Pololu 12V, 2.2A Step-Down Voltage Regulator

This micro sized step-down voltage regulator is perfect for supplying 12V power (from a higher voltage source like 4S or 5S LiPo) to your FPV gear that needs specifically 12V range.  Power 12V flight cameras, LED lights or other gear that can only run on 12V.

This small synchronous switching step-down (or buck) regulator takes an input voltage of up to 36 V and efficiently reduces it to 12 V. The board measures only 17.8 mm × 17.8 mm × 8 mm yet delivers a typical continuous output current of up to 2.2 A and features reverse voltage protection. This regulator offers typical efficiencies between 90% and 95%. An optional shutdown pin enables a low-power state with a current draw of around 50 μA to 350 μA, depending on the input voltage, and a power-good output indicates when the regulator cannot adequately maintain the output voltage.

Features

• Fixed 12 V output with 4% accuracy
• Typical maximum continuous output current: >2 A
• Typical efficiency of 85% to 95%, depending on input voltage, output voltage, and load
• 400 kHz switching frequency
• Integrated reverse-voltage protection, over-current protection, over-temperature shutoff, and soft-start
• 1mA typical no-load quiescent current; this can be reduced to approximately 5 µA to 10 µA per volt on VIN by disabling the board
• "Power good" output indicates when the regulator cannot adequately maintain the output voltage
• Compact size: 17.8 mm × 17.8 mm × 8 mm
• Two 2.18mm mounting holes for M2 screws

Specifications

• Dimensions: 17.8 mm × 17.8 mm × 8 mm
• Weight: 2.3 g (Without included optional headers)
• Minimum operating voltage: 12.7 V (For small loads; this voltage rises approximately linearly up to 13.1 V at 2.2 A output)
• Maximum operating voltage: 36 V
• Maximum output current: 2.2 A
• Output voltage: 12 V
• Maximum quiescent current: 4 mA (Typical worst case; quiescent current is typically around 1 mA for most of the operating range. The ENABLE pin can be used to reduce the quiescent current to less than 10 μA per volt on VIN)

Using the regulator Connections

The buck regulator has five connections: power good (PG), Enable (EN), input voltage (VIN), ground (GND), and output voltage (VOUT).

The “power good” indicator, PG, is an open-drain output that drives low when the regulator’s output voltage falls below 85% of the nominal voltage and becomes high-impedance when the output voltage rises above around 90%. An external pull-up resistor is required to use this pin.

The input voltage, VIN, powers the regulator. Voltages between 4 V and 36 V can be applied to VIN, but the effective lower limit of VIN is VOUT plus the regulator’s dropout voltage, which varies approximately linearly with the load (see graphs of dropout voltages as a function of the load). Additionally, please be wary of destructive LC spikes (see below for more information).

The output voltage, VOUT, is fixed and depends on the regulator version: The D24V22F12 version outputs 12 V.

The five connections are labeled on the back side of the PCB and are arranged with a 2.5 mm spacing along the edge of the board for compatibility with solderless breadboards, connectors, and other prototyping arrangements that use a 2.5 mm grid. You can solder wires directly to the board or solder in either the 5×1 straight male header strip or the 5×1 right-angle male header strip that is included.

Typical efficiency and output current

The efficiency of a voltage regulator, defined as (Power out)/(Power in), is an important measure of its performance, especially when battery life or heat are concerns. This family of switching regulators typically has an efficiency of 80% to 93%, though the actual efficiency in a given system depends on input voltage, output voltage, and output current. See the efficiency graph in pictures.

In order to achieve a high efficiency at low loads, this regulator automatically goes into a power-save mode where the switching frequency is reduced. In power-save mode, the switching frequency of the regulator changes as necessary to minimize power loss. This could make it harder to filter out noise on the output caused by switching.

Typical dropout voltage

The dropout voltage of a step-down regulator is the minimum amount by which the input voltage must exceed the regulator’s target output voltage in order to ensure the target output can be achieved. For example, if a 5 V regulator has a 1 V dropout voltage, the input must be at least 6 V to ensure the output is the full 5 V. Generally speaking, the dropout voltage increases as the output current increases.

During normal operation, this product can get hot enough to burn you. Take care when handling this product or other components connected to it..

Shipping Contents

• 1 x Pololu 12V, 2.2A Step-Down Voltage Regulator (D24V22F12)
• 1 x Straight male header strip (5x1)
• 1 x Right-angle male header strip (5x1)