How much can an Electron power?

[Boydie]

As it stands I’ve got a Plus 1 with AP6 fitted, which soon will have a pair of AS6C62256s and 3x27128s.

Plus an AP5, again with AS6C62256 and 27C512. Also User Port MMC card.

I’d also like to hang a pair of Pi Zeroes off the 1MHz bus and Tube on the AP5, ideally powered over the adaptors.

Is this going to place too much of a burden on the poor little Elk (with standard PSU)?

There may also occasionally be a Pegasus 400 or MGC fitted as well…

[daveejhitchins]

As it stands I’ve got a Plus 1 with AP6 fitted, which soon will have a pair of AS6C62256s and 3x27128s.

Plus an AP5, again with AS6C62256 and 27C512. Also User Port MMC card.

I’d also like to hang a pair of Pi Zeroes off the 1MHz bus and Tube on the AP5, ideally powered over the adaptors.

Is this going to place too much of a burden on the poor little Elk (with standard PSU)?

There may also occasionally be a Pegasus 400 or MGC fitted as well…

See here.

So 1.8A is the maximum current draw at switch-on

Dave H.

[Boydie]

See here.

So 1.8A is the maximum current draw at switch-on

Dave H.

Thanks for assuming I’m sufficiently non-clueless to understand a word of that, or its implications! Your faith was not well-founded.

My worry wasn’t just whether the PSU could take such a load, but also whether the expansion connector etc are robust enough, especially since the bulk of the extra load will be going through the AP5 via a single cartridge slot…

[daveejhitchins]

See here.

So 1.8A is the maximum current draw at switch-on

Dave H.

Thanks for assuming I’m sufficiently non-clueless to understand a word of that, or its implications! Your faith was not well-founded.

My worry wasn’t just whether the PSU could take such a load, but also whether the expansion connector etc are robust enough, especially since the bulk of the extra load will be going through the AP5 via a single cartridge slot…

Ah! The User Guide, for the AP5, does recommend a maximum of 100mA. This is based on the horrendous path from the Electron PSU: a minimum of three connectors - Back of the Electron to the Plus 1 - The Cartridge slot of the Plus 1 to the AP5 - and the AP5 connector to the outside world. Worse if the Acorn Plus 3 is involved!

So I'm recommending you use an external supply!

I'm considering this issue for future expansion e.g. Providing connectors for supplying 5V for external circuits . . .

Dave H.

[Boydie]

Thank you. I had a feeling there’d be issues.
I was uncertain re the total power handling of an AP5 - whether the 100mA max was just for the external power connector (in which case a Pi Zero was just about okay) and in addition to any power supplied over the Tube and User Port connectors, or whether it was for the entire AP5.

if you’re thinking external power connectors, have you considered an AP5 Plus? Deeper case with provision for a couple of Ken’s level shifters and Pi Zeroes and a User Port MMC, with external power?

Out of interest, is it known what the baseline power consumption of an unexpanded Electron is, or that of any of the common expansions?

[daveejhitchins]

Thank you. I had a feeling there’d be issues.
I was uncertain re the total power handling of an AP5 - whether the 100mA max was just for the external power connector (in which case a Pi Zero was just about okay) and in addition to any power supplied over the Tube and User Port connectors, or whether it was for the entire AP5.

if you’re thinking external power connectors, have you considered an AP5 Plus? Deeper case with provision for a couple of Ken’s level shifters and Pi Zeroes and a User Port MMC, with external power?

Out of interest, is it known what the baseline power consumption of an unexpanded Electron is, or that of any of the common expansions?

Sorry . . . AP5 stays as-is. I am working on a solution for the power issue . . . . Soon . . . .

The Electron takes around 800mA

Dave H.

[Elk Towers]

I used to have problems with the psu board getting very hot, so I removed the board and modified the power connection so that I could run the elk off an old 300w ATPC power supply.

[daveejhitchins]

I used to have problems with the psu board getting very hot, so I removed the board and modified the power connection so that I could run the elk off an old 300w ATPC power supply.

I've not had a fully loaded Electron get so hot that I couldn't touch the heatsink! And that's with it supplying 1.6A and above! I'd like to know what temperature you were seeing . . .

Dave H.

[Elk Towers]

It wasn`t getting hot so that you couldn`t touch the heatsink but it was getting hot enough so that it would cause the elk/psu to shut down, well I assumed it was that as since the mod it has not played up at all!

Maybe the psu board had some borderline components on i, can`t do check now as I no longer have it (was modded about 30 yrs ago).