Variable Tension, current limited, 10Amp Power Supply Unit

Hi Folks,

I'm on my way to prepare a homemade Metal plating setup, and for that I needed a power supply unit with good control on it.
Here it is, it's a nice extension to the previous one I already showed :
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...3744#post99913
Which was basically a re-spin of an old powerful ATX PC power supply, delivering 12V, 5V , 3.3 V and -12V

Here, for plating application, I need more flexibility, so I made an extension to the ATX PSU, using a kind of magical board I discovered, which is based on the LTC3780 chip.
This boad can take any DC tension as input, and can deliver , whatever the input level is, a 1V to 30V, up to 10Amp.
So it's both a step up and step down regulator. All this is based on a digital circuit, and is quite sophisticated.
You can find the boad on the usual online market places, I purchased mine for 20€
Look for
"LTC3780 DC 12V Voltage Regulator Input 5-32V Output 1-30V Automatic Step Up Down Regulator Charging Module 10A"

So, I basically replaced the onboad micro potentiometers by faceplate "macros" ones, added a nice little voltmeter and ammeter.
First pot is for controlling output tension, second pot is for controlling current limitation.
If you set the current limit under the level that requires your load, the board lowers the tension so that the current is what was set the limitation to.
There is an other pot on board that sets an input under tension level, under which the boards stop working.

I added a PC fan, just in case ...

I put everything in a nice homemade wooden enclosure (no , it is not 3D printed, that's not the idea).
It is powered by my ATX PSU, it can be 5V or 12V no difference.

And here it is :

https://www.labellenote.fr/file/home...lePSU_0001.jpg

https://www.labellenote.fr/file/home...lePSU_0002.jpg

https://www.labellenote.fr/file/home...lePSU_0003.jpg

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Thanks Christophe Mineau! We've added your Variable DC Voltage Regulator to our Power Supplies category,
as well as to your builder page: Christophe Mineau's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

<div id="blocks"> <div class="block b1 pngfix"> <div class="bimg"> <div> <a href="https://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-variable-dc-voltage-regulator"> <img src="/uploads/229314/homemade-variable-dc-voltage-regulator.jpeg"/> </a> </div> </div> <div class="head pngfix"></div> <div class="left pngfix"></div> <div class="right pngfix"></div> <div class="blockover b1 pngfix"> <div class="title"> <a href="https://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-variable-dc-voltage-regulator">Variable DC Voltage Regulator</a> <span> by <a href="https://www.homemadetools.net/builder/Christophe+Mineau">Christophe Mineau</a></span> </div> <div class="tags">tags: <a href='https://www.homemadetools.net/tag/power-supply'>power supply</a>, <a href='https://www.homemadetools.net/tag/adjustable'>adjustable</a> </div> </div> </div> </div>
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Thanks Don’t be discouraged, please post more

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Christophe Mineau

Hi Folks,
I am personally less and less prone to post the things I make (am I the only one with this feeling ?),......

(This may very well be my last one here)

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I hope this is not your last, and thank you for this useful post. I am an electrical and mechanical engineer, and I found your post very helpful. I'll share this with my colleagues, as we are always short on test supplies in the lab but have lots of old PC supplies.

Kind regards

Christophe,

Thanks for the tip on the LTC3780 chip, I shall follow up on that. I for one enjoy your well finished projects, but it is your choice whether you want to contribute in future. Do what you feel is best for you. I ask myself the same question whenever I make a post.
Good luck with whatever decision you come to.

Thanks for the tip, Christophe - all the best!

LTC3780 Data sheet for the curious of you out there, thinking "-This seems too good to be true?"

https://www.analog.com/media/en/tech...ts/LTC3780.pdf

-Anyone still believing this chip can crank out and deliver 24 V @ 10 A out of a single AA battery?:)

No free lunches today, either - Sorry! But still a darned interesting chip and a clever application of it!
I've got a few 12 VDC 750W server PSUs lying around that without sweat could feed this chip to the very top.

Thanks
Johan

Since the chip requires at least 4 V to operate...not likely.

One thing to remember is these are all Watts to Watts converters with a loss due to efficiency. I typically figure a worst case of 80% efficiency.

So, input current x input voltage x 0.8 = output current x output volts

Thanks guys, for the encouragement and the good comments. Sometimes, I m really fed up with the social networks, and regret the golden Era of the Forums...
Yes, that's true, it's watts for watts with the cost of inefficiency, but this little thing is rated 130 w, and the digital chip seems very clever to provide the best and minimize waste.
The fan does not seem mandatory and the fact it doesn't heat too much makes me think it's quite efficient.
It really is a good extension to an atx psu, which has actually far too much watts than necessary.
I like it. Yesterday, I made my electrolytes with it, it sustained 10v 3A during 3hours and half, not even hot, so that's not a gadget.
,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Christophe Mineau

The fan does not seem mandatory and the fact it doesn't heat too much makes me think it's quite efficient.
It really is a good extension to an atx psu, which has actually far too much watts than necessary.
I like it. Yesterday, I made my electrolytes with it, it sustained 10v 3A during 3hours and half, not even hot,.
,

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You are outputting 30 watts there, so at 80% efficiency you will only be heating your box with 7.5 watts. Fan not needed.
However, if you run it at the full 130 watts (assuming that is output power) then the waste heat will be 32.5 watts, you may need the fan for that.

Congratulations Christophe Mineau - your Variable DC Voltage Regulator is the Homemade Tool of the Week!

This was another busy week with many nice tools, but this is a clever regulator that is powered by another homemade tool.

Some more good tools from this week:

Blacksmith's Third Hand by Little Rabbit
Grinding Machine by liberal
Brake by PowerMk
No Tear Countersink Drilling Method by Paul Alciatore
Anvil by Tuomas
Pulley Tension Adjuster by thehomeengineer
Dishwasher Rack Axle Replacement by rgsparber
Dado Jig by Didpoolhall
Pipe Welding Clamp by Kwandotechnic
Pull Block by Make Things
Push Block by Christofix
3 Axis Welding Clamp by Made in Garage
Articulating Work Rest by House_Work
3 Axis F-Clamps by Kwandotechnic
Materials Rack by PB Machines
Small Vise Mount by Catfish
Bench Vise by Mr.DK DIY
Camera Stand by CharlesWaugh
Leather Press by Turboconqueringmegaeagle
Crosscut Sled by Didpoolhall


Christophe Mineau - We've added your tool entry to our All Homemade Tool of the Week winners post, and you'll be receiving a $25 online gift card, in your choice of Amazon, PayPal, or bitcoin. Please PM me your current email address and award choice and I'll get it sent over right away.

More importantly, this is your 10th Homemade Tool of the Week win! I've just added the golden wrench-on-pedestal graphic to the awards showcase in your postbit, visible underneath your avatar.

:rocker: :clapping: :thumbsup: :bow:https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...OfTheWeek1.png:bow: :thumbsup: :clapping: :rocker:

You join these five other 10-time winners: rossbotics, mklotz, Vyacheslav.Nevolya, Tuomas, and tonyfoale. Congratulations again and good job :thumbsup:

Here are all 10 of your Homemade Tool of the Week winning tools:

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Hi Christophe, that’s awesome. Thanks for posting. What is it about posting your ideas that has you thinking of quitting?
Thanks Stuart, Australia.

Great project. Without your projects, this would be a much poorer place. I find them very interesting, please keep posting.

Regards Eddy.

Keep posting Christophe Mineau. I am sure your posts have given some other guy "just the idea" he needed as he was trying to figure out a way to do something not closely related to the item you have made. In short the posts we see here turns on the "light bulb" in someones brain today and every day in the future.

Thanks for your posts!

Love your project ... can relate to it as ive just about wraped up my own ATX PS conversion - 95% stolen ideas and models off thingieverse ...


Curious about a comment you posted ;

Quote:

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I put everything in a nice homemade wooden enclosure (no , it is not 3D printed, that's not the idea).

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Why wood - why not 3d ... you did it for a defined purpose - Im honestly wanting to learn why - im new to electronics modding - thinking there s something about this wood enclosure perhaps I need to learn.

thanks for sharing your works - keep rockin - por favor

Attachment 33358

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SASocal

Why wood - why not 3d ...

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Christophe is a wood worker par excellence. The wood has nothing to do with electronics.

Hi ,
Waoh, I'm sorry, I was traveling the last few days, I was kept away from my PC (sometimes this is something we need to do).

I fear maybe I brought some confusion in the few , maybe too ironic, words I left in my post.
I think I was maybe in a bad day and in a bad mood, but yes, that's what I've been thinking, maybe being wrong, for a while.
All the time I spent writing detailed articles on my Web site or here or more recently on Facebook pages, is it really worth it, and shouldn't I spend more time for me in my shop rather than loosing my time on the Web with so few feedback.
I think I am getting maybe old timer with the Web. I have nostalgia for that time where I learned so many things from the Web, could exchange with great people on forums, out of any form of business, just for the sake of sharing passion and knowledge and growing up all together.
This era has gone, and now people posting things on Youtube mostly want to monetize their things, sometimes they have real creativity, but now, very often ...
No need to talk about facebook pages (mostly woodworking), where you can see a huge number of followers and some illusion of activity, but actually, this is very rare to pick useful stuff there.
Sharing with people is mostly summarized by one of two exchanges through comments in few words, and afterwards you never hear about that person any more.
A the end, it's only a self satisfaction platform where you count the number of likes you can collect with your posts, but .. what else ?

HMT keeps, as you may all know, my real true forum of choice, where there is a true community of passionate people I really like.
I think, on the long range, we end up knowing ourselves somewhat, appreciating each one's personality and knowledge and contributions.
But even here, and this is not to set any criticism towards Jon who I know does his best for providing us with a great platform with not (too) much advertising and so on, while making his living probably with it, but I get the strange feeling that things are changing ...
I see now that a majority of home made tools posted here are actually a repost of mostly Utub posts, with a clear strategy of monetization, with nice logos and long preamble to the glory of the Youtuber ...
OK, that's not for me ...
But sad enough, I really feel that people also react less as a forum on such posts and there are fewer exchanges or at least constructive exchanges on such posts.
Well, that's it, but at the end of the day, I really question myself why bothering posting things that will get lost among all this ?

Well friends, all your feedback's here on that thread tend to demonstrate I must be wrong and there are still people interested with simply, freely , sharing ideas !

And to answer to SASocal above about my ironical allusion to 3D printed stuff, that's just because 3D printed things represent exactly the stereotype of things I find mostly useless, ugly, poor, and often seen on Youtube DIY videos.
Actually, this is my personal touch. I love doing tools, but when I can, prefer to make them pretty, and craft them with my hands.
If you want to know everything, my professional occupation is engineering in electronics and computer science, and it is a true passion.
But what I deeply admire the most, what really makes me thrill, is craftsmanship. Mastering things with one's hands, using nice materials.
So what I love doing above all is melting craftsmanship with science, physics, technology.
Luthiery for instance, is the most typical domain where you need the highest degree of craftsmanship with equally a high understanding of physics and acoustics.
And sometimes I manage to make funny things out of wood and digital stuff (see my talking toolbox, I had few feedback on this one) or my digital finger box jig.

Well, me the first, I think I need to contribute more to other's contributions, but please, keep in mind that this is always useful to post comments, share your points of views and experiences, this is appreciated by posters like me !

Read you soon.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SASocal

Love your project ... can relate to it as ive just about wraped up my own ATX PS conversion - 95% stolen ideas and models off thingieverse ...


Curious about a comment you posted ;

Why wood - why not 3d ... you did it for a defined purpose - Im honestly wanting to learn why - im new to electronics modding - thinking there s something about this wood enclosure perhaps I need to learn.

thanks for sharing your works - keep rockin - por favor

Attachment 33358

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It could be as simple as Christophe, like me, doesn't have a 3D printer

edit. . . DELETED because already answered.