Hi all.
Over the last few weeks I have been playing with the idea of building my own bench power supply after see Dave's videos and looking at the rough price for a decent seeming bench power supply, after messing around with some samples of the LT3080 and deciding that I might want to use the LT3083, I was looking into other features that I might want, something that I was thinking about was a short circuit or overload detection circuit that could cut the power if it detected a short, now, I have the method that I am using to detect the short working perfectly, (I think.) all I need now is a way to shut off the voltage rail.
Mockup Short Detector Circuit; Please ignore crappy GENIE micro controller
Enviroment used is Circuit Wizard, I only used it because it is ok for quick testing as the simulation is completely graphical.
If the microcontroller detects that there is a dead short (<2Ohms), the light and the buzzer start pulsing. (Would be latched.)I have experimented with using MOSFETs and other types of transistors but I haven't had much luck, my Electronics teacher hasn't been much help either.
so my question is, short (Pun not intended.) of using a Relay, what is my best be for switching off power to the rails when the micro-controller detects a short.
Any help would be appreciated, feel free to tell me that this is not a feature that would really be required, but I am just being paranoid.
Thanks in Advance.
ShatteredRAM
EDIT: For clarification, I am on my final year of my GCSEs, my electronics teacher always says that he knows the bare minimum, something that doesn't fill me with hope.