.
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You might notice that there are no
regulator ICs in the main part of the
circuit, at lower left. Instead, like the
earlier Arduino PSU, the two outputs have their voltage regulated by
op amps controlling NPN emitter-
follower transistors (Q1 & Q3). The op
amps use negative feedback to adjust
the transistor base voltages to maintain
the desired output voltages.
This method of regulation can be
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Breadboard power modules like
this are available from Jaycar and
Altronics. They are inexpensive,
convenient and can provide 5V
and 3.3V rails as set by a switch,
but they only supply one voltage at
a time and don’t have adjustable
voltages or current limiting.
Fig.1: the Breadboard PSU shares some circuitry with the Arduino
Programmable Power Supply but with no microcontroller in sight. Instead,
four potentiometers provide control of two independent current-limited
adjustable supplies.
a bit tricky due to the need for it to
respond fast to changes in output load
while at the same time, needing stability to avoid oscillation. Luckily, by
using NPN emitter-followers, we avoid
a large phase shift and gain a great deal
of ‘local feedback’, so the op amps only
need to make minor adjustments. More
on that local feedback later.
As the supply is intended to be flexible, there are two different ways to
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power it. We’ll refer to the higher of
these as 15V but its absolute maximum
is 16V, the highest voltage that all circuit components can tolerate. Apart
from this, its exact value is not critical and we expect users will stick to
around 12-15V DC, as supplies delivering that range of voltages are pretty
common.
Since the highest possible output
voltage is around 2V below this rail,
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even a 9V battery is a valid option if
you only need voltages up to about 5V.
For example, if you are working primarily with microcontrollers.
A 5V rail also exists in the circuit
for components that cannot handle
15V. JP1 and JP2 provide the means to
configure the sources of the 15V and
5V rails, respectively, and are derived
from DC input jack CON1 and USB
socket CON2.
The incoming DC voltage at CON1
passes through reverse-polarity protection diode D1 to one side of JP1,
allowing direct use of the incoming
voltage for the 15V rail. The incoming
DC at CON1 also feeds 78L05 linear
regulator REG1, accompanied by an
input bypass capacitor to produce a
5V rail, which goes to one side of JP2.
With JP1 and JP2 set to the “REG”
and “JACK” positions, the power from
CON1 supplies all the power rails on
the Breadboard PSU.
When JP1 and JP2 are set to the alternative “BST” and “USB” positions,
the 15V rail is derived from MOD1,
an MT3608 boost module, which is
supplied by 5V from the USB socket.
The boost module has an adjustable
output which must not be set any
higher than 16V.
Other components common to the
two supplies are a 51kW/10kW divider
which provides a scaled version of
the 15V DC rail to a pin on CON5 for
external monitoring.
A four-channel INA4180A1 current
shunt monitor (IC1) and its 100nF
bypass capacitor are also shared
between the two channels. It is powered from the 5V rail and used to
monitor the output current of each
channel plus optionally two other
currents across pairs of points on the
breadboard.
Dual independent regulators
The remaining circuitry is independently allocated to one of the two
December 2022 33
The Breadboard PSU is
designed to tap into small breadboards
with longitudinal power rails, such as the Jaycar
Cat PB8820 seen earlier. One end rests on header pins in the
breadboard, while the other stands on tapped plastic spacers.
channels and identical between the
two. Therefore, we’ll describe the
function of one channel, with designations in brackets to indicate the
equivalent part for the other channel.
10kW potentiometers VR1 (VR2) and
VR3 (VR4) are wired across the 5V rail
to set the voltage and current targets,
respectively.
The control voltage from VR1 (VR2)
passes through a 100kW resistor and is
filtered by a 100nF capacitor to reject
noise, while the current control voltage goes directly to its own 100nF
capacitor. These feed pins 3 and 6
of dual rail-to-rail op amp IC2 (IC3),
respectively.
The 16V supply limit of the op
amps dictates the maximum of 16V
the design can handle.
IC2 (IC3) has a 10μF capacitor
between its pin 4 and 8 supply pins, as
its outputs can be expected to deliver a
reasonable amount of current in sympathy with the PSU’s load. Its supply
comes from the 15V rail and circuit
ground.
The voltage at pin 3 is compared
with that at pin 2, which comes from
a 51kW/10kW divider across output
connector CON3 (CON4). This is fed
from the emitter of MJE3055 NPN
power transistor Q1 (Q3) via a 100mW
current-sense resistor.
Q1’s (Q3’s) base is fed current from
IC2’s (IC3’s) pin 1 output via a 100W
resistor, filtered by a 10μF capacitor
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to ground. This low-pass filter works
to prevent any oscillation that might
occur. Q1’s (Q3’s) collector connects
directly to the 15V rail.
With Q1’s (Q3’s) base voltage held
steady by the 10μF capacitor, if the
output voltage at its emitter drops, the
base-emitter voltage inherently rises,
causing it to conduct more current and
‘prop up’ the output. Similarly, if the
output voltage rises, its base-emitter
voltage drops, so it conducts less, moderating the output voltage.
This local feedback provides fast
corrections in response to load
changes, keeping the output voltage
reasonably steady in the short term.
Slower corrections to its base drive
from the op amp provide longer-term
fine-tuning to improve regulation.
IC2a (IC3a) effectively tries to keep
pins 2 and 3 at the same voltage by
changing its output at pin 1. The voltage applied to CON3 (CON4) is thus a
scaled version of the voltage on IC2a’s
(IC3a’s) pin 3 with a low source impedance, forming the voltage control portion of the circuit.
For the most part, the output voltage
is proportional (as per the 51kW/10kW
divider) to the voltage set by the voltage at the wiper of VR1 (VR2), but it
can vary, as we shall see shortly.
The 100nF capacitor across the
51kW feedback resistor helps the
circuit respond quickly to changes
by applying the full output voltage
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change to pin 2 of IC2a (IC3a) initially,
rather than a scaled version. The 1nF
capacitor between pins 1 and 2 of IC2a
(IC3a) prevents oscillation by effectively increasing negative feedback at
higher frequencies.
The 100mW shunt mentioned earlier
connects to pins 12 and 13 (2 and 3)
of IC1, the current shunt monitor. IC1
is an amplifier that produces a voltage
at its pin 14 (pin 1) that is 20 times
the difference between its input pins.
This voltage passes to IC2b’s (IC3b’s)
pin 5 non-inverting input via a 10kW
resistor.
The shunt will induce a drop of
100mV at 1A which, when amplified
by 20 by IC1, gives 2V/A at its output.
The current setting voltage from
VR3 (VR4) is directly connected to pin
6 of IC2b (IC3b), the inverting input,
and the output from pin 7 drives the
base of NPN transistor Q2 (Q4) via a
100kW resistor.
Q2’s emitter is grounded and its collector connects to IC2’s (IC3’s) pin 3,
the voltage setting. An excessive output current causes IC2’s (IC3’s) pin
5 to rise above its pin 6 voltage, so
output pin 7 goes high to turn on Q2
(Q4), pulling down the voltage reference until the current limit is no longer exceeded.
Another 1nF capacitor between
IC2’s (IC3’s) pins 6 and 7 helps to
reduce oscillation in the current control feedback loop, similar to the one
in the voltage feedback loop.
Theoretically, the default circuit
values correlate to a full-scale voltage setting of 30.5V on VR1 (VR2) and
about 2.5A on VR3 (VR4), but we don’t
expect either of these will be achieved
in practice. The dividers have mainly
been selected so that the feedback and
control voltages are below 3.3V, so
an external monitoring circuit with a
0-3.3V input range can be used.
If REG1 were replaced with a
pin-compatible 3.3V type (that can
withstand an input of at least 16V), the
maximum voltage and current settings
would be 20V and 1.65A. This would
have the advantage of making the controls less sensitive, so accurate adjustments could be made more easily.
Supply options
Feeding in 12-15V DC to CON1 will
give the best results, as the 5V output
of REG1 will be better regulated than
the 5V DC from a USB power supply.
While the USB option is convenient,
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timebase = ms
Scope 1: the response to a load change that triggers current
limiting is about as fast as possible given the size of the
output capacitor. The 23.5W load brings the output voltage
down from 12V to 10V at around 400mA.
the boost module could impose a
high current draw on the USB supply, which might cause unexpected
glitches if it is overloaded.
If you only ever plan to feed in
power via CON1, you could omit the
USB socket and MOD1 and hard-wire
the two jumpers.
The remaining connectors, CON5CON9, are not needed when the Breadboard PSU is used in its standalone
configuration, but can be used to connect to the display daughterboard, to
be described on page 40.
If fitting these connectors, use
header sockets (they will be included
as part of the kit). These not only match
up with the headers on the display
board, but they also make it easy to
use standard breadboard jumper wires
to connect these points to your breadboard circuit.
If you wish to tap into them for other
purposes, CON5 and CON6 connect to
most of the low-voltage signals mentioned earlier. CON7 provides breakouts for the incoming supplies from
CON1 and CON2. CON8 and CON9
connect to the two spare current shunt
monitor channels on IC1.
timebase = sec
Scope 2: the slowest response under any situation is shown
here, where the output voltage is instantaneously set to
0V with no load. The drop rate is limited by the output
capacitor discharging through the output voltage divider.
performance. Scope 1 shows the
Breadboard PSU’s output using our
Arduino Programmable Load (June
2022; siliconchip.au/Article/15341)
to apply a step load change from an
open circuit to 23.5W, with an initial
voltage of 12V.
The blue trace is the voltage and
the red trace is the current, peaking
at around 500mA. As you can see, the
Breadboard PSU starts reacting almost
immediately and has settled to the
new operating point after about 150μs.
Note that the time constant of the
10μF output capacitor into a 23.5W
load is about the same duration, so
most of the delay is actually due to
the output capacitance discharging.
Scope 2 shows a step change in the
voltage setting from 12V down to 0V
(applied by shorting the VR1 wiper to
ground). Here, the output voltage takes
half a second to decay due to the 10μF
capacitor only being able to discharge
through the 51kW/10kW divider.
Of course, any load impedance will
cause this to happen much quicker.
And it’s doubtful that you’ll be able
to wind the potentiometer down any
faster than that anyway.
Transient response is an important parameter for a regulator since
it shows how much it will allow the
voltage to vary if the load impedance
Performance
As the Breadboard PSU is based
heavily on the circuit of the Arduino
PSU, we knew it would work well.
Still, we have produced a few scope
grabs to give you an idea of what to
expect.
The response to a current limiting
event is critical to any bench supply’s
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timebase = sec
Scope 3: this scope grab shows a series of load changes from 250mA to 500mA
to 750mA to 1A and back to 250mA, with the worst deviation being under
100mV. We made these measurements directly at the output of the PSU. In
practice, when using a breadboard, the variation is about three times greater
due to the resistance of the breadboard conductors.
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December 2022 35
Scope 4: a close-up of the 250mA500mA transition in Scope 3. There
is a bit of overshoot, but it’s close to
being symmetrical.
checking that the pin 1 marking dots
on the part and silkscreen line up.
Tack one lead, then gently solder the
remaining pins if all is still aligned
(use a magnifier to check).
The solder fillets should form easily
if you have the right amount of solder
and flux. Use the braid to wick up any
excess solder that might form bridges
between the pins.
CON2 is a surface-mounting USB
socket that locks into place with tabs
on its underside. Apply flux and carefully solder the two longer pads for
power. After that, solder the larger
mechanical tabs on the sides of the
socket.
The two current shunt resistors are
on the reverse of the PCB. Align them
within their pads and tack one lead.
Adjust the position so that the part is
squarely within the silkscreen markings. Then solder the other lead and
refresh the first lead if necessary.
Fit the capacitors now if you are
using SMD parts. There are three different values and they are all spread
around the PCB. Work with one value
at a time to avoid mixing them up.
At this point, clean up any excess
flux using an appropriate solvent. Be
sure to let it dry thoroughly as many
such solvents can be flammable.
A good strategy for the remaining
parts is to work from the lowest profile
components up. Start with the resistors, as they are all mounted flat against
the PCB. There are 16 around the PCB;
check the silkscreen values against the
resistors before soldering. A multimeter is the most reliable way to check
the values as the colour markings can
sometimes be ambiguous.
Fit the solitary diode D1 next. It
is installed near the USB socket and
should have its cathode band close
to the USB socket. If using throughhole capacitors, fit them next, checking the silkscreen marking against the
part marking.
Then install the two op amps. Their
pin 1 markings should align with the
silkscreen and face to the left of the
PCB. You could use sockets, although
a socket for IC2 might foul the heatsink for Q1; check first before fitting
it. It’s generally acceptable to solder
them directly to the PCB as you should
not need to swap them unless they are
faulty, which is unlikely.
There are three TO-92 parts; the two
smaller transistors, Q2 and Q4, and
voltage regulator REG1. Solder them
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The underside of the
Breadboard PSU. The wires
were just for prototyping and aren’t
required on the final board, see Fig.2.
changes fast. Scope 3 shows how the
output voltage shifts with a series of
load changes from 250mA to 500mA
to 750mA to 1A and back to 250mA.
As you can see, the change in output
voltage is small, well under 100mA at
1A compared to no load.
Scope 4 shows a close-up of the
transition from 250mA to 500mA in
Scope 3. There are brief spikes of
+300/−375mV, but it quickly settles
to a steady voltage after about 300μs.
Construction
The Breadboard PSU is built on a
double-sided PCB coded 04112221
that measures 99 x 54mm, as shown
in Fig.2.
Apart from the USB socket (CON2)
and the current shunts, all parts can be
through-hole types. It could have been
smaller if we’d used more surface-
mounting parts, but we would still
need to leave room for the potentiometers and heatsinks for the transistors.
While this project is useful for
beginners, constructors will need
reasonable soldering skills as most
shunt monitor ICs are only available
as SMDs, and quad shunt monitor IC1
has fairly closely-spaced leads. Still,
it is not that hard to solder with the
right tools, a gentle touch and a bit of
patience.
We’ve designed the PCB to accept
either through-hole or surface mounting capacitors. So, if you have suitable
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SMD capacitors, you should fit them
along with the other surface mounting parts.
While Fig.2 shows SMD capacitors,
our photos reveal we built the prototype with through-hole types. Note
that SMD ceramics are usually cheaper
than equivalent through-hole caps.
We’ve extended the pads for the
smaller SMD parts to ease assembly.
You might get away with simply using
a fine-tipped iron, but flux and solder
wicking braid will definitely help.
Start with IC1, which has the smallest leads of any of the SMDs. Apply
flux to its PCB pads and align the part,
timebase = ms
in now, making sure to orientate them
correctly and don’t get them mixed up.
Fit the various headers and jumpers next, but leave CON3 and CON4 to
last as they are fitted under the PCB.
Check Fig.2 and our photos to see what
goes where.
Use three-way headers for the two
three-way jumpers, JP1 and JP2. Slot
them in place, solder one pin and
check that the pins are perpendicular
to the PCB surface before soldering
the remaining pins. Leave the jumper
shunts off until testing has been completed.
The remaining connectors on the top
of the PCB (CON5-CON9) are all SIL
socket types. It’s even more critical to
mount them perpendicular to the PCB
as they are designed to plug into a second PCB mounted above.
The two larger transistors, Q1 and
Q3, need heatsinks. Bend the leads
back around 7mm from the body and
thread the leads into the PCB holes.
Slip the heatsinks in behind the transistors and secure both the transistor
and heatsink to the PCB with an 8mm
M3 screw on each.
A thin layer of thermal paste on
the underside of the transistor tabs is
optional, but will help with heat transfer. Add the washer and tighten the nut
firmly to position the transistor and
heatsink neatly and squarely. Then
you can solder and trim the leads.
The remaining larger parts on the
top of the PCB should be easy enough;
just take care that they are neat. CON1
is adjacent to the CON2 USB socket
and the four potentiometers are along
one edge of the PCB.
You can fit the knobs now. For
splined shafts, dial the potentiometers
to their midpoints so that the slot is
horizontal. Push on the knob so that
the indicator points straight up, also
at its midpoint. Then wind the knob
anti-clockwise to its minimum position, so it is safe for testing.
We’ve used red knobs for the current
limiting pots (VR3 and VR4) and green
knobs (VR1 and VR2) for the voltage
setting. Our kits will offer that option
and other colour combinations; you
can choose whichever you prefer.
Fit the tapped spacers now as these
form the legs at one end of the Breadboard PSU and will show you how
much clearance you have to mount
MOD1.
MOD1 is mounted to the underside
of the PCB near CON1 and CON2.
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Fig.2: the Breadboard PSU is meant to be compact, so the PCB is pretty
packed with components. CON3 and CON4 are fitted under the PCB to
connect directly to a breadboard, while the two current-measuring resistors
and boost module MOD1 are also on the underside. CON5-CON9 are mainly
for fitting the display module. You can omit MOD1 and CON2 if you only
plan to use the DC input at CON1.
Since it covers the solder pads for
some top-side components, ensure
you haven’t missed any parts. Trim
any leads in that area short, so there
is ample clearance.
Orientate the module according to
the VIN and VOUT markings on the
PCB. Check the polarity too, as we
have seen some variants of the MT3608
modules that have the connections
reversed.
Then solder it in place using short
lead off-cuts through the pads on both
boards. Make sure it doesn’t protrude
further than the spacers; otherwise,
it will carry the weight at this end of
the PCB.
Also make sure that the underside
of the module is not shorting against
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any leads, then trim the leads that are
holding the module.
Finally, fit CON3 and CON4. These
can be aligned by pushing the header
pins into the breadboard’s power rail
and then resting the Breadboard PSU
PCB in place. We’ve aligned the positive pins with the red markings on the
breadboard. Push everything down flat
and then solder the ends of the header
pins from above.
Testing
It’s easy to run a few tests to verify
everything is in order. You’ll need a
multimeter to measure a few different
voltages for testing. All are referred to
ground; the shell of CON2 (the mini
USB socket) or pin 4 of IC2 or IC3 are
December 2022 37
good places to make this connection.
The following three paragraphs
assume you have fitted MOD1. If
you’ve left it off, skip them.
Leave JP1 and JP2 off and connect
USB power to CON2. You should see
5V at the right-hand end (USB) of JP2
and the output from the boost module at the right-hand end (BST) of JP1.
Adjust the output from the boost
module to be 15V or lower. If you know
what your maximum working voltage
will be, set this around 2V higher. A
lower voltage will reduce dissipation
in the transistors.
If you don’t see the expected voltages, then check around CON2 and
MOD1.
Disconnect USB power and apply
a suitable supply to CON1. This can
be anything from 7V to 15V; CON1 is
configured for a positive tip as that
arrangement is the most common.
The left-hand end of JP1 (JACK) will
have a slightly lower voltage than the
input at CON1 due to diode D1. If you
see nothing there, the diode or supply
might have the wrong polarity.
You should see about 5V on the lefthand end (REG) of JP2. If not, the problem is likely with REG1.
If all is well, connect your preferred
power supply and set JP1 and JP2
to suit. In practice, that means both
jumper shunts across the left and centre pins for power at the DC jack, or
both jumper shunts across the right
and centre pins for USB power.
Our photos show the jumpers set
up for power being applied at the DC
jack, although other combinations may
be possible.
You should now be able to test the
outputs with a multimeter. The leftmost potentiometers adjust CON3,
which is next to them. The other
potentiometers adjust CON4.
Move VR2 and VR4 (the current
adjust potentiometers) slightly above
their lowest position; otherwise, the
output is completely shut off. Then
slowly increase VR1 and VR3 and
check that the voltage changes. The
maximum voltage will be reached
well before the clockwise position
on the potentiometers and will be
around 1V below the voltage selected
by JP1.
Using it
SC6571 Kit ($40)
Includes all the parts listed above. There is a choice of knob colours: red +
green, yellow + cyan or orange + white (two of each colour).
A kit is also available for the Display Adaptor; see its parts list on page 45 for
details (Cat SC6572, $50 + postage).
Once it’s plugged into a breadboard,
there’s not much more to using the
Breadboard PSU. Use the potentiometers to adjust the voltages and current
limits as needed.
With legs fitted at the end near CON1
and CON2, the Breadboard PSU rests
on CON3 and CON4 on a breadboard at
the other end. It’s designed to be used
more or less in the raw state.
If you don’t plan to fit the display,
you could use extra tapped spacers
to mount a sheet of card or plastic
above the exposed components for
protection.
The transistors operate in linear
mode, so they will dissipate quite a
bit of power, depending on the settings and supply voltage. If the Breadboard PSU is current limiting into a
short circuit, the dissipation will be
at its highest.
The provided heatsinks are suitable
for up to a few watts, so with a 15V
supply, you can set the current limit
up to around 200mA without worrying about overheating the transistors.
Even at higher dissipation levels, as
long as you monitor the current and
switch off the supply if it’s drawing
more than expected, it should survive
brief overloads.
For higher currents, especially if
you only need much lower voltages,
you should consider a lower input
voltage to reduce transistor dissipation.
As we mentioned earlier, we have
also designed an add-on display module, as shown in the lead photo. It provides readouts of the set and actual
currents and voltages. Its operation
and construction are shown in detail
starting on page 40 of this issue.
The display module can also estimate transistor dissipation by monitoring the voltages and currents, so it
can help avoid situations that could
overheat the transistors.
SC
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Parts List – Dual-Channel Breadboard PSU
1 double-sided PCB coded 04112221, 99mm x 54mm
1 PCB-mounting 2.1mm inner diameter barrel socket (CON1)
1 SMD mini-USB socket (CON2)
2 2-way pin headers, 2.54mm pitch (CON3, CON4)
2 6-way female socket headers (CON5, CON6)
3 3-way female socket header (CON7-CON9)
2 3-way pin headers with jumper shunts (JP1, JP2)
2 12mm-long M3-tapped spacers
4 M3 × 8mm machine screws
2 M3 hex nuts
2 M3 shakeproof washers
2 small TO-220 finned heatsinks (no larger than 20 × 20 × 10mm)
1 MT3608 boost module (MOD1) [SC4437]
4 10kW 9mm linear potentiometer and knobs to suit (VR1-VR4)
[Jaycar RP8510 & HK773x]
4 short component lead off-cuts or pieces of wire (for mounting MOD1)
Semiconductors
1 INA4180A1IPWR quad current shunt monitor, TSSOP-14 (IC1)
2 LMC6482 dual rail-to-rail CMOS op amps, DIP-8 (IC2, IC3)
1 1N4004 400V 1A diode (D1)
2 MJE3055 60V 10A NPN transistors, TO-220 (Q1, Q3) [Jaycar ZT2280]
2 BC547 45V 100mA NPN transistors, TO-92 (Q2,Q4) [Jaycar ZT2152]
1 78L05 5V 100mA linear regulator, TO-92 (REG1) [Jaycar ZV1539]
Capacitors (all SMD M3216/1206 X5R/X7R or MKT/ceramic radial)
8 10μF 16V
7 100nF 50V
4 1nF 50V
Resistors (all 1/4W axial 1% metal film except as noted)
4 100kW
3 51kW
7 10kW
2 100W
2 100mW M6432/2512 1W SMD
38
Silicon Chip
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