UNIVERSAL

ABORATORY
OWER
UPPLY
This universal power supply
offers high performance and flexibility
at low cost.

REINHARD METZ

remainder supplies
voltage-setting and TABLE 1-PERFORMANCE
current-limiting func- SUMMARY
tions. The input to to
IC I comes from the Characteristic Capability
output of BR I, which
Number of 2 (fully
is filtered by Cl and C2 supplies .floating)
to about + 60-volts f:

DC. and the input for Voltage range

cu rre n t-se nse com- Current range . •' Q;SA
VHILE NUMEROUS BENCH POWER SUPPLIES parator IC2 comes from BR2, which
iave emerged over the years, few also acts as a negative bias supply for Coarse vs. fine ·t:10
control-ratio ·,
:ombine the performance, flexibility, regulation down to ground. ·
(both current '
md low cost of the version described The purpose of IC I is to maintain
1ere. This article describes a well- the OUT terminal at 1.25- volts DC
' and, voltage) )
'< •

·egulated, modular, lab-grade power
;upply with dual 0-50-volt, 0-5-amp
DC supplies, and a single 5-volt, 3-
1mp DC supply. It uses two identical
:ustom PC boards, one for each 50-
volt supply. There's also a customized
heat sink with space for both PC
boards that minimizes point-to-point
wiring in the SO-volt supplies. How-
ever, because of the modular design,
you can customize the configuration
as needed. See Table I for a perfor-
mance summary.
Circuit description
Figure I is the schematic of the
power supply. The value of the design
lies in the use of ICI, an LM317HVK
adjustable series-pass voltage reg-
ulator, for broad-range performance.
The "HVK" suffix specifies the high-
voltage version of the regulator. The
above the ADJ terminal. The current
drain at the ADJ terminal is very low
(nominally 25 µA) and, as a result,
RIS and Rl6 (the coarse and fine volt-
age adjustments) and R8 form a volt-
age divider, with 1.25 volts appearing
across R8 . The bottom end of R 16
connects to a - 1.3-volt reference
level generated by D7 and D8, letting
the R8-R 15 divider set the output volt-
age all the way down to ground when
RIS+Rl6=0 ohms. In general, the
output voltage is determined by:
(YouT- 1.25 + 1.3)/
(RIS + Rl6) = 1.25/R8.
Thus, the maximum value from
each variable supply board is:
vOUT= ( I . 2 5 I
R8) x (R 15 + Rl6) = 50.18 volts DC.
Using potentiometers RIS and Rl6
Volt~ge regulation ' 0.01% line,
0.1% load
Current limiter 0.5%
NOTE: (a) Theres a current-
, - limiting LED;
(b) Has internal + 5 VDC,
0-3 A supply. ·
to control the voltage, V ouT ranges
from 0-50 volts DC. As current de-
mand increases, the drop across R2
increases, and at about 0 .65 volts
(which corresponds to about 20 mA),
QI and Q2 turn on, becoming the
main current path. Also, R3 and R4
ensure that QI and Q2 share the load
equally. Current limiting is provided
by IC2 . Its noninverting input uses
the output voltage as a reference, and
its inverting input is connected to the
 ,-------------------------------------------------------,
MODULE A ~SOVDC VARIABLE SUPPLY CUARlNT RANGE :
R3 Q1 ,------,_ 1
01!1 MJ4502 I .Y 1

~~,~:-€& cu~~~NT 1~~~ D ~ci~

Tl J
,--,,...=r.,,.,.-;o.-------------;+---,jt..
IREwnLLOWl l
~------.--..>----
~ ' 47~µf
6ovoc

I RI
0111
•••
€~ 02
(TOPVIEW,AS
MOUNTED ON
PRIMARY HEATSINKI
COARSE Cl
lOOpf
t
--r

n
SA
SA•r
s2 :

· .g 42 BR\ ;; ii: ; I::: SK ; II: MJ4502 RIB

,g VAC
L:::;;:'.(R;ED;~';;::;:::;:::::;:::::;:::::;:::::;:::::;::=:::;:::::;:::::;::=:'~~
MB102
L-4.___
Cl
4700µf
_.__._._
C4
lµf
_.
Rl
3311
I~
Q RT 4
IOK
FINE
h 1·

R9
.2!1
500!1
M2
~ •• ~ OUT CURRENT
120:
VAC:
! J (BWE/YELLOWI
' lo
I ~ VllC
11o17
I
I
I
1
~
,..,..
I
Il '----<IC~Hr-.----------~--------H>-<~---+------
- C3
; I::: lOOOµF
IC\
I M317HVK
~ 03
l~~F; "I '. ~ 1N4744A ISVOC
Jl

~ IBWEI I !-..,,.,,,.,,.,,..._,. ~ 0 AUJ

- Z4VOC ~ '. ~ lN~~A lSVOC

I~ 6~REENI ~ _________ -, lNo 1

4148
RS ~ --
l~VAC ~6~ I'll: _l IC2
) IGREENIYELLOWI

I'gJ IRED/YELLOWI
42
11 ~ VAC MODULE B
II +
Jl
~2
1N4148
"'
LEDi
OVERCURRENT
IOICI
C13

1,~75pF 2 ! > 7
C6
.001 3
LF357A

Vc.c-

+
!.__

IREDll O·SOVOC INDICATOR

---,
120:
VACc
J~ IBWEIYEllOWl
~VAC
17
VARIABLE
SUPPLY
(DUPLICATE
OF MODULE Al
LI 0-50
voe
J4
I
I
I 0-SllVDC
~ IBLUEI
J IGREENI .___ _ ___,
g 6.3
~VAC
) IGREEN/YELLOWI
RIO
24K ~ 03 ca ,
~--..~.--<>----l~-11 2N4124

06 ,.,
1N413&A ~
6 evoc
f RU
Jouu
IOµf;;"

r
R16
IK
FINE

!FROM BEHIND!
,--, SI
R12
2.4K ""'
07
1N4148
·-
08
IN4148
... 09
1N4148
1
_...._ L_ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ------------------J J2

!WtllTEI r-------
1
--------------------,
MODULE C FIXED ; SVOC SUPPLY :
IBIACKI I

IWHITEI
1
I
~
I
J
A I

c5
IBl ACK I I BR3 I

: MB102 ~ 0 CIO _ C~I;;,. :

FIG. 1-SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF THE POWER SUPPLY. T1 has two primaries and six
I ~) 22,000µf;; I; 1
1~~1~00~~~~~· on~·uT..._..'"---- ~
LMPI secondaries; the two 120·VAC primaries and 6.3-VAC secondaries are in parallel. Modules
I Fl : \Cl
A and Bare identical; hence, only Module A's parts are called out. Module C is wired point·
bBA : ON SECONDARY - - ~M323K Cll I
I HEATSINK I 0 GN ::I=: 1 r· to-point on the IC3 heatsink.
fl. 'i
I I
~
L __ - -- - ---- - ~-- -----1svoc~.- -______ J
PU J6 J~
 voltage divider created by R6 and cur-
rent-1 i m it potentiometers RIJ and
R14.
QI IC1 02
The drop across R6 is about 1.25 MJ15GZ3 I Ul317HVK I MJ158Z3 I
volts, the reference voltage mentioned
above as being the difference between T T _ --+------1°1---1------<P-
----+-----4---o-----,....L~-o-----t-~-o-
0
~-1 I I
I
the OUT and ADJ terminals of ICI. Cur-
rent from QI and Q2 flows through 23.5 is T --e, --:.,--1-i-~---• --.-+--1---- e-, j -
I I I I
-I

I I I I I
!
I
R9, creating a drop across Rl3 + Rl4. I 8~f-· I 11. t-. I ~i..-: •EDGE OF
Thus, IC2 trips when the drop across 9 6.5L14* 26- _:
14..J 17--J I : ·HEAT
1~
1
r- 25-1 _ I SINK
R9 creates current through Rl3 and I• i
s4•'- - - - + - - - - 1 \ 4 . s 2:r----i
Rl4, causing the voltage at the non-
inverting input to exceed YouT·
That sets the current limit point at: FIG. 2-POWER SUPPLY HEAT SINK LAYOUT. All marked dimensions are in millimeters,
OouTX 0.2)/(Rl3 + Rl4) = 1.25/ all mounting holes are Y4·inch in diameter, all lead holes are :!As-inch in diameter, and add 3
mm to all dimensions with an (*) to align the PC boards.
IOOK; louT=0-5 amps. That corre-
sponds to a range of about 0-5 amps.
At the current limit point. IC2's out-
put goes low, pulling the ADJ lead
down via 02 and lighting LEDi. Ad-
ditional current for DS is provided by
RS. As the ADJ lead is pulled low, the
output follows , until the output cur-
rent drops to a level corresponding to
the setting of RB and Rl4.
Since the output voltage can be
anywhere from 0-50 volts. the power
supply for IC2 must track that range
using DJ. D4, and Q3. Next, 09 en-
sures that the output voltage doesn't
rise when the supply is shut oil while
DIO protects against supply back-
feeding . Finally, Ml monitors voltage
and M2 monitors current. The power FIG. 3-PARTS PLACEMENT DIAGRAM FOR 50-volt supply. Only one primary and the two
supply is modular; each PC board is relevant secondaries of T1 have been depicted, for brevity.
used for one 50-volt supply. and in-
cludes all parts other than those for
the front panel and the 5-volt supply.
Since a dual 50-volt version may be
popular, Tl accomodates two supplies
and the 5-volt supply. and a custom
heat sink for the two PC boards is
available.

Construction
The transformer is mounted on a
6- x 5- x I-inch L-bracket in the cen-
ter of the supply, and the heats inks for
ICI and BRI go on the back of the
transformer bracket. A
6- x 8- x 6- x I I-inch U-shaped cover
of Yi1i-inch aluminum completes the
assembly. Complete all drilling and
preparation before assembly. but in-
stall only the transformer and its
bracket for now. to make wiring easier
for you.
Next, assemble the PC board(s) for
the 50-volt supplies; Fig. 3 shows the
' ..
FIG. 4-PROTOTYPE OF THE POWER SUPPLY. Note the custom PC board heatsink at
parts placement diagram. Install all right, and how S1, F1, LMP1, and R21 are wired.
components except QI. Q2, and ICI.
Check resistor values as you go. and polarities on all the electrolytic capac- stall QI. Q2. and ICI. using mica
mount the heat sink for BR I before itors. Use the alignment holes with insulators, heat sink compound. and
installation. Don't forget to observe 6-32 screws for the PC board(s). In- 6-32 screws . Check for shorts from
 PARTS LIST

All resistors are %-watt, 5%, un- Semiconductors J1, J3, J5-red banana jack
less otherwise indicated. IC1-LM317HVK adjustable, series- J2, J4, J6-black banana jack
R1-5000 ohms, 1-watt pass, high-voltage regulator Miscellaneous: 8-inch wide x 6-inch
R2-33 ohms IC2-LF357A JFET input, 8-pin DIP high x 11-inch deep aluminum case
R3, R4--0.1. 3-watt comparator with 1/e-inch predrilled aluminum
R5--680 ohms IC3--LM323K 5-volt DC regulator in plate as front panel (including holes
R6-115,000 ohms, 1% T0-3 case for handles) and 8- x 11- x 3132-inch
R7-220 ohms D1, ::J2, D7, 08, D9-1N4148 ger- steel plate with a 1-inch lip on the
R8-274 ohms, 1% manium diode bottom, two front -panel-mounted
R9-0.2 ohm, 5-watt D3, D4-1N4744A, 15-volt, 1-watt case handles, 6- x 8- x 3-1/e-inch
R10-24,000 ohms Zener diodce dual-supply main heatsink, heat-
R11-360 ohms D6-1 N4736A., 6.8-volt, 1-watt Zener sink for 5-volt DC regulator with
R12-2400 ohms diode T0-3 case, heat sink for BR1, 3-
R13--100;000-ohm potentiometer D10-FR8028-amp, 100-volt fast-re- wire power cord, knobs, four rubber
R14, R15-10,000-ohm covery silicon rectifier (T0-220 feet, panel-mounted fuse holder
potentiometer package) (for F1 ), two PC-board mounted
R16-1 OOO·ohm potentiometer BR1, BR3--MB102 10-amp, 200-volt fuse clips (for F2), PC board (Digi-
R17-20,000-ohm PC-board· bridge rectifier Key #F040), three T0-3 transistor
mounted potentiometer BR2-DB103 1-amp, 200-volt bridge insulator kits, silicone grease, wire,
R18-500-ohm PC-board-mounted rectifier solder, etc.
potentiometer 01, 02-MJ5023 or ECG68 PN P sil- NOTE: The following parts are
R19-470,000 ohms icon transistor available from A& T LABS, P.O.
R20-5000-ohm PC-board-mounted 03--ECG128 or 2N3700 1 watt gen- Box 4884, Wheaton, IL 60187;
potentiometer eral purpose NPN silicon transistor plated PC board with parts
R21-thermistor in-rush protector LED1-yellow light-emitting diode placement silkscreen, $19.00;
(Keystone KC003L) Oth-er components 600 VA custom dual-supply
Capacitors F1-8-amp fast-blow fuse transformer (T1), $69.00; custom
C1, C2-4700 µF. 100 volts F2-6-amp fast-blow fuse dual-supply main heatsink,
C3-1000 µF, 50 volts, Panasonic T1-600 VA transformer; 120-volt AC $42.00; LM317HVK (IC1), $8.00;
P6272 . primary: two 42-volt, 5-amp sec- MJ15023 (01 and 02), $6.50
C4-1 µF, 63 volts ondaries; two 17-volt, 250-mA sec- each; M1, $18.00. Send check or
C5-10 µF, 50 volts ondaries; and one 7-volt, 3-amp money order, except for COD or-
C6-0.001 µF, ceramic disc secondary ders via UPS in the U.S. If you
C7-100 pF, mica PL1-120-volt AC pilot light don't order T1, add 5% shipping
C8, C9-10 µF, 50 volts M1-50 mA meter (GC Electronics and handling for U.S., and 10%
C10-22,000 µF, 16 volts (Panasonic 20-1110) for Canada. If you order T1, add
P6420) M2-100 µA meter (Jewell 81T) 12% for U.S., and 17% for Cana-
C11, C12-0 1 µF, ceramic disc S1-120-volt, 10-amp DPST switch da; Illinois residents add 6.75%
C13--75 pF S2-SPDT switch sales tax.

with this de s ign. Sensitivity dif

krenccs arc cornrensatcd with PC
board-mounted resistors and potenti
ometers. The values in the parts tis
call for 50 µA /2500 ohms for MI, am
100 µA /700 ohms for M2 . In mos
cases, panel meters require som
face plate disassembly or removal t4
mark them for 50 volts am.15 amps 0(
at full scale . Assuming sensitivitie
of Iv and Rv for MI anJ 11 and R 1 fo
M2 , the resistor values are:
• Rl9 = 25/lv, R20 = 2 x Rv.
• Rl7 = 2X(l0 1 -R 1), lc>r5amp
full -scale.
• Rl8 = 2 x (0.1 /11 - R1), for 0.:
amp full- scale.
• Rl8 = 2 X (0.2/11 - R1). for I am1
FIG. 5-PRIMARY HEAT SINK ASSEMBLY CLOSE UP. You :an see how 01 and IC1 are full-scale .
attached, the silicone grease used tor heat transfe ·, aoo ho":Y the heatsink is attached to
the PC boards. The mica insulators aren't clear y 1·isil: le trc·m this perspective. Proceed with the point-to- poin
wiring from the PC hoard to the fron
)I. Q2 . or ICI to the heatsink . Note conmcctJOns than BR2 . panel. Those wires should all termi
hat BRI and BR3 have diffcrc:nt rin A variety of meters can be used contmued on page 121.
nate in a row on one end of the PC
board. Figure 4 shows the general
chassis layout, and Fig. 5 shows the
juncture between the PC boards and
the custom heatsink close up. Use 16-
gauge or heavier wire for the leads to
Jl-J4, and twisted pairs to Rl3-Rl4
and Rl5-Rl6. If you're including the
5-volt supply, install BR3, CIO, Cll,
and IC3 with the secondary heatsink
using point-to-point wiring. Connect
Tl, wire the primaries, and mount the
primary heatsink and front panel. You
should now be ready to turn on the
supply.

Checkout
Install Fl and F2, apply power, and.
check for + 60 volts DC across CI and
C2. Check for a bias supply of - 25
volts DC across C3. Vary Rl5 and
Rl6, and observe the output voltage
change. When the current limiter is
fully counterclockwise, the output
voltage may be zero, regardless of
adjustments. When current limiting
occurs, LEDi should glow. Short the
supply output and set the current limit
as desired; or calibrate the front pan-
el. Since the supplies are floating,
they can be connected in series or
parallel for greater voltage or current,
as needed. R-E