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Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: SeagullOne on October 18, 2008, 04:52:12 PM

Title: Voltage regulator, which is + and which is -?
Post by: SeagullOne on October 18, 2008, 04:52:12 PM
I'm sure someone's asked this question before--tried doing a search but didn't find it...

I'm constructing a simple circuit for providing power to a microcontroller using a 5+ volt regulator from Radioshack. My problem, I can't make heads or tails out of which is the input pin and which is the output pin! Or is the voltage regulator polarized at all? I've studied my books but can't find the right pins... :-\

Title: Re: Voltage regulator, which is + and which is -?
Post by: pomprocker on October 18, 2008, 05:53:07 PM
Middle is ground. The other two are input and output.
Title: Re: Voltage regulator, which is + and which is -?
Post by: airman00 on October 18, 2008, 05:59:47 PM
Google is your friend

http://images.google.com/images?q=7805%20regulator&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

First result : (http://bleex.me.berkeley.edu/ME102/proj_archive/S05/18-Inverted_Pendulum/images/Hardware/7805.gif)
Title: Re: Voltage regulator, which is + and which is -?
Post by: SeagullOne on October 18, 2008, 06:05:54 PM
Thanks everybody.

I'll try to search a little more practically from now on.  :D
Title: Re: Voltage regulator, which is + and which is -?
Post by: szhang on October 19, 2008, 01:54:26 AM
Next time, make sure to go online and find the datasheet.  Some regulators (like the LM317) have a different pin-outs even though they look the same (same packaging).