When outfitting your electronics workbench, one of the most essential tools is a variable DC power supply. In fact, I’d argue it’s firmly in the top 5. Such power supplies typically feature a positive voltage output as well as ground, but what if you actually need positive and negative potential outputs instead? Rather than rigging something up yourself, you can now get this capability in the form of the Power Supply Rail Splitter from Repowered Electronics.
The device turns a standard power supply output into a +1/2 Vin and -1/2 Vin leg, plus a 0V ground. So if you need ±5V, you simply plug your supply output into the splitter input and set the supply to 10V. Banana jacks are provided for secure connections all around, and there’s an earth ground on the input side that is used for filtering.
One interesting feature of the device is that it can actually maintain the proper voltages even with a current imbalance. So if you’re pushing more current into your circuit via the Vin than is coming out via Vout, it keeps the voltages steady–up to a 100mA of imbalance at 30V. Of course, per Kirchhoff’s law, current in at a junction must equal current out. However, you may encounter situations where other circuitry provides an alternate current path, creating such an imbalance without violating the laws of physics.
