Electronic – Constant Current of an XL4016 Buck Power Module

buckconstant-currentcurrentpower supplyswitch-mode-power-supply

Hi have this buck converter
: Step Down Buck 9A 300W Converter 5-40V To 1.2-35V Power Module XL4016

I've done my research, read some posts and articles but I'm still quite confused, some say a constant current supply "constantly push" the set current, but some say a constant current supply alerts you only when you're about to reach the set current and is current limiting.

Let say my load uses like 1A, and I set my XL4016 Step Down Buck Power Module current pot to 5A.

  • Will my load receive 5A constantly or will the current limiting
    feature kick in once my load reaches 5A?

Edit: I'm gonna be using the XL4016 Buck Power Module to power some motors for my project, and im gonna buy like 1 or 2 converters for a bunch of 5v sensors and loads, etc. maybe a linear regulator one. But for the 12V ones, im thinking of my XL4016. My input is around 18-14V, i want it to constantly be at 12V, and 5V.

thanks a lot.

Best Answer

I'll not comment on the specific device you mentioned for the reasons already clear on the comments.

Will my load receive 5A constantly or will the current limiting feature kick in once my load reaches 5A?

Ideally, a voltage controlled source with current limit would work like this:

enter image description here

If configured for 10V, limited to 5A, start from the blue dot, with no load connected. As the load is increased (you can imagine smaller resistors being connected) the current increases. When the current limit is reached, the voltage starts to drop if you keep increasing the load (reducing the value of the resistor).

Obviously, the lines will not be perfectly parallel to the axes on real devices and other limitations (like power, input voltage, minimum load etc) will be detailed on the datasheet.