With this adapter you can power 6 volt (up to 1A) devices, such as recorders, CD players, calculators, radios, battery chargers, etc., from your car battery.

The current adapter is plugged into the vehicle Iighter socket and is small enough to be housed in a very compact plastic box.

Only four components are used. The IC determines the output voltage and should be mounted on a heatsink.

Capacitors are polarized components, so you must observe their position when mounting.The fuse is very important in order to protect the device and car wiring against shorts.

Output varies according to the device you are apblying power to. DC extension cables with plugs to fit the device to be powered should be used.

Take care with the output poIes. Check if your device has a positive or negative poIe in the central terminaL

The schematic diagram of the 12 V to 6 V x 1A converter is shown in figure 1.

 

 

Figure 1 – Diagram for the project
Figure 1 – Diagram for the project

 

 

The principal component is IC1, a 6V voltage regulator that operates with input voltages ranging from 8 to 35 volts.

Components Iayout is shown in Figure 2. AII the components can easily be housed in a plastic box.

 

 

Figure2 – Layout for the project
Figure2 – Layout for the project

 

 

The integrated circuit can be changed to alter the output voltage.You can use a 7809 for 9V x 1A output or a 7805 for 5V x 1A output

lt is very important that no parts of the components used in this circuit touch one another. The IC has short-circuit and thermal protection.

 

6 Volts From 12V Batteries

IC1 - 7806 Integrated circuit

C1 - 1,000 µF, 16 WVDC electrolytic capacitor

C2 - 100 µF, 12 WVDC electrolytic capacitor

F1 - 2A fuse

 

Ideas to Explore

To Iearn more about the device or to get better performance:

Replace the integrated circuit (IC1) with a 7805 or 7809 to get output voltages of 5V and 9V.

Explain the difference between this linear voltage regulator and a switch-mode regulator used in computer power supplies.

This circuit can also be used in nonregulated power supplies to get a regulated 6V x 1A output.

It's possible to get a negative regulated power supply by replacing the 7806 with a 7906 IC. Do a search for information about this change in the project.

 

Science projects and uncommon uses:

You can use this dównconverter to power four AA ceIl-powered circuits from a 12V battery in science experiments.

6V Iamps used as Iight source for microscopes can be powered from the car battery using this down converter. Fieldwork using a microscope can be conducted using this circuit.

 

Note: This circuit is part of the author’s book Fun Projects for the Experimenter Vol1 – TAB Books – 1998 (link para download)

 

 

Datasheets


N° of component