The XL4015 from XLSEMI is a popular step-down converter capable of outputting significant currents of up to 5A.
The chip is sold separately and also embedded in a complete breakout, board ready-to-go, for as little as EUR 1.00 in total:
Boards can differ considerably: not all boards support all XL4015 features.
Some boards come with just one potentiometer to setup a constant voltage only (i.e. left board in above image). This is sufficient if you i.e. plan to use the converter to supply a constant voltage to a microprocessor from a 8-36V input range.
At practically same cost, different boards provide two potentiometers (i.e. right board in above image), so in addition to a constant voltage, you can also set a maximum constant current. This can be an important requirement, i.e. when you plan to use it for battery charging or to drive LEDs.
If you plan to stock your electronic lab, I recommend you choose boards with two potentiometers for maximum flexibility.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Input Voltage | 8-36V |
| Output Voltage | 1.2-32V |
| Max Output Current | 5A |
| Efficiency | up to 96% |
| Switching Frequency | 180kHz |
The maximum output current of 5A requires to add a heat sink to the chip. While the XL4015 is dependable and rugged, avoid exploting its maximum specs. Boards using XL4015 run well for long-time output currents of 3-4A.
Stable output current also depends on the voltage difference between input and output. The lower the difference, the less work needs to be done, and the more stable output current and less heat is produced.
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Constant Current | yes |
| Output Shortcut Protection | yes |
| Over Voltage Protection | no |
| Thermal Protection | yes |
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(content created Feb 27, 2024)