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#3 - The Modules - POWER

A project log for MAD - Modular Audio Devices

A set of Eurorack modules to control synths, make custom MIDI-compatible interfaces and USB audio, powered by Teensy 3.6

michele-perlaMichele Perla 05/01/2017 at 13:180 Comments

The POWER module will provide a stable supply for the CORE, IOAPEX, and submodules, either through a DC wall wart supply, PoE, or AC.

The module will provide up to 12 W operating with a DC supply or with PoE, and up to 120 W? with an AC plug. I put a question mark because I yet have to design this module.

Supply for everything

The module will provide a 12 V DC supply to the CORE module, through its connector; the CORE onboard PSU will accept a wide range of inputs voltage so the POWER module could also use different supplies for that.

PoE

A PoE module (like the Silvertel Ag9900) would provide up to 12 V @ 1 A, and 9 or 12 V (DC) could be easily obtainable with a wall wart psu (like the ones for guitar pedals). The PoE module can be used along an Ethernet module like the Wiznet W5500, which is already supported by the Teensy 3.x. The PoE module could be made as a submodule, due to the relatively high cost of the components (some users won't necessarily need PoE and Ethernet).

Why AC?

The AC plug would be used to power a high voltage, high current PSU to drive multiple preamps and power stages, in order to be able to use vacuum tubes circuit, or loudspeakers. The voltage and current specs of this part of the PSU have yet to be defined since they would depend from the voltage/current levels needed by preamp and poweramps stages that I still have to design. I would also like to have a way for users to modify the voltage output of this supply using a trimmer maybe, so that users could design their own modules. I found this little project that could help me understand how to design a nice PSU for tubes.

Optional connectors

Sub-modules that may require higher supply voltages could take their supplies from the POWER module through a cable connector, instead of using the dual 15 V supply on the CORE module.

I would like to keep this module as big as the CORE one; I don't want a full setup with all three modules to be too bulky. I have to check how much power I can get out of the module while keeping size relatively small.

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