Hi,

I'm a Newbie and looking for help to build the best DC-DC Power regulator for an RC Airplane.

Here are my requirements:

• Convert between 6 and 16 volts to between 1.2 and 1.5 volts supporting up to 3 amps
• Small form factor
• No radio interference generated
• Low heat generation.

I'll be using LIPO or LIFE batteries hence the large range of voltages. Having a range higher than 16 volts would be fine but the lower voltage cannot be lower than a 2 cell LIFE battery. I may even want to draw two different voltages from the DC-DC Power regualator 5 volts and the 1.2/1.5. The 5 volts is to power the logic board and the 1.2/1.5 is to power the glow plug.

The power regulator is to be installed in an RC airplane to drive an On Board Glow driver. A Glow Plug in an RC Airplane uses between 1.2 and 1.5 volts and will draw up to 2.5+ amps hence the 3 amp requirement.

Since this is to go into an RC Airplane the device cannot generate any radio interference.

I have been looking a building a Buck Converter but my tests resulted in a lot of heat over 212F on the Buck converter I was testing with.

Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thank you...

 

I think you would be better off buying an off-the-shelf solution such as this:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1xDC-DC-...m=132715788292&_trksid=p2045573.c100505.m3226

All such circuits will generate rf emissions – what is important is that it does not compromise your RC channel – but you will only know this by trying it out.

 

I think you would be better off buying an off-the-shelf solution such as this:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1xDC-DC-Buck-Converter-Step-Down-Power-Module-5-16V-to-1-5V-1-8V-2-5V-3-3V-5V-3A/132715788292?_trkparms=aid=555017&algo=PL.CASSINI&ao=1&asc=20151005190540&meid=3ffe756200df4929b7e5438f8c20dd50&pid=100505&rk=1&rkt=1&&itm=132715788292&_trksid=p2045573.c100505.m3226

All such circuits will generate rf emissions – what is important is that it does not compromise your RC channel – but you will only know this by trying it out.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Yoiu need efficiency to reduce heat, that implies switched solution.

Shielding and filtering one way of achieving RFI reduction. Given that
you are relatively high in freq shielding does not have tax weight.

Switching freq trade off of size/weight vs ease of rfi reduction. So don't
reach for fastest solution out of the gate, consider solutions << 1 Mhz
switching.

Filtering use the right caps, not all are equal for the same value in
ESR consideration (read emi effectiveness).

Also small ferrite beads/cores help.

Regards, Dana.