EEVblog #240 - Power Supply Design Part 8

[IanB]

As for the 'idiots' reference you made, perhaps you should rather present counter arguments to the relevant points of discussion, I don't believe either BAW's or my own comments can be considered idiotic.

There's nothing at all wrong with debate about the merits of different designs. It is to be expected that people disagree. They always will.

My 'idiots' reference is purely about the tone of comments made by various posters. The number of times I read a post and go    is enormous.

Personally I just think to myself "what an idiot" and ignore the post. Your job as a poster is to invite me to read and enjoy what you write. If you as a poster choose to fill your comments with sarcasm and snide comments and insults then you don't make the sale and you have failed. Simple as that.

And of course you do need a bit of a thick skin to survive on the net. It's no place for wimps.

[olsenn]

What's with all the power supply crap on this forum... does it really require 8+ video blogs and dozens of forum topics? If you need a high quality PSU then you're best off just buying one professionally designed/built, and if you're just trying to get a start into product design don't you think maybe something a tad simpler, smaller, and not involving mains power would be a better first project?

[Zad]

Well done Olsen on totally missing the point of the videos.

Can you point to where you think the mains voltage is? No, thought not. It uses a generic brick mains adaptor. No mains potential is involved in he project at any point.

If you don't like it, don't watch them. You haven't paid for them, so where is the problem?

[Rutger]

I think you missing the point.

It isn't always about the destination, but enjoying the journey getting there.

Rutger

[olsenn]

Didn't mean to offend anyone haha, I just (as you say) am missing the point. I think "the journey getting there" is always, or always should be, the most fun part of ANY electronics project (or any project really), I just don't see why so many people seem to choose this one, while no other projects (as far as I know --correct me if I'm wrong) are mentioned to any great detail here.

Knock yourselves out with all the PSU stuff though guys; I didn't mean to step on your project

[Bored@Work]

I have previously posted in some of the power supply threads how to do encoder reading the right way. I have deleted that posting because of the Arduino wankers who anyhow won't get it.

You deleted it because it doesn't work.

My post stands.

My stuff works in the field. Your stuff just works in your imagination.

[IanB]

Knock yourselves out with all the PSU stuff though guys; I didn't mean to step on your project

It's really Dave's project; we are only watching it.

But in reality look at how much ground Dave has been covering in both analog and digital design. The PSU aspect is really just a vehicle to carry all sorts of other interesting things that have wider application.

[Rutger]

I agree with Ian, I have learned a ton of stuff from the videos that can be applied to any project.

Dave has really explained the whole design/prototyping and building of a electronics project with micro controller and software from beginning to end (which is still to come).

Sure there a tons of PSUs out there, but I don't know of one with a open source Arduino compatible Mirco!  I think because of this there is a lot of interrest in this project, it is not just another PSU, but one with 'intelligence'.

[electrode]

I just don't see why so many people seem to choose this one, while no other projects (as far as I know --correct me if I'm wrong) are mentioned to any great detail here.

Because it's exciting to see an electrical engineering design taken from start to finish. Other than small modules and bits and pieces, this and the uCurrent are the only two projects Dave has taken us through in such detail. It's definitely interesting, even for those of us that don't need the design in its current form (eg. I'd have 2 x 0-15V @ 1A supplies for series/parallel and omit the uCurrent and a bunch of the I/O and not bit-bang anything).

[electrode]

They're not made Down Under...you sure you want to make that bet?

Unfortunately the only cases that are made in Australia are the Jiffy Boxes, as used in the uCurrent.

The case is nothing special, nor secret, but now that everyone is keen to know, I'll tease a bit longer... 

Dave.

Has the case been revealed yet? Or can we still place our guesses?

Amp Hour Episode #73 somewhere around the 20 minute mark had a reference to a Hammond case. A screenshot of Dave's PCB from YouTube gives something that is 3.3 ATmega328s wide (~112mm) and slightly less deep (~100 odd mm).

So the case is one of the ones from here:
http://www.hammondmfg.com/scpg.htm

Possibly this one (if my dodgy measurements were 10% undersized):
http://www.hammondmfg.com/pdf/1598B.pdf