Specifications

24
Figure 2.3.4-1: The Dual Output 12 & -5 Voltage DC Regulator Kit produced by
EID Corporation. Permission granted by EID Corp.
The primary advantage of this board is that it is a fully packaged solution which
only needs to be connected to the circuit with no further design considerations. In
addition, it can accept AC voltage, although that is an extraneous capability, as a
vehicle’s electrical system is completely DC after the car battery. Such
capabilities for the voltage regulator are simply not needed. It does still offer a
satisfactory amount of voltage flexibility while still being able to keep a constant
output. As such, it does a better job regulating the output voltage and not just
adjusting it in proportion to the input.
The largest disadvantage to this board is its cost. At approximately $40 for the
board, it becomes a significant cost and exceeds the cost target set in the
requirements. A cheaper option would be to buy a bare PCB board of this circuit,
and to purchase and install the components itself. However, even the cost for the
PCB itself is $18 – six times over the upper limit of the cost target. As far as size,
exact specifications are not provided by the manufacturer. However, it appears
this board is designed more for lab use than for use in prototyped products.
Given the size restrictions of our project, it would not be a wise use of space to
dedicate so much space to a single function of a single subsystem.