Say how much current is required, high-current means different things to different people.
1
vote
1answer
63 views
What happens when the current fed to a device is higher than the specified value? [duplicate]
I have a solar panel which provides the output of up to 500mA with 6v potential difference. .5A is the maximum current output, and the usual output will be around 300-350mA. Can I use it as a power ...
0
votes
0answers
73 views
Help on a 5000w mercury arc ballast
Not sure where to begin as I don't think I even understand the operation. First I know there's a transformer then I guess there's an inductor on the side of the lamp that acts as a current limiter ...
1
vote
1answer
117 views
how to make thin-traces handle high current [duplicate]
According to The Circuit Calculator my 18 amp traces on 4 oz copper need to be about 160 mils. Only problem is I don't have room for this.
I've seen boards use raised bus bar and also solder bus ...
4
votes
2answers
155 views
Creating a high-current bus on a PCB
I'm planning a custom power-distribution / fuse-board for in-car application, but that requires carrying high currents (50A+ @12v*) on a PCB trace. Since I'd like to keep the board cost, and physical ...
1
vote
2answers
112 views
10A power suply, high frequency
An EL wire consume ~10mA/m, and need a 1800Hz, close to main voltage, sinusoid supply. (The noise is not a matter as the EL wire itself will cut off the frequency >2kHz).
for an installation I would ...
3
votes
2answers
180 views
Is it possible to switch relay above the power spec?
I am planning to use a DC drived SPST reed relay. Below I include the spec for voltage, current and power ratings.
Contact Rating: 200W
Carry Current: 5A
Switching Current: 3A
Switching Voltage: ...
0
votes
3answers
350 views
Circuit with switching MOSFET not working
I have this circuit built (updated to remove short-circuit):
I'm experiencing some weird behavior though that I don't understand.
1. When I close the switch, nothing happens. No current flows ...
0
votes
2answers
236 views
Logistical issue with power transistor and arduino
I have a transistor which will be triggered by an arduino digital pin. When the transistor switch is closed, ~5 A is going to flow from the collector to the emitter. However, I was under the ...
3
votes
2answers
157 views
Protoboard components being used for applications with high current
If I have a few pins of a relay (which is rated for the correct current) that will carry 5A when the relay is triggered, what's the best way to wire this up?
Details: I have a breadboard with a ...
3
votes
3answers
276 views
Getting ~600W of power to 2048 LEDs
Despite my Computer Systems Engineering degree, I haven't played with electronics for over a decade, and I'd like to get back into it.
I have a project idea, and I think I've got all the design leg ...
5
votes
1answer
455 views
Alternatives to breadboards for high-current applications
I've read that solderless breadboards cannot handle more than 1 A of current or so. What kinds of alternatives exist to a solderless breadboard? Would a soldered board make a difference if I want to ...
4
votes
2answers
487 views
is there some sort of paste, grease, spray or similar thing that helps make more contact surface for high-current battery?
I have terminals attached to a battery, which will conduct high-current (40A to 200A), and these are copper plates. As the plates, and battery terminals are not perfectly even (even if they appear ...
3
votes
2answers
555 views
Possible to parallel PC power supplies & increase voltage to 14 VDC?
I'm in need of 14 VDC @ 100 amps. Switching power supplies are available but too costly. I have enough supplies left over from various desktops to assemble such a beast it's just how? This is to power ...
2
votes
3answers
372 views
What is the advantage of using many low-farad capacitors instead of a few high-farad capacitors, when trying to maximize current? [closed]
I am working on a high current application, and I am wondering, which maximizes current (over a short period of time), using a bank of small caps, or using fewer large caps?
1
vote
1answer
139 views
Current rise time. How fast is too fast?
I'm trying to create a suitable response to Pumping a few Amps for a 100usec. The OP wants to create a 5A current pulse for 100us. They want to have a current rise time of 1us at the start of the ...
4
votes
2answers
527 views
Can we remove the neutral wire?
If we have the connection shown below (star connection of the secondary part of a TX), the load per each phase is equivalent (balanced load), then the vector sum of ...
1
vote
2answers
323 views
The path of electrons in AC circuit?
I have a question regarding the AC circuit shown below. If we ignore the voltage drop caused by the long cable, I think the device will work and the circuit can be considered as a closed circuit.
...
2
votes
2answers
778 views
H-bridge ic for high voltage and/or current
I tend to design my circuits around H-bridges, but the problem with making them out of standard mosfets is that I always have to compare the rise times, fall times, threshold voltage, etc of my ...
3
votes
3answers
283 views
Why doesn't a high current transformer get damaged when shorted?
In this video a high-current transformer secondary coil is shorted with numerous thick pieces of metal - pieces of rather thick wire and a knife blade. All those pieces either get red-hot or just ...
0
votes
3answers
331 views
Question concerning n-MOSFET switching
I am wanting for safety a uC to determine a few environmental checks before a device is allowed to be activated, it is a relatively low voltage (2V) however high current (4A) load (powered by a beefy ...
2
votes
4answers
233 views
Are vacuums tubes suitable for switching high current (~30amps) at high frequencies (~K-Mhz)?
I was looking to build a system for high currents (say ~30 amps) and a friend suggested vacuum tubes. In theory, vacuum tubes seemed more robust for high current applications, but after looking ...
0
votes
1answer
178 views
Transmit high current with low voltage on a lightweight system
I have a moving system at 20meters from, say, a base station. The system consumes more or less 200W at 12V. I used until now a battery to power the system. The main drawback is that I have to recharge ...
1
vote
3answers
244 views
Are solenoids/inductors dangerous to have exposed?
An inductor doubtfully will be in a position to be of harm, however a solenoid with 1A+ running through it (and of course a lot of it stored in the magnetic field) can certainly harm the circuit, if ...
2
votes
3answers
948 views
Question regarding use of low voltage high current outputs
I see every day high voltage, high current; high voltage, low current. I rarely see low voltage, high current; why?
I know that I can take a high voltage, high current signal, send it through a ...
1
vote
2answers
651 views
Controlling multiple motor drivers with one Arduino
I have one Arduino and I need to be able to control five to seven 12V motors that each draw about 4 amps.
Would I be able to use four Sabertooth 2X5 Regenerative Motor Drivers for this? Each driver ...
11
votes
4answers
2k views
How to carry high current on PCB
I need to pass high current on some part of my circuit. I used an online PCB track width calculator to see that required track width is about 5mm and minimum clearance is 1mm, which makes it about 7mm ...
12
votes
4answers
2k views
High PCB copper thickness: What are the pitfalls?
We need to carry high currents on a PCB (~30Amps sustained), so we are likely to order our PCBs with high copper thickness. So far we've only used 35 microns in our designs, so 'high thickness' for us ...
2
votes
6answers
701 views
Switch capable of very high current?
I need to design a circuit that can turn a DC motor on and off. The motor is like a winch motor on a truck an can draw high amounts of current, in some cases up to 200Amps. The motor runs at standard ...
