Pico 5V to 500V High Voltage DC-DC Converter Selection Guide

Need to convert a 5V supply to 100V, 200V, 300V or 500V DC?

Pico Electronics offers several miniature high-voltage DC-DC converter families for this requirement. The main difference is not simply output voltage — engineers should also compare output power, regulated vs proportional output, mounting type and operating temperature.

For a broader overview, see our Pico High-Voltage DC-DC Converter Guide.

Quick Selection: Which Pico Series Should You Choose?

Pico officially offers 5V-input high-voltage products across these ranges, including outputs from 100V up to 500V and beyond.

For Compact Designs: AV or SMV

For most low-power 5V-to-high-voltage designs, AV and SMV are good starting points.

Both families provide proportional, unregulated high-voltage output.

The main difference is mounting:

• AV: through-hole

• SMV: surface mount

For example, Pico 5AV500 converts a nominal 5V input to 500V output with up to 1.25W output power. Its specified input range is 4.5–5.5V.

If your PCB uses SMD assembly, the corresponding SMV family may be more convenient.

For a detailed comparison, see Pico AV vs SMV vs MV Series.

For Wide-Temperature Applications: MV Series

If the application requires higher reliability or operation in a harsher environment, consider the Pico MV Series.

The MV family supports outputs up to 500V and includes 5V-input versions such as 5MV500.

Like AV and SMV, MV uses proportional output, so output voltage changes with input voltage and load.

MV is therefore more suitable when environmental capability is important, but precise regulated output is not required.

For military or harsh-environment applications, also see our Pico Military and Wide-Temperature DC-DC Converter Guide.

Need More Current? Choose SA or SA-SM

A common mistake is choosing a converter only by voltage.

For example:

5V → 500V

could describe several Pico products, but their available output power may differ considerably.

The SA / SA-SM Series provides up to 3W, compared with 1.25W for AV/SMV.

For example:

• 5SA500: 5V → 500V, through-hole

• 5SA500SM: 5V → 500V, surface mount

The 5SA500 is rated for approximately 6mA output at 500V.

If you only need 200V output, see our existing Pico 5SA200SM 5V to 200V DC-DC Converter.

This is why engineers should calculate:

Output Power = Output Voltage × Required Current

before selecting a model.

Need a Regulated 500V Output? Look at AVR

AV, SMV, MV and SA are proportional converters.

If your circuit requires a more stable high-voltage rail, a regulated converter may be a better option.

Pico's AVR Series provides regulated isolated high-voltage outputs from 100V to 1000V, including models with a 4.5–5.5V input range.

Typical applications include:

• photomultiplier tube bias;

• piezoelectric devices;

• electron beam focusing;

• measurement and instrumentation circuits.

Choose AVR when maintaining the specified output voltage is more important than minimizing size or cost.

How to Choose Between 100V, 200V and 500V Models

The output voltage should be selected from the actual load requirement rather than simply choosing the highest available voltage.

5V to 100–200V

Suitable for applications such as:

• sensor bias;

• detector circuits;

• electrostatic devices;

• compact instrumentation.

For a real 200V example, see Pico 5SA200SM.

5V to 300–400V

Before selecting a model, determine whether the design needs:

• proportional or regulated output;

• less than 1.25W or up to 3–4W;

• SMD or through-hole mounting.

These requirements usually narrow the choice faster than voltage alone.

5V to 500V

Common Pico choices include AV/SMV, MV, SA/SA-SM and other higher-power families.

For example:

The best option depends mainly on load current, regulation and PCB mounting requirements.

Before Requesting a Quote

For faster model selection, provide:

• Input: 5V

• Required output voltage

• Required output current or power

• Regulated or proportional output

• Positive or negative high voltage

• Through-hole or surface mount

• Operating temperature

• Required quantity

If you are replacing an existing converter, see our Pico Electronics DC-DC Converter Replacement Guide to compare electrical and mechanical requirements before selecting an equivalent.

Need a Pico 5V High-Voltage Converter?

If you need a Pico 5V to 100V, 200V, 300V, 400V or 500V DC-DC converter, send us your required output voltage, current, mounting type and quantity.

Data Storage Technology can help check suitable Pico part numbers, specifications and availability for your application.

FAQ

What Pico converter can provide 5V input and 500V output?
Options include 5AV500, 5MV500 and 5SA500/5SA500SM, depending on required power, mounting and environmental requirements.

What is the difference between 5AV500 and 5SA500?
Both provide nominal 5V-to-500V conversion, but 5AV500 is a 1.25W proportional converter, while 5SA500 provides up to 3W.

Do I need a regulated 5V-to-500V converter?
Choose regulated output when the application requires a stable high-voltage rail despite changes in input voltage or load. For less sensitive applications, a proportional converter may be sufficient.