Introduction:
A voltage step-up is a circuit that increases the voltage. It can be AC/AC, AC/DC, DC/AC or DC/DC.
This voltage step-up is a DC/DC adjustable voltage regulator. Usually a voltage regulator is fed by a higher input than output voltage, for example 9V IN to 5V OUT. This circuit will take a low voltage (down to 0.7V) and step it up to adjustable 2.7-5.5V. Since it is a regulator, the output voltage will stay constant regardless input voltage (0.7-5.5V), as long as output voltage is higher than input. It cannot step-down, only step-up. Are there any ICs that can do both?
I build it for usage in this project:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Battery-Charger-Powered-by-Fire/
Applications:
This is a typical circuit for a battery-powered USB-charger, for example two AA batteries (3V) to power 5V USB. There are tons of DIYs how to create that. They are often hard-specified to 5V output power. This construction can be used in a range of other applications. Many electronic devices work within 3-5 V and often you want to power them by low voltage power sources.
Some input examples:
- Solar panels
- Generators
- Batteries
- Pettier elements (TEC/TEG modules)
Some output examples:
- ICs
- Displays
- Motors
- LEDs
- Battery/USB charger
Read More: Adjustable Voltage Step-up (0.7-5.5V to 2.7-5.5V)