Article: AC line powers microcontroller-based fan-speed regulator.

Abel Raynus, Armatron International Inc, Malden, MA

Edited by Brad Thompson and Fran Granville

A microcontroller requires dc operating power in the 2 to 5.5V range, an amount that a battery or a secondary power source can easily supply. However, in certain situations, a microcontroller-based product must operate directly from a 120 or 220V-ac power outlet without a step-down transformer or a heat-producing, voltage-decreasing resistor. As an alternative, a polyester/polypropylene film capacitor rated for ac-line service can serve as a nondissipative reactance (Figure 1 ). Capacitor C1 , a 2-[micro]F AVX ( www.avxcorp.com ) FFB16C0205K rated for ...

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