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Design Project: DC Voltage Regulator
5 questions By Tony R. Kuphaldt
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Question 1 of 5
It may seem difficult to even start on a project such as this, with no schematic diagram provided. Identify a few different sources of information where you might find sample voltage regulator circuits, to begin your design from.
Why do you suppose your instructor decided to challenge you with a project such as this, with no schematic diagram to follow and plenty of things to potentially go wrong?
Reveal answerI’ll let you determine where sample voltage regulator circuit designs may be found.
As to the question of why the instructor would challenge you in this way, the answer is quite simple: to prepare you for the realities of a challenging career in electronics. Think of this project as being a small-scale example of the work world, where you will be required to overcome technical obstacles on a routine basis, often with little or no assistance.
Challenges are a fact of life. It would be unrealistic to expect you to have immediate answers to every challenge you will ever face. What is expected of you, however, is a positive attitude and the skillful persistence to find those answers in due time.
Notes:Not much needs to be said here!
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Question 2 of 5
When designing a project such as this, it is a good idea to “prototype” the circuit before soldering components together, where they will be more difficult to replace, exchange, and reconfigure. Explain how you intend to prototype your circuit prior to assembling it in its final form.
Reveal answerI’ll let you determine the answer to this question!
Notes:Students are typically loathe to prototype anything for fear of “wasting time” when they could be building something in its final form. What most students fail to realize, though, is that they will waste far more time by re-doing their “final” build than they would have spent prototyping the circuit in less permanent form.
Prototyping is an essential part of the design and build process. You may elect to hold your students accountable to this process as part of their grade, or let them choose not to prototype (and allow them to discover firsthand why they should have prototyped their circuit).
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Question 3 of 5
Your circuit will no doubt use a zener diode to establish the reference voltage. The zener diode circuit itself (including the series “dropping” resistor) is incapable of supplying high current to a load. How, then, does your circuit manage to supply at least 2 amps to the load, when using a zener voltage reference?
