Lab Experiments - Performance Evaluation and Testing of LM2596 DC-DC Converter Board

RE: Lab Experiments - Performance Evaluation and Testing of LM2596 DC-DC Converter Board

k.r. — Tue, 26 May 2020 22:44:00 GMT

G'day and Thankyou

a very helpful read

I am only a beginner and managed to get 12V from 18V which was what I wanted

I used your blog to figure how to test for voltage and where

Thanks again

RE: Lab Experiments - Performance Evaluation and Testing of LM2596 DC-DC Converter Board

jc2048 — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 11:56:46 GMT

Interesting so far. It's a good thing to be investigating, given how many people will be trying to use these boards without having the gear to see what's going on or sort out any problems.

Since you asked for comments, here are a few minor things:

Personally, I prefer graphs to tables. I can see what's happening with a line on a graph, whereas with a table I have to think about it and try and draw the line in my mind. [I'm very much a visual thinker, so I'm describing my own limitations here, not criticising your presentation skills.]

"Whenever current flows through a conductor an electric field is created..."

Magnetic field?

RE: Lab Experiments - Performance Evaluation and Testing of LM2596 DC-DC Converter Board

michaelkellett — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 09:16:51 GMT

Nice review - I do this kind of stuff quite often but much appreciate the time you've taken to turn it into a readable blog. I usually stop once the notes in my lab book have reached the point where I know what I need to - it takes a good bit of effort to make it publishable - thanks.

You might find that putting a big capacitor across the output of the bench supply improves the performance of the DUT quite a bit. I've found that powering a switcher from another switcher can cause problems and my MX180TP (probably similar inside to your CPX400S) has cause me bother in this respect.

Your experience of these little Chinese modules is similar to mine - not perfect at all, but surprisingly good for the money. OK for experiments but I wouldn't use one in something I sold.

RE: Lab Experiments - Performance Evaluation and Testing of LM2596 DC-DC Converter Board

dougw — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 01:40:24 GMT

Excellent topic - I use these all the time - nice to see actual performance data. Looking forward to seeing ripple data.

RE: Lab Experiments - Performance Evaluation and Testing of LM2596 DC-DC Converter Board

Jan Cumps — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 19:58:49 GMT

You're not the only one that released the magic smoke when evaluating switchers [View:/resized-image/__size/16x16/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-fd83f228-4882-4c7f-a675-2125ef77f51e/contentimage_5F00_1.png:16:16]. I've zapped two different ICs. Expensive ones [View:/resized-image/__size/16x16/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-fd83f228-4882-4c7f-a675-2125ef77f51e/contentimage_5F00_2.png:16:16]

[View:/resized-image/__size/521x551/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-fd83f228-4882-4c7f-a675-2125ef77f51e/contentimage_5F00_183607.png:521:551]

[View:/resized-image/__size/609x492/__key/commentfiles/f7d226abd59f475c9d224a79e3f0ec07-fd83f228-4882-4c7f-a675-2125ef77f51e/contentimage_5F00_183608.png:609:492]

RE: Lab Experiments - Performance Evaluation and Testing of LM2596 DC-DC Converter Board

DAB — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 19:35:05 GMT

Excellent job Rachael.

Great description of your objectives, test setup, measurement, and data analysis.

Well done.

DAB