Project: Power House

[SXRguyinMA]

This is going to be a scratch-built PSU mod. Basically I've been using a cheapo Dynex power supply as a bench supply, but with all of it's cords it's rather messy and unorganized. I decided to make it into a table-top modular style power center. I plan to have at least 4 terminals (12v, G, 3.3v, 5v), along with several molex connectors for direct-plugin of devices that use them.

The internals of the PSU will be removed from their casing and mounted to the back panel as shown. The edges are 90º aluminum angle that will be cut to 8" length and cut at a 45º angle on each side, so it will me an 8" cube. The panels will be from 3mm solid black polycarbonate (shown translucent for better effect), and will be riveted to the angled aluminum. There will be two 120mm fans, one intake and one exhaust. I may change the design though, as 2 120mm fans may be overkill. I may just install one 120mm exhaust fan in the top panel, along with some holes in the sides and/or bottom for intake air.

There will be some cutouts of various sizes and whatnot, along with some internal lighting just to give it a little glow.

Anything anyone thinks may be useful for a benchtop power supply let me know. Whether it be different connections, tools, etc.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power House/1.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power House/2.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power House/3.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power House/4.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power House/5.png

[pheenix]

Keep both fans, and make them LED fans for good measure :p

[billygoat333]

an led tester is always a good idea :)

[SXRguyinMA]

Keep both fans, and make them LED fans for good measure :p

Well I'm going to have other lighting effects inside it, so the LEDs in the fans might clash a little. I've got a pair of standard Tt black/red 120mm fans that I'm planning on using


an led tester is always a good idea :)

very good idea my friend. I can hook up a pair of female header pins to the 3v supply, so you can just pop them in and test! +rep

[x88x]

Nice, I keep meaning to add proper connectors to mine but just haven't gotten around to it...

One other thing I would recommend is a variable line pulling off the 12V. Put in a nice pot and make a volt-meter to show the current level. That'll be nice if you ever need an odd voltage for something.

[SXRguyinMA]

love the idea! +rep

I was also thinking of getting an inexpensive basic multimeter and building it right into the front panel, with the connections so any standard multimeter leads can be used. This was you never have to find your meter! (well me at least) :D

[RogueOpportunist]

love the idea! +rep

I was also thinking of getting an inexpensive basic multimeter and building it right into the front panel, with the connections so any standard multimeter leads can be used. This was you never have to find your meter! (well me at least) :D
Check Harris Scarfe Catalogue (https://www.catalogueau.com/harris-scarfe/) and Myer Catalogue (https://www.catalogueau.com/myer/).

OR rip the cheap multimeter to pieces, mod the heck out of it and make a charging "dock" for it in your PSU. :D

[BS Mods]

This will be awesome..And handy.

[billygoat333]

I've actually got an idea for a mod for a PSU, using an old car cd player. I don't want to spoil the details in case I actually get the motivation to do it, but it will be sweet. :D

[SXRguyinMA]

well I've got a Craftsman multimeter that the case is broken, and did some figuring, and I can run it directly off of 5v. I just hook the 5v line and ground to the batter + and - and it works perfectly! The only tough thing will be cutting the opening for it so ti fits perfectly. It's got some weird edges, cut I can get it done!

Hopefully I can get some work done on this thing soon!

[SXRguyinMA]

alright so I did some more messin around with sketchup, here's revision 2 :D


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/rev2_1.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/rev2_2.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/rev2_3.png

[jpmeyer038]

very impressive. i would have never though of the PSU as something to mod to this extreme level. cant wait to see the actual.

[diluzio91]

very impressive. i would have never though of the PSU as something to mod to this extreme level. cant wait to see the actual.

Lol. what he said. Nice bench top PSU... are you just getting a cheap PSU to run in it?

[SXRguyinMA]

I picked up a Dynex (BestBuy brand, line Rosewill is to NewEgg) 400W PSU on ebay for under $10 with free shipping, so it'll be used for this mod

[SXRguyinMA]

Alright I got some actual work done on this thing finally :D

The PSU:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0632.jpg

Disassembly:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0633.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0634.jpg

Wiring trimmed:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0635.jpg

The multimeter:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0641.jpg

Disassembly:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0642.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0643.jpg

Template to cut out the acrylic panel:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0644.jpg

The outside frame will be made up of 3/4" 90º aluminum angle beam. Each section will be approximately 8" long.

Beam marked:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0645.jpg

And cut:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0646.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0647.jpg

And halfway done:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0649.jpg

And all the parts cut and sanded and filed:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0650.jpg

I've got 8 pieces with angles that will be the top and bottom frames. The 4 pieces without angles will be the corner vertical pieces. The acrylic will be riveted to the angles with 2 rivets on each side.

I also got my voltage meter straightened out with help from the folks over at the Arduino forums:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/powerhouse_bb-1.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0639.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0640.jpg

This will give real-time readings with a once-per-second update on the voltages on all 3 lines (3.3v, 5v and 12v).

And a screenshot of my eagle layout for good measure :D


::Image removed due to errors. See updated image below::

I may just solder this up in a regular mini RadioShack perfboard for now, as I don't know when or if I'll actually have one made, although its nice to know the option is there :D

[x88x]

Nice work on the display, I might be using that on my own.

[SXRguyinMA]

let me know if you want to and I'll give you the code :up:

[SXRguyinMA]

actually, I just noticed an error with that Eagle design. don't use it :D

I'll get it updated tonight

[SXRguyinMA]

fixed it :D


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/pwrhse_board_rev1_1.png

[BS Mods]

Oh man this is so cool.

Everyone needs one of these.

[SXRguyinMA]

Update time

I got the 6 wall pieces cut out. Each measures roughly 7 5/8" square.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0660.jpg

Then I used a 120mm fan template from MNPC Tech and cut fan holes in 2 of the panels with my Dremel and the SWEET circle cutter attachment :D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0661.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0662.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0663.jpg

Next I used the drill press, and tilted the table at a 45º angle so I could drill straight through the angle beam where I marked. I marked 1" in from the ends and 1/2" from the bend. I used the clamps so I only had to measure one piece, and just butt up each subsequent piece to the clamp and it'd be dead on.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0664.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0665.jpg

And all the pieces drilled

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0666.jpg

Next I taped the 4 frame parts together, then I taped one of the panels (the bottom in this case) to the frame for drilling.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0667.jpg

The panel drilled

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0668.jpg

And riveted. This completes the bottom frame section. These corners don't line up 100%, but it's the bottom so I'm not worried. I will file the top ones so they all fit nicely together.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0669.jpg

Here's the PSU internals laid on the bottom. This will actually be mounted to the rear part, but this gives an idea of size.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0670.jpg

And with 2 panels sitting in place.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0671.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0672.jpg

And I laid out the components to get an idea of fit and size. I plan to put a 2p connector under the main power switch. This will be hooked to the 3v supply to test LEDs. I didn't put a spot for a power LED, as the switch I got has an LED in the tip of it.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0674.jpg

That's all for tonight!

[billygoat333]

I found that lining up the corners is SUPER hard in making a frame like this. The metal on my xbox mod doesn't line up either, even with lots of careful filing. :P Just like you though, mine is the bottom so I can't be too bothered to fix it. lol

[SXRguyinMA]

yea, I plan to do whatever necessary to make the tops fit, as they will be seen and I want them to be perfect (or close to it)

[AmEv]

Man, I wish I thought of this sooner.


Figuring out how to tie a wattmeter into the line.

[SXRguyinMA]

I'm actually working on that at the moment :D Either a watt-meter or an ammeter in addition to the voltage display. I plan to have a push button to cycle through the different modes.

[Luthien]

I like the square design

[DonT-FeaR]

very very cool

[SXRguyinMA]

thanks :D

[Oneslowz28]

What about adding an adjustable output from one of the 12v lines? I have a schematic that uses just a few components and will allow 1.3v-12v

Nice job BTW

[SXRguyinMA]

I love the idea but I've got one concern. The measuring circuit for the 12v line uses two resistors as a voltage divider, if the voltage gets low enough will that cause issues with the Arduino reading? But then again if I need to go down to 5v I already have a 5v line. Shoot over your shcematic! :D

I'm working on getting an amperage measurement worked into my LCD display as well. Once I get that sorted maybe I'll work your regulator circuit into it and have a single PCB made up

[Oneslowz28]

Here is the link. http://www.ladyada.net/library/equipt/diypsupp.html

[SXRguyinMA]

thanks for the link. I'll have to work that in somehow

[Oneslowz28]

I was going to make one and use one of those $5 digital voltage meters from ebay to display the voltage.

[SXRguyinMA]

that's not a bad idea. maybe have the setup I already have as a set voltage, then work in that adjustable one with one of those ebay meters as an adjustable output as well. I like that idea +rep :D

[Oneslowz28]

You can get most of the parts from electronic goldmine too. I bought enough components to make 5 of these for less than $10. Well sans the power meter.

make sure you get one of the meters that measure down to 0v DC. A lot of them on there only do 7-20v

[SXRguyinMA]

like this one

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280606995202

[Oneslowz28]

Yes that is exactly what I was talking about.

[Snowman]

wow at first i was like thats a lot of work for a bench top and then it evolved into so much more definitely watching this one.

[SXRguyinMA]

thanks :D I'm still working on it, albeit slowly. Arctic Cat has my main attention right now though. I should hopefully get some more work done on this after Christmas, now that most of the preliminary work with Arctic Cat on my end is done.

[Waynio]

Interesting project :):up:.

[SXRguyinMA]

well this is on the way (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=250747388821&si=n7b953QUVjjyVFIJVy0y4n5NtiM%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT) to use with a pot for a variable voltage output :D

[x88x]

Aww, party pooper. :( Sticking extra boards in there..grumblegrumblegrumble.

Nah, that should work fine. Looking forward to seeing it in action.

[SXRguyinMA]

well I'm still using my LCD for the straight monitoring, that secondary LCD will be for a separate 12v line that I will be able to regulate down to 3v or so

[SXRguyinMA]

Alright so I got some more work done on this thing!

The pot I got for the variable output had 2 problems. First there was this little tab in the way, but that was easily taken care of :D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0801.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0803.png

Second, it was WAAAYYY too long, but that was easily taken care of as well :D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0802.png

I also got the front panel mostly cutout and parts temporarily installed. All that's left is to cut the openings for the molex's and the little opening for the LED tester :D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0804.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0805.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0806.png

That's it for now!

[Mach]

Interesting project SXR. I'm looking at doing something similar but measuring voltage, power, and current. I'm looking at TI's INA219 (http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/ina219.html) right now as an option. Still kicking tires and learning. I've got a few ina169's (http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/ina169.html) if you want to add current measurement.

How hard was it to dismantle your PSU? Anything to watch out for?

[SXRguyinMA]

Thanks for the offer, but the SMT package won't work for me for this, I need a through-hole package.

As far as dismantling the PSU goes, it was pretty straightforward. A few screws for the housing and such. The only hard part is the power connector and switch. You either need to cut the housing (like I did) or de-solder all the wires from each one and get them out that way. I figured I didn't need the housing so I just cut it, it made things easier.

Watch out for the caps, make sure not to short them with anything (like a wedding ring) during disassembly :D

[Mach]

Thanks, I'll keep that wedding ring thing in mind :)

[Crimson13]

Great work so far! I have almost the exact project going on right now. I'm going to have 24v, 12v, 5v, 3.3v, and a variable line. I was also thinking of adding some usb ports for charging/testing usb powered things and a fuse tester. I like the suggestion of an led tester as well so I might have to borrow that idea.

[SXRguyinMA]

I like the idea of the USB port for testing/charging...I may have to borrow that :D

Update time!

I got these SICK case handles and feet in from MNPCtech!

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0818.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0820.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0821.png

I placed each foot in it's position and marked it with a drill bit, then drilled the holes and mounted the feet.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0824.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0825.png

Next I got the rough cutouts for a male and female molex as well as a 2-pin MBB header (for the LED tester) done, then spent some time filing until the pieces fit.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0826.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0827.png

Now I had to modify the male molex so it would go through the panel enough for the pins to properly connect. I also found out, interestingly enough, that they're not made of black plastic!

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0830.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0832.png

Now I've got to decide where I'm going to put a USB connector (or two :D), and I've been throwing some design ideas around in photoshop that I'll etch into a blank space on the front. Granted it won't have the ability to be edge-lit, but it should still look sweet :D

[AmEv]

Uhm...

Where are you going to get 24V from, Crimson?
AFAIK, the max is 12v in a standard PSU
Even Apples only have 16?/20?V on theirs.

Good progress, tho, SXR

[SXRguyinMA]

Thanks! you can use some transformers and such to get 24v if you really want to :D

http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/12VDC_To_24VDC_Converter_Circuit.asp

:EDIT:

actually I may use that circuit and have a 24v supply line for the adjustable one, rather than just a 12v :think:

[SXRguyinMA]

Update time!

I made this logo in Photoshop:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/etchcopy.png

Then I printed it out and taped it to the front panel:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0842.png

After a quick run-over with the engraving bit:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0845.png

Then I removed the protective film and finished it up:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0847.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0848.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0849.png

Then I got everything mounted to the front panel, held in with a dab of hot glue here and there:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0850.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0852.png

Then it was time to start final assembly!

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0854.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0855.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0856.png

I marked the positive and negative for the LED tester with the engraving bit as well:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0858.png

Then I went about mounting those sexy MNPCtech handles. My camera battery was dead so I couldn't take pics of the progress, but it was just more temporary assembly and marking and drilling holes. I shot a final pic with my cell phone though.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0859.png

The top panel is not yet mounted, as I need to install the PSU and other internals and do some soldering before I permanently mount it. I'm also going to cut some kind of a door in the top as well, so that I can get in and change the fuses in the multimeter if needed.

I also made some changes and revisions to the schematic and board designs:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/brd_v2.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/sch_v2.png

That's all for now!

[slaveofconvention]

Ah man you got me thinking now how useful something like this would be...... And I'd have me a bit of a head-start too as I have had a shuttle case lying around for a couple years now just waiting to be made into "something".....


http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/slaveofconvention/imagestore/shuttle.jpg

[SXRguyinMA]

that case would be nice for it! It would be a lot roomier than the one I'm making. Now that I'm trying to stuff things into it I'm wishing I'd made it 10" x10" or even 12" x 12", rather than the 8" x 8" it is now. Ah well, it'll all fit, I just need to get creative :D

[SXRguyinMA]

Time for an update! :D

I got the parts laid out on a board.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0878.png

And got everything soldered up.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0880.png

Then I made a harness to connect the LCD and the board.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0881.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0882.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0883.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0884.png

And ready to get installed!

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0885.png

Now pretty much all that's left is to wire up all the internals and finish the top and rear panels! :D

[SXRguyinMA]

new version of the board. I noticed some errors with the last version, so I corrected them, and rearranged some parts :D


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/brd_v3.png

[SXRguyinMA]

ok so I think I found a simple easy way to get 24v on the variable output. Radio Shack has a 120VAC to 25.2VDC transformer (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102701) for $7. Problem is it only outputs 450mA. They have a 120VAC to 25.2VDC 2A version (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102703) that's bigger (read: won't fit into this enclosure). The question is - is 450mA going to be enough for most small electronics? I was thinking I'd need at least 1A. :think:

[x88x]

It'll be a lot more efficient if you just make or buy a DC-DC converter circuit. No sense in converting from AC to DC more times than you have to. It'll also let you put a bigger load on the bigger rail and let you easily upgrade it later if you want to replace the PSU.

[SXRguyinMA]

I think I'm going to scrap the idea, and just use the link that CJ posted (once I can get it to work right) to hook a variable to a 12v line. This way I can go from 1.25v to ~10.5v or so, in addition to the dedicated 12v, 5v and 3v lines

[d_stilgar]

We had to do a project like this in high school. We then used the power supplies we built on our next project which was to design and build light bulbs. We modified our design and built it to use a potentiometer which gave us greater control. It was pretty awesome.

[Crimson13]

I've heard that you can take the -12 line from the 24pin connector and pair that with a +12 line and you'll get 24v. I did it with my current bench supply project and it worked, not sure if there's any risk to doing it but I've read it in a few places that did ATX to bench supply mods.

[SXRguyinMA]

this, my friend, is a wonderful idea which I will have to research more. +rep to you! :D

[SXRguyinMA]

ok so that idea is out the window. You can do it, but you're limited to the amperage the -12v can supply, which according to this review (http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Dynex-400-W-Power-Supply-Review/557/6) is only 0.3A, which is way too little. I'd be better off with the 480mA 120AC to 24DC converter :facepalm:

I think I'll just hook it to the 12v for now (which after the adjustable reg will give me ~10.5V), and whenever I figure out an easy 24v solution I'll work it in. Thanks for the idea though! If I had a better PSU with 0.8A or even 1A on the -12v it'd be fine.

[Crimson13]

Ahh, I think I'll go check mine now!

[SXRguyinMA]

Update time!

So thanks to CJ, I made up this nice adjustable voltage regulator unit (http://www.ladyada.net/library/equipt/diypsupp.html).

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0908.png

I used a 10k pot instead of a 5k because I had it around. With a 12v input, all the way up gets ~11v, all the way down is ~1.25v, and I can go anywhere in between :D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0909.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0910.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0911.png

Now I had these nice little PCB clips I was going to use to mount this board and the board for the LCD. Only problem is, whatever kind of plastic these are made of is not compatible with CA glue. I glued one to a scrap piece of the black acrylic as a test, and I hardly touched it 2 days later and it popped right off.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0912.png

So instead I cut some scraps of red Acrylic I had laying around, then drilled holes and threaded in brass standoffs to mount the PCBs to. The red parts I glued to the inside of the case.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0913.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0914.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0916.png

The one for the LCD I decided to mount to the top panel because that was really the only place I had room to put it!

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0919.png

Here is the VR board mounted and the pot and output and ground connectors hooked up.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0918.png

And a shot of the wiring done for the LCD readout that's hooked to the adjustable board.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0917.png

I also started cutting wires on the PSU and adding connectors for all the various connections. I'll get pics of that next time I do some work on it :D

[x88x]

Looks good. IIRC, if you use a lower resistance pot you can get closer to the input voltage..not 100% sure about that though..

[SXRguyinMA]

nah I tried with a smaller thumbwheel 5k one, and it only got to 10.5, and when I hooked up this 10k one it got to 11, but that's fine :D

Hopefully down the road I can find a way (in a small size) to get ~24v to put on that adjustable output. There's that RS 120AC-25DC @ 480mA one I linked to for $7, but I don't think 480mA will be enough. The next one up is a 3 amp one, but it's physically too big for me to fit it in there lol

[xr4man]

check out "charge pumps". here's a description from wikipedia so i don't have to type a whole bunch. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge_pump

i really don't know too much about how much current they can handle, but this may be a way for you to get your 24v.

i just recently learned about them at work. we have a small product that uses a charge pump and it baffled me how there could be a 6v amplifier power circuit with only a 3v input.

anyway, just a thought for you.

[SXRguyinMA]

thanks! +rep

[xr4man]

so, i talke dto one of the engineers here and this is the chip we use. it's a lineartech LTC3862.

there are a lot more components that go into the circuit, but the engineer says it will take a 12v input and produce a 24v output with plenty of current for you.

you'll just have to look at the datasheet for example circuits probably.

cheers.

[SXRguyinMA]

Found it, thanks! AND they've got a request samples button...I'm going to get one or two. HUGE thanks!!

http://www.linear.com/product/LTC3862

[SXRguyinMA]

actually...one little problem...of course...their chips are all 0.15" SMD's!!! :facepalm: that's useless for me lol

[SXRguyinMA]

hell I should just get this! up to 55V/3A output!

http://cgi.ebay.com/12V-24V-Step-up-Power-Converter-Module-DC-DC-/180620065558?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0dcb7b16

[xr4man]

there you go. all done and ready for you. for ten bones i'd forget about all teh research and fabing you'd have to do and just buy that.

[SXRguyinMA]

yea I'm going to scoop up one of those, that makes things VERY simple :D

Thanks again for that info though, it was much appreciated :up:

[SXRguyinMA]

Update time!

I started off the night by soldering wire to the PCB of the PSU to connect the corner grounds. These would normally be connected by the steel case that it's mounted to, but in this case it's mounted to plastic, so this had to be done.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0920.png

Next up I installed the fans, one intake and one exhaust, and the mesh covers over the outside.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0921.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0922.png

Next up I worked on the interior lighting. I had to do something to snazz it up a bit :D I used one long white LED strip and 2 shorter amber ones. I stuck these inside with double-sided tape. The control box is under the LH fan, with the green terminal blocks.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0923.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0924.png

I then drilled a hole and installed the power button for the lights (in case they get annoying for whatever reason)

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0926.png

And a short vid of the lighting. The amber LEDs stay on while the white ones blink slowly.

g9t3CTwdcNI

And then I installed the PSU and hooked up all the wiring.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0927.png

And it works!

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0929.png

And a (crappy - need to redo it with better lighting) vid!

UIHo5qJUANw

As you can see I need to tweak the coding, as the 5v and 12v reading are a tad off. I checked them with the meter to be sure, and the output is correct, but the LCD reading is incorrect.

I'm also having a few issues with the multimeter, as it's being powered by 3v from the PSU, and grounded to the PSU. First off, because it's grounded through the PSU, it shares internal grounds with all the ground binding posts, so only the positive test lead is needed. Second, this meter's readings are low for some reason, by about 1.5v or so. I wonder if it's backfeeding through the PCB :? Maybe I need to put diodes in the supply line to the meter?

I tested it with a separate meter, and all the readings are correct. I may just take the 3v and gnd off the meter and use batteries with it again to keep it isolated. I'll try it and see how it works out.

That's it for now!

[SXRguyinMA]

ok so I just ordered this 12v to 24v booster (http://cgi.ebay.com/12V-24V-Step-up-Power-Converter-Module-DC-DC-/180620065558?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0dcb7b16), so in 3-4 weeks it'll be here, which means I've got plenty of time to sort out the coding for the LCD :D

[SXRguyinMA]

Well I got the code sorted, just needed to make some final adjustments.

the code:

/*Arduino Controlled Voltage Monitor
Code by Will Lyon 2/28/2011
Code for project Power House on TBCS
http://www.thebestcasescenario.com*/

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

//Initialize the library with the numbers of the interface pins
LiquidCrystal lcd(7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12);

void setup()
{
lcd.begin(16, 2); //Set up the LCD's number of columns and rows
lcd.print(" POWER HOUSE"); //First line opening message
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
lcd.print("Desktop Pwr Unit"); //Second line opening message
delay(5000);
lcd.setCursor(0, 1); //Clear bottom line
lcd.print(" ");
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print(" 3v 5v 12v"); //Update top line readout
}

void loop()
{
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
float f = analogRead(0) * 4.92 / 1023; // 3.3 => 9.9
lcd.print(f, 2); // print float with two decimals


lcd.setCursor(6, 1);
float g = analogRead(5) * 8.05 / 1023; // 5.0 => 9.9
lcd.print(g, 2);


lcd.setCursor(11, 1);
float h = analogRead(4) * 20.88 / 1023; // 12.0 => 25.0
lcd.print(h, 2);

delay(1000);
}

And the final result. It is accurate to within 0.05v, which for what I'm going to use this for is more than accurate enough :D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0930.png

Now all that's left to do is make the back door, and wait for my 12v to 24v converter to show up!

[AmEv]

So, are you going to leave thr voltage connectors the way they are, or dye them?

[slaveofconvention]

Looking at the perspex hole for the LED you can see excess glow around the edges of the module - A few pieces of basic black electrical tape would quickly take care of that without causing any hassle if it needed to be taken apart again....

[AnG3L]

Wow this is something different and really nice execution too!!! :)

[SXRguyinMA]

Wow this is something different and really nice execution too!!! :)

Thanks!

Well my 12v to 24v board showed up today, which was between 1 and 2 weeks EARLY from China....so expect an update tonight! :banana:

[SXRguyinMA]

And it's done! That's right, I got her all buttoned up tonight! I'll get the pics done and make the final post(s) tomorrow! :banana:

[dcattena]

Congrats! this is a awesome mod, *clicks rep 100 times* love the lighting.

cheers

[SXRguyinMA]

So the step-up converter showed up today, only took ~1 week from China, which is FAST. This will output up to 65VDC @3A, but it can only have a 40v differential between input and output voltages, So in my case I'll have 12v in, so max out is 52VDC. I cut out a piece of red acrylic, drilled and installed standoffs. This board has 4 mounting holes, but only 2 can be used. One is covered by a capacitor, the other is too close to other components.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0938.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0939.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0940.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0941.png

I then glued it to the top panel next to the PCB for the LCD display.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0942.png

I then took a 3-pin fan y-splitter, and cut and rearranged the wires to get a male and female pigtail. One will plug into the 12v connection from the PSU, the other will go to the input on the final regulator.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0943.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0944.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0945.png

And max output voltage:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0946.png

Somewhere in the middle:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0947.png

And minimum output voltage:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0948.png

[SXRguyinMA]

Next up I took a pair of AA battery holders and soldered them together in series, then soldered on the connectors that were originally hooked to the 3v and GND on the PSU. This will get rid of the interference I was seeing when having it hooked to the PSU.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0949.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0950.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0952.png

Then I hot-glued them in an easy-to-access spot to be able to change the batteries, and installed the batteries.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0954.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0955.png

[SXRguyinMA]

Next up I started the work on the rear door. I taped the rear panel in place to mark and drill for the hinges.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0956.png

Next I got the hinges fully mounted with 4-40 SS button head screws and nuts.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0957.png

Then I taped the top angle piece in place to drill the rivet mounting holed onto the door panel.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0958.png

Then I riveted in the top panel.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0959.png

I then installed the 1/4 turn clips, and drilled the holes to match. The I drilled the top angle piece to fit in the 1/4 turn studs, and installed them with some spacers to take up any slack and get a nice tight fit.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0960.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0961.png

I installed the LH side vertical angle and shave the top at an angle to allow the door to open and close, and did the same with the RH side, with the addition of a notch to fit around the power port.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0962.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0963.png

[SXRguyinMA]

And the final pics! Enjoy! :D


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0964.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0965.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0966.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0967.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0968.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0969.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0970.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0972.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Power%20House/SANY0973.png

[SXRguyinMA]

This project is officially finished! Admins please move it to the completed worklogs section :D

[Snowman]

gotta any of that black acrylic left over? haha sweet mod bud

[SXRguyinMA]

I do actually, how much are you looking for?

[Snowman]

Not sure yet, trying to find a used (think ugly as sin rattle canned shuttle case for $10 used) itx case for my budget mod but if I can't I am thinking of sandwiching it between acrylic. Board dimensions are 6.75 inch x 6.75 inch

[SXRguyinMA]

well those black panels I got you can get from any RV dealership. They're actually door insert panels for RV refrigerators :D


http://www.gas-refrigerators.com/images/RM2662.jpg

[x88x]

Looks great. :up: One thing though.. I wouldn't push that DC-DC converter over 50V if I were you...assuming the circuit is what I think it is, those 50V caps will limit the realistically usable max voltage, and overvolting caps is generally a bad thing. ;)

[SXRguyinMA]

it says it will support up to 65v, but I'm not planning on going any higher than 30 with it, and I doubt I'll even need that much, but it's nice to have the ability to get anything in between 1.3 and 30, should the need arise :up:

[x88x]

Well, assuming it's a fairly standard DC-DC buck converter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_converter), the caps should be stabilizing the input and output voltages, so if you try and take the output voltage higher than the voltage rating of the caps, you'll be over-volting the caps...which could get messy. I don't doubt that they said it'll go to 65V, and it might very well work at 65V for a while, but I wouldn't run it at more than 50V for any amount of time without replacing those caps with higher voltage ones. ...though, since you're not planning on going over 30V anyway, I guess it doesn't really matter all that much. :P

[SXRguyinMA]

On HAD :D

http://hackaday.com/2011/03/09/pc-casemod-inspired-benchtop-psu/#more-37016

[Oneslowz28]

Congrats Will.

[DynamoNED]

Congratulations, Will (if I may call you that), on the front page & Hack-A-Day features! Always great to see an awesome mod get recognized. +rep :up:

[SXRguyinMA]

Thanks guys! And yes, Will is ok :D

[AmEv]

So, we got two Wills here now?

This MIGHT get confusing.....

[SXRguyinMA]

including you, 3 actually lol :D

[billygoat333]

:)

[AmEv]

Numbers.
SXR.

Who's the 3rd? Not me.

[billygoat333]

would be me. hence the smiley.

[peterlonz]

Some great ideas here.
I am not sure how, but a 24V supply would be advantageous, maybe most easily achieved by including a separate transformer, plus rectifier & regulator which could be an adjustable type for greater utility.

Re the multimeter for digital voltage readout: that is the best & lowest cost approach although cutting the PSU panel to accomodate needs a bit of care. You also usually have a built in transistor tester & sometimes a capacitor tester & auto-ranging for a few more $$$. The other thing is that it may be better to retain the battery supply for the meter, most work on 9V & I suspect a ground connection for alternative supply might introduce spikes or other unwanted & hard to find "interference".

I have wrestled with the issue of the best & most easily used connectors when building a similar unit. At first I also used binding posts but they are a pain when a quick connection is required. Finally I decided that screw down clamp terminals were all round the most convenient, just stick your wire in the hole & clamp it without damage by a screwdown. Best of all the whole connector is pretty well protected against accidental contact by the plastic moulding. Oh yes, & although not elegant top mount is the most convenient.

I never thought about a fan (foolishly) believing that a bench supply is very rarely in use for more than a few minutes at a time. That's dumb & limiting when fans are cheap. Here (in Australia) however, you might need to incorporate a 1 mm square insect proof mesh - those damn insects love warm hard to access places.

I'd love to see more detail about low cost lighting effects.
Well done.

[peterlonz]

My final comment:
This has been a wonderful project to follow, & see how community involvement has helped.
The "24V+" solution is great even if it meant a "board from China".
I was not surprised to see you experienced some "interference" on your meter (see my other post) but pleased you sorted it.
Personally I don't like the cramped space but recognise how that came about.
Also I don't like the hard edged box design which I think proved time consuming to make, although very flexible, & the materials are easy to work.
All round a very well made & super useful bench PSU.
Well done & thanks for the ongoing detailed explanations - I guess that applies to everyone here.

[SXRguyinMA]

Thanks for you comments Peter and thanks for checking it out!

[SXRguyinMA]

ok well now that the weather has warmed up I've noticed the readings are off again. The warmer it gets, the lower the readings. It'll be ~75º in the room, and with the fan in the window as night comes it cools down to ~65º and the readings go up by a volt or so on the 12v. right now it's ~77º, the 3v is reading 3.3, 5v is 4.56 ans 12v is 10.47. The actual voltage is correct though.

It would appear that I need to make some sort of temperature compensation for the ATMega. Apparently it's ADC is affected by temp. More on this later.

[Swankrg]

Resistors change values with temperature changes. Try using precision resistors

Great project and documentaion.
What LCD did you use?

Thanks

[SXRguyinMA]

I'll look into the precision resistors, thanks. I also read somewhere that I need to disconnect 5V from the AREF on the ATMega as well but haven't gotten around to that yet.

The LCD I used is this one: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/791

[loadedexpert]

Super most excellent benchtop psu

Any chance you can provide the code for the arduino and/or links for that side(lcd display) I got my daughters (7 and 5) into these arduinos and this would be a great project for us before we get too much more involved(we need power)

[SXRguyinMA]

Sure I'll see what I can dig up for you, give me a couple days :)

[loadedexpert]

Many thanks

[loadedexpert]

Any luck? I am mostly interested in getting the lcd to arduino code

[SXRguyinMA]

Sorry for the delay man, things have been crazy over here. Here's the .pde of the code, short and simple. You may need to tweak some of the values depending on what % resistors you use. What I did was hook a multimeter to each line to get the actual voltage then adjusted to code until it matched.

right-click and save-as
http://www.computersandcircuits.com/images/circuits/power_house/powerhouse.pde

[randomman]

I do not know what has happened to the pictures ... Can you please send me the voltmeter scheme based on Arduino?
many thanks!