High-performance benchtop power supply offers a low-cost solution

Analog Devices CN0508 75W Single-Outlet Benchtop Power Supply offers a reference design for a low-cost power solution but with performance comparable to high-performance commercial power supplies. The device provides a wide, adjustable output range of 0V to 27.5V and current limiting/constant current operation up to 3A. The power supply highlighted a Raspberry Pi-compatible expansion header, allowing electronic control through a local touchscreen or over a wireless or wired network connection. The output voltage is controlled manually or by software, and a manual current-limit control sets the change from constant voltage to constant current operation.

The device's design employs a hybrid circuit topology of a buck converter pre-regulator and two parallel linear regulators. This topology couples the high-power efficiency of a buck converter and the low output noise, low ripple, and adjustable current limiting of the linear regulators.

No heatsink other than the circuit board itself is needed, in contrast to linear bench supplies in which pass devices (either discrete transistors or integrated circuit regulators) need external heatsinks to adequately dissipate the heat.

The entire solution is low cost, compact, and easily configured for standalone operation or integration into other equipment.