Hi Robert,
Robert Atkinson wrote:
Hi Ed,The better quality "industral" power supplies normally have a regulator for each rail. Some specifications will put a minimum load requirement on the primary supply though.
You're right that better quality power supplies have regulation on all
outputs. I don't think I'm comfortable using any other kind on a
Thunderbolt. I was just surprised to see some 'close enough' power
supplies in use.
I've been looking at a simple supply for my TBolt. I wanted to avoid switchers
or multiple transformers and think I have a solution. I propose a 15V 30VA
toroidal transformer (if dual secondary windings, connect in parallel) . This
feeds a full wave bridge and capacitive input filter followed by a 12V linear
regulator (your choice, I was looking at a LM317T). It also feeds a half wave
rectifier and capacitive input filter followed by a 5V linear regulator. For
the -12V there is a capacitively coupled voltage doubler feeding another
regulator. I've attached a sketch of the circuit I used to simulate this
arrangement. R1, R3 and R5 represent the 12, 5 and -5V loads for the
simulation. I think this gives a good repeatable solution using standard parts.
I've plenty of odd
multi-winding transformers that I could have used, but that would not have
helped others. I hope to get it built this weekend.
I was thinking of something similar, but I've never been a fan of
half-wave rectification. I was thinking of running the +5 supply off
the output of the +12 supply. Total current for +5 and +12 is less than
1 amp at startup and less than 0.5 amp normally. Power dissipation in
the 5V regulator will only be about 2 watts. For the -12 supply, you
could just use a max232 and pull off the -V from the capacitor. After
all, it's just going to be used for RS-232.
Ed
Robert G8RPI.
--- On Mon, 26/4/10, Ed Palmer <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Ed Palmer <[email protected]>
Subject: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt Power Supply Question
To: "Time Nuts Mailing List" <[email protected]>
Date: Monday, 26 April, 2010, 9:02
Many low cost triple output power supplies are designed to power digital
circuits (e.g. +5V) with maybe some RS-232 or analog circuitry (+- 12V). Since
the only 'important' voltage is +5, that's the only voltage that's regulated.
The others are designed to be within maybe 5% up to the rated load. I see
various power supplies on fleabay that are sold for use with the Thunderbolt
that seem to fit this model.
In the Thunderbolt the +12 runs the oscillator. Won't an unregulated, but
relatively steady, +12 supply degrade the performance of the oscillator or does
the Tbolt have a built-in regulator to deal with this?
Ed
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