DPS-800GB DIGVAR microcontroller controled variable voltage adapter RC, HAM

Description

This Auction is for a
NEW
Microcontroller controlled Variable Voltage Interface Adapter
for the HP 'DPS-800GB A' Power Supply
Some customers (that I would be proud to call friends) explained the need to use the DPS-800 Power Supplies at voltages higher than the standard 12V output. Some applications were Ham Radio and charging RC batteries.  So, here is a versatile and cost-effective solution! And it can be used in a fixed +12V configuration as well!
FULL INSTRUCTIONS AND EXAMPLE ARDUINO SKETCH INCLUDED!
This Auction is for the
Variable voltage interface adapter only
- as seen in the first listing image. All other images are for use and illustration purposes only. You must buy the DPS-800GB A Power Supply (
NOT INCLUDED
), microcontroller like the Arduino UNO (
NOT INCLUDED
),
and any cables you need (
NOT INCLUDED
), separately!
This variable voltage interface board is intended for use with HP brand power supplies model number 'DPS-800GB A'. The HP DPS-800GB A goes by the following Part Numbers: 379123-001, 399771-001, 380622-001, and 403781-001.
You can typically buy this supply used for - here on eBay, on Amazon, and from many other sources.
This microcontroller controlled adapter board adjusts from
approximately 12.4V to approximately 13.9V
.
The reason we say - approximately - is because internal to the DPS-800 power supply, there are 4 potentiometers on the daughter board that affect the Over Voltage cut-off and the range of the supply. Therefore, minor variations, based on your Supplies settings are normal.
When it came to the interface board, it needed to be low complexity and cost, with high quality, efficiency, and reliability. I wanted this
BUTT SIMPLE IDEA
something that could make available to everyone that was in my same situation.
As with all our adapters, this board was designed and assembled in the US; and parts were sourced from US suppliers when possible. Since it is based on the tried and true Fixed Voltage board, it contains improve ergonomics, aesthetics, reliability, and power quality. Due to parts stock availability with US suppliers, you may receive boards that use terminal blocks with slotted or Phillips screws. Each board is quality tested on a real DPS-800GB A under full load, for quality control before it is shipped to you. We would expect nothing less, so we give nothing less!
About the Power Supply:
The HP "DBS-800GB A" is a high efficiency, 12 Volt Enterprise Server switching power supply. It operates on 110 or 220 volts, to provide 800 watts or 1000 Watts respectively. Great as a small footprint general purpose high current +12V to almost +14V supply.
- A great HIGH EFFICIENCY power supply for many applications!
- Great for +12V or +24V Radio Control and Ham Radio projects, and featured extensively in RC and amateur radio forums.
- Since this is a computer server grade supply, it is great for computer projects.
- It can run power hungry video cards and multiple video card systems.
- Operates at a typical-load efficiency of 89-93% (results may vary)
Interface Board Specifications:
There are 12 screw terminal contacts, 6 for the +12 volts and 6 for ground, that provide a way to attach the main load. Each individual contact is rated for up to 32 Amps of current and combined up to the maximum rating of the DPS-800GB A Power Supply. Each terminal can accommodate solid or stranded wire from 10 to 24 AWG in size. Be sure to use the appropriate wire gauge for your application.
Adapter functionality:
There are two main circuits that are worth briefly discussing:
Supply voltage control:
The control voltage on
Ctrl In
is 0-5V from the microcontroller, and the HP SENSE line is between 0 and 12V on the DPS-800, therefore a PC123 coupler was selected as a robust and inexpensive control method. The 0-5V from the Arduino is presented to an electrolytic despiking capacitor and limiter diode then to the input to the PC123 optocoupler. The coupler is biased in the linear region through resistor R5, to control the voltage on the SENSE line of the DPS-800.
Supply Voltage measurement:
Most microcontrollers will be damaged if a voltage greater than 5V is presented on its analog input pin. To ensure this does not happen, the DIGVAR adapter scales the supply voltage to 1/3 of its output voltage and provides this value on
PS Out
. Over voltage protection of the DPS-800 normally triggers around 13.8V, thus limiting the voltage seen at the microcontroller to 4.6V.
Connections to microcontroller:
This adapter will not work correctly with 3.3V microcontrollers as configured.
Different values for bias resistor R5, and the PS Out scaling resistor R4 are required. Although the physical connections and software are demonstrated with the popular Arduino UNO R3, these instructions apply to virtually all 5V
Operating instructions are straight forward. The adapter has one LED and one switch:
·
SWITCH:
ON or OFF. In the OFF position, the supply is OFF unless a GROUND is applied to the
PS On
pin. In the ON position, it bypasses the
PS On
signal from the Microcontroller and commands the supply ON so it can be controlled without a microcontroller.
·
Green LED
– Lights up when the Power Supply is ON (12V is being supplied)
·
4 pin Header
: These pins provide the control and measurement signals as follows:
o
PS Out
– This is a voltage 1/3 the value of the power supply output that can be read by the microcontroller and scaled to display the supply voltage.
o
Ctrl In
– This is an analog voltage between 0 and 5V to control the output voltage of the supply. 0V is low end and 5V is the high end of the supply voltage.
o
GND
– Connects the microcontroller ground to the DPS-800 ground.
o
PS On
–NEGATIVE LOGIC power supply control. 5V or no connect = OFF, and GND = ON.
Adapter functionality:
There are two main circuits that are worth briefly discussing:
Supply voltage control:
The control voltage on
Ctrl In
is 0-5V from the microcontroller, and the HP SENSE line is between 0 and 12V on the DPS-800, therefore a PC123 coupler was selected as a robust and inexpensive control method. The 0-5V from the Arduino is presented to an electrolytic despiking capacitor and limiter diode then to the input to the PC123 optocoupler. The coupler is biased in the linear region through resistor R5, to control the voltage on the SENSE line of the DPS-800.
Supply Voltage measurement:
Most microcontrollers will be damaged if a voltage greater than 5V is presented on its analog input pin. To ensure this does not happen, the DIGVAR adapter scales the supply voltage to 1/3 of its output voltage and provides this value on
PS Out
. Over voltage protection of the DPS-800 normally triggers around 13.8V, thus limiting the voltage seen at the microcontroller to 4.6V.
Arduino Sketch:
One of the images ion the listing shows a demo sketch being ran on a test laptop. We assume you understand the basics of the Arduino UNO, the IDE, sketches, and use of the serial monitor. We kept the adapter and sketch butt simple so it can be easily adapted to BASCOM, C++, Python, or virtually any other microcontroller programming environment.
The demo sketch allows the user to input values into the Arduino IDE serial monitor between 0 and 255 to control the output of the DPS-800. A value of 0 shuts off the supply, and a value of 1-255 controls the supply voltage from minimum to maximum output. If the DPS-800 OVP (Over Voltage Protection) is adjusted internally lower than 13.8V, your supply may kick off before you reach 255. If so, send 0 through the Serial monitor to shut off the supply, then operate the supply at the highest stable value. In some cases, you may be able to get closer to 13.8V by making an internal adjustment to the DPS-800 OVP variable resistor. Instructions for this adjustment can be found on several websites dedicated to modifications of supplies like the DPS-800.
Payment and Shipping:
The buyer should make a Paypal payment within 1 day of purchase. Once a confirmed payment is received, the interface board will be shipped using USPS Priority Mail with tracking. Contact us for combined shipping for multiple interface boards to be sent to the same location. A feedback will be issued at that time, and we appreciate the same when your interface board arrives.
International sales through eBay Global Shipping!
Please contact us with any questions!!