19v From A Car Battery

POWERSUPPLY
Vehicle Adapter
for Notebook PCs
19 volts from a car battery
Design by R. Badenhausen
Notebook PCs are great but stray too far from a source of power and
its not long before low-battery warnings start to appear. Mains adapters
come as standard but car adapters are expensive accessories. Good
enough reason to get the soldering iron out!
Designs for switchmode power supplies or

inverters always pose a problem for home
constructors because they usually include
inductive elements, transformers, chokes or
ferrite cores that are difficult to procure. This
36
dc-to-dc converter design uses just

one standard inductor. In the prototype this inductor was part of the
notebooks existing supply lead, here
it is built onto the PCB.
This adapter design is suitable for

notebooks requiring a dc input voltage in the range of 14 V to 19 V. It
can provide a continuous current of
2 A with short duration peaks of
around 2.5 A. The efficiency of the
design is in the order of 60 to 80 %
depending on the output voltage
and current. A big advantage of this
design is its low quiescent current of
only 75 mA (more on this later).
The circuit diagram of the unit is
shown in Figure 1. The operating
principle is relatively simple. A freerunning oscillator is used to drive a
voltage doubler circuit. A voltage
comparator controlling a series pass
transistor regulates the output voltage. The input and output earth is
common to the car earth potential.
The astable multivibrator is
formed by IC1.B. Components C1
and R4 in the feedback path give an
operating frequency of 15 kHz
approximately. D1 and R7 ensure that
the output square wave has a 50:50
mark/space ratio. The type of capacitor used for C1 should have good
stability with a low temperature coefficient (e.g. ceramic). The temperature characteristics of D1 ensure that
the output square wave is maintained at all levels of output load and
Elektor Electronics
11/2001
POWERSUPPLY
F1
+12V
MBR745
4A T
R3
R10
560
C2
220
+12V
BDX53B
D2
C4
T2
2200 16V
470
C5
470
16V
16V
1W
1k5
15kHz
5
6
BD912
6k8
10k
R5
IC1.B
C3
BC337-40
R8
T1
T3
470
63V
IC1
max. 2A5
680
150
3k3
R16
BD912
R4
3k3
+18V
R15
5W
1k5
D4
50H
SFT830D
MBR745
1k5
D1
R7
L1
D3
R11
1N4148
+18V
T4
R6
R1
R14
15k
D5
6V8
BC337-40
5n6
C6
10
R12
3k3
R9
C1
6k8
10k
R2
IC1.A
16V
R13
1k8
12V
T5
R18
820
IC1 = TLC272
R17
D6
680
0
010042 - 11
Figure 1. The adapter circuit diagram.
circuit heating. The square wave output from IC1.B switches T2 and T3
alternately. When T3 is conducting
C3 charges up to 12 V via D2. When
T3 stops conducting and T2 is
switched on the negative end of C3
is suddenly connected to the +12 V
supply. The charge in C3 cannot
change instantly, so when the negative end of C3 steps up by 12 V the
positive end must also step up. The
voltage on the positive end of C3 will
be pumped up to around twice the
supply voltage. In practice, losses in
the diodes and transistors mean that
it will always be slightly less than
twice the supply voltage. Schottky
diodes are used here to reduce the
forward voltage drop. D3 rectifies the
voltage and C4 stores it. Capacitor
C3 must be able to transfer the total
output current so its important to
use a good quality device here.
Choose either the S+M from the
B41010 series (designed for use in
switched mode power supplies) or
the LL from the B41588 series of electrolytic capacitors both from
Siemens. Certainly you cannot
expect the same performance if you
fit a bargain basement no name
capacitor. The output voltage regulation is performed by op-amp IC1.A
11/2001
Elektor Electronics
The voltage at the collector of T4 is

sensed by a potential divider formed
by R14 and R12 and compared in
IC1.A with the reference voltage
formed by R6, R9 and zener diode D4.
The output voltage level is set by the
value of R14 (see Figure 2), 15 k
giving an output of approximately
19 V. The output ripple performance
at full load is shown in Figure 3.
Increasing the value of capacitor
C6 will mean that the reference voltage rises more slowly at switch on,
thereby giving the adapter output
voltage a soft-start characteristic.
The switch on delay is visible from
LED D6.
The graph in Figure 4 shows the
adapter output voltage at different
values of load and input voltage. It
can be seen that low input voltages
are best avoided. The supply from a
cigarette lighter socket is typically
13.2 V at rest and 14.4 V with the
engine running, so at high levels of
load current the output voltage will
only reach 19 V if the car engine is
running.
Fan Assistance
During tests it was established that
with a loading of 2 A it was not only
the three power transistors but also capacitor C3 and Schottky diodes D2 and D3 that
were becoming hand hot after a few minutes
use. Adequate cooling of these devices is
therefore essential. The transistors and Schottky diodes are all packaged in TO220 outlines
so it is relatively simple to mount them on a
heatsink. If you look at the PCB layout in Figure 5, all of these components are mounted
along the edge of the PCB so that they can be
fixed to (but electrically insulated from!) the
metal case. You may notice from the photo of
the prototype that the layout has been modified. Additional heatsinks are also necessary
along the case sides to improve heat dissipation. It may not so easy to find a heatsink
with exactly the right dimensions so its best
to cut two suitable lengths from a standard
extruded heatsink profile and fit them to the
(unpainted) case sides.
The heat produced in the capacitors is a
little more difficult to deal with; you cannot
simply bolt on a heatsink. Ventilation slots
need to be made in the free PCB area beneath
the capacitors to allow air circulation (watch
out for the tracks), and a small fan is mounted
in the case lid for ventilation. The lid has a 30mm flat area suitable for mounting the
25?25?10 mm 12 V fan. It should be centred
over IC1 and slots or holes cut into the lid and
narrow side of the case to allow adequate air
circulation. Modern fans produce very little
noise and at 30 dB(A) this is not much more
37
POWERSUPPLY
21
COMPONENTS LIST
20
output voltage [V]
Resistors:
R1,R2 = 10k
R3 = 560
R4,R11,R12 = 3k3
R5,R7,R8 = 1k5
R6,R9 = 6k8
R10 = 220, 1W
R13 = 1k8
R14 = 15k
R15,R17 = 680
R16 = 150, 5W
R18 = 820
19
18
17
16
15
14
Capacitors:
C1 = 5nF6
C2 = 2200F 16V axial
C3 = 470F 63V axial *
C4,C5 = 470F 16V radial
C6 = 10F 16V
12
10
11
12
13
14
15
R14 [k]
16
010042 - 12
Fi 2. Resistor R14 sets the output voltage.

500
400
300
uAC [mV]
Semiconductors:
D1 = 1N4148
D2,D3 = MBR745
D4 = zener diode 6V8 0.4W
D5 = zener diode 12V 0.4W
D6 = LED, high efficiency
IC1 = TLC272CP
T1,T5 = BC337-40
T2 = BDX53B
T3,T4 = BD912
13
200
100
0
-100
-200
Miscellaneous:
F1 = fuse, 4A, time lag, with PCB mount
holder
L1 = 50H 3A suppressor coil (SFT830D,
Conrad Electronics #534412)
Metal enclosure, size 1196539 mm
2 heatsinks
12V miniature fan (Conrad Electronics
#532614)
-300
-400
-500
010042 - 13
Figure 3. 100 mV output ripple at full load.
20.0
* see text
19.0
than a whisper. A disadvantage of this solution is the current drawn by the fan. It consumes 70 mA thereby jacking-up the quiescent current of the adapter to 145 mA. This
figure is small and once charged there should
be no fear of the adapter draining the car battery overnight.
The circuit diagram does not show the fan
but it should be connected to the PCB
between an earth track and the +12 V input
track after fuse F1.
Fitting components to the PCB (Figure 5)
should not cause any difficulty provided you
are careful and double-check anything you
are unsure of. Inductor L1 is a standard component available from many outlets. To give
it extra rigidity it is a good idea to fix it to the
38
output voltage [V]
18.0
17.0
Ia = 0.5 A
16.0
Ia = 1.0 A
15.0
Ia = 1.5 A
14.0
Ia = 2.0 A
13.0
12.0
11.0
10.0
11.0
11.5
12.0
12.5
13.0
13.5
input voltage [V]
14.0
010042 - 14
Figure 4.The adapter output load characteristics.
PCB with a generous blob of silicon

adhesive after it has been soldered
in place.
Mechanical fixing of the PCB into

the case is more important for
mobile equipment because of the
Elektor Electronics
11/2001
POWERSUPPLY
+
0
H2
H3
R11
R8
R6
T1
R12
R7
C1
D5
R2
R10
D1
R5
R4
R1
IC1
T5
R18
R17
R13
R14
4A/T
F1
R3
D4
C6
R9
D6
T2
R16
T4
R15
D3
010042-1
010042-1
1-240010
ROTKELE )C(
L1
D2
(C) ELEKTOR
T3
C3
C2
C4
C5
H1
(010042-1)
increased risk of accidental knocks

and bumps. Allow adequate spacing
between the tracks running along
the edge of the PCB and the inside of
the case and to be really sure it is a
good idea to fix thin insulating strips
of phenolic resin (Pertinax/Bakelite)
along the inside of the case.
The spacing under the PCB
should be no greater than 5 mm otherwise the tops of the TO220 packages and the inductor will be too
close to the lid.
The input and output cabling can
be attached to the PCB using solder
pins. The cables should have a cross
sectional area in the order of 1.5 mm2
and strain relief grommets should be
fitted to the entrance and exit holes
in the case. It is better to use the
adapter in unfused cigarette lighter
sockets because the fuse gives an
additional voltage drop at the input
to the adapter, better still fit a good
quality accessory socket on the dashboard for connection of the adapter.
H4
Figure 5. The PCB with two small heatsinks (board not available ready-made).
CORRECTIONS&UPDATES
Atmel AVR Micro Programmer
September 2001, p. 52,
010005-1
The acronym AVR should not
have been used in the project title.
The programmer only supports
the 89Cxxxx series which are
derivatives from the generic 8051.
Simple IR Receiver
July/August 2001, p. 86,
014121-1
The circuit diagram is correct.
On the PCB, pin 3 of IC should be
connected to +5 V.
Fuse Failure Indicator

000157-1
An additional diode type 1N4007
or similar has to be inserted
between terminal L1 and the
green LED (D2). The cathode of
the 1N4001 is connected to the
anode of D2.
MIDI-DMX Interface
010003-1
High Voltage Supply

January 2001, p. 62,
000186-1
The transformer materials may
be difficult to obtain from Block.
Alternative types from Farnell
are given below, together with
their order codes.
11/2001
2 off ETD29 half core, # 3056375

1 off ETD29 bobbin, # 178-506
2 off ETD29 steel clip, # 178-507
The program SoftController is

not included on project disk no.
010003-11.
The program is exclusively available from the author, email:
bbouchez@netcourrier.com
Elektor Electronics
Personal Mini Webserver (1)

010036-1
To prevent problems with the
RS232 serial interface, pin 5 on
connectors K3 and K4 has to be
connected to ground. Pins 1 and
3, and pins 2 and 4, of Tr1 have
to be swapped. These errors apply
to the schematic and the PCB.
Infrared Remote Control

for PCs
000170-1
Two decoupling capacitors
between the positive supply line
and ground are missing from the
circuit diagram, C1 = 100 nF
and C2 = 10F, 16V. The PCB and
parts list are correct.
Keyboard/Mouse Switch
014048-1
Simple EEPROM Programmer

014102-1
The PCB layout and parts list are

correct. In the circuit diagram,
the collector of T1 should not be
connected to pin 1 of IC1.
Instead, it is connected to +5 V
via R1. Capacitor C2 is connected between ground and the
junction of R1 and the collector
of T1. The values of R1 and C1
are given in the parts list.
The electrolytic capacitor at the 5

V side of IC2 should be labelled
C4, not C3. The value of C4
should be 47 mF, although
4.7 mF (as stated in the parts
list) will also work.
39

19v From A Car Battery

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POWERSUPPLY

Designs for switchmode power supplies or

dc-to-dc converter design uses just

This adapter design is suitable for

Figure 1. The adapter circuit diagram.

The voltage at the collector of T4 is

output voltage [V]

Fi 2. Resistor R14 sets the output voltage.

Figure 3. 100 mV output ripple at full load.

output voltage [V]

input voltage [V]

Figure 4.The adapter output load characteristics.

PCB with a generous blob of silicon

Mechanical fixing of the PCB into

increased risk of accidental knocks

Fuse Failure Indicator

High Voltage Supply

2 off ETD29 half core, # 3056375

The program SoftController is

Personal Mini Webserver (1)

Infrared Remote Control

Simple EEPROM Programmer

The PCB layout and parts list are

The electrolytic capacitor at the 5

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