Overview
A super handy switching power supply (buck/drop-down) for solderless breadboards, with jumper-configurable output voltage.
The SwitchTrick is a perfect companion for any electronics tinkerer! It is a super easy to use, breadboard compatible variable power supply. With a wide range of flexibility, it takes 3-17V in, and is adjustable from 0.9-6V out at 1A. The SwitchTrick fits on any breadboard, and can be powered by USB, lithium batteries, or anything using a 5.5mm barrel connector!
Setup
Getting set up with the SwitchTrick is easy. If you’re using a standard breadboard all you need to do is solder the power rails that correspond to your board, install the standoffs and you're ready to go!
Power Rail Headers
The front pattern on the right is typical spacing for a solderless breadboard. If it doesn't fit you can use the back pattern.
*Be sure that the (+) and (-) on the SwitchTrick match up with the (+) and (-) on the breadboard power rails!
Diode Bypass
Most people will not need to populate the diode bypass. If you are concerned about voltage drop on input then use this with the shunt to bypass the input protection diodes.
Enable and Power Good
If you want to do something with power sequencing or power good feedback to a microcontroller then populate. They are designed with proper offset from the power rail to be able to plug into a solderless breadboard.
Layout Overview
1 - Power rail breakouts for all standard sizes
2 - ON/OFF switch with LED for visual feedback
3 - V+ Input
4 - 5.5mm barrel jack connector
5 - USB connector
6 - 2-pin JST connector
7 - GND
8 & 9 - Multiple power output options (9): 1.8V, 2.5V, 3.0V, 3.3V, 3.7V, 4.2V, 5.0V, 6.0V, (8): ADJ
10 - The PG (power good) and EN (enable) pins are broken out
- 1A buck (step-down) converter
- Diode protection on inputs
- Safety precautions such as: under voltage lockout, over current, short circuit ad over temperature
Symbol | Parameter | Typical Value | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
Vin | Input Voltage | 3-17 | V |
Vout | Output Voltage * | 1.0 - 6.0 | V |
Iout | Output Current | 1.0 | A |
EN | Enable ** (Input) | 0 = Disabled 0.6 - Vin = Enabled | V |
PGOOD | Power Good (output) | 0 = Bad Vout = Good | V |
FSW | Switching Frequency | 2.25 | MHz |
* The SwitchTrick may be adjusted down to 0.9V if an on-board resistor is replaced, see“Output Voltage” below.
** This pin has internal connections and must not exceed Vin, for proper use see “Enable” below
This board features safety precautions such as: under voltage lockout, over current, short circuit and over temperature
Basic Use
To begin using the switch trick, select the output voltage you want to use by placing a jumper between the pins. Your input voltage must be greater than your output voltage as it is a drop-down/buck converter.
After the jumper has been connected, connect your desired power supply and turn the SwitchTrick on, you should see a green LED on the breadboard to indicate the power is on!
Other Features
If you don’t see the desired voltage for your project, you can use the ADJ to add a resistor of your choice to the SwitchTrick!
You can connect any voltage to the SwitchTrick through these exposed pads.
If you wish to bypass the diodes on each power input, you can solder jumpers to these pads, but be careful! Don't connect two sources of power at once.
Backstory
The SwitchTrick came about because of a mistake - I was using this voltage converter on a different project and accidentally screwed up the pattern. Before re-spinning that board, I decided to make a quick test board for the voltage converter and new pattern. While doing that, it occurred to me that I could add a few features and turn it into a super handy breadboard supply....and then it became its own project and went through a few tweaks. Now it's a nicely little packaged power supply, with cool colors that make it look like an extension of your breadboard, and lots of features for easy and flexible prototyping!
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