PicoPSU power supply.

I'm tired of the giant power supplies the size of cinder blocks. I was thinking of moving towards something in a smaller form factor. I'm using an unmodded makerbot motherboard (RepRap 1.2), so it requires an ATX power supply. I stumbled across this little thing:

[www.silentpcreview.com]

The PicoPSU is so adorable! But do you guys know if it's powerful enough to run a Mendel?

As far as I know, the RepRap motherboard only needs 12v and 8a. You should be fine.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/2010 11:41PM by Trevor.

1. Its not AC supply, DC only.

2. Another problem with that would be the need for extension cables and splitters for the power leads.

3. While its quiet and compact, its exposed and pricey.

You would have to buy a regular tranformer on top of the $50 for this distribution block.

As has been said only 12v is used, so its only 12v distribution, the board is effectively a filter for the 12v supply with 5v and 3.3v Vregs.

It can handle the current for a Mendel, but IMO its not worth the expense.

You still need a 12V 10A power supply to provide power for the adapter which then provides various other voltages, none of which the RepRap needs. The RepRap only uses the +12V supply so you might as well skip the expensive step of doing the conversions.

Standard ATX power supplies are only "big" because that is the size that IBM used in the old IBM-PC/AT back in the 1980's. If you want a smaller power supply, look for a "Micro ATX" supply. It has the same ATX connector and can be much smaller since they aren't expected to fit the existing holes of an ATX case.

Im using the PicoPSU and it works fine. Yeah you need to add some additional items like an external transformer, but the result is a lighter package for the mendel.


[www.Flickr.com]

But what does it do for you apart from providing a plug? The Mendel only needs 12V and you have to feed it with 12V.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

As far as i know, the Makerbot reprap motherboard needs both the 12V and the 5V; even a 3V for the SD card it looks like. I could wire in 2 DC powersupplies or a bulky ATX, but this allows there to only be one external supply.

Basically the PicoPSU allows for a drop in replacement of a standard ATX power supply.
There are small ATX alternatives, but i didnt feel they were small enough. It was cheap on ebay and i got the additional transformer for free from a friend, so the price ended up being comparable to buying a standard ATX power supply. (~$30)