[sdiy] Power Supply questionsss

[Rob Mantel]

Current limited PSUs are great to use when experimenting with stuff. you can
set the maximum current the psu will supply, so if you mess something up in
your experiment, even if you create a shortcut, the PSU will not supply more
current than you set it to, with a little luck preventing your expensive
components from being fried. The PSUs usually have large cooling elements
and large power transistors so dissipate the heat in those transistors when
the current limitation is working, and depending on the PSU it won't be able
to do it for a long time, but it can be enough to save your important
components. They usually have a led or even an audible signal so you
immediately see or hear that the circuit is drawing more current than it was
supposed to.

Rob Mantel

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chromatest Pantsmaker" <chromatest.pantsmaker at verizon.net>
To: "SynthDIYmailinglist" <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2001 10:41 PM
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Power Supply questionsss


> since everybody else is asking questions about power supplies, I just
> recently came across something new to me.
> "current limited/regulated PSU"
>
> I understand voltage regulated, but I thought that circuits would only
> draw the amount of current they needed.  THe only thing that I can
> think of is that the circuit must be greedy and use as much current as
> it can get, and therefor, the only way to regulate it is at the PSU.
>
> And then....  What is a Current limited psu?  How does a person add
> current limiting circuitry to an existing psu? any tips along these
> lines?
> thanks to all great mighty PSU gurus!
> -ben (in amsterdam)  (Amsterdam, NY that is)
>