Simple Bicycle USB Charger Circuit Diagram

This is the Simple Bicycle USB Charger Circuit Diagram.This circuit has been developed to add a USB charging port to a bicycle for charging a mobile phone. The input supply for the circuit is produced by a dynamo (6V, 3W dynamo) in the bicycle. The circuit uses few components, which help in keeping the size, weight and cost of the unit down.


Circuit and working
The circuit is based on LM2596-5.0 (IC1). Its configuration, with minor changes, generally reflects the recommendations included in Texas Instruments’ datasheet of LM2596-5.0. The IC provides all active functions for a step-down (buck) switching regulator, capable of driving a 3A load with excellent line and load regulation.

The output of the regulator is 5V. It operates at a switching frequency of 150kHz, thus allowing smaller-sized filter components than what would be needed with traditional lower-frequency switching regulators. Fig. 1 shows the circuit diagram of the bicycle USB charger.

Fig. 1: Circuit diagram of the bicycle USB charger

 
The alternating voltage generated by the dynamo is converted to DC by a full-wave bridge rectifier comprising Schottky barrier rectifier diodes D1 through D4 and a filtering electrolytic capacitor (C1). The output of the bridge rectifier, which is charged to peak value of AC voltage (nearly 10V), is input to switching regulator LM2596-5.0 to provide a regulated 5V (DC) output, which is suitable for charging mobile devices using the USB connector.

The 5mm LED (LED1) in the circuit indicates output status. Feedback connection FB (pin 4 on IC1) is connected directly to output voltage at electrolytic capacitor C2. As with all switching regulators, C2 should have a low ESR (equivalent series resistance) rating. Besides, 33μH inductor (L1) should be rated for a DC current of at least 1A. The dynamo output is connected to the circuit by switch S1.

Construction and testing
An actual-size, single-side PCB of the bicycle USB charger is shown in Fig. 2 and its component layout in Fig. 3. Assemble the circuit on the PCB in such a way that you can connect the mobile phone through a USB connector.

Fig. 2: Actual-size PCB layout of the bicycle USB charger

Fig. 3: Component layout of the PCB

LM2596 (IC1) is available in a standard TO-220 package as well as in a surface mount TO-263 package. The PCB layout is for TO-220 package. The whole circuit can be easily constructed even on a perforated prototyping board. The USB output is soldered directly in the prototyping board. However, it is very important to observe correct polarity when connecting the USB output socket. After construction and testing, enclose the unit in a suitable ABS/acrylic box.

Sourced By :Streampowers

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Battery-powered Night Lamp Circuit Diagram

This circuit is usable as a Night Lamp when a wall mains socket is not available to plug-in an ever running small neon lamp device. In order to ensure minimum battery consumption, one 1.5V cell is used, and a simple voltage doubler drives a pulsating ultra-bright LED: current drawing is less than 500µA.
An optional Photo resistor will switch-off the circuit in daylight or when room lamps illuminate, allowing further current economy.

This device will run for about 3 months continuously on an ordinary AA sized cell or for around 6 months on an alkaline type cell but, adding the Photo resistor circuitry, running time will be doubled or, very likely, triplicated.

 Battery-powered Night Lamp Circuit diagram

Parts:

R1,R2___________1M   1/4W Resistors
R3_____________47K   1/4W Resistor (optional: see Notes)
R4____________Photo resistor (any type, optional: see Notes)

C1____________100nF  63V Polyester Capacitor
C2____________220µF  25V Electrolytic Capacitor

D1______________LED  Red 10mm. Ultra-bright (see Notes)
D2___________1N5819  40V 1A Schottky-barrier Diode (see Notes)

IC1____________7555 or TS555CN CMos Timer IC

B1_____________1.5V Battery (AA or AAA cell etc.)

Circuit operation:

IC1 generates a square wave at about 4Hz frequency. C2 & D2 form a voltage doubler, necessary to raise the battery voltage to a peak value able to drive the LED.

Notes:

• IC1 must be a CMos type: only these devices can safely operate at 1.5V supply or less.
• If you are not needing Photo resistor operation, omit R3 & R4 and connect pin 4 of IC1 to positive supply.
• Ordinary LEDs can be used, but light intensity will be poor.
• An ordinary 1N4148 type diode can be used instead of the 1N5819 Schottky-barrier type diode, but LED intensity will be reduced due to the higher voltage drop.
• Any Schottky-barrier type diode can be used in place of the 1N5819, e.g. the BAT46, rated @ 100V 150mA.

Source :http://www.ecircuitslab.com

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12 Volt Battery Guardian Circuit Diagram

Don't get caught with a flat battery; this easy-to-build circuit can cut off the power to a 12V fridge or car stereo system if the battery voltages drops below critical level. Electric fridges in vans and 4WDs are a great idea but if you are not careful, they can severely discharge the battery and leave you stranded. Maybe the battery will end up with severe damage as well. The same problem applies if you have a big stereo system and you like to play it without the motor running.

Main features:

• Cuts power to load (eg, fridge) when battery voltage drops below a preset level.
• 10A rating.
• Low power drain.
• Chirping sound during cut-out.
• Flashing LED indication during cut-out.
• Automatically reconnects power when battery recharged.

Operation on 12V is fine when the motor is running and battery charge is maintained but if the fridge is allowed to run for too long when the motor is stopped, it can flatten the battery in a relatively short time. This is where the Battery Guardian comes into play. It monitors the battery voltage and disconnects power to the fridge before the battery becomes too flat to allow the engine to be started again.

Parts layout:



PCB layout:


Circuit diagram:

Source: Silicon Chip 6 May 2002

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Battery Saver Circuit Diagram

A small electronic switch that connects a battery to the equipment for a certain amount of time when a push-button is momentarily pressed. And we have also taken the ambient light level into account; when it is dark you won’t be able to read the display so it is only logical to turn the switch off, even if the time delay hasn’t passed yet. The circuit is quite straightforward. For the actual switch we’re using a well-known MOSFET, the BS170. A MOSFET (T2 in the circuit) used in this configuration doesn’t need a current to make it conduct (just a voltage), which makes the circuit very efficient. When the battery is connected to the battery saver circuit for the first time, capacitor C2 provides the gate of the MOSFET with a positive voltage, which causes T2 to conduct and hence connect the load (on the 9 V output) to the battery (BT1). C2 is slowly charged up via R3 (i.e. the voltage across C2 increases).

Battery Saver Circuit Diagram

This causes the voltage at the gate to drop and eventually it becomes so low that T2 can no longer conduct, removing the supply voltage to the load. In this state the battery saver circuit draws a very small current of about 1 µA. If you now press S1, C2 will discharge and the circuit returns to its initial state, with a new turn-off delay. Resistor R5 is used to limit the discharge current through the switch to an acceptable level. You only need to hold down the switch for a few hundredths of a second to fully discharge C2. In our prototype, connected between a 9 V battery and a load that drew about 5 mA, the output voltage started to drop after about 26 minutes. After 30 minutes the voltage had dropped to 2.4 V. You should use a good quality capacitor for C2 (one that has a very low leakage current), otherwise you could have to wait a very long time before the switch turns off! 

The ambient light level is detected using an LDR (R1). An LDR is a type of light sensor that reduces in resistance when the light level increases. We recommend that you use an FW150, obtainable from e.g. Conrad as part number 183547-89. When there is too little light its resistance increases and potential divider R1/R2 causes transistor T1 to conduct. T1 then charges up C2 very quickly through R4, which limits the current to a safe level. This stops T2 from conducting and the load is turned off. The choice of value for R2 determines how dark it has to be before T1 starts to conduct. The battery saver circuit can be added to devices that use 6 or 9 volt batteries and which don’t draw more than 100 mA. The circuit can be built on a piece of experimenter’s board and should be made as compact as possible so that it can be built into the battery powered device.

Copyright : Elektor Electronics

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Automatic Battery Charger Circuit Diagram

Normally, chargers available in the market do not have any sort of control except for a ro-tary switch that can select different tap-pings on a rheostat, to vary the charging current. This type of control is not adequate because of the irregular fluctuations in the mains supply, rendering the control ineffective.  A simple circuit intended for automatic charging of lead-acid batteries is presented here. It is flexible enough to be used for large capacity inverter batteries. Only the rating of transformer and power transistor needs to be increased.

Circuit diagram :

Automatic Battery Charger Circuit Diagram

 

The circuit has been basically designed for a car battery (about 40 Ah rating), which could be used for lighting two 40W tube lights. The circuit includes Schmitt trigger relay driver,float charger,and battery voltage monitor sections.  The Schmitt trigger is incorporated to avoid relay chattering. It is designed for a window of about 1V. During charging, when the battery voltage increases be-yond 13.64V, the relay cuts off and the float charging section continues to work. When battery voltage goes below 11.66V, the relay is turned on and direct (fast) charging of the battery takes place at around 3A.  In the Schmitt trigger circuit, resistors R1 and R2 are used as a simple voltage divider (divide-by-2) to provide battery voltage sample to the inverting input terminal of IC1. The non-invert-ing input terminal of IC1 is used for reference input derived from the output of IC2 (7806), using the potentiometer arrangement of resistors R3 (18 kilo-ohm) and R4 (1 kilo-ohm). 

LED1 is connected across relay to indicate fast charging mode. Diodes D3 and D6 in the common leads of IC2 and IC3 respectively provide added protecion to the regulators.  The float charging section, comprising regulator 7812, transistors T3 and T4, and few other discrete components, becomes active when the battery volt-age goes above 13.64V (such that the relay RL1 is deenergised). In the energised state of the relay, the emitter and collector of transistor T4 remain shorted, and hence the float charger is ineffective and direct charging of battery takes place. 

The reference terminal of regulator (IC3) is kept at 3.9V using LED2, LED3, and diode D6 in the common lead of IC3 to obtain the required regulated output (15.9V), in excess of its rated output, which is needed for proper operation of the circuit. This output voltage is fed to the base of transistor T3 (BC548), which along with transistor T4 (2N3055) forms a Darlington pair. You get 14.5V output at the emitter of transistor T4, but because of a drop in diode D7 you effectively get 13.8V at the positive terminal of the battery. When Schmitt trigger switches ‘on’ relay RL1, charging is at high current rate (boost mode). The fast charging path, starting from transformer X2, comprises diode D5, N/O contacts of relay RL1, and diode D7. 

The circuit built around IC4 and IC5 is the voltage monitoring section that provides visual display of battery voltage level in bar graph like fashion. Regulator 7805 is used for generating reference voltage. Preset VR1 (20 kilo-ohm) can be used to adjust voltage levels as indicated in the circuit. Here also a pot meter arrangement using resistors R7, R8, and R9 is used as ‘divide by 3’ circuit to sample the battery voltage. When voltage is below 10V, the buzzer sounds to indicate that the safe dis-charge limit has been exceeded.

Author : Yash Deep - Copyright : EFY Mag

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Battery Switch With Low-Dropout Regulator Circuit Diagram

In the form of the LT1579 Linear Technology (www.linear-tech.com) has produced a practical battery switch with an integrated low-dropout regulator. In contrast to previous devices no diodes are required. The circuit is available in a 3.3 V version (LT1579CS8-3.3) and in a 5 V version (LT1579CS8-5), both in SO8 SMD packages. There is also an adjustable version and versions in an SO16 package which offer a greater range of control and drive signals. The main battery, whose terminal voltage must be at least 0.4 V higher than the desired output voltage, is connected to pin IN1. The backup battery is connected to pin IN2. The regulated output OUT can deliver a current of up to 300 mA. The LDO regulator part of the IC includes a pass transistor for the main input voltage IN1 and another for the backup battery on IN2.

Battery Switch With Low-Dropout Regulator Circuit Diagram
 

The IC will switch over to the backup battery when it detects that the pass transistor for the main voltage input is in danger of no longer being able to maintain the required output voltage. The device then smoothly switches over to the backup battery. The open-drain status output BACKUP goes low to indicate when this has occurred. When neither battery is able to maintain the output voltage at the desired level the open-drain output DROPOUT goes low. The LT1579 can operate with input voltages of up to +20 V from the batteries. The regulator output OUT is short-circuit proof. The shutdown input switches off the output; if this feature is not required, the input can simply be left open.

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Car Battery Monitor Circuit Diagram

A close call on the road can really focus your mind on the importance of having a battery monitor in a car. I had been enjoying a pleasant week of travelling around the countryside at a leisurely pace and taking in the beautiful scenery each day. It wasn't until the final day, with the big rush to return home, that I had to drive at night.My home is deep in the country and on the road I was travelling the closest petrol station may be 80km away. I was travelling through an area that is full of open-cut coal mines and large heavily loaded semi-trailers constantly pound the roads, travelling at quite high speeds. It was around 8pm at night and everything was very dark no street lights or house lights anywhere.

Just as I was going up a hill, the lights began to dim and the engine coughed. A large semi-trailer loomed in the rear-vision mirror as I pushed the clutch in and tried to restart. My speed was falling rapidly and my lights were blacked out - I was like a sitting duck in the middle of the road, as the semi-trailer came rapidly bearing down on me. I just managed to pull the car off the road, as the semi-trailer came screaming past, missing me by inches! After calling for assistance from the NRMA, the problem was found to be a fault in the alternator, which was failing to charge the battery. The battery voltage had been falling under the heavy load of the lights and at the worst possible time, there was not sufficient power for the lights or the motor.

Car Battery Monitor Circuit Diagram

 

After the initial shock wore off, I put on my thinking cap to come up with a PIC-based solution to the problem. What was really needed was a display and a buzzer, to get my attention should the voltage fall outside a specified range. So my design criteria was set, a series of LEDs could indicate the voltage and a buzzer would also be used to warn of problems.

Main Features:

• Visual indication of battery voltage
• Audible warning when voltage becomes low
• Screw terminals for easy connection
• Simple and easy to build

Circuit details:

The circuit is based on PIC16F819 18-pin microcontroller which has an analog-to-digital (A/D) input to monitor the battery voltage and outputs capable of driving LEDs directly, to keep the component count down. There are seven LEDs in all, giving a good range of voltage indication. The topmost LED, LED1, comes on for voltages above 14V which will occur when the battery is fully charged. LED2 indicates for voltages between 13.5V and 14V while LED3 indicates between 13V and 13.5V. Normally, one of these LEDs will be on. LED4 covers 12.5V to 13V while LED5 covers 12V to 12.5V. LED6 covers from 11.5V to 12V while LED7 comes on for voltages below 11.5V. These two LEDs are backed up by the piezo chime which beeps for voltages between 11.5V and 12V and becomes more insistent for voltages below 11.5V.

That might seem fairly conservative. After all, most cars will start with no troubles, even though the battery voltage might be a touch below 12V, won't they? Well, no. Some modern cars will happily crank the motor at voltages below 11V but their engine management will not let the motor start unless the voltage is above 11V. So don't think that a modern car will always start reliably. This little battery monitor could easily prevent a very inconvenient failure to start! So let's describe the rest of the circuit. The incoming supply is connected via diode D1 which provides protection against reverse polarity while zener diode ZD1 provides protection from spike voltages.

A standard 7805 3-terminal regulator is then used to provide a stable 5V to the microcontroller. The battery voltage is sensed via a voltage divider using 33kΩ and 100kΩ resistors. This brings the voltage down to within the 0-5V range for the A/D input of the PIC16F819. Port B (RB0 to RB7) of the microcontroller is then used to drive the various LEDs, with current limiting provided via the 330Ω resistor network. RB7, pin 13, drives a switching transistor for the piezo buzzer.

Software:

For the software, the design follows the basic template for a PIC microcontroller. Port A and its ADC (analog-to-digital converter) function are set up while port B functions as the output for the LEDs and buzzer. Once the set-up is complete, a reading will be taken at port RA2, the input for the A/D convertor. This reading is then compared with a series of values to determine the range of the voltage. This is similar to a series of "if" statements in Basic language. If the voltage is found to be within a certain range, the relevant port B pin will be turned on. If the voltage is below 12V, the buzzer will be turned on for a brief period, to signal a low battery condition. As the voltage falls below 11.5V, the frequency of the beeps will increase, to signal increased urgency.

Building it:

All the parts are mounted on a small PC board measuring 46 x 46mm (available from Futurlec). The starting point should be the IC socket for the PIC16F819, as this is easiest to mount while the board is bare. The next item can be the PC terminal block. The resistors and capacitors can then follow. Make sure the electrolytics are inserted with correct polarity.


Make sure that you do not confuse the zener (ZD1) with the diode when you are installing them; the diode is the larger package of the two.

Even more important, don't get the 78L05 3-terminal regulator and the 2N3906 transistor mixed up; they come in identical packages. The 78L05 will be labelled as such while the 2N3906 will be labelled "3906". And make sure you insert them the correct way around. The buzzer must also be installed with the correct polarity. The 330Ω current limiting resistors are all in a 10-pin in-line package. There are four green LEDs, two yellow and one red. They need to be installed in line and with the correct orientation.

Testing:

Before you insert the PIC16F819 microcontroller, do a voltage check. Connect a 12V source and check for the presence of 5V between pins 14 & 5 OF IC1. If 5V is not present, check the polarity of regulator REG1 and the polarity of the diode D1. If these tests are OK, insert the IC and test the unit over a range of voltage between 9V and 15V. Make sure that all LEDs come on in sequence and the piezo buzzer beeps for voltages below 12V. 

Now it is matter of installing the unit in your car. It is preferable to install the unit in a visible position for the driver. However, it should not obscure any other instruments. The unit should be connected to the car's 12V supply after the ignition switch. This will turn the unit off with the other instruments and prevent battery drain while the motor is not running.

Author :Alan Bonnard Copyright : Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd

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Car Battery 12v Charger Circuit Diagram

The usual chargers of battery automotive, are simple and cheap appliances that charge continuously the battery, with a rythm of few amperes, for the time where the appliance is ON. If the holder do not close in time the charger, the battery will overcharge and her electrolytic faculty are lost with evaporation or likely exists destruction of her elements. The charger of circuit exceeds these faults. It checks electronic the situation of charge of battery and it has circuit of control with retroaction, that forces the battery charge with biggest rythm until charge completely.

Circuit diagram:

Car Battery 12v Charger Circuit Diaram 

When charge completely, it turns on one RED led (LD2). The charger has been drawn in order to charge batteries of 12V, ONLY. What should watch it from what it manufactures the circuit, they are the cables that connect the transformer with the circuit and in the continuity the battery, should they are big cross-section, so that heat when it passes from in them the current of charge and also they do not cause fall of voltage at the way of current through them.

Adjustment

After assembling of the circuit, adjust TR1 to null value, power-up and make the following adjustments :-

1. Without connecting the battery check that the 2 LED?s are turned on.
2. Connect a car battery to the circuit and check that LD2 is OFF and a current (normally 2A to 4A) is flowing to the battery.
3. Adjust TR1 until LD2 turns ON and the charge current is cut.
4. Adjust TR1 to null value and charge the battery using the hydrometer technique (if you do not have or do not know how to use a hydrometer, then use a good condition battery and charge).

Carefully adjust TR1 so that LD2 begins to turn ON and the charge current falls to a few hundred milliamps (mA). If TR1 is set correctly then in the next round of charging you will noticed LD2 begin to flicker as the battery is being charged. When battery is completely charged, LD2 turns ON completely.TR1 does not need further adjustment anymore. Q1 is connected in line with the battery and is fired by R3, R4 and LD2. The R2, C1, TR1 and D2 sense the voltage of the battery terminal and activate Q2 when the voltage of the battery terminal exceeds the value predetermined by TR1.

When an uncharged battery is connected, the terminal voltage is low. Under this circumstance, Q2 is turned OFF and Q1 is fired in each half cycle by R3, R4 and LD2. The Q1 functions as a simple rectifier and charges the battery. If the battery terminal voltage is increased above the level that had been fixed by TR1, then Q2 shifts the control of Q1 gate. This deactivates Q1 and cuts off the current supply to the battery and turns LD2 ON indicating that the charge has been completed. Q1 and bridge rectifier GR1 should be mounted on heatsinks to prevent overheating. M1 is a 5A DC ammeter to measure the charge current.

Source :users.otenet.gr

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Battery Juicer Circuit Diagram

More and more electronic devices are portable and run off batteries. It is no surprise, then, that so many flat batteries find their way into the bin and often far too early. When a set of batteries can no longer run some device for example, a flashgun the cells are not necessarily completely discharged. If you put an apparently unserviceable AA-size cell into a radio-controlled clock with an LCD display it will run for months if not years.

 Of course not every partially discharged cell can be put in a clock. The circuit presented here lets you squeeze the last Watt-second out of your batteries, providing a bright ‘night light’ - for free! The circuit features a TBA820M, a cheap audio power amplifier capable of operating from a very low supply voltage. Here it is connected as an astable multivibrator running at a frequency of around 13 kHz. Together with the two diodes and electrolytic capacitor this forms a DC-DC converter which can almost double the voltage from between four and eight series-connected AA-, C- or D-size cells, or from a PP3-style battery.

Circuit diagram:

Battery Juicer Circuit Diagram

The DC-DC converter is followed by a constant current source which drives the LED. This protects the expensive white LED: the voltages obtained from old batteries can vary considerably. With the use of the DC-DC converter and 20 mA constant current source a much greater range of usable input voltages is achieved, particularly helpful at the lower end of the range when old batteries are used. With the constant current source on its own the white LED would not be adequately bright when run from low voltages.

An additional feature is the ‘automatic eye’. The LDR detects when the normal room lighting is switched on or when the room is lit by sunlight: its resistance decreases. This reduces the UBE of the transistor below 0.7 V, the BC337 turns off and deactivates the LED. This prolongs further the life of the old batteries. A further LDR across capacitor C reduces the quiescent current of the circuit to just 4mA (at 4V). Light from the white LED must of course not fall on the LDR, or the current saving function will not work.

Author : W. Zeiller

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Versatile Micropower Battery Protector

Protect your expensive batteries from discharge damage with this mini-sized electronic cutout switch. It uses virtually no power and can be built to suit a wide range of battery voltages.

Main Features

• Disconnects load at preset battery voltage
• Automatically reconnects load when battery recharged
• Ultra-low power consumption (<20ma)
• Miniature size
• 10A maximum rating
• Suitable for use with 4.8-12.5V batteries
• Transient voltage protection (optional)

Suitable for use in...

• Cars, boats & caravans
• Security systems
• Emergency lighting
• Small solar installations
• Camera battery packs
• Many other low-power applications

Picture of the project:

Back in May 2002, we (Silicon Chip) presented the "Battery Guardian", a project designed specifically for protecting 12V car batteries from over-discharge. This unit has proven to be very popular and is still available from kit suppliers. This new design does not supersede the Battery Guardian – at least not when it comes to 12V car batteries. Instead, it’s a more flexible alternative that can be used with a wide range of battery voltages.

Parts layout:

In this new "Micropower Battery Protector", we’ve dispensed with the low-battery warning circuitry and the relatively cheap N-channel MOSFET used in the Battery Guardian in favour of a physically smaller module that steals much less battery power. It costs a little more but can switch lower voltages, allowing it to be used with 6V & 12V lead-acid batteries and 4-cell to 10-cell NiCd and NiMH battery packs.

PCB layout:

Most battery-powered equipment provides no mechanism for disconnecting the batteries when they’re exhausted. Even when the voltage drops too low for normal operation, battery drain usually continues until all available energy is expended. This is particularly true of equipment designed to be powered from alkaline or carbon cells but retro-fitted with rechargeables.

Circuit diagram:

Another example is emergency lighting and security equipment designed to be float-charged from the mains. In an extended blackout period, the batteries can be completely drained and may not recover when the mains power is finally restored.

Source: Silicon Chip 27 July 2004

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Solar Powered SLA Battery Maintenance Circuit Diagram

This circuit was designed to ‘baby-sit’ SLA (sealed lead-acid or ‘gel’) batteries using freely available solar power. SLA batteries suffer from relatively high internal energy loss which is not normally a problem until you go on holidays and disconnect them from their trickle current charger. In some cases, the absence of trickle charging current may cause SLA batteries to go completely flat within a few weeks. The circuit shown here is intended to prevent this from happening. Two 3-volt solar panels, each shunted by a diode to bypass them when no electricity is generated, power a MAX762 step-up voltage converter IC. 

Circuit diagram:

Solar Powered SLA Battery Maintenance Circuit Diagram

The ‘762 is the 15-volt-out version of the perhaps more familiar MAX761 (12 V out) and is used here to boost 6 V to 15 V.C1 and C2 are decoupling capacitors that suppress high and low frequency spurious components produced by the switch-mode regulator IC. Using Schottky diode D3, energy is stored in inductor L1 in the form of a magnetic field. When pin 7 of IC1 is open-circuited by the internal switching signal, the stored energy is diverted to the 15-volt output of the circuit. The V+ (sense) input of the MAX762, pin 8, is used to maintain the output voltage at 15 V. C4 and C5 serve to keep the ripple on the output voltage as small as possible. R1, LED D4 and pushbutton S1 allow you to check the presence of the 15-V output voltage.

D5 and D6 reduce the 15-volts to about 13.6 V which is a frequently quoted nominal standby trickle charging voltage for SLA batteries. This corresponds well with the IC’s maximum, internally limited, output current of about 120 mA. The value of inductor L1 is not critical — 22 µH or 47 µH will also work fine. The coil has to be rated at 1 A though in view of the peak current through it. The switching frequency is about 300 kHz. A suggestion for a practical coil is type M from the WEPD series supplied by Würth (www.we-online.com). Remarkably, Würth supply one-off inductors to individual customers. At the time of writing, it was possible, under certain conditions, to obtain samples, or order small quantities, of the MAX762 IC through the Maxim website at www.maxim-ic.com.

Author : Myo Min

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12V Powered 12V Lead Acid Battery Charger with Indicator

Some of you might wonder why a charger is needed at all, to charge a 12 Volt battery from a 12 Volt source! Well, firstly the "12 Volt" source will typically vary anywhere from 11 Volt to 15 Volt, and then a battery needs a controlled charge current and voltage, which cannot result from connecting it directly to a voltage source. The charger described here is intended for charging small 12 Volt lead acid batteries, such as the gelled or AGM batteries of capacities between about 2 and 10 Ah, using a car's electrical system as power source, regardless of whether the car engine is running or not. I built this charger many years ago, I think I was still in school back then. On request of a reader of my web site, I'm publishing it now, despite being a rather crude circuit.




It works, it is uncritical to build, and uses only easy-to-find parts, so it has something in its favor. The downside is mainly the low efficiency: This charger wastes about as much power as it puts into the battery. The charger consists of two stages: The first is a capacitive voltage doubler, which uses a 555 timer IC driving a pair of transistors connected as emitter followers, which in turn drive the voltage doubler proper. The doubler has power resistors built in, which limit the charging current. The second stage is a voltage regulator, using a 7815 regulator IC. Its output is applied to the battery via a diode, which prevents reverse current and also lowers the voltage a bit.



The resulting charge voltage is about 14.4V, which is fine for charging a gelled or AGM battery to full charge, but is too high as a trickle charger, so don't leave this charger permanently connected to a battery. If you would like to do just that, then add a second diode in series with D3! There is a LED connected as a charge indicator. It will light when the charge current is higher than about 150mA. The maximum charge current will be roughly 400mA. There is an auxiliary output, that provides about 20V at no load (depending on input voltage), and comes down as the load increases. I included this for charging 12V, 4Ah NiCd packs, which require just a limited current but not a limited voltage for charging.



Note that if the charge output is short-circuited, the overcurrent protection of U2 will kick in, but the current is still high enough to damage the diodes, if it lasts. So, don't short the output! If instead you short the auxiliary output, the fuse should blow. I built this charger into a little homemade aluminum sheet enclosure, using dead-bug construction style. Not very tidy, but it works. Note the long leads on the power resistors. They are necessary, because with shorter leads the resistors will unsolder themselves, as they get pretty hot! The transistors and the regulator IC are bolted to the case, which serves as heat sink. The transistors don't heat up very much, but the IC does.

Source: Homo Ludens

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24V 7Ah Lead Acid Battery Charger Schematic

This lead acid battery charger circuit is designed in response to a request from Mr.Devdas .C. His requirement was a circuit to charge two 12V/7AH lead acid batteries in series.Anyway he did not mentioned the no of cells per each 12V battery. The no of cells/battery is also an important parameter and here I designed the circuit assuming each 12V battery containing 6 cells. When two batteries are connected in series, the voltage will add up and the current capacity remains same. So two 12V/7AH batteries connected in series can be considered as a 24V/7AH battery.

24V 7Ah Lead Acid Battery Charger Schematic




The circuit given here is a current limited lead acid battery charger built around the famous variable voltage regulator IC LM 317. The charging current depends on the value of resistor R2 and here it is set to be 700mA. Resistor R3 and POT R4 determines the charging voltage. Transformer T1 steps down the mains voltage and bridge D1 does the job of rectification. C1 is the filter capacitor. Diode D1 prevents the reverse flow of current from the battery when charger is switched OFF or when mains power is not available.

Notes.

1. Assemble the circuit on a good quality PCB.
2. T1 can be a 230V primary, 35V/3A secondary step down transformer.
3. If 3A Bridge is not available, make one using four 1N5003 diodes.
4. LM317 must be fitted with a heat sink.
5. R2 = 0.85 ohm is not a standard value. You can obtain it by combining a 6.2 ohm and 1 ohm resistors in parallel.
6. F1 can be a 2A fuse.
7. To setup the charging voltage, power ON the charger and hook up a voltmeter across the output terminals and adjust R4 to make the voltmeter read 28V. Now the charger is ready and you can connect the batteries.
8. This charger is specifically designed for two 12V/7AH/6 cell lead acid batteries in series OR a 24V/7AH/12 cell lead acid battery.

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12V Car Charger For ASUS Eee Notebook

The ASUS Eee is a fantastic ultra-portable notebook with almost everything required for geeks (and nothing that isn’t). Plus it features fantastic build quality and is very well priced. If you live in New Zealand you can get them from DSE; at the time of writing they are the exclusive supplier. I worked out it’s the same cost as importing one once you include all the duties and tax, plus you get the advantage of a proper NZ-style mains charger. Anyway, being so small I thought it would be nice to be able to carry this around in the car. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a car charger available anywhere at the time so I decided to tackle the problem myself. As a bonus this provides an opportunity for an external high-capacity battery.

Commercial Equivalent:
I thought at this stage it would be worth noting that a commercial car charger is now available for less than it cost me to build this from Expansys and is available in most countries (select your location on their site). It outputs 9.5v from 10-18v in at up to 2.5A. I’d actually recommend it over the design here is it seems to perform better at lower voltages (that one works down to 10V). However I have kept this page up as a reference for those who enjoy tinkering.

Design:
The charger included with the Eee is rated at 9.5v, 2.315A. There isn’t a fixed voltage regulator available for this exact voltage, so the circuit needed to be designed around an adjustable regulator. I decided to design the charger around the LM2576 “Simple Switcher” IC from National Semiconductor. There are tons of ICs like this available, many of which are a bit more efficient, however I selected this one because it is readily available and relatively cheap. It also has a lower drop-out voltage (~2V) than many other chips I looked at which is important when powering the device from a car or 12v SLA battery.

This circuit could have used a standard three pin regulator IC such as the LM317, however most types require an external transistor when handling so much current and not to mention the fact that they are very inefficient; they draw the same amount of current from the input as the load and the difference in power is dissipated as heat. The main problem with using the LM2576 is the fact it needs quite a large inductor due to its somewhat low switching frequency. The inductor I used is made by Pulse Engineering, part number PE92108KNL. I’d prefer a smaller one, however I couldn’t find one capable of supplying the required current that I could purchase in single units. Besides the PE92108KNL is apparently designed specifically to work with the LM257x series.

The circuit also includes a low voltage cut-out based on a 9.1v Zener diode and BC337 transistor that will shut down the regulator if the input voltage is below 11.5V. This prevents unstable operation of the regulator at lower input voltages, and also helps prevent accidental flattening of the supply battery. Substituting this transistor for similar type may affect the cut-out voltage; the Vbe of the transistor should be 1.2v.All of the components used should be pretty readily available in most areas. I got everything from Farnell. Jaycar also sells everything except the inductor. Make sure you specify high temperature, low ESR capacitors as these help result in more stable operation and better efficiency of the charger.

Unfortunately the end result is a charger that is slightly bulkier than I would really like. I attempted to fit this inside an old mobile phone charger case so the whole thing could hang out of the cigarette lighter, however I ran into trouble making the circuit stable enough and dissipating all the heat. Due to the high current involved compared to a mobile phone charger the components are much bulkier so it’s pretty tricky to get all to fit! If I do get it finished I’ll add an update.

Parts List:

• 2x 10k resistor (R1 & R4)
• 2x 22k resistor (R2 & R3)
• 1x 1.5k resistor (R5)
• 1x 120μF 25v electrolytic capacitor (C1)
• 1x 2200μF 16v electrolytic capacitor (C2)
• 1x 1N5822 Schottky diode (or equivalent)
• 1x 9.1v 0.5W Zener diode
• 1x BC337 NPN transistor
• 1x LM2576T-ADJ IC
• 1x 100uH, 3A inductor (e.g. Pulse PE92108KNL)
• 25°C/W or better minature heatsink (e.g. Thermalloy 6073)
• Cigarette lighter plug with 3A fuse and 2.1mm DC plug (e.g. DSE P1692)
• 2.1mm DC chassis mount socket
• 1.7mm x 4.75mm (ID x OD) DC plug and cable
• Small plastic enclosure

Building It:
Make yourself a PCB using the template below (600dpi). I simply laser print (or photocopy) the design onto OHP transparency sheet and then transfer the toner onto a blank PCB using a standard clothes iron. Any missing spots can be touched up with a permanent marker before etching. This is quick, usually results in pretty tidy boards and hardly costs a thing. There is a tutorial on a variation of this method at http://max8888.orcon.net.nz/pcbs.htm.
Install the components on the PCB and triple check the layout before soldering. It is much easier to start with the low profile components such as resistors and diodes, then install the larger components after-wards. Don’t forget the wire link; this is shows as a red line on the layout guide above. Remember to smear a small amount of heatsink compound on the regulator tab before mounting the heatsink.

For a case I used a small plastic enclosure from DSE, part H2840, as it was all the local store had in stock that was remotely suitable. The PCB is designed to fit into this particular case, however any small box should be suitable. If you have a dead laptop charger lying about it might be worth ripping the guts out of that and salvaging the case. If your enclosure is different you may need to modify the design to suit, so I have provided the schematic and PCB design files for download. They were created using Eagle. The Eee uses a standard 1.7mm DC power connector with a positive tip.
Testing:
Connect the circuit to a 12v supply. If you use a car or lead acid battery ensure you have a 3A fuse fitted in line with the circuit before connecting it, just in case. Use your multimeter to check that the circuit outputs about 9.45v with no load. Connect a 12V, 21W lamp (e.g. old brake lamp from a car) or similar load across the output and check that the voltage doesn’t vary much. You should now be able to connect your Eee. The circuit design should be good for up to 2.5A, so there is plenty of margin for the Eee to fully function and charge its own battery off this supply.

 

SLA Battery Carry-bag:
Jaycar have a really cool carry bag with a shoulder strap designed to perfectly fit a 12v 7AH sealed lead acid battery. The bag features a fused cigarette lighter socket and is the perfect compliment to this charger. It works well with the Eee and provides hours of extra use. The shoulder strap means it’s not too bothersome to carry about and the charger circuit itself zips up neatly inside the bag. The under-voltage cut-off means the battery will never run completely flat, and the Eee will simply cut over to its internal battery once the SLA runs out. I got my SLA battery from Rexel as they are much cheaper (approx NZ$18 including GST last time I bought one) and they don’t sit as long on the shelf as many other suppliers.

 

Disclaimer:
This circuit is intended for people who have had experience in constructing electronic projects before. The circuit design and build process are provided simply as a reference for other people to use and I take no responsibility for how they are used. If you proceed with building and/or using this design you do so entirely at your own risk. You are free to use the content on this page as you wish, however I do ask that you include a link or reference back to this page if you distribute or publish any of the content to others. 

Source: Marlborough Wi-Fi

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Simple L200 Charger Circuit Diagram

This circuit came about as the result of an  urgent need for a NiMH battery charger. No  suitable dedicated IC being immediately to  hand, the author pressed an L200 regulator and a 4.7 kΩ NTC thermistor into service.  Those components were enough to form the  basis of a charger with a cut-of f condition  based on cell temperature rise rather than  relying on the more common negative delta-V detection.

Simple L200 Charger Circuit Diagram :



The circuit uses the L200 with the thermistor in the feedback loop. When ‘cold’ the  output volt age of the regulator is about 1.55 V per cell; when ‘warm’, at a cell temperature of about 35 °C to 40 °C, the out-put voltage is about 1.45 V per cell and the  thermistor has a resistance of about 3.3 kΩ.  This temperature sensing is enough to pre-vent the cells from being overcharged. P1  adjusts the charging voltage, and R2 limits  the charge current to 320 mA. The IC is fitted with a small 20 K/W heatsink as it dissipates around 1.2 watts in use.

The charger circuit can be connected permanently to the battery pa ck . Charging  starts when a ‘ wall wart ’ adaptor is connected to the input of the charger. The unregulated 12 V supply used by the author  delivered an open- circuit voltage of 18 V,  dropping to 14 V under load. Even though  the charge voltage is reduced when charging is complete, the cells should not be left  permanently on charge.

The author uses the circuit to charge the battery in a torch. After three years and some 150  charge cycles the cells are showing no signs of losing any capacity.

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9V Automatic Battery NiCd Charger

This automatic NiCd charger for 9V NiCd batteries is using 555 timer properties and is very easy to build. Why is an automatic 9 volts NiCd battery charger? Because you can leave the battery for charging as much as you like: it will be always completely charged and ready for use when is needed. It wont be overcharged and it will not discharge. 

9V Automatic Battery NiCd Charger Circuit Diagram :

With the values presented in the circuit diagram, the battery charger NiCd circuit is suitable for 6V and 9V batteries. 9 volt types with 6 and 7 cells are charging with 20mA; P1 must be adjusted so that the NiCd charger disconnects after 14 hours. Window inferior level is set at 1V below this value with P2.

5V battery type with 4 or 5 cells are charged at 55mA. Again, with P1 adjust the NiCd charger circuit so it disconnects after 14 hours. Window inferior level must be set at 0.8V below this value.

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Battery Isolator Circuit Diagram

This circuit is even simpler and employs a 6V feed from one of the stator connections on the vehicle’s alternator. This is connected to a 6V automotive relay (RLY1) which controls a Continuous Duty Solenoid (RLY2). This solenoid electrically connects or isolates the batteries. When the engine is started and the alternator stator voltage rises, the 6V relay turns on. This turns on the Continuous Duty Solenoid to connect the two batteries in parallel. As long as the engine is running, the vehicle’s alternator will maintain charge in both batteries.

Circuit diagram:

Simple Battery Isolator Circuit Diagram

When the engine is shut down, the alternator stator voltage drops and the Continuous Duty Solenoid switches off, thus isolating the second battery from the vehicle’s electrical system. Provided that camping accessories are only connected to the second battery, the main battery should never discharge. Because the concept is entirely dependent upon the alternator’s stator output voltage, you cannot forget to turn the system on or off as it happens automatically.

 

Copyright: Silicon Chip Electronic

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NiCd Battery Charger Circuit Diagram

The design of the charger is similar to that of many commercially available chargers. The charger consists of a mains adaptor, two resistors and a light-emitting diode (LED). In practical use, this kind of charger is perfectly all right. Resistor R1 serves two functions: it establishes the correct charging current and it drops sufficient voltage to light the diode. This means that the LED lights only when a charging current flows into the battery. The charging current is about 1/4 of the battery capacity, which allows a slight overcharging, and yet the charging cycle is not too long (4–5 hours).

Circuit diagram:

The value of the resistors may be calculated as follows, for which the nominal e.m.f. and the capacity of the battery must be known. Adjust the output of the mains adaptor to 1.17 times the nominal battery voltage plus 3.3 V, which is the potential across R1. Note that the adaptor must be capable of supplying a current of not less than half the battery capacity. The value of R1 in ohms is equal to 3.3 divided by 1/4 of the battery capacity. The value of the resistors for various battery voltages is given in the Table. The battery capacity is taken as 1 Ah.

The rating of R1 should be 5 W. If the battery to be charged has a different capacity, the theoretical value of R1 in the table must be divided by the battery capacity. Its actual value is the nearest one in the E12 series. For instance, if a 6 V battery with a nominal capacity of 600 mAh is to be charged, the value of R1 must be 20/0.6 = 33R.

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Motobike Battery Monitor Circuit Diagram

A circuit for monitoring the status of the battery and generator is undoubtedly a good idea for motorcyclists, as for other motorists. However, not every biker is willing to drill the necessary holes in the cockpit for the usual LED lamps, or to screw on an analogue accessory instrument. The circuit shown here manages to do its job with a single 5-mm LED, which can indicate a total of six different conditions of the onboard electrical system. This is done using a dual LED that can be operated in pulsed or continuous mode (even in daylight). Built on a small piece of prototyping board and fitted in a mini-enclosure, the complete circuit can be tucked inside the headlamp housing or hidden underneath the tank.

The heart of the circuit is IC2, a dual comparator. The comparator circuit is built without using any feedback resistors, with the indication being stabilised by capacitors C4 and C5 instead of hysteresis. Small 10-µF tantalum capacitors work well here; 220-µF ‘standard’ electrolytic capacitors are only necessary with poorly regulated generators. Voltage regulator IC1 provides the reference voltage for IC2 via voltage divider R2/R3. The onboard voltage is compared with the reference voltage via voltage dividers R4 /R5 and R6/R7, which are connected to the inverting and non-inverting comparator sections, respectively.

Using separate dividers allows the threshold levels to be easily modified by adjusting the values of the lower resistors. IC2a drives the anode of the red diode of LED D4 via pull-up resistor R10. The anode of the green diode is driven by IC2b and R11. T2 pulls R11 to ground, thereby diverting the operating current of the green diode of the LED, if the voltage of the electrical system exceeds a threshold level of 15 V (provided by Zener diode D3). The paralleled gate outputs on pins 10 and 11 of IC3 perform a similar task. However, these gates have internal current limiting, so they can only divert a portion of the current from the red diode of the LED.



The amount of current diverted depends on the battery voltage. The two gates are driven by an oscillator built around IC3a, which is enabled via voltage divider R14/R15 and transistor T1 when the battery voltage is sufficiently high. Depending on the state of IC3a, the red diode of the LED blinks or pulses. The circuit is connected to the electrical system via fuse F1 and a low-pass filter formed by L1 and C1. If you cannot obtain a low-resistance choke, a 1-Ω resistor can be used instead. In this case, the values of C3, C4 and C5 should be increased some-what, in order to help stabilise the indication. D1 protects the circuit against negative voltage spikes, as well as offering protection against reverse-polarity connection. Due to its low current consumption (less than 30 mA), the circuit could be connected directly to the battery, but it is better to power it from the switched positive voltage.

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Advanced Linear NiMH/NiCd Fast Battery Charger

This is a simple Batteries charger for NiMH/NiCd.It Requires No Microcontroller or any Firmware.Linear Technology Corporation introduces the LTC4060, an autonomous 1- to 4-cell, 0.4A to 2A linear NiMH and NiCd battery charger. The LTC4060 includes all the functions required for a battery charger circuit, operating without the aid of a microcontroller or firmware. The design is simple and needs only three passive components. The LTC4060 also eliminates the need for a sense resistor and blocking diode, which increases efficiency and lowers the solution cost. This IC is targeted at applications including portable medical equipment, automotive diagnostic systems and industrial/telecom test devices. Link

Features

• Complete Fast Charger Controller for Single, 2-, 3- or 4-Series Cell NiMH/NiCd Batteries
• No Firmware or Microcontroller Required
• Termination by –?V, Maximum Voltage or Maximum Time
• No Sense Resistor or Blocking Diode Required
• Automatic Recharge Keeps Batteries Charged
• Programmable Fast Charge Current: 0.4A to 2A
• Accurate Charge Current: ?5% at 2A
• Fast Charge Current Programmable Beyond 2A with External Sense Resistor
• Automatic Detection of Battery
• Precharge for Heavily Discharged Batteries
• Optional Temperature Qualified Charging
• Charge and AC Present Status Outputs Can Drive LED
• Automatic Sleep Mode with Input Supply Removal
• Negligible Battery Drain in Sleep Mode: <1?A
• Manual Shutdown
• Input Supply Range: 4.5V to 10V 

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