Wanting to build a circuit

I have a need to take a nominal 0.9v DC voltage at very low current, and double, or even quadruple it's voltage up to 3.5 or 5 volts. (I know that it pays a penalty in current, but I am not as concerned about that.)

Perhaps simple with bridge rectifiers and zener diodes, but I am asking from those whom are likely to know more about the best way to go about this is.

Should I go for a pre-packaged IC?, (I am not opposed to building my own.)

I might also want to re-purpose this for other solar-based projects that might range from 1-9vDC also at very low amperage.

Can anyone steer me towards a good simple schematic or provide guidance? Again.. I am talking very low current here.. well under 100 mA. (No 4 watt rectifiers needed or anything )

Thanks!

Chris

Hi ChrisHeric, welcome to the forum. I hope you will like it here.

Can you please see if this is what you are asking for since I am not quite sure. Thank you,

please click here

It's really not although thanks for the effort. (That is for some form of wireless synthesized tuner... )

My circuit is going to need to be MUCH simpler, and I have found a few on the net that almost meet the bill. THe problem is that most of them are for AC sources.

This is for a solar project where the output from a panel is DC, and I need more voltage for the application.

Thanks though!

Hi Chris,
What you need is so called 'DC-DC converter',
and you need a kind of conversion circuit that consists of an oscillator
and boost circuit. This is the only way you can get higher DC voltage from low DC input (here 0.9V as you said).
Try the following site where you can get some basic understanding
about its operation, and surf the internet for detailed schematics.
There's a bunch of them.
Just my 2 cents. http://www.powerdesigners.com/InfoWeb/design_center/ articles/DC-DC/converter.shtm

Robert

The simplest way to boost voltage from a solar cell is to use several in series.
You can use zener diodes to lower voltage. They just waste the excess. You can't do that to raise the voltage.
With AC, they do it with a transformer. A transformer is 2 coils with a common iron core. The primary coil makes a magnetic field when the current flows. It is AC, so the field pulsates in and out. Anytime a coil of wire has a magnetic filed moving through it, it makes electricity. So the secondary of the transformer the output, is another coil of wire, but with many more or fewer turns than the primary. The resulting voltage is higher or lower in voltage.
DC-DC converters use this or some other circuit to boost voltage. There are a number of IC s that will boost voltage. The circuits are not that complex. The problem is that most need more than .9V to start with.

Post edited by: KentD, at: 2008/02/23 03:16

If you let me know the end requirement (what do you want to power from this), I may be able to suggest a solution right down to 0.6 V

Hi Watermelon - welcome to the forum, I am happy you joined us I hope ChrisHeric will read this

from what i can remember from electronics school that does not matter weather you appiled a ac or dc on primary winding the secondary will always be a ac sum of something o -whatever.example of this is an standard alternator voltage applied to rotating device the delta wound output is in ac the only reason it has a dc output is the added diodes.so for example it takes eight and half volts input on alternator to make fourteen and one half volts output one hundred amps in dc.i have a wind generator home made from a car alternator on a delta triange their three output points which makes a three phase generator in ac.i have had reading as high as 42 to 46 volt output with diodes removed my rectifiers are in power shack. on one legx3 or three phase. i tried photo cells or solar cells.my personal opinion is they are worthless takes to many of them when my alternator output is much higher in a small package on 50 foot tower in back of the yard.

so at times if i feed primary max 12.6 volts dc to the primary i get 42 to 46 volts in ac at 100 amps.to get a lower output cut in a standard mechanical regular car type and throw a secondary switch i can cut in orginal diodes alternator goes back to a 14.5 volt dc generator charge 36 batteries in. 14.4 volt output in dc. i turn on six power inverters 12.6 input out is 110 volt ac. i have ran this system four days between charges.also have charge car batteries.i have not used all avaible power this unit produces.

Post edited by: hobbist, at: 2008/04/10 18:54