Reverse Voltage Protection for Camera Projects
🔌 The Problem: Reverse Voltage Can Kill Your Camera
Accidentally connecting the power supply the wrong way—even for a second—can permanently damage sensitive components in a camera. Reverse voltage can fry regulators, processors, and image sensors. Luckily, protecting your camera is simple and affordable!
🛠️ The Solution: Add a Reverse Voltage Protection Circuit
A basic solution is to use a Schottky diode in series with the power input. It blocks current if the polarity is wrong. For better efficiency, especially in low-voltage designs, a P-channel MOSFET or ideal diode circuit offers protection without significant voltage drop.
🎥 Practical Example: DIY Camera Module Protection
Imagine you’re powering a Raspberry Pi camera with a custom Li-ion pack. One wrong plug and your setup is toast. But by adding a P-MOSFET (like IRF9540) between the battery and camera input, reverse connections are blocked instantly without power loss during normal operation.
🔢 Sample Calculation
If your camera draws 0.5A and you use a Schottky diode with 0.3V forward drop:
Power loss = 0.3V × 0.5A = 0.15W.
Switching to a low-Rds(on) P-MOSFET can reduce this to under 0.01W!
🧰 Product Suggestion: Made in India Protection Components
Explore high-quality MOSFETs and Schottky diodes here:
🔗 MOSFET
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