Hi all...
Ive got an unregulated Boss PS-120 power supply that i'm trying to regulate to put out something close to 9V. Should I not be able to do this by just putting a 9.1V zener between the V+ and ground? It seems to be the way that one would do it, but im not getting any results on the breadboard.
Zener diodes as voltage regulators
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Dr Tony Balls
- Diode Debunker
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earthtonesaudio
- Transistor Tuner
A zener reference voltage needs current limiting or it will burn up. Also, all the current you can deliver to the load comes through the current limiting device, not the zener, so you quickly run into the power dissipation vs. current capability choice.
Also, running higher currents through a zener will make it more noisy, so that's another compromise.
Unless you have a specific reason to use a zener, or your current requirements are very low, a 3-terminal voltage regulator is generally preferable.
Also, running higher currents through a zener will make it more noisy, so that's another compromise.
Unless you have a specific reason to use a zener, or your current requirements are very low, a 3-terminal voltage regulator is generally preferable.
rocklander wrote:hairsplitting and semantics aren't exactly the same thing though.. we may need two contests for that.