Power Supply

[onekill]

need a light weight power supply for RC plane. I am putting a small mother board with gps and other devices. I will make a battery pack with 14.4 volts. I need 3, 5, 12volt with a max of 3 to 5 amps. Does anyoine have schematics or web address to build one?<p>[ September 03, 2005: Message edited by: James McD ]</p>

[Robert Reed]

James
The switchers would probaly be the lightest and most efficient,but for simplicity three 78XX rgulator chips could be run directly off the battery. Any draw over one amp per chip would require a heat sink though. Chip dissapation can be reduced by inserting a series resistor ahead of it properly sized for the load. Or you could cascade the chips in 12V-5V-3V fashion,however each preceding chip has to carrie the load of the one following it. This would not be the worlds most efficient supply. You will have to play the numbers to see how it works out( load currents at the various voltages)

[jwax]

Heatsinks? On an airplane? Naw. Stick them 5v and 3v regulators out the fuselage! One on each side for weight distribution!

[Gorgon]

Hi James,
The best way to conserve your battery power is to use switching regulators, here is a page at NS, just select your current capacity. <p>National power<p>You can also design your power online and test the different parameters, a very nice feature.<p>TOK <p>[ September 04, 2005: Message edited by: Gorgon ]</p>