How to Convert High Current to Low Current

How to Convert High Current to Low Current

Article: Convert high current to low current

Most power devices can draw more current if the voltage is lower than it should be. But it is a bit more complicated to reduce current than just reducing the voltage. A power transistor can be used to control both the voltage and current (but it needs a voltage divider or variable resistance to drive it).

Switch-mode power supplies based on converter topologies such as flyback or forward types are capable of producing high output voltages but require transformers which are bulky and expensive. Another option is to use a converter integrated circuit based on the buck controller in the inverting topology which can efficiently convert an input voltage directly into a lower output voltage without using a transformer. Efficient power conversion helps with battery life, heat dissipation and compactness. This is not an easy task, however, because the power losses of non-ideal components like inductors and capacitors account for a large part of the total power losses. The buck controller also suffers significant losses due to frequent transistor switching.

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