Hello. I would like to have a power supply that I can vary the output voltage. My idea is to take, say a 16v power supply and hook it up to a trim pot to only allow some of the voltage through. Is it as simple as that or is there something else I need to consider? Thanks.
No. That's about as simple as you can get. A pot will only deliver a small amount of current with poor regulation (depending upon the pot resistance and output load).
No. That's about as simple as you can get. A pot will only deliver a small amount of current with poor regulation (depending upon the pot resistance and output load).
The LM317 datasheet should also show a simple circuit where you add a transistor to the LM317 and you can increase the current to a few amps if needed. It's a simple and reliable system.