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Power Supply Project

Submitted by:
Samantha Mead
100530643

Course Code: CAD 1133


Course Name: CAD for Electronics I
Date: April 16, 2014

Submitted to: Professor Bertrand

Abstract
The project outlined in this report was to design a Power Supply Unit (PSU) that has both
a +5V fixed supply and a 0-15V variable supply. This power supply will reduce the
incoming AC voltage to a more manageable voltage, through use of a step-down
transformer, and then will convert this AC current to a filtered and regulated DC current
through the use of a full wave rectifier bridge, filter capacitors and regulators.
Beginning with an initial incomplete schematic, the report explains the function of the
PSU, broken down into smaller areas of the circuit that have been grouped according to
their function in the grander scheme of things. MultiSIM simulation circuits have also
been included to assist in explain the theory behind the operation of the PSU.
The report also outlines the steps that were taken during both the development of the
PCB board using Eagle CAD software as well as the production of the physical PCB that
took place in the PCB lab.
At the end of the report, there is a summary of each of the sections, as well as the
conclusion now that the PSU project has been completed in its entirety.

Acknowledgements
There are a few people that I would like to extend my thanks to for their contribution to
this project. Firstly, thanks to Russell Gray for his help in clarifying various aspects of
this project, including, but not limited to, construction of the PCB on Eagle CAD and
troubleshooting using MultiSIM software. Without his help, I surely would not have a
completed project.
I would also like to express my thanks to Matt Bryan who kept me level headed
throughout the duration of this project, and was able to be my second pair of eyes, often
finding errors or more efficient ways of doing things that I had previously overlooked.
Matt was also a heavy presence when it came time to actually wiring the PSU together in
the correct manner.

Contents
ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................................2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..................................................................................................3
CONTENTS......................................................................................................................4
LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................5
1. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE.................................................................................6
1.2

Introduction......................................................................................................6

1.3

Aims of the Project............................................................................................6

1.4

Layout of Report...............................................................................................6

2. PROJECT SCHEMATIC AND CIRCUIT OPERATION...................................................8


2.1

Schematic Drawing...........................................................................................8

2.2

Operation of the Power Supply.........................................................................9

3. PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD.......................................................................................17


3.1

Eagle CAD Schematic.....................................................................................17

3.2

Printed Circuit Board Layout.........................................................................18

3.3

Printed Circuit Board Production..................................................................21

4. POWER SUPPLY BOX...............................................................................................25


4.1

Box Drawing...................................................................................................25

4.2

Box Production...............................................................................................26

5. FINAL ASSEMBLY AND TESTING.............................................................................28


5.1

Assembly.........................................................................................................28

5.2

Testing and Troubleshooting...........................................................................32

6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS..............................................................33


APPENDIX A SCHEMATIC DRAWING...........................................................................34
APPENDIX B EAGLE SCHEMATIC................................................................................36
APPENDIX C BOARD VIEWS.......................................................................................37
APPENDIX D BOX TEMPLATES....................................................................................39
REFERENCES.................................................................................................................45

List of Figures
Figure 2-1 Initial Schematic ...............................................................................................9
Figure 2-2 AC Circuit........................................................................................................10
Figure 2-3 AC Circuit Schematic......................................................................................10
Figure 2-4 Fixed 5V Power Supply ..................................................................................11
Figure 2-5 AC Peak Values................................................................................................12
Figure 2-6 Rectified DC Voltage (Unfiltered)..................................................................12
Figure 2-7 Filtered Oscilloscope Reading.........................................................................13
Figure 2-8 Fixed 5V Schematic ........................................................................................14
Figure 2-9 0-15V Variable Power Supply..........................................................................15
Figure 2-10 Negative Regulator Circuit...........................................................................16
Figure 3-1 Eagle Schematic View.....................................................................................18
Figure 3-2 Eagle Top of Board View.................................................................................20
Figure 3-3 Eagle Bottom of Board View...........................................................................21
Figure 4-1 Front Face Punching........................................................................................27
Figure 5-1 Front Face of PSU............................................................................................29
Figure 5-2 Rear Face of PSU.............................................................................................31

1. Introduction and Purpose


1.1

The Power Supply Project

The project is to design and build a variable power supply unit. Essentially, the PSU takes a 120
VAC from a wall receptacle and provides a reduced AC voltage and three DC voltages. The PSU
makes use of a transformer, T1, that will show a primary voltage of 115VAC, resulting in a
secondary voltage of 28VAC. As shown in the schematic in Figure, the voltage from the
secondary side of the transformer passes through a full-wave bridge rectifier, converting the AC
voltage to a DC voltage. As stated before, the PSU has a 0-15V variable supply of power as well
as a fixed +5V supply.

1.2

Aims of the Project

The purpose of undertaking this project is to develop and build a working PSU which will have
all of the functions mentioned above. It is therefore the aim of the project to:
(i)

Design a fully functional PCB based on the schematic provided by the professor that

(ii)

can be seen in section 2 using Eagle CAD software.


Using MultiSIM software, design the various stages of the power supply, including
the fixed +5V power supply as well as both the negative and positive rectifier circuits

(iii)

to better understand the theory behind the project.


Create a physical PCB board based off of the board that was designed using Eagle
CAD. If this board is not created correctly, the entire PSU will not function properly,
or perhaps not at all.

1.3

Layout of Report

The report is divided into six sections and contains appendices that contain each of the various
schematics and simulations that were created in over the course of this project. Section 1
contains a brief introduction to the project in a general sense that will be broken down into
specifics later in the report. Section 2 covers the creation of the schematic diagram and explains
how the PSU will operate. Section 3 gives the step by step process through which the PCB was
developed using Eagle CAD software to its physical creation in the PCB lab. Section 4 goes over
the creation of the power supply box, including the box drawings and the punching of the boxes.

Section 5 contains information about the final assembly that must be done to ensure a working
power supply as well as how to test the PSU to ensure it is working as it should be. Finally,
section 6 concludes the work and suggests areas for future investigations.

2. Project Schematic and Circuit


Operation
This section of the report contains information about the schematic drawing, which was the
starting point for the entire project, as well as explains the operation of the power supply in full
detail. It covers the functioning of the circuit and has been organized into subtopics, each its own
functional area.

2.1

Schematic Drawing

Figure 2-1, seen below, shows an incomplete schematic circuit which was the starting point of
the project. This circuit can be first broken into two sections, alternating current (AC), which
consists of the left part of the schematic, from the plug until the transformer, and direct current
(DC), which consists of the rest of the schematic after the AC voltage has been converted and
reduced to a more manageable DC voltage. The circuit that is contained within the printed circuit
board (PCB) can also be broken down into sections based on their functionality. These sections
are the filtered rectifier circuit, fixed 5V regulator circuit, positive variable regulator circuit and
negative variable regulator circuit. The components that are to the right of the dashed lines, and
therefore are not part of the PCB, are the power LED, which will show the state of the device,
whether the power-switch (SW1) is on or off, and the binding posts, mounted to the front face of
the power supply case, and used for the output voltages. As mentioned above, the schematic
diagram is incomplete, with some of the components missing. These components consisting of
capacitors, diodes and various connection points have been added to a completed version of the
schematic in Figure 2-1, and this can be seen in Appendix A.

Figure 2-1: Initial Schematic Diagram

2.2

The Operation of the Power Supply

The operation of the actual power supply has been broken down into the sub topics so that each
area can be understood on its own before being understood in terms of the power supply as a
whole. The areas that will be discussed are the AC circuit, the filtered rectifiers, the fixed 5V
regulator circuit, the positive variable regulator circuit and the negative variable regulator circuit.
Alternating Current (AC)
The AC circuit is the portion of the circuit on the left side of the schematic diagram that is not
contained within the dashed box. Beginning with the plug, which is a three prong type where the
centre prong is the grounding prong, when plugged into a wall receptacle, the circuit receives
120 VAC. The next component in this circuit is the fuse, which is rated at 0.5A. The fuse keeps
the power supply from incurring any damage by preventing excessive currents from flowing
through the components. The rating means that the maximum amount of power that can be
supplied by the device will be the product of the maximum current and the voltage applied, in

this case 120 VAC. In the case of this power supply, maximum power = 120V X 0.5A = 60
Watts. This section of the circuit can be seen in the figure below as simulated using MultiSIM.

Figure 2-2: AC circuit


The AC circuit can also be seen in the extraction from the schematic diagram that can be seen
below.

Figure 2-3: AC circuit Schematic

Power Rectification
In this power circuit, the power rectification section takes the form of a two full wave bridge
rectifiers, as well as two diodes that go to the centre tap of the transformer. This is the part of the
circuit that rectifies and filters the AC current coming from the transformer into DC current. The
diodes contained in this rectifier, D1-D4 are PN-junction diodes and the fact that they can only
conduct in one direction is what makes it possible to change from AC current to DC. The AC
comes from the transformer and is delivered to the PCB at terminals T1, T2 and T3, where T2 is
connected to the centre tap of the transformer. The capacitors, C1 and C2 are added to filter the
pulsating DC power that is coming out of the diode bridge. This can be seen when viewing the
waveform on the oscilloscope display screen of Figure 2-5, as it changes from clearly
identifiable humps to what is almost a straight line with some slight ripples. The output voltage
of a filtered rectifier is equivalent to the peak AC voltage, which can be found by dividing by
0.707. The rectifier circuit can be seen in the figure below as simulated using MultiSIM, and the
effects of the capacitor can be seen in the oscilloscope displays that have been included from
Figures 2-5 to 2-7.
XSC1
Ext Trig
+
_
B

XMM1

XMM2

XMM5
U1
LM7805CT
LINE
VOLTAGE

XMM6

VREG

COMMON

S2
Key = Space
F1
0.5 A
120 Vrms
60 Hz
0
V1

R1

S1
XMM4
D1
1N4007GP

Key = Space

T1

D2
1N4007GP

100
5%
Key=A
C1
2.2mF

4.1

XSC2

Figure 2-4:

Ext Trig
+
_
B

5V Power Supply

Fixed

Figure 2-5:

AC Peak

Values

Figure 2-6: Rectified DC Voltage (Unfiltered)

Figure 2-

7:

Filtered
Oscilloscope Reading
Fixed 5V Power Supply
The components that are included in this function are the 7805 regulator, capacitor C5 and the
reverse biased diode, D10. These components work together to product a desired output voltage,
relative to the common pin, regardless of what happens to the load. The diode, in particular, is
included as a protective device to provide protection for the power supply output and the load,
often referred to as a clipper. The voltage regulators are linear regulators, meaning that they
are able to constantly maintain their voltage output at the specified voltage, in this case +5V,
which is aided by the capacitor.
The LED appears on the schematic in parallel with the load that is present at the output of the
regulator, and therefore, it will be included in this section. The LED is not part of the PCB, but
rather is installed on the front face of the power supply to show when the power is on. The LED
is connected in series with resistor R8 between the output of the 7805 regulator and the common.
When there is power on in the power supply, there is 5 volts at the top of R5, meaning current
flows through the resistor, onto the LED and finally to the common. The resistor acts as a current
limiting device, without which it would not be possible to produce the required 5 volts at the

output of the regulator. If there was no resistor, rather, just the LED, then the potential drop
across it would be fixed, much as it is for all forward biased diodes. In the case of the LED, the
drop would be approximately 1.4V, and because the cathode is connected to the common, the rise
in voltage would be connected to the output, meaning the regulator would be +1.4V.

Figure 2-8: Fixed 5V Schematic

0-15V Variable Power Supply


Much like the 7805 regulator, this area of the circuit produces a positive regulated output, but
rather than a fixed +5V, the voltage is variable between 0 and 15V. The components that
contribute to this particular function of the power supply include the LM317 regulator, diodes
D6-D8, resistors R2-R4 and capacitor C3. The output voltage of the regulator is approximately
proportional to the ratio of resistances R3 and R2, meaning the larger R3 is in comparison to R2,
the larger the output will be. This is why R3 is included as a potentiometer, so that the ratio of
resistance can be changed, and therefore the voltage output of the regulator can be changed.
Keep in mind that the regulator produces 1.25V more at the output than at the adjust terminal.
What this means is, that is the adjust pin was connected directly to common, the output voltage
would be 0 + 1.25V, however, this would mean that it would not be possible to achieve a zero
voltage at the output of the regulator. R3 is connected to the series circuit consisting of D6, D7
and R4 so that an output of zero volts can be achieved. This series circuit would forward bias the
diodes, meaning a voltage drop of -1.4V would be present at the cathode of D7. If R3 is
connected at the cathode of D7 instead of at common, the minimum output of the regulator when
R3 is set to 0 will be -1.4 + 1.2 = -0.2V. The positive variable power supply can be seen in Figure
2-7.

XSC1
Ext Trig
+

ALL COMPONENTS INSIDE DASHED BOX ARE MOUNTED ON THE PCB

_
B

XMM1

XMM2

XMM5

XMM6
U1
LM117HVH
Vin

Vout
ADJ

S2
Key = Space

XMM3
F1
0.5 A

S1
XMM4

V1

C3
10F

D2

T1

4.1
1N4007GP
D3

D8

C1
2.2mF

1N4007GP
120 Vrms
60 Hz
0

Load1
1N4007GP

1N4007GP
D1

Key = Space

R2
120

D4

1N4007GP

D6
1N4007GP
C2
2.2mF
D7
1N4007GP

R4
1k

Figure 2-9: 0-15V Variable Power Supply


R3
2k
70%
Key=A

- (0-15) V Tracking Power Supply


The negative half of the power supply, including the LM337 regulator, the op amp U1741,
resistors R1 and R5-R7, diodes D5 and D9 and capacitor C4, can be seen in Figure 2-8. This
circuit works essentially in the same way as the positive regulated circuit in that the output is
always 1.25V greater than whatever the regulator sense at the Adj. terminal, as was described in
the section above. The reason that this circuit has more components than the positive regulator is
because the negative circuit automatically tracks the output of the positive regulator and thus,
ensures that the output of the negative regulator is inversely proportional, hence, why this is
called a tracking power supply. The capacitor C4 and diode D9 work the same in the negative
regulator circuit as they do in the positive regulator, and resistor R7 works the same as resistor
R2, allowing the regulator to compare the voltages at the output and the adjust terminals. The op
amp, along with resistor R1, R5-R6, and the zener diode D5 serve the purpose of producing the
correct voltage at the adjust terminal of the LM337 regulator.
The voltage that can be measured at the adjustable terminal is the same as the voltage that is
produced at the output of the op amp, which can only exist in the range of voltages that are

100
100%
Key=A

present at the two power supplies. The voltage at pin 4, the negative pin, will be the same as the
input to the LM337 regulator, and the voltage at pin 7, the positive pin, will be the same as that
found at the cathode end of the zener diode D5. If properly installed, the zener diode will
produce a nominal voltage of approximately 5V, meaning the voltages available for the output of
the op amp is between 20V and 5V. For this particular PSU, the op amp is used as a comparator,
meaning that the input at pins 2 and 3 are being compared, and any changes here can be seen
reflected in the output.
Because the voltage at pin 2 of the op amp is the same as where resistors R5 and R6 are
connected, a voltage divider is formed between these two resistances which are of the same
value. Considering the voltage divider, the voltage will be half of the potential difference
between the voltages seen at the top of R5 and the bottom of R6. It is only by changing the
setting at R3, increasing the output voltage of the LM317, that the potential difference between
the resistors will become greater than 0V.
XSC1
Ext Trig
+

ALL COMPONENTS INSIDE DASHED BOX ARE MOUNTED ON THE PCB

_
B

XMM1

XMM2

XMM5

XMM6
U1
LM117HVH
Vin

Vout
ADJ

S2
Key = Space

XMM3
S1

F1

XMM4

0.5 A

V1

C3
10F

D2
C1
2.2mF

1N4007GP
120 Vrms
60 Hz
0

T1

4.1
1N4007GP
D3

1N4007GP

D4

D6
1N4007GP
C2
2.2mF
D7
1N4007GP

R4
1k

Figure 2-10: Negative Regulator Circuit

3. Printed Circuit Board

Load1
1N4007GP

1N4007GP
D1

Key = Space

R2
120

R3
2k
70%
Key=A

D8

100
100%
Key=A

This section covers the development and creation of the PCB board that can be seen on the
schematic in section 1 of this report. It begins with the transferring and completion of the
schematic circuit in Eagle CAD, which was then transferred to a board view to place the
components and route the wires until the final layout could be achieved. Finally, this board view
was printed out and taken to the PCB lab for the actual development of the physical circuit board
that will be used for the final project.

3.1

Eagle CAD Schematic

The initial schematic that has been mentioned several times previously throughout this report
was recreated using Eagle CAD software, being done in a step by step process, beginning with
the half rectifier circuit, with components being added until the final schematic seen below was
achieved. The components that were used in this schematic came from a custom library that was
created specifically for the PSU and is located in the CAD folder on the computers dump drive.
It was important to verify that this schematic matched the initial one provided exactly, both in
layout and in the way that the components were oriented. Each of the components has a specific
schematic symbol that corresponds to it and that can be seen in the schematic diagram, as well as
a footprint, which can be seen in the top board view in Figure 3-2. This means that the step that
was completing the schematic was done accurately, because if any of the components were
oriented with the wrong polarity, or were not connected in the correct way, the final PCB would
not function properly, and would therefore require corrections. By using the Show function on
Eagle CAD, one could easily see where each of the components were connected, and using this
feature, could troubleshoot any faulty connections or possible shorts. The final schematic that
was used to create the board view in Eagle CAD can be seen below in Figure 3-1. When the
board view is created in Eagle CAD, the components are not immediately placed in the same
position that they are found out when the schematic was made, but rather, they are placed outside
of box representing the dimensions of the final PCB, which they can then be rotated and dragged
into. The significance of the schematic is that any connections that were present will still exist
when the board view is created.

Figure

3-1:
Eagle Schematic View

3.2

Printed Circuit Board Layout

Once the schematic that has been created in Eagle CAD is transferred into a board view through
the use of CAM processing, it is time to place each of the components onto the board itself. Prior
to moving any of the components, a heat sink is added to the top right corner of the board using
the Frame command. This is where each of the three regulator required to make the circuit
function will be mounted, so that they will not overheat, which could lead to a short in the board,
causing the PSU to function improperly. Once the heat sink is added and the three regulators
placed on top of it with their leads overhanging the edge of the heat sink, vias, which are
essentially drill holes that will be used to mount the heat sink to the PCB, could be added to the

right end of each of the regulators, as these holes will be where the heat sink is mounted to the
PCB. The location and overhanging of this heat sink can be seen in Figure 3-2.
The components can now be placed on the board, not in any particular position, but just as a
starting point. Once all the components are present on the board, using the Show and Info
commands, all air wires that are connected to the common are hidden to allow for a clearer view
of which components were connected to others. Following the schematic, the components are
placed generally according to their function, grouped with other components that were part of the
same function. It is important to remember that when placing components, there must be a
clearance around them to allow for traces to be successfully routed without any possibility for
shorts within the circuit.
Once all the components are placed where they will eventually be mounted on the PCB, the
routing can begin. Because airwaves were hidden earlier on, the only wire connections showing
are those that are connected to other components, meaning that any ground connection wires are
hidden, but this can be fixed later. Much like when placing the components, when routing traces,
there must be approximately 5mm of clearance from the outside edge of the board, and a
clearance of 2mm between traces and pads of other components. This step proved to be the most
difficult as there were so many traces that could not be routed without crossing over already
existing traces. This is when jumpers were used. Going only horizontally or vertically, jumpers
are created to, as their name suggests, jump across other traces so that they do not short. When
the physical board is created and all the components are mounted, wires will act as the jumpers.
Once all the traces have been routed, and all the jumpers added in, it is time to create the copper
pour, which has a clearance set to 1mm around the traces. Using the Polygon command in
Eagle CAD, a rectangle is drawn around the perimeter of the board, then the Ratsnest command
is used, filling the area that was just drawn with copper. Using the Name command, the
polygon name had to be changed to GND. This may seem like an insignificant step during this
process, but recalling the ground connections that disappeared earlier, this step proves to be one
of the most important. Going back to the original schematic diagram, and using the show
command, the common of the circuit was found, and a ground was added to this wire. Returning
to the board view, one can see that there are small crosses within some of the pads that are not on
traces, signifying that they are ground connections and are grounded to the rest of the copper
pour.

Once the board looks complete, it is important to undergo a board verification. With both the
schematic and board windows open, the show command was selected, and the common signal
was chosen. All the wires that connected each of the components that are connected by this
signal become highlighted, and by counting the number of components connected to this signal
within the schematic view, and then counting the soldering pads that were highlighted in the
board view, one could verify that all the proper connections have been made. It is also important
during this step to ensure that the board has no isolated copper pools that would mean a
component was not grounded to the rest of the circuit.
The final step in creating the board within Eagle CAD consists of using a verification tool
included in the software known as the Design Rule Check (DRC). This essentially checks that
there is no overlap of any traces or components, and that there is enough clearance around them
to ensure that there is no chance of a short occurring. Once this is completed and any error
messages have either been resolved or approved, such as the case of text overlapping the
components, the initials of the board designer are added to the top right corner of the board, in
this case an SM. When the PCB is developed in the lab, these initials will be etched into the
board along with all of the traces.

Figure 3-2: Eagle Top of Board View

Figure 3-3:

Eagle Bottom

of Board

3.3

Printed Circuit Board Production

Step 1: Image Transfer to PCB from Digital Negative


Once the board has been completed using Eagle CAD, the bottom of the board must be CAM
processed into a Postscript (.ps) file that can be viewed with the Ghostview utility. This was
printed onto a transparency sheet, or digital negative, to be taken to the PCB lab. The digital
negative has been printed onto a sticky type of transparency which was stuck onto the photosense side of the board to ensure that it did not shift during its time in the UV machine. Before
sticking the negative to the board, the clear plastic protective film must be removed from the side
of the board that has the photo-sense layer.
Once the negative was stuck down to the board, it was flipped over onto the centre of the glass
surface of the UV machine where UV light shone through the negative, hardening the photosense material onto the PCB. These areas are where the copper will remain in the end. Anywhere
that the light does not shine through, i.e. the area around the traces, the photo-sense remains soft,
and will later be removed in the developer machine. While the UV machine is on and processing
the board, it is important to not look into the light that shines through the holes as this can
damage your eyes. Once the UV lamp switches off, the board can be removed from the machine,
and the transparency can be carefully removed from the PCB.

Step 2: Photo Developer Machine


The developer machine contains a chemical that will wash away any of the photo-sense material
that was not exposed to the UV light, and is therefore still soft. This is why it was important to
try and keep as much of the copper intact on the board as possible, as this means that the board
does not have to spend as long in the developer. Before doing anything with the developer
machine, it is important that gloves are worn to ensure that none of the chemical makes contact
with any skin. After removing the rack from the rinse section that can be found on the left side of
the tank, the PCB is clamped into the rack with the copper side of the board on the same side of
the rack as the nuts. After tightening the nuts and making sure that the PCB is secure, remove the
lid that is covering the right side of the tank and carefully insert the rack into the developer
machine, ensuring that it sits within the cradles near the left wall, replacing the lid before
continuing on. Turn on the sprayer by pressing the U button located on the front panel, this
should turn the pump on for 90 seconds, allowing chemical to be sprayed all over the board. If
there is still some of the film left on the copper, the board can be sprayed for an additional 30
seconds at a time until all of the copper has been exposed. Once all of the copper is exposed from
the film, the rack can be moved to the rinsing section of the tank, where water will be sprayed on
the PCB. To ensure the board is rinsed thoroughly, one should constantly move the rack up and
down several times through the spray so that it comes in contact with all parts of the boardg.
Following the rinse cycle, remove the PCB from the rack and place the rack back into the rinse
tank, moving onto step 3 to remove the exposed copper from the board.
Step 3: Etchant Tank
At this stage, the majority of the board should be copper, with only the traces still covered with
the cured photo-resist material. The etchant will remove any copper from the board where there
is no trace, donut or ground pour. This tank works the same way that the photo developer
machine worked, except that this machine will now remove copper. As before, the rack is
removed from the rinse section of the tank and the PCB is secured onto it. Removing the cover
from the right hand side of the tank and the rack is lowered into the tank and is rested between
the two cradles before replacing the cover. Once again, the U button on the display panel is
pressed, turning on the spray for the pre-set 90 seconds. Once again, if after the 90 seconds any

copper remains where it should not, the board can be sprayed for an additional 30 seconds at a
time. Once all of the copper is gone, the board can be rinsed of etchant in the rinse tank, once
again, moving the rack and board up and down through the water spray to ensure that all the
chemical is removed. The PCB can be removed from the rack and moved to the stripper step of
the process where the hardened photo-sense material will be removed from the board.
Step 4: Removal of Photo-Resist From Traces
By the time this stage is reached, only the traces, donuts and ground plane should still be covered
with the cured photo-resist material. At this point, the PCB can be placed inside a tray containing
stripper chemical with the traces facing up. While gently sloshing the chemical back and forth in
the tray, the photo-resist will begin to lift from the surface of the copper. Continue to do this until
all of the photo-resist has been removed, at which point, the board can be removed from the tray,
and rinsed thoroughly with water. Once the board has been dried off, check the board for any
copper that may have been left behind that could cause a shortage. These bits of copper can be
scratched off the board using a blade.
Step 5: Drilling Holes in PCB and Heat Sink
On the other side of the lab, three drill presses have been setup such that there is a different press
for each of the three hole sizes required on the board. The 3/64 press will be used for the
majority of the holes on the board as this is the size of the donuts for the component leads. The
Op Amp is the only component that does not use the first press mentioned, rather, it uses a 1/32
to drill the eight holes for its pads. The final drill press is a 5/32, used for the holes in the donuts
at the regulator heat sinks as well as being used to drill the holes in the heat sink itself.
Step 6: Trimming Board to Final Size
Once all of the holes have been drilled in the board, it can be taken to the trimmer. Placing the
board near the fulcrum of the shear, with the part that will be discard hanging over the edge, line
up the shear with the edge of the copper pour, leaving a small amount of clearance. Once the
shear is lined up with the board, bring the handle slowly down to cut away the excess part of the
board, repeating this process on all four sides. A copy of the ghostview that was designed using

Eagle CAD should now be glued to the board to indicate where each of the components will be
soldered to the board.

4. Power Supply Box


This section of the report will provide an overview of the production of the physical casing or
box that will contain the PCB and the transformer. First, it will describe the templates that were
used to punch the holes in the box, which can be seen in Appendix D, and then it will explain the
actual punching of the holes, and then the placement of specific components.

4.1

Box Drawing

There are a total of six sheets that make up the templates for the punching of the PSU case, each
of which will be described in detail and can be seen in Appendix D. These templates were
created by D. Grenier to ensure that each of the components is not only in the correct location,
but is also punched in the correct size to fit the component. As a special note, it is important
when using these templates that they are printed at a scale of 1:1. This will ensure that they
correctly fit the box, and the front face sticker will fit over the holes.
The first sheet shows the multiple views of the power supply case, including size and location
information for the holes in the front, bottom, and rear faces of the case. It also includes a
Device Identification Chart which indicates which of the components is to be placed within
each hole. It is this sheet that contains each of the measurements between the hole locations and
the edges of the case, which is important in determining if the template was printed at the correct
scale. From here, the templates for each individual face can be printed for use when punching out
the box.
The second sheet contains a template for the front face of the case, which should also match the
label sticker that was supplied with the kit. This is the point at which it will be most clear if the
template were printed at the correct scale, meaning that if the holes in the label do not match up
with the holes that were punched in the case, then the scale was most likely incorrect. The front
face contains holes for each of the seven binding posts, as well as for the potentiometer, the panel
meter, the power switch and the power indication LED. As mentioned before, this template will
correspond with the PSU front face text sheet, both of which are located in Appendix D of this
report.
The third and fourth sheets are templates for the bottom and rear of the case. The bottom
template contains two drill holes where the transformer will be mounted to the base of the box,

and the rear template has the holes that the heat sink will be mounted to, as well as the holes for
the fuse and the power chord.
The sixth sheet is not a template, but rather contains the bill of Materials (BOM) that lists all of
the parts that are required for the assembly of the box.
Prior to going to the lab to punch and drill the PSU box, each of the templates mentioned above
must be cut out and glued to the corresponding face of the metal case. Once this is complete, and
the scaling has been checked and double checked, the drilling and punching can begin.

4.2

Box Production

It is now time to punch and drill the holes into the box. This will be done in the PCB lab, which
is where each of the drills and the punches are located. Prior to drilling any of the holes, a centre
punch should be used to ensure that the drill bit does not jump when it comes into contact with
the metal casing. If this occurs, it could cause a misalignment that would cause a problem during
the final assembly of the PSU.
The 5/32 drill will be used to create the mounting holes for the heat sink and the transformer
that can be found on the rear and bottom faces. It will also be used to create the hole above the
potentiometer on the front face.
The 3/32 drill will only be used to drill one hole in the creation of the case, and that is for the
notch that is located underneath the hole for the power switch, which will be drilled using a 1/4
bit.
The rest of the holes will be created using punches, which can be seen in Figure 4-1. The 0.281
will be used to punch the hole for the LED, which will indicate when the power is on. It will also
be used to punch the seven holes required for each of the binding posts, but punching each one
twice.
Finally, the 0.375 punch will be used to create each of the remaining holes, including the one
for the potentiometer located on the front face, and those for the fuse and the power cord, which
can be found on the rear face. This punch may also be used to cut the large rectangular hole
located on the front panel that will provide the space for the digital panel meter to be mounted.
Before leaving the PCB lab, each hole should be checked to ensure that the appropriate
component fits securely. Once the fits are checked, then a file should be used to remove any
burrs from the back side of the holes where the bits broke through. This will not only provide a

better fit for each of the components, but can also be considered as a safety precaution, as any
unfiled burrs can cut into skin.
Once all of the holes have been made, then the templates can be removed from the case, and the
face decal can be applied to the front of the box. It is now that each of the components can be
installed.

Figure 4-1: Front Face Punching

5. Final Assembly and Testing


This section describes the assembly and testing that is required to ensure that the PSU is
functioning correctly. The first part describes the installation of the components into the holes
that were made in the case of the power supply, as well as the wiring of the PCB, transformer,
fuse and power cord.

5.1

Assembly

Binding Posts
Now that the holes have all been punched and/or drilled in the case, each of the components that
are present on the exterior of the box can be installed, beginning with the binding posts. There
are a total of seven binding posts, three of which are for alternating current, another three for
variable direct current and the final one for the fixed 5 volts direct current. Each of these posts
are to be inserted from the outside of the box inward and secured tightly with the washers and
nuts on the interior of the case.
The alternating current is provided by connecting the yellow binding posts on the left front of the
case to the secondary of the transformer. The green binding post, located between the two yellow
posts, is to be connected to the centre tap of the transformer. The connection between the two
yellow binding posts should provide 28 VAC, meaning that as long as the centre tap is connected
to the green post, then it does not matter which of the other secondary transformer wires is
connected to which of the yellow posts.
On the right side of the front face of the case, the other four binding posts should be installed, in
the following order, from top to bottom: red (+5V dc), red (+0/15V dc), green (GRD) and black
(-0/15V dc). Each of these binding posts should be connected to the corresponding wire that has
been soldered to the PCB.
The positioning of these binding posts, as well as any other components that are installed on the
front face of the case can be seen in Figure 5-1.

Figure 5-1: Front Face of PSU


Potentiometer
The potentiometer for this power supply is used to change the variable voltage supply at the
lower red and black binding posts on the front face of the case. As the potentiometer has already
been soldered to the PCB, the shaft of the potentiometer should be inserted from the inside of the
box to the exterior, being fit so that the tab fits in the smaller hold that is located above the shaft
hole. The nut and washer must be installed over the shaft and tightened to secure the fit. The
knob must now be screwed on over the shaft of the potentiometer, ensuring that when the shaft is
rotated fully counterclockwise, the mark is also located towards the bottom of the case.
Power Switch
The power switch must be installed in the same way that the potentiometer was installed, with
the washer tightened to ensure that the switch is not loose, and the tab inserted in the smaller
hole located beneath the hole for the switch. The switch will be connected to both the live wire
from the fuse holder, as well as to the primary side of the transformer.

Light Emitting Diode (LED)


The LED serve the purpose of indicating when the PSU is in an on or an off state. Before
inserting the LED in the hole that was created, the bezel must be inserted first from the exterior
of the box. The LED is then inserted into the bezel from the inside of the box, and the plastic
washer is screwed on to hold it in place. The LED is then connected to the PCB at the indicated
terminals.
Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
The PCB, which was already completed with all of the components installed, is bolted to the
back face of the box from the inside. The screws are installed from the exterior of the box,
through the holes that were drilled in the heat sink, with a washer and nut securing the bolts from
the inside of the box.
Transformer
The transformer is secured to the bottom of the box from the underside in much the same way
that the PCB was secured, with the two screws coming inward and the washers and nuts on the
inside of the box. The primary wires should be closer to the edge of the box, with the secondary
wires facing towards the PCB. This will ensure a neater wiring job.
One of the black primary wires should be soldered directly to the white wire of the power cord,
and this connection should be covered with heat shrink tubing. The ground wire from the power
cord should have a terminal connecter soldered to it, which should then be screwed beneath one
of the nuts that connects the transformer to the box. The other black primary wire is already
soldered to one of the terminals of the power switch.
Power Cord
Prior to installing the power cord into the case, is necessary, it should be cut to a length of six
feet or less. The strain relief should then be installed in the lower hole on the rear face of the box,
after the cord has already been installed inside it. The threaded nut must be installed and
tightened so that the power cord is secured to the case, without being able to be jiggled out of
place, as this is a safety hazard.

Fuse Holder
The fuse holder is located directly above the power cord on the rear face of the box. After
ensuring that the metal terminal on the side of the fuse holder is facing upwards, the holder can
be inserted into the hole. While this is not mandatory for the operation of the PSU, it will make
any soldering to this terminal much easier. The connections to the fuse holder are to the hot
wire of the power cord and to the power switch. It is an important safety feature that the hot
wire is connected to the terminal that is protruding through the end of the fuse holder.
Both the placement of the power cord and the fuse holder can be seen in Figure 5-2.

Figure 5-2: Rear Face of PSU


Wiring
Once all of the connections have been soldered, the wiring should be bundled and positioned out
of the way using electrical tap or plastic tie wraps.

5.2

Testing and Troubleshooting

Up until this point in the assembly, if everything has gone as it should, and all of the procedures
that were laid for by the instructor have been followed, the power supply should be functioning
as it should. Voltages are to be measured at each of the test points that have been mentioned
throughout the entirety of the course, and so long as these values are generally within +/- 5% of
the expected value, then the power supply can be considered fully operational.

6. Conclusions and Recommendations


The power supply has now been completed and tested with relative success. The most significant
error that was come across during the construction of the PSU was found after installing each of
the components onto the PCB. When the transformer was plugged in, and power given to the
circuit, one of the diodes in the negative rectifier circuit began to emit smoke. After unplugging
the transformer and looking over the board, a small hairline short was discovered that caused the
diode to overheat and then crack. Once this copper short was scratch away with a blade, the PCB
functioned as it should.
The only other error that occurred during the construction of the PSU came with the wiring of
the fuse, which was done in a way that caused a safety hazard. Rather than soldering the hot
wire of the power cord directly to the fuse as was stated in the instructions, the hot wire was
connected first to the switch, and then to the fuse. Also, many of the components were not
fastened to the case securely, such as the transformer and several of the binding posts, creating
additional safety issues.
In hindsight, there are several improvements that could be made in the conduct of this project,
most of which were brought to light by any errors that were made. In general, these errors could
have been avoided by a thorough reading of the instructions prior to construction and assembly.

Appendix A
INCOMPLETE SCHEMATIC
COMPLETE SCHEMATIC

Appendix B
EAGLE SCHEMATIC VIEW

Appendix C
EAGLE BOARD TOP VIEW

EAGLE BOTTOM BOARD VIEW

Appendix D
MULTIVIEW ASSEMBLY DRAWING

FRONT FACE TEXT

FRONT FACE TEMPLATE

BOTTOM FACE TEMPLATE

REAR FACE TEMPLATE

BILL OF MATERIALS (BOM)

References
1. Grenier, Denis. Module 3: Production of Printed Circuit Boards. January 2008.
2. Grenier, Denis. Module 4: Power Supply Box Drawing and Production. January 2008.
3. Grenier, Denis. Module 5: Final Assembly and Testing. January 2008.
4. Grenier, Denis. Module 6: Circuit Operation. January 2008.
5. Grenier, Denis. Power Supply Assembly Drawings: 1-6. April 2007.

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