differences between choke and an Inductor

[guitarmike2107]

Hi Guys have wound a couple inductors like the Erse IQ coils for creating the resonant frequency on a speaker simulation/ inductive load I have been building

https://www.erseaudio.com/Products/IQCoils
The problem is I have had to DIY a coil former for them as I can't get an inductor former in the size I need, The end product looks a bit bodged rather than a smart looking Erse coil and makes mounting securely difficult.

Is there any reason I should not use EI laminations and a suitable bobbin to do the same job. I have wound a test one and it is easy to get a higher inductance values. Actually just using the E's gets me spot on, the EI puts the inductance right up.

Basically is inductance = inductance?

Thanks in advance

 

[Moby]

Basically "inductance is inductance" yes. But what for you are going to use it determine the core material and winding approach. So, A choke is a type of inductor, but a choke cuts off or high-frequency AC. It only permits DC to pass through.
All chokes are inductors, but not all inductors are chokes. Some inductors are designed to filter exact frequency, it can be used as a sensor or transformer or even motor.
Using EI against some other core shape is possible, but again, you have to know or tell somwbody the purpose of the inductor you build. Then you choose the core based on the inductor parameters.

 

[guitarmike2107]

Thanks.

So the term choke is referring to an inductor designed to work in a power supply, with an air gap to allow DC to pass and not saturate etc This is not the application I intend to use this inductor in.

I have assumed, and maybe wrongly so, that simple inductors like the Erse one above are designed like that as it will be considerably cheaper, smaller and lighter than using traditional EI lams. As a commercial product that makes sense.

I have wound one with an EI core, maybe I should just try it in circuit and run some curves to see how well it performs

 

[Moby]

If you want to use EI based one as a gapped inductor you should stack "E" lams on one side and "I"on the other, than to put some insulation on their joint to make the gap. Adjusting the gap thickness will change the inductance of course, but it will save the core from DC saturation.