General Enginnering Problem Dealing with Voltage Supply

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a problem related to a DC voltage supply connected to a PIC Board, focusing on voltage drop and current cutoff issues. Participants explore potential causes and solutions, including the suitability of the power supply and the board's requirements.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that using a lower voltage (5V) instead of the provided 9V AC adapter may not be appropriate, suggesting that the board might require the higher voltage to function correctly.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of understanding the capacity of the power supply and the demands of the board, indicating that the voltage drop could be due to insufficient voltage to power the circuit.
  • Concerns are raised about the quality of the power supply, with a suggestion to test whether it is unfiltered DC, which could lead to voltage drops under load.
  • A later reply mentions the possibility of a short circuit or a fault in the board, recommending checks on connections and components.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the necessity of using the original AC adapter versus a lower voltage supply, and there is no consensus on whether the issue is due to a short circuit, insufficient voltage, or a faulty board.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the need for more information about the power supply's specifications and the board's requirements to better assess the situation. There are unresolved questions regarding the filtering of the power supply and the board's design.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals working with DC voltage supplies, PIC boards, or those troubleshooting similar electrical issues in experimental or applied settings.

McAfee
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Hello,

So I'm facing some difficulties. I'm using a DC voltage supply and connecting it to a PIC Board. The AC adapter that comes with the board outputs 9V DC. To be safe I'm just using 5V from the DC voltage supply. When I connect it to the board the reading from the voltage supply drops to 4.3 volts and the current cutoffs too. Does this means that there is a short circuit with the board?

Thanks
 
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First, why don't you want to use the AC adapter provided? If the adapter works, why lower the voltage?

It could well be there are regulator inside the board to get 5V and it needs 9V to do that. Current drops off might means that you don't have enough voltage to even turn on the circuit and not drawing current. You don't have enough info for people to judge. But the most important question is why do you want to change something that is designed to work with and work?
 
When I connect it to the board the reading from the voltage supply drops to 4.3 volts and the current cutoffs too.

well you'd need to have an idea what is capacity of the supply, and what is demanded by the board. Capacity of supply will be written on it.

Be aware that some power supplies, especially those meant for charging batteries, provide unfiltered DC and will drop their voltage when loaded. Also they'd be not good for the electronice on your board.
To see if you have one of those, connect it(without the board) to your voltmater and select AC. If you read more than a couple tenths of a volt it is poorly filtered(if at all) so you probably need a different supply.
To verify, select meter to DC and note reading, then unplug supply. If voltage drops immediately it is unfiltered, if it takes a second or two to bleed down then it IS filtered.
So study both your supply and the manual that came with yuor board.
 
Ok Thanks guys. I'm going to try this in the lab room tomorrow and will reply with my results. Once again, Thanks.
 
for reaching out about your issue with the voltage supply and PIC board. It sounds like you may be experiencing a short circuit or some other issue with the board that is causing the voltage to drop and the current to cutoff. I would recommend checking all of your connections and ensuring that there are no loose or damaged components on the board. It is also possible that the board itself may be faulty and may need to be replaced. If the issue persists, I would suggest consulting with an electrical engineer or contacting the manufacturer for further assistance in troubleshooting the problem.
 

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