Many MCU applications are portable and need a mean to provide power on the go. There are many solution based on Li-ION and Li-Polymer batteries. However Lithium chemistries need sophisticated charging and protection circuits to avoid dangerous situations. For lower power projects NiMH batteries provide a simpler and safer alternative. NUPS (NiMH UPS) can provide 3.3V and 5V using 1 to 3 AA or AAA NiMH cells.
While working in the lab it's often useful to have a small isolated power supply handy. Depending on the circuit configuration, ISO01 can generate galvanically isolated unipolar and symmetric voltages from a single 3.3V or 5V rail. The circuit is based on the Texas Instruments SN6501 transformer driver and uses an easy to obtain off the shelf transformer.
High power LEDs require a constant current power supply for optimal operation. GLED1 is designed to drive 10W white LEDs (9 diodes in series) from a 12V or 24V supply. The board can be used down to 3V but the maximum output power will be reduced in this case. The design supports discrete level dimming using a two or three way switch or continuous control using a PWM signal. The design is based on the ON Semiconductor NCP3065/3066.
Despite the significant advantages in size, weight and efficiency, switching AC-DC supplies are not very common with hobbyist due to their complexity and scarcity of ready to build kits.
PWR01 is a low power (~6W) universal voltage (100-240V) isolated AC-DC flyback converter based on the ST Microelectronics VIPer17. Either 5V or 12V output can be obtained using an off the shelf transformer.
Linear regulators from the 7800 series are often the choice for electronics hobbyists because of their ease of use, versatility, robustness and availability. G78xxHE is a very small DC-DC converter aimed to be a "drop in" replacement for the 7800 series regulators in TO-220 package. Thanks to its high efficiency the G78xxHE does not need to be connected to an heatsink even when delivering the maximum rated 7800 series current (1A) with large Vin-Vout deltas.