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Devices which use a reasonable amount of power like amplifiers, computers, etc. contain big, chunky transformers which could easily cope with the demands of two or three low-power (say 4, 6 or 9 V DC, at max 2A) devices which currently use their own
"wall-wart" transformer. All that would be needed
would be a few extra taps on the transformer and some sockets on the back panel. You'd then avoid the inefficiency and cost of having separate transformers for every device.
12 volt house
12_20volt_20house
I know this idea is not dissimilar to "12 volt house" but I think starting to sell devices with standard DC power outputs is easier that retrofitting 12V cabling to everyone's house. [hippo, Jul 31 2008]
[link]
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Your computer power supply already produces the requisite voltages in a fan cooled power supply. If only it had a power output setup. You could use jumpers to power the 15 peripherals that need individual warts. I think it's a good idea. |
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... turns ratio... rectification... current limiting... switch mode... proprietary connectors... |
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I'll let the electronics types fill in the gaps, lest I appear foolish. I do have my doubts about how easy this proposal would be though. |
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USB? IIRC, it's good for 100mA (or 0.5A with high power mode) at 5Vdc, +/- 5%. |
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This may be suitable for many lower-power devices. Also, connectors are low-cost, and pinout is standard (which is more than can be said of the huge variety of wallwart connectors!) Presumably adaptors can be made if required. |
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the issue here is that everyone wants to ensure the performance and durability of their product. from a warranty and service perspective it's a nightmare. |
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I actually tried powering some of my home appliances using a computer power supply recently, and found my TV, wifi router and mini-itx system used a lot more power when running from a single computer PSU than using individual power bricks. I think the PSUs I tried (three of them) are inefficent at low loads, and since you wouldn't want your computer on all the time to power your other equipment this might be a problem. A generic 12 volt transformed designed for this job might do better. |
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used to be a common item in equipment racks was a wall-wart eliminator: a 1/2U 9V power-supply with many outlets. |
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The only other thing in order is to select/agree upon a universal connector. |
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The concept of additional transformer taps doesn't really apply directly to a regulated switching power supply—not much uses a plain old transformer anymore. But computer power supplies already produce multiple voltages—the ATX standard currently specifies 3.3 V, 5 V, and 12 V, and used to specify -12 V as well. And the idea of ports on a computer to provide power to small devices is well baked by USB. |
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