limiting amperage

Well, first does you device need more than one amp.? Devices take the current that they need at their rated voltage. You can limit the current delivered but the device may not work.

Tom

You will need to use a current limiting series regulator ! But you will also need to account for the overhead in voltage required by it !

Check the "Typical Applications" section of National Semiconductor's data sheet for the LM317 adjustable regulator. There are a few current limiter circuits in there that can do what you want.

Note that if your electronic device requires a current that is larger than the chosen threshold (1A in your case), then the current limiter will reduce its output voltage automatically to limit the current. So you'll either have V = 12V when I

Voltage and current cannot be controlled separately, so if your device is drawing more than 1 Amp any current limiting device that I'm aware of would reduce the voltage to reduce the current.

It may help us to help you if you could tell us why you want to limit the current and what the device is.

Gareth.

Yes, it will draw up to probably or seven total. It is actually an electric locker for the rear end of my jeep, and the more amperage it draws, the more it locks, so I would like to limit it to around one amp with one switch position which should offer a strong limited slip, and then total amps in another.

Thanks, John

what does it take already? Have you measured the current it takes?

you can't limit the current and expect no side-effects.

very basically, if your device draws 2 amps at 12 v, thet is 24Watts. If you put a regulatror (or even a resistor) in place to limit the current to 1 amp, the device will still try to draw 2 and the voltage will fall in an attempt to provide that current - whichever... it is unlikely the device will work propperly on reduced current or reduced voltage.

What is the application? Put more meat ont ehbone for us.

That is kind of a twisted question. if the device attempts to draw more than 1 amp, lowering the voltage to prevent over load is the only thing you can do! thus, there goes your voltage! Maybe if you could tell us what the device is? I think you would need to instruct the device it self to not request any more when it reaches it's 1 amp, instead of just choking it off which might just make it malfunction.

I'd use a 1A fuse, or maybe 1.5A, if the device is actually rated 1A.

Good Luck! Rich