(NB: Please check my 3A variable bench power supply instructable here which consists of inbuilt Voltage & Current readout on a colour display)Īpart from that,in a programmable supply,it has a inbuilt display which shows all the necessary informations like current voltage/current amp/set voltage/set amp/mode of operation and many more parameters. Generally in a traditional supply,we have to attach a multimeter to check the output voltage every time.Also in addition a current sensor/precise clamp meter is needed to check the output current.
#Easy power tutorial full#
If we short the output of our traditional supply,it will lower the voltage and supply the full current.So within a short span,the control chip(LM317/LM350/any other) get's damaged due to overheat.īut in comparison,In a programmable supply,we can shut the output totally(if we want) when a short circuit occurs. In comparison,in a programmable power supply,we can either set the parameters using numeric keypad or we can change it using a rotary encoder or even we can control the parameters via a PC remotely. In our LM317/LM350 based supply,we turn a pot and the output voltage varies accordingly.
Generally our traditional LM317/LM350/any other IC based supply operates on a CV(constant voltage) mode where we have no control over the Current.The load draws the current according to it's need where we can't control it.But in a programmable supply,we can control both the Voltage and current fields individually. So what makes it different from a traditional LM317/LM350/any other IC based linear power supply?Let's take a look at the key differences.ġ)The main big difference is the control: So,the first question arises here that what is a programmable supply?Ī programmable power supply is a type of linear power supply which allows the full control of the output voltage & current of the unit through digital interface/analog/RS232. It's been a while since i uploaded any new instructable.So I thought to quickly upload a new instructable on a very necessary tool (for any hobbyists/electronic enthusiast/professional) which is a programmable power supply.