Low Voltage Power Distribution

[tmbrown97]

OK - I've seen some creative uses of computer power supplies, 12V power distribution systems, etc... I kinda wanted to get a discussion going about low-voltage power distribution...

How many of you have a corner of your livingroom or entertainment center or office or garage that's filled with daisy chained power strips or "power strip liberators" so you can cram a few more wall warts in? Some of these devices always need to be on (router, wifi, switch, remote chargers, sageTV adapters, etc) - and others are just there to charge a tool when you happen to plug it in...

so - lets come up with some good ideas here - it may not be enough for full-house distribution, but what about taking out the areas of large consumption?

In my livingroom alone, here's what I have as far as simple transformers, not counting any cell-phone chargers or multi-pin adapters:
1 6V DC unknown amperage
1 12V DC 250ma
1 9V DC 400ma
1 9V DC 800ma
2 6V DC 800ma
2 12V DC 1A
2 12V DC 2A
1 12V DC 1.5a
1 8V DC 500ma

Maybe this is a worn out discussion - I don't know... but I'd like to see where it can go. I've seen some resources online calling for action in standardized low-voltage power supplies, etc - and I know that if you were really gung-ho, you could run 12V lighting everywhere, though that doesn't seem to be too friendly with home automation and dimmers (any good way to dim or even switch 12V through UPB?)...

And as you can see, even in my own livingroom, there's a lot of different voltages... That's what's got me wondering if there's a way to use a single power supply that steps down at different intervals so that you have a single source providing all of the different voltages, and depending on the plug you use or something like that, get the right voltage... If I had a place like that in my livingroom, it wouldn't be a big deal to adjust where we charge the cell-phone or camera... and how about USB power as well for things like my iPhone that charge off that...

I remember a while back someone posting some connectors they were using for their DC/LV stuff - they were green wires/connectors I think - but I can't find them now and I guess I didn't bookmark them..

So - is there a brilliant invention I haven't come across yet that'd help with this, or anyone got any cool ideas that are realistic today (I really don't want to get into where we'd like the world to go over the next 10 years - I want something that can be implemented today, with today's technology and my current devices)... Even if I can't catch everything - just try to hit a majority!

And where possible I'd like to see the protection remain in place... like the Elk power distribution module with the individual PTC connections - that'd be nice - but that model wouldn't support my 12V load even without combining multiple connections and basically eating up the available connections pretty quickly...

So - let the ideas roll!

 

[project_x]

As discussed in my PoE thread, I bought a cheap Level 3 Managed Baystack Router, 24 ethernet ports with 48V ~15Watt power on each port. I plan to use it to replace most of these wall adapters, using a simple circuit and DC-DC converters.

 

[mustangcoupe]

As discussed in my PoE thread, I bought a cheap Level 3 Managed Baystack Router, 24 ethernet ports with 48V ~15Watt power on each port. I plan to use it to replace most of these wall adapters, using a simple circuit and DC-DC converters.

So are you just going to build standard voltages for your home at a high current rating ~5 amps which will take multiple devices or will you still have a dc-dc converter for each device?

 

[project_x]

As discussed in my PoE thread, I bought a cheap Level 3 Managed Baystack Router, 24 ethernet ports with 48V ~15Watt power on each port. I plan to use it to replace most of these wall adapters, using a simple circuit and DC-DC converters.

So are you just going to build standard voltages for your home at a high current rating ~5 amps which will take multiple devices or will you still have a dc-dc converter for each device?

I haven't decided it completely, but think I will use a ethernet surface mount Jack to contain the DC-DC converter and circuitry. That way the house is wired is std, and I can move the power extractor to any ethernet Jack, where needed.

 

[mustangcoupe]

As discussed in my PoE thread, I bought a cheap Level 3 Managed Baystack Router, 24 ethernet ports with 48V ~15Watt power on each port. I plan to use it to replace most of these wall adapters, using a simple circuit and DC-DC converters.

So are you just going to build standard voltages for your home at a high current rating ~5 amps which will take multiple devices or will you still have a dc-dc converter for each device?

I haven't decided it completely, but think I will use a ethernet surface mount Jack to contain the DC-DC converter and circuitry. That way the house is wired is std, and I can move the power extractor to any ethernet Jack, where needed.

so this "extractor" would also contain the dc-dc converter and some type of pigtail for your device.. so you could just make a new one if needed.... but you would still have some type of brick hanging around at the charging location... like a wallwort

 

[project_x]

so this "extractor" would also contain the dc-dc converter and some type of pigtail for your device.. so you could just make a new one if needed.... but you would still have some type of brick hanging around at the charging location... like a wallwort

Yes, but....
The advantages I see, it is easier to run an ethernet cable to exactly where you want it, than an AC outlet. You could do the dc-dc conversion on the back of the wall jack (but for consistency (and safety), I would like to avoid that. Also the voltage drop for 48V will not be as significant as 12V. With 48V the injectors and a well documented spec are available. I would like to find a cleaner interface to adjust the voltage, but don't have one yet.

 

[Smarty]

So - is there a brilliant invention I haven't come across yet that'd help with this.....

So - let the ideas roll!

So, what ARE the best means for replacing the majority of these wall warts? Does anyone know a "SUPER POWER SUPPLY" with say multiple, adjustable, step down voltages? Maybe the notion of a computer power supply? Which ones give you the most useable outputs? ......

We all have run into this.....who has something they are "proud" of (personally, I am in wall wort hell)?

 

[PaulD]

Why not use a variation of POE? Run your ethernet cable from your outlet back to a central site which can then feed the desired voltages into the cable. The cable is already certified for 48VDC and the only limit would be current capacity. If a single pair does not carry the desired current level, put pairs together as needed to increase current capacity.

Make sure you use a bright color RJ45 jack to mark it as a power outlet...not a LAN outlet.

I think a single pair is rated to carry 360ma at 50V. If anyone has done the math, I would like to know what how that translates to 12VDC when using 1, 2, 3 or 4 pair as a group.

 

[tmbrown97]

that's not a half-bad idea, but I was looking for something a little simpler - more for single point right now, since most of my wall-warts are in a single place. I've seen devices with charging adapters for just about anything - I wonder if any of those might be able to do the trick... or the idea of a multiple-step down that feeds into multiple PTC's ideally.

 

[rnichols430]

Was reading the forums, I dont know if you have found something that would work for you or not.. But..

This is for the Leviton SMC panels, it takes 12VDC from one wall wart and puts it out to 6 different devices.. I would assume the limiting factor is the main wall wart for the amp ratings.

https://www.tselectronic.com/leviton_lin/48212_dcs.html

Now, I could be totally wrong on this idea, but you could use a cpl of these devices with either the 9V wall wart and 6V ones, or you could create a circut that is a regulator.

http://www.kits4us.com/Electronics_Voltage_Regulator.htm

The problem with that idea is that you would want to have the input voltage no more than 2 to 3 Vs above the drop down, so the 12V to 9V would work, just not sure unless you had a good heat sink to get rid of the heat.

Could be a bigger mess than what you got now, no idea.