"SourcePure-SC" portable power supply! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: JimRemington
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2024, 05:56:22 pm
content: These folks propose to use a 0.41Wh, 2.7V 400F supercap as a portable power supply:https://www.crowdsupply.com/rfoxia/sourcepure-scThe folks over at the Arduino forum are having some fun with design issues and exaggerated claims:https://forum.arduino.cc/t/introducing-the-worlds-first-power-supply-with-super-capacitance-battery-system/1288999Charging scheme proposed on web site:

author: mairo
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 20, 2024, 05:38:40 am
content: The shown battery from my understanding is the one of the 3 power options - either a super cap, or this rechargeable battery, or via a DC input (8-28V). In theirs campaign it says that they will be shipping this battery too. I hope they have done theirs homework well when it comes to shipping batteries.The team's linked in profiles look interesting too, hardware guy seems all over the place, and the other two members look just marketing.. The hardware person has/still works at Viita smart watches that was another crowd funded campaign that do not have very good feedback. I would say there might be (or not) something fishy here.I would really like to see the mains implementation and integration into the product

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 05, 2024, 12:49:14 am
content: No way is that 9V Lithium battery capable of 3000mAh at 9V (or even a nominal 8.4V)

author: mairo
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 09, 2024, 11:41:03 am
content: I am still puzzled where do you connect the mains cable?

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 09, 2024, 11:59:37 am
content: Quote from: mairo on September 09, 2024, 11:41:03 amInto the FULL BRIDGE RECTIFIER of course!But yeah, I was wondering that as well.In the Arduino forum comments they seemed to imply that the AC PSU is on the back of the PCB shown. I doubt that due to the lack of input connector, and clearances in general.They show the AC input in the block diagram "schematic", but there is no figure 8 power connector on the box to match the power cable in the photos.I find it amazing that Crowd Supply approved this project as described.

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 09, 2024, 12:02:51 pm
content: I've sent a message to the creator through the Crowd Supply website.Quote

author: Ranayna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2024, 12:36:03 pm
content: The pictures also only show a single super cap.It has to be a less capable prototype. Just looking at the size of that cap, and add a 50 Amp peak SMPS into the design, and the true finished product will be significantly larger.

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 09, 2024, 01:13:22 pm
content: Quote from: Ranayna on September 09, 2024, 12:36:03 pmThe creator said on the Arduino forum that it is mislabelled, and it is actually a custom made 400F at 10V (i.e. 4 x 1600F 2.7V in series).I find that hard to believe based on a quick look into the typical size of a super caps rated near 1600F 2.7V on Digikey.Quote from: Ranayna on September 09, 2024, 12:36:03 pmYes, which is why I am surprised it was approved by Crowd Supply. They supposedly require a sample before a campaign is approved, and I expected them to do a (more than cursory) review that the sample matched the description. Prototypes are OK, but they would still need to match the final specs. Kickstarter is much more lenient, and just don't allow renders for tech products (last I checked).The product may more-or-less work as a power supply (not difficult), but I find that their claimed specifications are unsubstantiated and unbelievable.It is almost like the numbers are back of the envelope theoretical calculations, and not verified in practice at all.

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 09, 2024, 04:33:22 pm
content: I had a reply from RFOXiA to my questions above.QuoteSo, I wonder why they are not using more current photos if they have had a new design since June 2023?Just adding more red flags.

author: mairo
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 11, 2024, 04:35:28 am
content: The data shown for voltage noise and PSRR seems strait out of the IC's datasheets and the way they show how "extremely clean" is the output, is also 'abit' questionable.

author: mairo
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 08, 2025, 01:02:02 pm
content: The chap is back, this time on Kickstarter with an add campaign Indiegogo style.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rfoxia/sourcepure-super-capacitance-portable-reliable-power-supply?ref=discovery_category&total_hits=1918&category_id=334I don’t know where to start this time, the ‘new’ single 30V/10A output (yet most of the text and pictures still refer to the original 3 output design), the "precision DC analyser" feature, or the comparison with a Joulescope…. there is more when you start reading through the text. The entire "Fully tested" section (based on the ‘old’ design) is just meaningless gibberish and the videos only show that he built an LDO circuit/DCDC converter that he measured the output under no load. I would love to see the PCB under a thermal camera with the proposed output currents based on the input voltages, schematics belowhttps://www.crowdsupply.com/img/4940/898beb0f-ad5b-4047-aa04-e966d9724940/sourcepure-sc-schematic.pngThe only ‘positive’ thing is that he has removed the AC input.Edit: forgot to to link the kickstarter page

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 08, 2025, 02:11:31 pm
content: Forgot all about this company. Interesting (and glad) to see the Crowd Supply campaign was suspended.It seems like there are about 50 backers of this new Kickstarter who can't see the red flags.I just check out their earlier Kickstarter campaign for BLE modules with supposed 50km range and 2MBps data rate! Still not shipped.They apparently shipped their earlier GPS modules based on u-blox M10Q and tiny chip antenna about a year ago, but there are no backer comments to indicate they were any good.Their website homepage lists this SourcePure project as well as an AI laptop and anunlimited flight-timedrone, but all of these go to an "Under development" page.This company seem to be so shady, and loose with the truth. Just my opinion...

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2025, 11:27:00 pm
content: So that schematic shows 4 1600F capacitors, that they are somehow going to cram into a small box for $350.I guess if they rely on fake specs from no name brands then it can work, from the comments:Quote

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 12, 2025, 06:03:19 am
content: It is a little late with only 3 days left, but I have just backed the KS for $1 and left a comment querying the project.Maybe some backers will see this and it leads them to doing their own research…

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 12, 2025, 11:21:53 pm
content: So I asked the following question on the Kickstarter comments, and got the response below.QuoteQuoteJust for the fun of it, I've now left some more comments asking about their comparison with the Joulescope and nanovolt measurement resolution, as well the clearly fake battery specification.

author: Simmed
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2025, 05:40:26 am
content: they say it connects to USB and has a software to display measurementbut there is no pics/vids of this softwarethen it shows it uses fluke to "display" what it doestotally misleading

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 13, 2025, 06:20:18 am
content: Quote from: Simmed on July 13, 2025, 05:40:26 amYeah, the whole thing seems far too misleading for it not to be intentional.The previous Crowd Supply campaign said it could be connected to the mains for charging, and when queried they said the charging circuit was on the other side of the PCB so we couldn't see it... which made no sense to anyone who has designed a PCB with mains circuitry.