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Many 12V-rated devices can be damaged by being exposed to voltages in excess of 12 Volts -
particularly LED lights which have a maximum working voltage typically of 13.5 Volts.
Nominally 12 Volt Lead acid batteries typically operate in the range of 12.6V (40% charged) to
13.6 V (100% charged). When under charge, the voltage can easily get over 14V - sufficient to
cause damage to sensitive 12V equipment.
Voltage Regulators
A voltage regulator is a device which takes an input voltage and outputs a stable fixed voltage.
Variable voltage regulators are available (such as the very useful LM317T) which the user can
set to output any required voltage (1.25 to 30V). For the more commonly required voltages of
3.3, 5, and 12 Volts there are fixed voltage regulators which can be used to output just one
voltage (such as the L7812 12V fixed regulator).
Unfortunately the regulators mentioned above have quite a high voltage drop - typically up to 3
Volts. Therefore, to obtain a reliable 12 Volt output voltage, an input of 15V+ is required - more
than a 12V battery produces even when under charge. To get around this problem low dropout
regulators were developed.
A low dropout regulator supplies a fixed output voltage with a typical voltage drop of just 0.5
Volts. This makes them perfect for use with 12 Volt lead acid batteries. Ideally a lead acid
battery should never be allowed to get below 12.6 Volts (40% charge), and so since 12.6 - 0.5 is
still over 12 Volts, a low dropout 12V regulator will be able to reliably supply a 12 Volt output
whenever the battery has sufficient charge.
NEW The LM2940CT-12 is now available for sale in the REUK Shop.
When the input voltage is below 12.5 Volts - as will happen if you let your battery drain below
40% charge, the output voltage will be approximately equal to the input voltage minus a voltage
dropout of 0.1 to 0.5 Volts. With a current draw of 0.4 Amps, the input-output voltage
differential is 0.25V, and it is 0.5V at 1 Amp, and just 0.1V at 0.1 Amps.
If high voltages, or high currents (between 0.5 and 1 Amps) are to pass through the regulator,
then a suitable heatsink* (such as the one pictured above from the REUK Shop) should be
bolted onto the regulator to help any generated heat dissipate.
* When using a lead acid battery for the input voltage, the maximum power to be dissipated by
the regulator is (15-12)Volts * 1 Amp (according to Ohm's Law) = 3 Watts, and in most
applications, the power dissipated will be far lower.
The LM2940CT range has internal short circuit and thermal overload protection, so you need to
make a special effort to damage one. They are available in 5V (LM2940CT-5), 12V
(LM2940CT-12), and 15V (LM2940CT-15) specifications.
Click here to view the LM2940 Specification Sheet (PDF) for more technical information.