Friday, October 21, 2011

Cool Design Idea of the Week - Power Selection Switch!

I was flipping through the latest issue of Electronic Design while flying back from Austin, TX and I came across a not obvious neat idea. On one of Parallax's Basic Stamp boards they intentionally placed the DC Power Jack in a location that would be blocked if a 9V Battery was installed.... thus preventing the 9V battery from getting reverse current if the DC Power Jack was plugged in as well. Brilliant!
It must be the EE in me but I would always think of adding a diode "OR", some FET, or a terribly complex circuit that disconnects power to the 9V battery when the DC Jack is plugged in. This approach, though not practical in all cases, is elegant and wins my Cool Design Idea of the Week award!!!

1 comment:

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