Study guide — what to focus on

This module is curated — the teaching is a free power-electronics course (in the card above); we point you at what matters, make you prove it, and certify you.

The plan

1. Watch the course (the card above). Aim to understand the ideas below, not memorise formulas.
2. Focus on these — what the check tests and what every product needs:
   • Linear regulators (LDOs) — simple, quiet, but waste the voltage gap as heat.
   • Switching converters — buck (steps down) and boost (steps up), efficiently.
   • Lithium cells — a LiPo/Li-ion cell is ~3.7 V (3.0–4.2 V); parts often want a clean 5 V or 3.3 V.
   • Charging & protection — a BMS keeps lithium safe; every battery product needs it.
   • Solar — MPPT vs PWM charge controllers, and why MPPT harvests more.
   • Efficiency & power budgeting — battery capacity ≈ current draw × runtime.
3. Prove it in Forge (next section) — spec a real battery-powered device and read its power path.
4. Take the K-Check to earn your certificate.

Why this connects to building real products

Power is the half of a product people skip until it doesn't turn on. In Forge, "portable" always adds the same stack — a battery, a charging + protection block, and a converter to a clean rail. Knowing why lets you read Forge's power choices, size a battery honestly, and — for the solar wedge — explain why LiFePO4 + MPPT is the right call.

Time to apply it to a real, battery-powered product.

Send the prompt below in Forge Design and study the power path it builds. For a portable, rechargeable device you'll see the stack this course explains: a LiPo protection + charging block (so it charges safely from USB and won't over-discharge) and a converter to a clean supply rail.

As you read it, ask the course's questions: Is the runtime realistic for a single cell — does the power budget (current × time) add up? Would a buck, boost, or LDO suit that rail? That reasoning is the difference between a device that turns on and one that lasts a week.