Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Picking a power supply and breadboard.

T

Thomas

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi All,

Can anyone recommend a power supply and broadboard combination.
I am new to electronics and i have a book that gives you a bunch of circuits
to build but it doesn't mentione anything about a power supply. The book
mentions +5V power supply but that doesn't mean anything to me.

Can anyone offer some insight?

Thanks
~Thomas
 
T

Tim Auton

Jan 1, 1970
0
Thomas said:
Can anyone recommend a power supply and broadboard combination.
I am new to electronics and i have a book that gives you a bunch of circuits
to build but it doesn't mentione anything about a power supply. The book
mentions +5V power supply but that doesn't mean anything to me.

Eventually you'll want a nice bench power supply where you can twiddle
a knob and change the voltage, limit the current and select what kind
of milk you want in your coffee. Till then a 9V battery and a 7805
regulator will do just fine.


Tim
 
T

Thomas

Jan 1, 1970
0
I appreciate your answer, but i don't see how that helps me when i am using
a breadboard and not a pcb to prototype my circuit. If you could please
provide some more details i would really apprciate it.

Thanks
~Thomas
 
T

Tim Auton

Jan 1, 1970
0
Thomas said:
I appreciate your answer, but i don't see how that helps me when i am using
a breadboard and not a pcb to prototype my circuit. If you could please
provide some more details i would really apprciate it.

Stick the pins of the 7805 into the breadboard. Stick the wires from
the 9V battery into the breadboard too (connectors for 9V batteries
with just wires on the end are common and cheap).

Breadboards are laid out on a 0.1" grid. A fair number of other
components, including the 7805 and other ICs (chips), are laid out
with a 0.1" spacing between the pins. You can plug these into a
breadboard.


Tim
 
L

L.

Jan 1, 1970
0
'John Popelish said:
"Thomas

I don't really care much for the protoboard, power supply
combinations. They really jack the protoboard prices up and the
supplies are not very good (not adjustable, fixed current limit, no
metering).

I have a collection of different protoboards of various sizes,
including some of the modular snap together stuff, so I can build on a
board that fits the project. I good starter supply would be something
like the Elenco E-XP-581
http://www.gibsonteched.net/exp581.html

It has fixed +5 and +,-12 volt (three terminal regulated) outputs and
an isolated 0 to 20 volt metered supply. It doesn't have all the
bells and whistles, but it costs a third of what those do.

Heathkit and Conar offered a similar item - both can be found on E-Bay for
decent prices.

L.
 
J

John Popelish

Jan 1, 1970
0
"Thomas
Hi All,

Can anyone recommend a power supply and broadboard combination.
I am new to electronics and i have a book that gives you a bunch of circuits
to build but it doesn't mentione anything about a power supply. The book
mentions +5V power supply but that doesn't mean anything to me.

Can anyone offer some insight?

Thanks
~Thomas

I don't really care much for the protoboard, power supply
combinations. They really jack the protoboard prices up and the
supplies are not very good (not adjustable, fixed current limit, no
metering).

I have a collection of different protoboards of various sizes,
including some of the modular snap together stuff, so I can build on a
board that fits the project. I good starter supply would be something
like the Elenco E-XP-581
http://www.gibsonteched.net/exp581.html

It has fixed +5 and +,-12 volt (three terminal regulated) outputs and
an isolated 0 to 20 volt metered supply. It doesn't have all the
bells and whistles, but it costs a third of what those do.
 
M

Michael A. Covington

Jan 1, 1970
0
Sorry, I meant Thomas, not Tim. At least I hope I haven't mixed up the
names. I meant for the original poster to e-mail me.

Michael A. Covington said:
Tim, e-mail me privately at m c at u g a dot e d u. Also, see the book
"Starting Electronics," by Brindley.

Also "Hands-On Electronics" published by Cambridge U. Press (not sure of
author's name).
 
A

andy

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi All,

Can anyone recommend a power supply and broadboard combination.
I am new to electronics and i have a book that gives you a bunch of circuits
to build but it doesn't mentione anything about a power supply. The book
mentions +5V power supply but that doesn't mean anything to me.

Can anyone offer some insight?

Thanks
~Thomas

if you live in the uk, maplin electronics do a lead acid 6V lamp battery
charger plus 2 batteries for not too much, which is what i've been using
to practice with. (called 'powerpack' or something). The good thing about
this is:

a) there's no way you can electrocute yourself off a 6V battery. (Though
you do need to make sure it doesn't short for too long)
b) 2 6V batteries can be set up as either +6v, +12V, or +/-6V, which is
useful for a range of different circuits.
 
T

tempus fugit

Jan 1, 1970
0
As a newbie to electronics, probably the first thing you'll want to look at
building is a variable bench power supply. However, until you're a little
more familiar with how things work, it's probably safer to use a regulated
wall wart. Even better (and cheaper), just get a normal wall wart with an
output of about 8 - 15v DC, and use a 5v regulator. Take the output of the
wall wart (watch the polarity - I assume you have a meter) and connect it to
the regulator as shown in the datasheet downloadable from:
http://www.fairchildsemi.com/pf/LM/LM7805.html
(Fig. 8 on p.21)
You can easily build this right on your breadboard and it is pretty safe,
since no high voltages are involved. This will give you a regulated 5v
supply up to about an amp.
 
G

Gary Lecomte

Jan 1, 1970
0
Thomas said:
Hi All,

Can anyone recommend a power supply and broadboard combination.
I am new to electronics and i have a book that gives you a bunch of circuits
to build but it doesn't mentione anything about a power supply. The book
mentions +5V power supply but that doesn't mean anything to me.

Can anyone offer some insight?

Thanks
~Thomas

Look at the Current and Voltage Regulated power supply on my site. Its
Simple and Ideal for use with breadboard circuits . Build it and than
buy sme breadboards.

http://www3.telus.net/chemelec/Projects/Projects.htm
 
T

Thomas

Jan 1, 1970
0
Thanks everyone, it's good to know that so many people are willing to help!

This Electronics stuff is addictive...
 
Top