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Originally Posted by Andrew Blair
How does storing current on a capacitor work? I know that the voltage out will not exceed the voltage in (ex: 5 volt cap. with 2.5 volts applied will charge to 2.5 volts), but how does current charge?
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Capacitors store energy by building up a charge between two plates. The larger the value of the cap the more charge is stored. However, it is not an infinite amount nor anything approaching the charge stored in a battery or that delivered by the OI power supply. The LED outputs on the OI are current limited internally to prevent the OI from handling large amounts of current. In addition the OI +5 volt rail that feeds these outputs is derived from a three terminal regulator that is also current limited and temperature sensitive. IFI had to make some choices in the design and size was one of those. To give us high current, +5 volt outputs, would have required significant design changes and would have resulted in a much larger package. Until electrical rules will allow an external power supply and interface for the OI we will be limited in what we can do at the operator station. Remember, the OI & RC are about as bullet proof as they can be. They take a beating and keep on ticking when they are used as designed.