Physical, Mathematical, Computer and Life Sciences › Information Technology and Computer Sciences
This course equips learners with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge required to construct DC power supplies. Participants will learn to design, assemble, and test power supply circuits using standard components, ensuring they meet industry specifications. The course emphasizes safety, troubleshooting, and adherence to South African standards.
This course is ideal for electronics technicians, engineers, and hobbyists who need to build or maintain DC power supplies. It is also suitable for students pursuing qualifications in electrical or electronic engineering.
None — open enrollment
Objectives:
• Explain the basic principles of DC power supply operation
• Identify key components: transformers, rectifiers, filters, regulators
• Describe the function of each block in a linear power supply
• Read and interpret simple circuit diagrams for DC power supplies
• Discuss safety precautions when working with power supply circuits
Topics:
• Overview of DC power supply types: linear vs. switching
• Block diagram: transformer, rectifier, filter, regulator
• Transformer selection: voltage, current, and isolation
• Rectifier circuits: half-wave, full-wave, bridge
• Filtering: capacitor input, LC filters, ripple reduction
• Voltage regulation: Zener diodes, linear regulators (78xx, LM317)
• Heat dissipation and thermal management basics
• Safety: fusing, earthing, isolation, and component handling
Objectives:
• Assemble a linear DC power supply on a breadboard or PCB
• Test and measure output voltage, ripple, and load regulation
• Troubleshoot common faults: no output, excessive ripple, overheating
• Implement overcurrent protection (fuse, current limiting)
• Evaluate performance against specifications
Topics:
• Component selection: capacitors, diodes, regulators, heatsinks
• PCB layout considerations: ground loops, thermal management
• Soldering techniques for power components
• Testing with multimeter and oscilloscope: voltage, ripple, regulation
• Load testing and efficiency measurement
• Fault-finding: open circuits, short circuits, component failure
• Adding protection: fuses, reverse polarity, overvoltage
• Final assembly and enclosure considerations
Learners will construct a linear DC power supply from a schematic, test its performance, and troubleshoot faults. Practicals reinforce theoretical concepts and develop hands-on skills in component handling, soldering, and measurement.
Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.
Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.
Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.
On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.
| Component | Out of | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Practical Assignments (rubric-scored) | 100% | 30% |
| Daily Average (multiple choice) | 100% | 20% |
| Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) | 100% | 50% |
| Final Total | — | 100% |
All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.
Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.
Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.
| Delegates | Discount |
|---|---|
| 5 | 3% off |
| 10 | 6% off |
| 15 | 9% off |
| 20 | 12% off |
| 25 | 15% off |
| 30 | 18% off |
| 50 | 30% off |
| 75 | 35% off |
| 100 | 40% off |
3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.
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