Jai wrote...

[details snipped]

>...I figured connected the
>resistor connected right from +Vcc to GND would draw (V/R: 5V/10ohms) 0.5A.

That's correct: a 10 ohm resistor connected across 5 volts will
draw 1/2 ampere.

[tragic tale of fried regulator chip snipped]

>...So I can't figure out what's going on (and I
>only have one more MAX787 left, heh). Is this not a good way to draw current
>from the circuit?

It's a perfectly valid way to test your supply.

>Also on a side note, my circuit is current on a solderless breadboard. Are
>these things suitable for handling currents up to 1.5A? Could this be the
>problem?

Solderless breadboards are [allegedly] good for some things, but
they sure aren't any good for building high-current switching
regulator circuits: the connections have way too much contact
resistance, meaning there will be large, unintended voltage drops
everywhere along the current path.  I would be extremely
surprised if the circuit worked at all, and very unsurprising if
it malfunctioned destructively.  This could indeed be the
problem.

The data sheet for the MAX787 shows a typical application
circuit, and this circuit uses a 50 uH (50 microhenry) inductor.
Yet your schematic shows a 50 mH (50 MILLIhenry) inductor.  What
gives?  You should be strictly following the inductor selection
guidelines given by the chip manufacturer.  If you really are
using a 50 mH inductor, this absolutely, positively will not
work.

Dave D.

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