Chapter 15

Aces Up Your Sleeve: Tips and Tricks for Specific Circuits and Products

Although the principles we’ve covered apply to pretty much all electronic devices, various product categories are different enough that they benefit from specific troubleshooting techniques. Let’s look at some of the most common gadgets, their typical problems, and how to approach their repair.

Linear Power Supplies

Although linear power supplies are simple, they still cause their share of trouble because they handle all the current used by the product, and linear voltage regulation generates heat.

How They Work

Linear supplies feed incoming AC power through a transformer to step it down to a lower voltage, and then rectify and filter it. Most also include linear ...

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