How do you read a voltage regulator number?

The most common part numbers start with the numbers 78 or 79 and finish with two digits indicating the output voltage. The number 78 represents positive voltage and 79 negative one. The 78XX series of voltage regulators are designed for positive input. And the 79XX series is designed for negative input.

Why do we calculate voltage regulation?

Voltage regulation is the measure of how well a power transformer can maintain constant secondary voltage given a constant primary voltage and wide variance in load current. The lower the percentage (closer to zero), the more stable the secondary voltage and the better the regulation it will provide.

How do I test a regulator with a multimeter?

The best way to test a voltage regulator is with a multimeter, and what you do is you put your multimeter clamps directly on the battery terminals. Positive read to positive and black to negative. And you said it to voltage, and with the car off, you should have a little over 12 volts. That’s that’s a healthy battery.

How do you check a positive voltage regulator?

We take the probes of the multimeter and place the positive probe (normally the red probe) on the input pin of the voltage regulator and the negative probe (normally black probe) on the ground pin. The voltage that we should read should be higher than the voltage the regulator is rated to output.

How do you test a voltage regulator on a lawnmower with a multimeter?

Connect the positive read cable of the voltmeter to the positive terminal of the battery and do the same for the negative terminal. Turn on the switch a level just enough so that the headlights are turned on. Set your voltmeter to measure volts. Check if the reading states 12 volts.

How do you test a voltage regulator with a multimeter?

We take the probes of the multimeter and place the positive probe (normally the red probe) on the input pin of the voltage regulator and the negative probe (normally black probe) on the ground pin. The voltage that we should read should be higher than the voltage the regulator is rated to output.

How do you know if a voltage regulator is good?

We check the voltage input into the voltage regulator and the voltage output from the regulator. If we read at the input pin the voltage which we feed into the regulator and read at the output pin the output voltage which the regulator is rated for, then we know that the voltage regulator is good.

What do the parts numbers on a voltage regulator mean?

Enough talk, now for the actual part numbers. The most common series of voltage regulators is the 78XX series. The two digits after the 78 represent the output voltage of the regulator, for example the 7805 is a 5V regulator and the 7812 is a 12V regulator.

How can I increase the output current of a voltage regulator?

Luckily, there is a way to ‘hijack’ a standard regulator with a few additional parts and increase the output current. Most of these modifications involve adding a bypass transistor across the regulator and driving the base with the input, like shown in the below figure.