Power supplies provide the backbone for all electronic projects. Without them,
none of our circuits would work. These power supplies are all built with different
methods, ranging from switching to linear regulation. However, both come with their
own disadvantages. So, how can we get around or reduce the effect of said disadavantages?
Well, in this video I will
show you have to make a compact power supply that will take a 24 volt input
and allow you to ajust it down all the way to 1 and a quarter volts, using switiching pre-
regulation. Let’s get designing.
In a previous video, I demonstrated how the LM317 works on the inside.
Ultimately, we ended up making a larger version with a mosfet and an op amp. While this
was a good introduction to the LM317 and linear regulators in general, there is still a
lot of applications that the LM317 can be put into that extend beyond the standard variable
power supply that we made, with some being more useful than others. So, in this video we
will explore the various other applications of the LM317. Let’s begin.
Our world is largely digital today, comprised of 1s and 0s, and values are represented
in binary. And for a lot of purposes, these two options are enough. But what about applications
that require an analog output after digital processing? For example, when we play music from
our phones or computers, it comes out as an analog signal. My digital function generator creates
analog signals as well. But how can we convert two state binary has into the infinite possibilities
of analog. To do such a thing, we need to use a DAC, a digital-to-analog-converter. You may be familiar
with the term ADC or analog to digital converter, and they do essentially the same things, but in
reverse order. But DACs are oftentimes left out of some microcontrollers, and you will have to
find a way to implement one yourself. The best option oftentimes is to just buy a DAC ic. But what
if you are curious on how to make one yourself? Well, in this video I will show you one of the most
popular methods to create a DAC, and ultimately use it to create a function generator.
In one of my previous videos, we looked at how buck converters work. And in the modern
day, they are among the most popular group of power supplies, switch mode power supplies. And
that is for good reason: they are incredibly effecient. In the same category are boost
converters, which are very similiar in function, but increase the input voltage instead.
Now, while all of these switching supplies are amazing, they have one disadvantage, and
that is the noise that they produce from switching. In most all cases, this is fine because
our electronics are largely digital nowadays, but for analog electronics, especially circuits
dealing with audio, the noise can become a big problem. That’s where linear regulators come
in. They have extremely low output noise and are also much simpler to make aswell. So why
don’t we use linear regulators all of the time? Well in this video I will show you how a
linear regulator works, as well as why you would and wouldn’t want to use one.
Mains voltage is great, it gives us an unlimited supply of 120 volt 60 Hz AC voltage,
considering that you pay your electric bill. You can directly power devices such as
vacuums or light bulbs. However, this voltage is far too high for certain sensitive
electronics, for example, anything with a USB port. The same can be said even if you
are only using a 9 volt battery. But how can we get a lower voltage? Sure, we could
just use a linear regulator, but that comes with its own problems, like making sure
that you select a proper heatsink so that it doesn’t destroy itself, not to mention
its level of inefficiency which makes it impractical to run off of a battery. There is
an alternative to the linear regulator though, and that is the buck converter,
otherwise known as a step-down DC to DC converter. It
can efficiently regulate a high voltage down to a lower one, and in this video I will
tell you how it works and how you could possibly make one of your own.
As far as microcontrollers are concerned, there are thousands of options for you to pick from. They range from the 8 bit AVRs all the way to 32 bit STM micrcontrollers. The 32 bit micrcontrollers are becoming far more popular in modern products, but 8 bit micrcontrollers remain extremely popular in hobbyist settings, especially ATMEL’s line of AVR microcontrollers. This can especially be attributed to the popularity of the arduino, which uses a wide range of AVR microcontrollers. Especially the arduino UNO, which uses the now famous atmega328p. However, microchip, which now owns ATMEL, has released a new line of AVR microcontrollers, which they call the megaAVR 0 series. This new series has a lot of improvements over the older AVR chips, and in this video we will review the changes made in the new series, and determine whether you should start using them in your own projects, because although they both share the ‘atmega’ name, they aren’t exactly the same.
Whether you are an electrician, a hobbyist or an engineer, you are certain to
need one tool: a multimeter. The reason why they are so widely used is that they
will measure current, voltage, and resistance for you and can work in both AC
and DC settings. And since they are so widespread, you are almost guaranteed to
find one at any price-point, all the way from $10 to several hundred dollars.
And it is a commonly known fact that the more you spend on a multimeter, you
will get a better quality, not only in terms of accuracy and features, but also
safety. Let’s compare a range of multimeters and determine how much you spend
will affect the quality of multimeter you get.
Quite often, you will find yourself wanting to listen to music. Whether you are in
your room or working, you might find yourself reaching for some earbuds.
While they certainly work great, they also come with their fair share of problems.
My cheap pair of earbuds lost their protection and really don’t sound that great.
They also very easily get tangled.
You might also prefer speakers because they can be more comfortable, louder, and
have better sound quality, but they are not nearly as portable as earbuds.