This article teaches how to make 3.3V 3Amp SMPS Circuit which can power many digital circuit or microcontroller.
Also, main good thing of SMPS circuit is it does not make much heat like normal regulator as the normal one get hot and waste energy.
What is a 3.3V 3Amp SMPS Circuit:
3.3V 3A SMPS main job is to keep output voltage same which is 3.3 volts and give max 3 amp current.
Engineers mostly use this type of power supply for sensors, microcontrollers and other small electronic devices needing low voltage and medium current.
Circuit Working:
Parts List:
| Components | Values | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Resistors (All resistors are 1/4 watt unless specified) | 10Ω 1W MFR | 1 |
| 1M 1W MFR | 1 | |
| 680Ω 1W MFR | 1 | |
| 100Ω 1W MFR | 1 | |
| 39Ω | 1 | |
| 3.3k | 1 | |
| 33Ω 1W MFR | 1 | |
| 10k | 1 | |
| 1M | 1 | |
| Capacitors | Electrolytic 33μF / 350V | 1 |
| Electrolytic 1000μF / 10V | 1 | |
| PPC 68nF / 400V | 1 | |
| PPC 2.2nF | 1 | |
| PPC 220pF / 1kV | 1 | |
| Semiconductors | Diode 1N4007 | 1 |
| Schottky Diode BA159 | 1 | |
| Schottky Diode 1N5822 | 1 | |
| Zener Diode 3.9V / 1W | 1 | |
| Transistor MJE13005 | 1 | |
| Optocoupler 4N35 | 1 | |
| IC TL431 | 1 | |
| IC 4N35 | 1 | |
| Ferrite core EE 0.5 cm² | 1 |
First, when transistor turns ON 1M 1W base resistor make it little ON and then 8 turn wire make positive voltage and turn transistor fully ON.
The transistor turns OFF when the 2.2nF capacitor discharges and then the secondary side charges the filter capacitor.
This happen again and again when 2.2nF capacitor charge and transistor turn ON again.
When right voltage come TL431 start working, it uses 3.3k and 10k resistors to control.
To control power to transformer LED inside optocoupler light up and then phototransistor lower the base current of transistor by cutting PWM signal.
The voltage stays very stable, losing only 0.01V even at full load, so I added a 33-ohm resistor to the output to fix the no-load problem and if the voltage goes too high the Zener diode protects devices, providing SCR and other protection methods.
Also, a 10-ohm resistor stops high startup current and a 68nF capacitor reduces EMI noise.
However, if there are changes in circuit design then be careful with 2.2nF capacitor value it changes the working speed.
Also, keep good gap between high voltage and low voltage parts on PCB.
Transformer use EE ferrite core with the size 0.5 cm².
First, wind 40 turns for primary side using 0.2 to 0.3 mm wire and then put 8 layers of tape for insulation.
Next, wind secondary side and use thick wire if only 4 turns needed, then again add 8 layers of tape.
Now wind 8 turns for auxiliary winding and same wire as primary and put one more insulation layer which is not too thick.
After that, wind last 40 turns of primary winding and also add few more layers of tape.
To stop core from saturate leave small air gap using tape between core halves and seal core with glue at the end.
To change output voltage make these changes:
For secondary winding 1 turn = around 1V and add or remove turns for needed voltage, then change 39 ohm resistor by 10 ohm for each 1V change.
Also, keep output voltage stable by adjusting 3.3k resistor and make divider give 2.5V to TL431 input and use Zener diode with voltage little more than needed output.
Diode must handle reverse voltage at least 8 times more than output voltage and then use fast diode if voltage is high.
Furthermore, use capacitor with enough voltage rating.
Formulas:
1.Transformer Turn Ratio (Np/Ns):
This ratio help to set output voltage from input voltage.
Np / Ns = Vp / Vs
where:
- Np is the number of primary turns
- Ns is the number of secondary turns
- Vp is the input in primary voltage
- Vs is the output is secondary voltage
2. Duty Cycle (D):
This is how long transistor stay ON vs OFF.
D = Vout / Vin
where:
- Vout is the output voltage like 3.3V
- Vin is the input voltage like 220V or 120V
3. Output Resistor (R):
This resistor tests or limits the current.
R = Vout / Iout
where:
- Vout is the 3.3V
- Iout is the output current like 3A
Safety Warning:
Finally, switching power supply is not good for beginners, many parts connect to high voltage from mains which is very dangerous.
Next, if circuit design is not right then high voltage can come to output.
Also, big capacitors can keep dangerous voltage even after unplug.
Undertake this project at ones own risk, the writer takes no liability for injury or damage.