I have a power supply (ac/dc transformer) rated at 24V, 2.5A. I do not know for sure if it is regulated or unregulated. I understand that unregulated supplies will typically read a much higher-than-rated voltage if checked without a load. When I check my power supply with a voltmeter it reads 22.99V (pretty close to 24V) with no load. That being said, is it safe to assume this is a regulated power supply? Fyi, this is a toy transformer for a 1/3rd scale pinball machine with a CPU, LCD's, sound, solenoids, etc.
Also, on the off-chance that this is not a regulated supply, would it be a good idea to use a regulated supply instead? My main concern is preservation of the pinball machine since they don't make them anymore and the PCB boards are proprietary, no longer produced, and virtually impossible to find. I worry about an unregulated supply stressing the on-board voltage regulators and shortening the lifespan of the electronics. I have seen some of these boards with blown chips (unidentifiable) which are most likely regulators. Am I paranoid or is this a valid concern?
If it's putting out 23V unloaded, sounds like it's regulated to me. Do you suspect a problem with the power supply? Put it on a scope and see how clean it is...
Also, 1/3rd scale pinball? Where's the fun in that? Get a real one. The schematics for the boards in full sized ones are readily available and replacements are available for almost every part in them (at least for DMD-era williams bally and later), and the full size ones are way more fun.
I actually have six full-sized pins . I have a complete collection of the four extinct Zizzle brand 1/3rd size machines, along with the rare "Star Galaxy" knockoff. The full sized machines are more fun for sure, but I do enjoy the novelty of the mini's. Plus i have one that is heavily modified (with arduino's) to make it play more like a 'real' pin. If you're interested to see the mods, check them out here:
On a side note, are USB phone chargers regulated? I thought the universal standard for USB was 5V, but if you were to use, say a 2.5 amp USB phone charger to power an Arduino, would you potentially over-volt it if the current draw was too low and the charger was supplying (an unregulated) >12v?
I know there are expensive and cheap-o chargers and I never understood the difference. My 2.1 amp Samsung charger quick-charges my phone in a half hour, but if I use a knock-off charger (still 2.1 amp), it will take all day to charge and sometimes won't ever make it to 100%. Anyone know why this is? I thought all USB (except for amperage) was universal.
2.5 amp USB phone charger to power an Arduino, would you potentially over-volt it if the current draw was too low and the charger was supplying (an unregulated) >12v?
YES - this might damage your Arduino.
Interested in how to power Arduinos? Have a look at this.
. I have a complete collection of the four extinct Zizzle brand 1/3rd size machines, along with the rare "Star Galaxy" knockoff. The full sized machines are more fun for sure, but I do enjoy the novelty of the mini's. Plus i have one that is heavily modified (with arduino's) to make it play more like a 'real' pin. If you're interested to see the mods, check them out here: