SMALL CIRCUITS COLLECTION

Floating 9-V Supply for DVM Modules

D. Ponting
Most commercial DVM modules with an LCD readout are 9-V powered and based on an ICL7106 or similar A-D converter chip. These modules are typically used in laboratory power supplies and other test and measurement equipment where a dropin solution needs to be found to realize a voltmeter readout. Particularly in power supply units, the LCD module will need to float relative to the PSU supply rails, and this inevitably requires a separate 9-volt power supply. In some cases, batteries may be used but these have distinct advantages. The alternative, a 9-V converter effectively powered by the PSU and yet oating, is shown here. It is built from the ubiquitous TLC555, LMC555 or 7555) timer IC acting in astable multivibrator conguration producing a 70-kHz square wave fed into a simple rectier. In essence, capacitors C5 and C6 afford the above mentioned electrical isolation between the PSU supply rails and the LCD module. The old, bipolar NE555 IC should not be used here because it presents a too heavy loads on the converters own supply voltage. Depending on the exact type and brand of the CMOS 555 youre using, resistor R6 may need to be redimensioned a bit
+20V +U IN
I = 7mA
R1 1k5

053
U = 10V
R2 1k C3 22 C2 100n 4 7 R3 27k R DIS 8

IC1
OUT 3

f = 70kHz
C4 330n D1

+U DVM

2 6 C1 330p

TR THR

LMC 555
CV 5 1

BAT85 +9V5
D2

1mA
C6 100

C5 330n

BAT85

024131 - 11

U DVM

to ensure a supply voltage of about 10 volts at pins 8 and 4 of the chip. At an output voltage of 9.5 V, the maximum output current of the converter s about 1 mA.
(024131-1)