Hi Everyone.
Any idea how to add a heatsink to this Buck Boost converter?
Do you can to read marks on the central chip?
The Chip is XL6009E1.
It seems designed to operate without heat sink. What do you think you will win when you add one?
What parts are getting hot? I presume the semiconductor device, if so then depending how much it has got to dissipate possibly just sticking some metal to the top of the device would help.
I use (misuse) little RPi heatsinks ... pre-sticky for hot chips
Amazon.com : raspberry pi heatsink
I’ve used Liquid Steel Epoxy and a small heat sink.
However, if things are getting that hot, something major is wrong.
Can you point us to where you got it?
What input voltage and current do you measure vs. what output voltage and current?
Active regulator specs can be a bit optimistic. If you are running within its capabilities, normally such a device shoukd not get so hot that you think a heat sink is needed.
Get a real regulator, pay for it, and leave plenty of excess capacity unused.
I've got junk regulators rated for 15 watts output, they do very nicely supplying 5 watts.
As always YMMV.
a7
By fitting a heatsink I will gain losing some of the heat.
I did the following test.
12V input and 12V output with a 1A wire wound load.
The IC Regulator chip gets quite hot but I can touch it but it feels too hot.
Thanks for the link to the little heatsinks , (prove that I haven't lost my marbles .. Yet)
I assembled this and the IC is much cooler.
The blue piece of "rubber" below the pcb is a soft heat transfer pad used in a two way radio between the chassis and the audio ic.
What does the data sheet say?
No data sheet on the webb page , but rated at max 3A.
When I increase the amps to 2A (by adding another 1A load) the IC get very warm now I cannot touch it .. done without the heatsink.
The IC has a data sheet.
https://www.sunrom.com/download/Sunrom-XL6009E1.pdf
Did you measure the current with a meter? What are the input and output voltages?
Yes the amp meter on my variable power supply , my load is also 12 ohm.
In this test I use 12V IN and 12V OUT.
XL6009.PDF (250.2 K)
From the datasheet.
Ambient temp no heatsink free air 30 C/W
Operating junction temp -40 to 125 C
Does this mean 30 deg Celsius for every 1Watt of power?
In a nutshell, yes. You don't have "no" heatsink, but a very, very small one. A thermal analysis of the board layout would be required to fully evaluate the expected temperature differential.
The shortest path to the IC die, is not through the top of the package, but through the metallic base that is provided for thermal conductivity. So putting a heatsink on top of the package really isn't very effective. What you have done, heatsinked the PCB, is better, but still not ideal.
The appropriate solution, is to use a module that is designed to accommodate the rated current. The specs on modules like this one, are mostly fiction.
Thanks , so really not designed to work without a heatsink.
Mmmmm. Not what I would say. I think instead, not designed to handle that much current. It's likely designed to be small as well as cheap. Two things that makers might value.
Also note that it is okay for it to run slightly hot. It could be in trouble if it was crammed into a small enclosure and run that way. Because then the ambient temp goes up. But also if it's heatsinked, so...
The name of this piece of rubber is known to the rest of the world as a "gel pad".
Gel Pad