Help needed! Connecting PSU caps in // when they are in a block arrangement

[coolnose]

HI Everybody,

sorry for this noob question, but I just can't get me head around it...

I want to connect the 6 capacitors in parallel, they are arranged as shown. It's basically a 80V PSU (NOT a +80/0/-80).

Could someone help me out on this one ?

I know how to wire caps in parallel (in theory), I am actually struggeling with the physical implementation of the wiring and/or PCB lanes.

Thanks in advance for your kind help!

Cheers,

Max

[coolnose]

Well,

as said in the header, I am not sure I made myself clear in the first post.

The caps will be wired point-to-point on perfboard. I have tried to sketch the connections using pcb software and have included the image.

Any heads up on the wiring or are there better solutions ?

TIA,

Max

[AndrewT]

post1 diagram.
Connect the 3 top +ve together.
Connect the 3 top -ve together.
Connect the bottom 3 +ve together.
Connect the bottom 3 -ve together.
Connect the two sets of middle -ve together.
Connect the outer sets of +ve together.

[DF96]

That looks like 6 caps wired in parallel, which is what you wanted to do? I'm not clear what it is that you are unsure about.

[coolnose]

@ Andrew

Thanks Andrew for your input,

reading your message I understand I can connect them together either way as long as all the V+ and all the grounds (is it V- is this kind of config ?) are tied together.

Is there a connection by the book, i.e. one more "elegant than the other when wiring point to point or designing the PCB ?

Would the figure in post 2 be ok ? I know that electrically it is.

Sorry to seem (or be) dumb...

Max

@ DF96

Well that's the point, on the paper (and on pcb design) they are indeed in //, but referring to Andrew's explanation I guess I could, considering the orientation of the caps, run a wire from the V+ input through the + side of "upper" the caps to the V+ output, and running a wire from the V+ input through the +side of the "lower" caps to the V+ out... like a circle actually..

Same for the Ground (V- ?)...

Should I better draw what I have in mind to make it more clear ?

It's really about the implementation of the wiring in real live.. more than about the schematic.


P.S.: I guess you don't see any problem in my figure in post 2...otherwise you would have stated it.

Cheers,

Max

[DF96]

I'm still not sure whether you are asking a basic question about what wiring in parallel means, or a more sophisticated question about exactly where the charging currents will go (assuming these are a reservoir capacitor for a PSU).

If the former, all +ves together, all -ves together.

If the latter, arrange them electrically in a line (even if this is not their physical arrangement). Connect +'s and -'s in the same order. Connect the incoming dirty supply from the rectifier to one end of the line. Take the cleaner DC output from the other end of the line. Apply ground at the output end, not the input end. Doing it like this means that the tiny resistance and inductance of the connections works for you instead of against you.

[coolnose]

Originally Posted by DF96

I'm still not sure whether you are asking a basic question about what wiring in parallel means, or a more sophisticated question about exactly where the charging currents will go (assuming these are a reservoir capacitor for a PSU).

If the former, all +ves together, all -ves together.

If the latter, arrange them electrically in a line (even if this is not their physical arrangement). Connect +'s and -'s in the same order. Connect the incoming dirty supply from the rectifier to one end of the line. Take the cleaner DC output from the other end of the line. Apply ground at the output end, not the input end. Doing it like this means that the tiny resistance and inductance of the connections works for you instead of against you.

Well DF96... you saved my brain from melting down... my question was actually your second assumption...and yes it's actually the 3rd C-stage in a CRCRC supply!

Thing is english is not my mother tongue as you can guess and I didn't know what search terms to use for finding a solution here on diyaudio or on other resources on the net.

I just knew the way the connections are made would have an impact, thanks for making that clear to me!

Can I deduct from your statement that the lower the caps values are, the bigger (if still minimal) the relative impact of the wiring is ?

Cheers,

Max

P.S.: And thanks for telling me I asked a sophisticated question ... will have a beer on health tonite...

P.P.S: Sorry for confusing you, I just realize that my "real" question did not translate through my PCB / incomplete wiring scheme

[DF96]

Your English seems fine to me. You just didn't ask the right question.

By the third stage in a PSU the details of connection will not matter much, provided you have the earlier stages right so the charging currents are kept in the right place. The way to do it is to imagine that every wire link or PCB trace is actually a lowish value resistor - this is exactly what it really is! The first stage (reservoir) is the really important one.

The bigger the caps, the more careful you have to be about wiring.

[coolnose]

Well let's say my technical vocabulary (and even more technical knowlegde) then... lucky me the 2 first stages are one cap each only. So even they are pretty huge no chance for me to do mistakes...

Thanks again !