[sdiy] Switching power supply transformers

[Roy J. Tellason]

On Wednesday 12 January 2005 04:10 pm, Karl Ekdahl wrote:
> Hi list, today i found a 5v 2A powersupply, exactly what i needed. 
> Unfortunley i didn't see that it was a switching supply until i got home and 
> from this list

The size and weight should have given you a clue.  :-)

> i've learned that switching is NOT good for synth-DIY.

Not _that_ big a deal,  they just tend to be somewhat noiser on the output is 
all.  Lots of filtering scattered around here and there will fix that.  And 
what are you going to use it for?  Switcher noise is going to be much more of 
a problem for analog low-level stuff,  but you don't run those kind of 
circuits off a 5V supply anyway,  you usually use higher voltages and often 
split supplies.

> Anyhow i was wondering if you think that i could salvage the transformer 
> (it's really, really small)

No doubt!  That's one of the reasons switchers are used...

> from the supply to generate 5v/2A ?

No.

It's designed to operate at a *MUCH* higher frequency than what you're 
probably thinking of,  from the power line.

> The other thing i was thinking is that maybe if i'm driving only the
> logic part of the circuit with this, i could keep the supply as it is? Any 
> thoughts would be highly appreciated!

What else would you use 5V for?

Tell us more about what you're trying to build...