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G8MNY  > TECH     20.03.24 00:04l 136 Lines 7366 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 3605_GB7CIP
Read: DJ6UX GUEST
Subj: 0-35V 0-5A Lab PSU CS FL-305
Path: DB0FHN<DB0FFL<OE2XZR<OE6XPE<DB0ERF<DB0RES<SR4BBX<SR1BSZ<IW0QNL<JH4XSY<
      N3HYM<GB7YEW<GB7CIP
Sent: 240319/0743Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:3605 [Caterham Surrey GBR] $:3605_GB
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To  : TECH@WW

By G8MNY                               (Corrections Nov 19)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)
Here is a very unusual circuit principles, of this Italian 0-35V 0-5A PSU. It
uses a transformer variac secondary to make an efficient linear regulated PSU,
together with variable current limiting & dissipation power fold back.

旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커
넬컴컴컴커 旼컴컴컴�  ( )       FL-305       �
납 \ V   놜� \ A   � Fine V      ___         �  It was all blown up &
납  \    � �  \    �           .-   -.       �  modified into a simple
냉컴컴컴캑 쳐컴컴컴�          / Course\      �  raw PSU. So I did a lot
냅컴컴컴켸坪컴컴컴켸          \   V   /      �  of reverse engineering,
�     overload        ( )      '-___-'       �  to find out it how it
� on        trip sw    A                     �  originally worked, before
�  !        旼컴커            +  -  e  +  -  �  attempting the restoration.
�  � �      읕컴켸on�        (o)(o)(o)(o)(o) �
읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸

SCHEME                       15A Power NPN                          15A
L컴o-o커    6-42V AC          Darlington__          Amp             Trip
   2A  )||(<컴컴컴커   旼컫컴컴컴�~~~\_/e 쳐Rshunt횺eter컫컴컴쩡컴컫컴\컴 +ve
Mains _)||( \     ~�15A�+ �8-60V �    �   �              � Control �
       )||( Var   Bridge  �      �  Drive 쳐컴횵mon컴컴컴� PSU 0V! �    0-35V
   ON  )||(  R    ~�   �- �      �        쿚ut           �       Volt
N___ \_)||(________�   � ===16mF �+In  Out�            Vmon      Meter  0-5A
        || ___         �  � 65V  픁rop Mon�              �         �
   300W ||(30V Control 읕컨컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컴컴컴좔�\컴 -ve
E컫컴e    읕컴 +/-12V PSU
 ///

The coarse Voltage Variac control has stops on it to give between 6V - 42V AC,
& a 50K Var R to control the course regulated Volts. Unusually a separate 30V
winding is used to make a floating +/-12V @ 40mA zener PSU on the +ve O/P rail,
for 5 Op amps, 6 transistors & 3 LEDs of the complex control circuit.

The 1st Op amp with input protection diodes & 1K Rs, monitors the output Volts,
compares PSU -ve through VarR & Fine VarR to +ve from 5K preset & 5K6 using +6V
zener reference. And with 2 transistors it shunts away the 3mA drive to the
darlington, & lights up the green OK LED.

                                  +12V컴컫컴�2K7컴쩡470R�>Darlington Base 0-3mA
      Voltage Comparitor        旼컴컴컴�)컴컴컴컴�               (Or a Mosfet)
                     �\         �        �        �           /�
+6V       0V�1K컫컴쩡�+\      �/e       1K2       e\�        /+�
 �   preset    /_\\~/�1 >캑<쳐큁NP    旼컨컴�    PNP쳐쩡�>쳐< 2� Current Limit
 �5K6컴5K컴쩡1K컨컴좔�-/      �\     OK  OVERLOAD  /� �      \-� Comparitor
          2K         �/         �    LED   LED    �   �       \�
       Fine VarR               10K    �     �    10K  �
           �                    �   �/       \�   �   �       /�
          50K                   쳐컴퀿PN   NPN쳐컴�   �      /+�
      Course VarR               �   �\e     e/�   �   읕�>쳐< 5� Power Foldback
           �                   10K    �     �    10K         \-� Comparitor
          -Ve             -12V컴좔컴컴좔컴컴좔컴컴�           \�

A 2nd Op amp monitors the output current & compares it to the current set pot &
-6V ref zener. Overloads, limit the drive current & with 2 more transistors, by
again shunting away the 3mA darlington drive, & lighting the red OVERLOAD LED,
instead of the green OK LED.

A 3rd Op amp monitors the voltage drop across the darlington pass transistor.
And converts this into current to feed the emitters of a "dual transistor long
tailed pair" mixer, with a sample of PSU O/P current into one of the bases.

      Darlington        旼컴쩡컴+12V     Power Dissapated       �\
     Volts Monitor     10K 10K                   �\       0V�1K캑+\
         旼컴68K컴�     쳐컴)컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴�+\            �5 >� Power 
         납\      �     �   �                �   �4 >컫�680R컫컴�-/  Foldback
+Out�680K졍+\     �     �   쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴�)컫캑-/  �     3K3 �/  Comparitor
          �3 >�6K8�   �/ V&I \�   旼1K5�+Out � � �/   �      �
+In컴680K쨈-/ �   � 旼� Mixer 쳐>Ipot        � 읕컴10K�     5K
         납/  �   � � �\e   e/�  100R       10K           preset  Set Max Power
         읕68K�   읕)컴컨컴켸     �          �               �    Dissipated
                    읕컴컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컴컴컴컨<+ve & 0V    -6V

The resultant balanced mix product, feeds the 4th Op amp, to give an accurate
signal proportional to the power being dissipated. And that then feeds the 5th
Op amp & also uses the -6V to set the Max Power Dissipated, & also light the
OVERLOAD LED.

CALIBRATION
A high power DC load is needed, I used a large tapped WW resistor 2+2+4R 1kW.
Set the start position of the Variac VarR, & then the 4 presets are used to
determine, 1 Max overhead voltage, 2 Max Current range, 3 Current foldback
sample Ipot, & 4 Max foldback power. When correctly set the head voltage is
always just enough for a cool regulator at all output voltages & currents!

DOUBLE CURRENT MODIFICATION
As the PSU has a huge mains transformer & a roomy chassis, I decided to see if
it could be made to do 10A! (350W Regulated DC O/P!)

1/ Transfer the 2 heatsink reverse voltage protection tab diodes to the PCB,
   as they don't need heatsinking.

憫좋좋좋좋좋좋좌컴컴컫컴컫컴컫�
납    pcb     납  C  쿾ot쳐Br눴 2/ Re-use the 2 spare heatsink holes for 2
�~~~~~~~~~~~~~~읓컴컫�~T~     �    more NPN insulated Darlington 15A
� _  _  _  _  Rs 旼컴컴좔컴컴엿    transistors, pointing away from each other,
�(_)(_)(_)(_)  � �  VARIAC   납    to spread the heat.
�      Cs      � 쿟RANSFORMER납    File rear case hole to give clearance, &
� 憫컨�   憫컨왹 �___________납    wire them up in parallel to PCB, with a 3A
읓좔컴좌컫좔컴좌쩟컴컫컨컫컴컴�    fuse in each emitter, as current share Rs.
  ~~~~~   ~~~~~ 잎   읕컴�
3/ Remount 16mF C & bridge, from PCB metal panel, on to the rear case either
   side of the VarR, making sure the pillar mounted PCB will fit back OK.
4/ Remove the PCB metal panel, & add more main 65V smoothing (I used 4x 5mF) in
   the new space, to maintain low DC ripple @ 10A before regulation.
5/ Shunt 5A meter with resistance wire to now read 10A FSD, & re-label 2x/10A.
6/ Shunt the large current sampling 0.1R with resistance wire to bring it down
   to < 0.06R, & mount it with the left over pillars behind Amp meter mounting
   screw.

Then do the calibrations again with current limit set to @ 10A max, & the fold
back current to 1.5A when set @ 35V. It is all just doo able, right on the
limit of the PSU & still not running too hot.

CONCLUSION
This is now quite useful bench test PSU, able to test low current circuits
with the new current limit from "10mA to 10A" @ voltages from "75mV to 35V".
Used for testing prototypes, zapping & charging batteries, run modest power
rigs (30W) etc.

Be aware not to over voltage kit, as it is a Lab PSU not just a Rig one!

If it is often to be used at this "higher power limit", a 60�C thermal trip
glued on the transformer might be a good safety feature to add!


See also tech buls "Lab PSU", "Simple 20A PS", "High AMP Crowbar Protected PSU"

Why Don't U send an interesting bul?

73 De John, G8MNY @ GB7CIP


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