USB PD Power Box - Your Feedback Wanted for My Open-Source Power Supply Project! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: sydundar
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2024, 01:47:06 am
content: Hi everyone,I’m excited to share my open-source project, the USB PD Power Box, with the EEVblog community! My goal is to create a low-cost, portable power supply that can be used for a wide range of electronics projects, testing setups, and everyday tasks at home or in the lab.The project includes both fixed and adjustable voltage outputs, all powered via USB PD with up to 100W of power delivery. The hardware, firmware, and GUI are completely open-source, so it’s accessible to everyone interested in tinkering, improving, or adapting it for their needs.I’d love to get your feedback to refine the design. What do you like about the concept? Are there features you’d like to see or think could be improved? Your insights will help me make this project even more practical and versatile for electronics enthusiasts and professionals alike.

author: jwet
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2024, 05:01:53 pm
content: This looks pretty good. Modern equipment often has a need for multiple supplies and this looks pretty nice- I like the display on board.It might be nice to have a button and led for each rail to enable and disable them. A master enable/disable might be good too. In troubleshooting, its common to power down, power up and isolate rails.You show a rotary encoder on your block but I don't see it.The standard pin spacing for binding posts is .75"- I hope that even though these are diagonal, you maintain this.I'm not crazy about the diagonal posts, I know it might make it taller, but I'd rather have them straight.Those big binding posts are sort of a standard- I wonder if there is an alternative?I like USB PD input. What if someone plugs in a 65W supply- will the system work at lower power? I would like this.Have you seen the little supplies from FNIRSI and the Reddit thread on this topic.Good luck. I'm surprised you haven't gotten more responses, it looks good.

author: sydundar
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2024, 09:57:21 pm
content: Quote from: jwet on December 14, 2024, 05:01:53 pmThank you for your detailed feedback! I'm glad you liked the concept and the display integration.Regarding your points:1. **Individual rail control:**I spent a lot of time considering whether to make each channel individually switchable. However, adding this feature would require extra buttons and components, which would increase both the design cost and overall size. I’ve realized that a significant part of the design process isn’t just about deciding what to include but also about determining what to leave out and where to optimize for cost and practicality. I’ll revisit this idea and give it further thought—thank you for the suggestion!2. **Rotary encoder:** This is my first revision and there is no rotary encoder yet. Sorry for confussion3. **Diagonal binding posts:** I'll take your suggestion about straight posts into account. It may require some adjustments to the layout, spacing of 0.75" makess lots of sense but not sure all posts fits to same surface or not.4. **Binding post alternatives:** I'll explore smaller binding post options to reduce the overall size.5. **USB PD input:** Yes, the system will support lower power supplies like 65W, dynamically adjusting its output based on the available power. It 1Aeven works if you connect it to mobile phone, laptop or 5V 0.5A/1A charger.6. **FNIRSI supplies:** I hadn't seen those supplies before, and the price point is quite impressive. It looks like a really solid product—appreciate you bringing it to my attention!Thanks again for your encouragement and constructive comments!

author: jwet
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 15, 2024, 12:23:53 am
content: Thank me with the thanks button.I completely understand the "finiteness" of design. You have to decide what you'll include- you likely won't lose any customers by not having the feature but might lose some on cost if the thing costs more.Good luck.

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 15, 2024, 11:09:59 am
content: So there is no separate enable signal for each output?I could understand the reluctance to add a bunch of extra physical buttons, but I would think individual output enables would be a common need even of only via the app control.Even better would be the ability to set up some sequencing of power on/off.That said, I'm not sure who the target market is for this. It seems a little advanced for most hobbyists, and a little too basic for professionals.Is there any per channel current limits? Any features like OCP, OVP, etc? Waveform Gen or SCPI control?I have a few USB PD power supplies, including a FNIRSI one and some simple PD triggers. I also have the siru.box (USB 2.0).These are quite handy, but are not something I'd use day to day. I tend to take them when traveling for work (or hobby), and a bench PSU would be too bulky.

author: sydundar
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2024, 10:57:13 am
content: Quote from: Kean on December 15, 2024, 11:09:59 am1): There is no enable signal output but controlling from the app makes sense to me. I will think on this..2): The target market is essentially this: for instance, when working with multiple evaluation boards and needing different power requirements, even using benchtop power supplies can be challenging. Considering portability, you can connect this to your laptop and obtain 12V or 24V outputs while also powering your development board with voltages like 3.3V or 5V. For example, you can power an HDD with a 12V input directly via USB. It's actually very useful in my own lab, but perhaps I haven't been able to clearly explain what the product can be used for. There is no per channel current limit but overall current/power can be limited. No Waveform Gen support there is SCPI support via USB Serial.3): I will have a look the gadgets you have thanks for sharing.