Power Supplies

2010.05.12
On Monday (2010.04.10) I received my shipment from CircuitSpecialists.com, but after unpacking the carton right away I've yet to open the individual packages for neither the power supply nor the DMM. Part of the issue is that I've got a pretty full plate with getting set up in preparations for my foray into robotics (along with my "pre-robotics-life" responsibilities), but the primary issue is that I don't have any components to test as yet! I'm in the process of designing, laying out and building my computer/mechtronics desk so that I'll have an organized work space as my current scheduling priority, but I'll be sourcing a few of the odds and ends on the equipment front over the next two days as well as possibly some of the initial electronics components for (hmmmmm, need to come up with a name for my "mech-tank"!), so I should have something to test and fiddle with in short order. With my next round of purchase hopefully being made by Friday evening, I'm planning to unpack both of my recent arrivals this weekend and see what I need to/can do to verify that they're functioning properly - not sure what I'll be able to accomplish without components, but I'll learn what I can and post and update!

2010.05.05
Power Supply Depot
Mastech HY3005
"Make:"Blog:Toolbox
CircuitSpecialists.com CSI3005X5

I wasn't really sure what benchtop power supply ("PSU") to get, but from what I've gathered about servo's and circuits over the last couple of weeks I new I'd be dealing with up to around 18V and roughly 5A, so I pegged my minimums at 20V and 10A. When I didn't find anything at a price point friendly to my current equipment budget I reconsidered my needs with what I'd been finding and decided to go with something in the 20V and 5A range. After seeing the wide range in costs - and presumably capabilities - of PSUs I decided to go with something under $200, within the afore mentioned range and with a value of "<1mV RMS ripple." What does that mean? I have no idea, but it seems to be a significant indicator of the consistency/quality of the power being output, and one that I saw referenced frequently in a specifications listing of a PSU, so that's what I went with. Good or bad that's what I'll live with, and as I gain experience in using a PSU I'll record my observations. :}

Initially I was going to go with the Mastech HY3005, but while I was searching the web on PSUs last night I found the "Make:" blog article. In that article the author (article posted by Gareth Branwyn) referenced the CSI3005X5 unit, noting the "free gift" when purchased via the linked website. Well, guess what - yes, I need a DMM too! Not surprising, since I need everything to do with an electronics/mechtronics work station. So, with trying to put together a workstation and still have enough funds left over to assemble my first, basic, robotics project, I went with the freebie (regarding the freebie DMM please reference my "Meters" page)! And if you're wondering why I'm quoting "free gift" it's because I'm sure its cost is built into the margins in some manner, possibly along with a reduced cost to the distributor from the manufacturer. Whatever; it's soon to be part of my learning curve and life experiences, so we'll see where it goes and figure out what PSU I should have along the way. :)