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Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2002 1:56 pm
by Butch
I have looked in the forums and on site and trying to find volts/dc figure. I was going to run 12v case fans from the VFD but it looks like I'll be using a baybus from what I find here. The only unit seems to be an LCD with the power to do it. What is wide voltage? TIA, Butch
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Butch on 2002-06-03 14:13 ]</font>
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2002 2:24 pm
by Henry
the GPOs on the VK are only +5V and supply a maximum of 25mA... you will have to add a relay or mosfet or transistor to make it high power.
as for what is wide voltage... from the Help on the main site...Q:
Why does my "wide voltage" module get so hot?
What is the maximum voltage supply for a "wide voltage" module?
A:
The electronics on Matrix Orbital modules run on +5 volts no matter what voltage option you choose. "Wide voltage" modules simply take a higher voltage and convert it to +5 volts for use by these electronics.
The "V" option specifies a "linear" regulator that essentially wastes all the excess power in the form of heat. This means that the higher the input voltage, the more heat will be generated. Also, the more power the module needs, the more heat will be generated. Theoretically, the maximum voltage that can be applied to the module is over 30 volts, but this is limited to the amount of heat that can be dissipated. While the regulators can operate at surprisingly high heat levels (over 150 degrees C), it is better in most cases to keep this to a minimum.
There are two ways to reduce this heat. The best way is to simply reduce the input voltage. The regulator can operate on as little as +7 volts or so. +9 volts is ideal, and +12 volts is perfectly acceptable. The second way is to reduce the amount of power being used by the module. You can do this by shutting off the backlight when it is not needed. In this mode, the module uses about one tenth of the power and produces one tenth of the heat.
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2002 3:27 pm
by Butch
Thanks for quick reply. You mention adding transistor or relay to run fans. Is there any articles that may be on a web site showing how? Butch
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2002 4:18 pm
by Henry
Yes, search the hardware section, there is a thread all about that.
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2002 4:22 pm
by jleach
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2002 5:24 pm
by Butch
And while I was roaming in hardware I see Henry was talking of a VFD with the power to run fans in the future. I'll keep waiting and looking for now!