Thread: Current Project

Does the powersupply have a voltageregulator for incar use? And how about startup/shutdown circuit?

Otherwise checkout the Opus 150W.

If that's the "200W DC-DC PSU" i'm thinking of, it won't survive crank, will send unregulated power into your PC (which is very bad) and doesn't have a startup/shutdown controller.

You do seriously need to look at the Opus 150W. People are using it to power more power-hungry stuff than you have, and it is well worth the money.


Garry

now here's a question... my home computer doesn't have all that nifty ***** and it works fine... On loss of power the computer should hibernate... and whenever I turn it back on with a switch then it should come back, right?

And if I really need a voltage regulator... why can't I adapt one to the power supply? I don't get what's so high and almighty about the OPUS... it has about the same amount of parts proportionally as a AC-DC 350W PSU for $40...

Originally Posted by Krusher

now here's a question... my home computer doesn't have all that nifty ***** and it works fine... On loss of power the computer should hibernate... and whenever I turn it back on with a switch then it should come back, right?

And if I really need a voltage regulator... why can't I adapt one to the power supply? I don't get what's so high and almighty about the OPUS... it has about the same amount of parts proportionally as a AC-DC 350W PSU for $40...

Yeah, but it's better suited for the said application and it includes startup/shutdown control, regulation, and it's smaller. The Opus was specifically designed for car applications. But, if you can figure out how to get a regular power supply to work then so be it. Be sure to pass on the information. I have to agree with Confused on this one.

Your home PC has a constant 120/240V going into it, which never changes. If you go and pull the plug on your home PC, it won't hibernate, it will just turn off, losing any work you had open, and you'd have to start it from scratch again.

In a car, you have MUCH harsher power conditions. The power fluctuates from about 7-9V when starting your car, to 12.4V when the engine is of, to about 14.4V when the engine is on.

The reason that AC-DC power supplies are so cheap, is because most of them are over-rated (ie a $40 350W PSU won't give you 350W of USEABLE power, more likely 200W of useable power), and they have to convert 120/240V to 12V, and the input voltage is constant. Also, they are produced in their thousands, and most use cheap components.

A PSU like the Opus has, in my opinion, an under-rated 150W of power (it's probably closer to 180-200W of useable power), has a start-up/shutdown controller, which senses when your ignition is on/off, and allows the PC to startup/shutdown gracefully (ie going to Start -> Shutdown, rather than just pulling the plug), and it is able to take 8-18V of power input (which is what you'd find at any time when in the car) and regulates it to a constant, rock steady 12V supply.

Seriously, the Opus is the very best thing I have bought for my CarPC, followed very closely in second place is the Xenarc touch-screen VGA display.


Garry