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Switch mode power supply on a breadboard

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Dagon_

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So I haven't made a SMPS before and I wanted to try it out on a breadboard before getting a PCB made up. I'll be using a using a TPS61221.

From what I read layout is important for a SMPS. Will I be wasting my time even trying this? I'm not looking for an kind of accuracy or performance, I just want to see if it'll basically work or not.
 

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What output voltage/current do you need? Breadboards aren't good for high currents or high voltage :(.
 
blueroomelectronics, yeah that's what I was going to do. The layout is straight forward I know, i just like to make sure things are working before getting the pcb done. Just not sure if it's practical in this case.

It'll be 3.3v at around 50ma max, so not high power.
 
If you can use a breadboard with a ground plane and keep all lead lengths short you should be OK.
 
Hmm, don't have one with a ground plane but I might be able to put something together and give it a try.
 
Go for it, I've done this with lm2575's at a couple of amps and worked fine, also done it tl494's and it worked fine.
The only time I've got black smoke is when I tried to make a circuit with mosfet drivers on breadboard, but your chip has the fet and driver inside it, if you keep your wires short and ground at the same point or close to it has a good chance of working fine.
 
I often breadboard SMPS or PWM driver circuits, just for initial testing before going to PCB testing. The contacts on the breadboard are good for 400+ mA if they are in good condition and only have <2pF between rows if I remember right. :)

**broken link removed**
 
I often breadboard SMPS or PWM driver circuits, just for initial testing before going to PCB testing. The contacts on the breadboard are good for 400+ mA if they are in good condition and only have <2pF between rows if I remember right.

Good to hear it's defiantly doable.

Thanks for the input guys. I'll give it a shot and see what happens.
 
Will I be wasting my time even trying this?

I don't get it.. You are wasting time asking that question here. Just try it out and you'll know if it works or not and then you have actually learned something. Trying things is never waste of time. Even when you try stupid things. Sorry that I'm being a bit cynical today.
 
And if it turned out to be something that wasn't possible? I spend three days of frustration not sure If I'm doing something wrong or if it's just not doable, then I come here and ask the question anyway.
Or I could get the opinion of more experienced folk up front. I don't consider it a wasted question.
 
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And if it turned out to be something that wasn't possible? I spend three days of frustration not sure If I'm doing something wrong or if it's just not doable, then I come here and ask the question anyway.
Or I could get the opinion of more experienced folk up front. I don't consider it a wasted question.

True, true.. sorry I'm in a bad mood because of one fellow in the Microcontroller forum.

I like MrAls signature: One test is worth a thousand expert opinions, but one expert specification is worth a thousand tests.
 
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