upgrading power supplies

[pomprocker]

This is not really a robot question, but I know you guys know your stuff...

This is also sort of a noob question.


My Dad is an audiophile, likes the really high end audio equipment. They go for the best of everything, I've even seen $30 capacitors made of gold (lol)


Any way he has this device that has the stock power supply which is an unregulated 9vdc (not sure of current), and he told me everyone is upgrading to regulated switched 9vdc with higher current.

My question is what does going higher with the current do for a device??? I guess people are saying 2.5A is a good current for this device.

[benji]

it means that the supply can supply needed current by the device easily without heat.
if its a switched-supply then it operates with no noise and high efficiency.
non regulated supplies may cause change in current to constant loads,which is bad.

[pomprocker]

How much extra current can you give something before it blows up?

[SmAsH]

don't things only draw what they need?

[Finnik]

Things will indeed only draw the amount of current that they need to work at any given time. The current rating of the power supply only specifies how much current it can provide to the device(s) that it powers.

If it were to blow up because of an excessive flow of current, you'd have to have a short-circuit somewhere or components unable to handle the current drawn were used.

[SmAsH]

I can understand something blowing up because of excessive current draw...
Like attaching a servo that drew 2A to a voltage regulator that can only supply 1.5A...