Power supplies with a good looking full color LCD display - do they exist?

[SharpEars]

So far, I have found that only the Owon ODP3032 has a nice looking color display. Are there any other power supplies with decent color diplays?

Before you say, "Who cares?" I am trying to get my son interested in electronics and he expects the PS to have a good looking display (like his Android phone). I know this may sound stupid, but, are there any other power supplies with decent color displays?

[wraper]

rigol dp832a

[moya034]

I can't think of any. The Rigol PSU has a color display but I'm not sure if it is what he would classify as nice looking if a smart phone is his benchmark. That said why not make a project of building a power supply that uses a custom app on the phone as the User Interface? I wonder if you can get a phone to work something like an FTDI RS232 to USB IC?

Edit: Of course you could charge the phone at the same too. 

[idpromnut]

Before you say, "Who cares?" I am trying to get my son interested in electronics and he expects the PS to have a good looking display (like his Android phone).

While it's not "stupid" (that is a rather overused term, to the point of having lost its meaning), I do think that if the type of screen on a power supply is more important than how the power supply works, you have either a) a lot of work ahead of you or, b) lost before you have started.

As a parent myself, I don't know how I plan on engaging my child should they show an interest in electronics, but my gut feeling is that it shouldn't involve showing them a side of electronics that is purely cosmetic. If they enjoy it, then it should be because they really like the electronics part of it all, the designing, troubleshooting and building "things".

Good luck to you, and I hope your child does find an interest, regardless how they are introduced to it!

[lukier]

Keithley 2280S-32-6 has a nice looking color display, unfortunately no touchscreen 

[engiadina]

Well,

if money is a no brainer ...

http://www.keysight.com/de/pd-1842303-pn-N6705B/dc-power-analyzer-modular-600-w-4-slots?nid=-35714.937221&cc=DE&lc=ger

[georges80]

So far, I have found that only the Owon ODP3032 has a nice looking color display. Are there any other power supplies with decent color diplays?

Before you say, "Who cares?" I am trying to get my son interested in electronics and he expects the PS to have a good looking display (like his Android phone). I know this may sound stupid, but, are there any other power supplies with decent color displays?

Dear god... If either of my sons had a requirement for 'good looking display' for something as mundane as a PS they'd get a swift kick up the arse. I'd be first in line for a bigger kick for being the enabler...

cheers,
george.

[Fungus]

So far, I have found that only the Owon ODP3032 has a nice looking color display. Are there any other power supplies with decent color diplays?

Before you say, "Who cares?" I am trying to get my son interested in electronics and he expects the PS to have a good looking display (like his Android phone). I know this may sound stupid, but, are there any other power supplies with decent color displays?

Dear god... If either of my sons had a requirement for 'good looking display' for something as mundane as a PS they'd get a swift kick up the arse. I'd be first in line for a bigger kick for being the enabler...

Yep. He's not going to watch cartoons in it, he's going to use it to set a voltage.

What are you going to do when the resistors aren't the right shade of brown or when he sees the multimeter has an LCD display instead of a TFT?

[Someone]

Well,

if money is a no brainer ...

http://www.keysight.com/de/pd-1842303-pn-N6705B/dc-power-analyzer-modular-600-w-4-slots?nid=-35714.937221&cc=DE&lc=ger

I was thinking the slightly cheaper B296xA, but either way thats not an interface you want to use as a day to day power supply. Adding a color display just allows a more complicated user interface.

Better than a color display? Moving meters have always been "fun", a power supply with knobs that move meters is still an excellent teaching device.

[SharpEars]

Alrighty ya bunch of dug in spoiled EEs. I am trying to get a 14 year old kid interested circa 2015, the age of the smart phone and tablet, that's all. I've already tried the obvious and failed - a flashing LED does nothing for him.

So, this is my last and best attempt at getting him off the 'puter and into something hard-core (i.e., hardware) by making it look like the gadgets he uses every day.

[Muttley Snickers]

I've been building a power supply now for about 12 months, 0-24 volt 6 amp but have had to put it aside as I cant decide on which displays to use, quality takes time and I take longer.

You could look at these Panel Pilots as it seems they are very flexible and learning is involved, not very cheap though.

http://www.panelpilot.com/

[georges80]

Alrighty ya bunch of dug in spoiled EEs. I am trying to get a 14 year old kid interested circa 2015, the age of the smart phone and tablet, that's all. I've already tried the obvious and failed - a flashing LED does nothing for him.

So, this is my last and best attempt at getting him off the 'puter and into something hard-core (i.e., hardware) by making it look like the gadgets he uses every day.

Nah - I'd say your 14 yr old is the spoiled (or totally disinterested) one in this case... Sorry, but spending $$ to buy pretty displays is just feeding the problem you already have created.

I have a 16 yr old (and one older again) and that one is learning C using the K&R C book. If the interest is really there then your kid will want to know how things work and won't need a 'pretty' display as the driving force...

cheers,
george.

[c4757p]

Perhaps it's best to let the kid pursue his natural interests, the way you have.

[lukier]

Alrighty ya bunch of dug in spoiled EEs. I am trying to get a 14 year old kid interested circa 2015, the age of the smart phone and tablet, that's all. I've already tried the obvious and failed - a flashing LED does nothing for him.

So, this is my last and best attempt at getting him off the 'puter and into something hard-core (i.e., hardware) by making it look like the gadgets he uses every day.

Flashing an LED is not a cool thing anymore

My experience from university science fairs tells me that kids these days love robots, the cool shiny ones, not the 1950's era pneumatic manipulator that I programmed with jumpers plugged in a switchboard when I was a student. Modern ones are not only flashing LEDs, but moving, sensing, making noises etc. Smartphone cannot beat that

Maybe get a LEGO Mindstorms kit and start from there. If your son will find this interesting and will want to build more custom things then you'll go back to proper electronics and programming with solder.

[SharpEars]

Perhaps it's best to let the kid pursue his natural interests, the way you have.

Video games, like all other kids these days?

[Nerull]

Alrighty ya bunch of dug in spoiled EEs. I am trying to get a 14 year old kid interested circa 2015, the age of the smart phone and tablet, that's all. I've already tried the obvious and failed - a flashing LED does nothing for him.

So, this is my last and best attempt at getting him off the 'puter and into something hard-core (i.e., hardware) by making it look like the gadgets he uses every day.

Have you considered the possibility that you can't force someone to be interested in something they're not, and that if they aren't interested in electronics a flashy PSU screen sure as hell isn't going to do it.

[tautech]

@ SharpEars
This good looking enough:

http://www.siglentamerica.com/pdxx.aspx?id=1393&T=2&tid=17

[c4757p]

Perhaps it's best to let the kid pursue his natural interests, the way you have.

Video games, like all other kids these days?

Sure. Or do you think that'll be the only thing he ever likes for the rest of his life?

[xrunner]

... and another ($800) 



http://www.tequipment.net/RigolDP832A.html?v=7421

[SharpEars]

@ SharpEars
This good looking enough:

http://www.siglentamerica.com/pdxx.aspx?id=1393&T=2&tid=17

Best option so far in terms of looks/features for the $ .

[DimitriP]

Alrighty ya bunch of dug in spoiled EEs. I am trying to get a 14 year old kid interested circa 2015, the age of the smart phone and tablet, that's all. I've already tried the obvious and failed - a flashing LED does nothing for him.

So, this is my last and best attempt at getting him off the 'puter and into something hard-core (i.e., hardware) by making it look like the gadgets he uses every day.

Have you considered the possibility that you can't force someone to be interested in something they're not, and that if they aren't interested in electronics a flashy PSU screen sure as hell isn't going to do it.

Of course you can, it's just that 14 is not really too late but not early enough.
Gymanstics, Football, baseball, ballet. Two to three year olds don't exactly pick these themselves...they get picked for them. A practice I dissagree with , by the way.

You just have to make sure the horse always has water available, in case it decides to drink.

[rx8pilot]

Alrighty ya bunch of dug in spoiled EEs. I am trying to get a 14 year old kid interested circa 2015, the age of the smart phone and tablet, that's all. I've already tried the obvious and failed - a flashing LED does nothing for him.

So, this is my last and best attempt at getting him off the 'puter and into something hard-core (i.e., hardware) by making it look like the gadgets he uses every day.

Get him LabView Home for $50 and connect about 1000 possible GPIB, USB, or VXI power supplies to it. That will allow him to make his own UI in a PC environment and control an external network of devices.

In general, if he needs to have a slick display to be interested - he probably does not care about electronics that much.

[tautech]

Never tell another how to bring up their kids unless you wish to loose them as a friend or want a scrap. 

[rx8pilot]

Never tell another how to bring up their kids unless you wish to loose them as a friend or want a scrap. 

I didn't tell anyone how to bring up their kids.

[crispy_tofu]

Maybe make one with an Arduino, they seem to be all the rage... 

In general, if he needs to have a slick display to be interested - he probably does not care about electronics that much.

+1