LPS Regulator Board

Version 7 by Stephane Carrez

Description

The power supply regulator is responsible for regulating the voltage of the output power supply. It is composed of two boards, one that integrates the voltage regulator for 2 power supplies and another board that contains the output power transistor and last stage filter.

Output Current Protection

|Output Current Protection

The system has in fact two output current protections. One in the power supply controller board and another one in the voltage regulator board. The first protection has an impact on the voltage reference that drives the regulator board. The second protection is more traditional. A resistor R2 combined with a switch as expained in the Rectifier board are used to measure the output current. The limiting protection consists of the two transistors Q1 and Q2. The PNP transistor Q2 is activated when the current through R2 is above the 1.3V limit. When this happens a current flows in the NPN transistor Q1 which turns it on. This draws all the current from the operational amplifier that drives the output darlington transistor Q3. The output voltage will then be reduced thus switching off Q3 and reducing the output current.

For version 1.7, I added a resistor to the ground on the NPN base transistor Q1. This guarantees that we see some minimal current (above 60uA) from the output collector of Q2. The resistor also eliminates the charges stored in Q1 base.


Output Load

Output Loads
Output Loads
The output load is intended to create a variable resistive charge on the outputs. This charge is used to dump the output capacitors. The variable resistive charge is composed of a small power resistor and a medium power transistor that drives the current on the resistor. The operational amplifier maintains arround the resistor a voltage V2 that represents a fraction of the voltage V1 (0.3125). The input voltage V1 is in the range 0..5V and the voltage V2 is in the range 0..1.56V.


Voltage Regulation

Voltage Regulation
Voltage Regulation
The voltage regulation is made using a comparator which receives a control voltage in the range 0..+5V and a fraction of the output voltage.


Schematics

Positive Voltage Regulator

Positive Voltage Regulator
Positive Voltage Regulator


Positive Output Transistors

Positive Output Transistors
Positive Output Transistors


Connectors

The voltage regulator board is plugged in the power supply output transistor board through a specific connector OUTPUT_DRIVER. The connector provides the reference ground and the output voltage senses but these signals are only provided if the VSENSE connector is not plugged (hardware security measure).

OUTPUT_DRIVER
1VBASE2Output transistor base driverPower supply 2
2IBASE2Load current transistor base driver
3VOUT2Output voltage sense
4IDRAIN2Load drain feedback
5GND
6GND
7VBASE1Output transistor base driverPower supply 1
8IDRAIN1Load drain feedback
9VOUT1Output voltage sense
10IBASE1Load current transistor base driver
VSENSE
1VO1Output voltage sensePower supply 1
1GNDREFGround reference
1VO2Output voltage sensePower supply 2
VCONTROL
1VREF1Reference voltagePower supply 1
2VMEAS1Output voltage measurement
3ILOAD1Output load control
4GNDREFReference ground
5ILOAD2Output load controlPower supply 2
6VMEAS2Output voltage measurement
7VREF2Reference voltage
ALIM
1+24AOP Positive voltage
2NC
3"-5AOP Negative voltage

PCB


Positive Output Transistors

Positive Output PCB Placement
Positive Output PCB Placement
The positive output transistors board is Xmm x Ymm wide with a 70um copper side. It contains the TO3 output transistors and the board is mounted on the heat sink. On the heat sink the TO3 transistors are rotated by 220 degree. The two NPN load transistors are also on the heat sink but not on the board. Their placement is not really good but they will not really be soldered there: cables will be used.


Positive Output PCB
Positive Output PCB
For the auto-layout the following class have been used in Eagle:

Signal classWidthClearanceDrill
GND3mm0.5mm1mm
Supply3mm0.5mm1mm
Signal0.6mm0.5mm0.6mm
Others0.8mm0.5mm0.8mm

For the auto-routing, the clearance was set to 0.3 and 0.4mm. It was increased to 0.5mm which corresponds more or less to the maximum for this board. The GND and other polygons have been drawn at the end because the auto-router fails to route those signals if a polygon exits.


Positive Output PCB Picture
Positive Output PCB Picture


Positive Regulator

Positive Regulator PCB Placement
Positive Regulator PCB Placement
The positive regulator placement board is 81mm x 39mm wide on a single sided 35um board. The connector is used to plug it on the positive output transistor board.


Positive Regulator PCB
Positive Regulator PCB
For the auto-layout the following class have been used in Eagle:

Signal classWidthClearanceDrill
Supply0.8mm0.4mm0.8mm
Signal and others0.4mm0.4mm0.8mm

Positive Regulator PCB Picture
Positive Regulator PCB Picture


Datasheets

Below is a collection of datasheets, white papers and articles related to the parts used in the board.

Resistors

Capacitors

Semiconductors

Others

Changes

{|border="1" width="100%" !colspan="3"|Power Supply Output Transistors |- |1.7 |2007-07-22 |

  • Added a 10K resistor to the ground on the base of Q5 and Q7.
  • Used 0.6mm width for small signals

|- |1.6 |2007-05-07 |

  • Added the ground reference to the OUTPUT_CONNECTOR

|- |1.5 |2007-01-20 |

  • Added the limiting current network

|}

{|border="1" width="100%" !colspan="3"|Voltage Regulator |- |1.4 |2007-05-07 |

  • Added the ground reference to the OUTPUT_CONNECTOR
  • Removed the ground on the ALIM connector

|- |1.3 |2006-12-27 |

  • Calculated the values of each resistor

|}