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  3. Safe In-Wall AC to DC Transformers??

Safe In-Wall AC to DC Transformers??

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  • petewillP petewill

    @Moshe-Livne said:

    @tbowmo @petewill @didi @ServiceXp I think I found the perfect one!!!!
    http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2155823_-1
    http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/260/GS05U-USB-spec-33533.pdf

    it is made by meanwell, so not flimsy. has all protections. 8$ at jameco and mouser and I am sure my meanwell supplier on aliexpress can get it for me at half price... it is a shame that they do not sell the inside separately but nothing is perfect.
    the only problem might be breaking it apart. Meanwell really make sturdy enclosures.
    let me know what you think...

    Those look good! The only problem I potentially see is that it's meant for external use. I would love to find a universal transformer that could be used for everything without having to modify it. Good find though!

    Moshe LivneM Offline
    Moshe LivneM Offline
    Moshe Livne
    Hero Member
    wrote on last edited by
    #39

    @petewill Technically this is not true. The circuit inside the plug was made to be enclosed. Unlike other non brands I trust Meanwell. I have seen the insides of their LED transformers and a friend (that know much more then me) reviewed them as well for lights we built and they are excellent. Everything is always above spec. They are the reference when it comes to CC or CV transformers.

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • Moshe LivneM Moshe Livne

      @tbowmo @petewill @didi @ServiceXp I think I found the perfect one!!!!
      http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2155823_-1
      http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/260/GS05U-USB-spec-33533.pdf

      it is made by meanwell, so not flimsy. has all protections. 8$ at jameco and mouser and I am sure my meanwell supplier on aliexpress can get it for me at half price... it is a shame that they do not sell the inside separately but nothing is perfect.
      the only problem might be breaking it apart. Meanwell really make sturdy enclosures.
      let me know what you think...

      RJ_MakeR Offline
      RJ_MakeR Offline
      RJ_Make
      Hero Member
      wrote on last edited by
      #40

      @Moshe-Livne said:

      @tbowmo @petewill @didi @ServiceXp I think I found the perfect one!!!!
      http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2155823_-1
      http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/260/GS05U-USB-spec-33533.pdf

      it is made by meanwell, so not flimsy. has all protections. 8$ at jameco and mouser and I am sure my meanwell supplier on aliexpress can get it for me at half price... it is a shame that they do not sell the inside separately but nothing is perfect.
      the only problem might be breaking it apart. Meanwell really make sturdy enclosures.
      let me know what you think...

      I think that one would be a good candidate for some testing.

      RJ_Make

      RJ_MakeR 1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • petewillP Offline
        petewillP Offline
        petewill
        Admin
        wrote on last edited by
        #41

        @Moshe-Livne @ServiceXp Cool, thanks! By testing, what sort of testing could I do to know it's safe? Also, would I be able to open it up or would I need to keep in in the packaging?

        My ultimate goal is to make a in wall switch similar to what I did with the "smart plug" (https://youtu.be/oNpMDN4QqD8). Do you see any other potential problems with putting those electronics in a wall? I want to make sure I don't do anything stupid before I attempt any of this...

        I am planning on using relays like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/261099571172?rmvSB=true

        I would be powering lights so I shouldn't be anywhere near the 10A limit on these relays.

        Thanks for all the help!

        My "How To" home automation video channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq_Evyh5PQALx4m4CQuxqkA

        DidiD 1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • petewillP petewill

          @Moshe-Livne @ServiceXp Cool, thanks! By testing, what sort of testing could I do to know it's safe? Also, would I be able to open it up or would I need to keep in in the packaging?

          My ultimate goal is to make a in wall switch similar to what I did with the "smart plug" (https://youtu.be/oNpMDN4QqD8). Do you see any other potential problems with putting those electronics in a wall? I want to make sure I don't do anything stupid before I attempt any of this...

          I am planning on using relays like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/261099571172?rmvSB=true

          I would be powering lights so I shouldn't be anywhere near the 10A limit on these relays.

          Thanks for all the help!

          DidiD Offline
          DidiD Offline
          Didi
          wrote on last edited by
          #42

          @petewill said:

          @Moshe-Livne @ServiceXp Cool, thanks! By testing, what sort of testing could I do to know it's safe?

          I have ordered 5 of them and i will test them at full 600 ma for 4 weeks in a flush box and protocoll data.I think if they don´t smoke we can use them on pcb

          if (knowledge == 0) { use BRAIN; use GOOGLE;use SEARCH; } else {make POST;}

          RJ_MakeR Moshe LivneM 2 Replies Last reply
          0
          • RJ_MakeR RJ_Make

            @Moshe-Livne said:

            @tbowmo @petewill @didi @ServiceXp I think I found the perfect one!!!!
            http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2155823_-1
            http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/260/GS05U-USB-spec-33533.pdf

            it is made by meanwell, so not flimsy. has all protections. 8$ at jameco and mouser and I am sure my meanwell supplier on aliexpress can get it for me at half price... it is a shame that they do not sell the inside separately but nothing is perfect.
            the only problem might be breaking it apart. Meanwell really make sturdy enclosures.
            let me know what you think...

            I think that one would be a good candidate for some testing.

            RJ_MakeR Offline
            RJ_MakeR Offline
            RJ_Make
            Hero Member
            wrote on last edited by
            #43

            @ServiceXp

            Testing as in:

            Ripple / Noise (if you don't have a scope just make sure the sensor does lock up on long run times at max load.)
            Measure the heat it generates during full load (find something that can draw 1 amp).
            Check to see if you can even fit it and the other components inside of a box that already has wire/switch run to it.

            Personally, I would want to crack one of these open and see how it was designed. Making sure it's Ok, the specs look good on it, but you never know....

            If the testing looks good, I would not have a problem using it (I would try and keep it in it's case if at all possible, or have one made that will house everything). I do think you are going to need a pretty deep box to fit it all.

            We really need a MySensors Micro solution here, but then there is the liability.....

            RJ_Make

            Moshe LivneM 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • DidiD Didi

              @petewill said:

              @Moshe-Livne @ServiceXp Cool, thanks! By testing, what sort of testing could I do to know it's safe?

              I have ordered 5 of them and i will test them at full 600 ma for 4 weeks in a flush box and protocoll data.I think if they don´t smoke we can use them on pcb

              RJ_MakeR Offline
              RJ_MakeR Offline
              RJ_Make
              Hero Member
              wrote on last edited by
              #44

              @Didi Would you mind pushing one to 1 amp for a while., and then 1.5 if possible. Just want to make sure the OCP activates before it goes up in smoke..

              RJ_Make

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • DidiD Didi

                @petewill said:

                @Moshe-Livne @ServiceXp Cool, thanks! By testing, what sort of testing could I do to know it's safe?

                I have ordered 5 of them and i will test them at full 600 ma for 4 weeks in a flush box and protocoll data.I think if they don´t smoke we can use them on pcb

                Moshe LivneM Offline
                Moshe LivneM Offline
                Moshe Livne
                Hero Member
                wrote on last edited by
                #45

                @Didi Would you mind testing the meanwell ones as well? I would have but being on a small island at the end of the world is a problem sometimes. Don't mind buying a few for you for testing - I really would like to have both a reliable wall charger and a power supply I could use in a box without too much worry and the meanwell looks so promising....

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • Moshe LivneM Moshe Livne

                  @tbowmo @petewill @didi @ServiceXp I think I found the perfect one!!!!
                  http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2155823_-1
                  http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/260/GS05U-USB-spec-33533.pdf

                  it is made by meanwell, so not flimsy. has all protections. 8$ at jameco and mouser and I am sure my meanwell supplier on aliexpress can get it for me at half price... it is a shame that they do not sell the inside separately but nothing is perfect.
                  the only problem might be breaking it apart. Meanwell really make sturdy enclosures.
                  let me know what you think...

                  petewillP Offline
                  petewillP Offline
                  petewill
                  Admin
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #46

                  @Moshe-Livne said:

                  I am sure my meanwell supplier on aliexpress can get it for me at half price...

                  Do you have a link for this? I just tried searching and I couldn't find these one ebay or aliexpress.

                  My "How To" home automation video channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq_Evyh5PQALx4m4CQuxqkA

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • rvendrameR Offline
                    rvendrameR Offline
                    rvendrame
                    Hero Member
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #47

                    Adding my two cents, I have dissected two devices (one zwave from GE and one unbranded, non zwave) and both used a capacitor-resistor power supply.

                    Very dangerous, as it is "transformerless" --- In other hand, cheap and small footprint. By using X2 capacitors the risk is a bit lower. It is in my list for prototype/testing over next weeks.

                    Home Assistant / Vera Plus UI7
                    ESP8266 GW + mySensors 2.3.2
                    Alexa / Google Home

                    petewillP Moshe LivneM 2 Replies Last reply
                    0
                    • sundberg84S Offline
                      sundberg84S Offline
                      sundberg84
                      Hardware Contributor
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #48

                      @rvendrame So did i on a 433mhz relay sold quite common here... it looked as this capacitor-resistor power supply as well.

                      Controller: Proxmox VM - Home Assistant
                      MySensors GW: Arduino Uno - W5100 Ethernet, Gw Shield Nrf24l01+ 2,4Ghz
                      MySensors GW: Arduino Uno - Gw Shield RFM69, 433mhz
                      RFLink GW - Arduino Mega + RFLink Shield, 433mhz

                      1 Reply Last reply
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                      • rvendrameR rvendrame

                        Adding my two cents, I have dissected two devices (one zwave from GE and one unbranded, non zwave) and both used a capacitor-resistor power supply.

                        Very dangerous, as it is "transformerless" --- In other hand, cheap and small footprint. By using X2 capacitors the risk is a bit lower. It is in my list for prototype/testing over next weeks.

                        petewillP Offline
                        petewillP Offline
                        petewill
                        Admin
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #49

                        @rvendrame said:

                        Adding my two cents, I have dissected two devices (one zwave from GE and one unbranded, non zwave) and both used a capacitor-resistor power supply.

                        Very dangerous, as it is "transformerless" --- In other hand, cheap and small footprint. By using X2 capacitors the risk is a bit lower. It is in my list for prototype/testing over next weeks.

                        Interesting. Thanks for posting. I have very limited knowledge in this area so I'm learning a lot. I'm excited to get a good solution for this. It will be very useful for many things.

                        My "How To" home automation video channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq_Evyh5PQALx4m4CQuxqkA

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • rvendrameR rvendrame

                          Adding my two cents, I have dissected two devices (one zwave from GE and one unbranded, non zwave) and both used a capacitor-resistor power supply.

                          Very dangerous, as it is "transformerless" --- In other hand, cheap and small footprint. By using X2 capacitors the risk is a bit lower. It is in my list for prototype/testing over next weeks.

                          Moshe LivneM Offline
                          Moshe LivneM Offline
                          Moshe Livne
                          Hero Member
                          wrote on last edited by Moshe Livne
                          #50

                          @rvendrame very interesting. The link mention only 100ma at most but I guess that they are using SSRs so don't face the problems we have with our relays. I wonder why there is no "off the shelf" unit like that. I would be a bit scared to construct something like that.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • RJ_MakeR RJ_Make

                            @ServiceXp

                            Testing as in:

                            Ripple / Noise (if you don't have a scope just make sure the sensor does lock up on long run times at max load.)
                            Measure the heat it generates during full load (find something that can draw 1 amp).
                            Check to see if you can even fit it and the other components inside of a box that already has wire/switch run to it.

                            Personally, I would want to crack one of these open and see how it was designed. Making sure it's Ok, the specs look good on it, but you never know....

                            If the testing looks good, I would not have a problem using it (I would try and keep it in it's case if at all possible, or have one made that will house everything). I do think you are going to need a pretty deep box to fit it all.

                            We really need a MySensors Micro solution here, but then there is the liability.....

                            Moshe LivneM Offline
                            Moshe LivneM Offline
                            Moshe Livne
                            Hero Member
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #51

                            @ServiceXp @petewill @Didi here is another one! http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/606238.pdf

                            this one is reasonably smallish, has all the required protections. They are so well hidden....

                            DidiD 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • Moshe LivneM Moshe Livne

                              @ServiceXp @petewill @Didi here is another one! http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/606238.pdf

                              this one is reasonably smallish, has all the required protections. They are so well hidden....

                              DidiD Offline
                              DidiD Offline
                              Didi
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #52

                              @Moshe-Livne said:

                              @ServiceXp @petewill @Didi here is another one!

                              And pice is ok

                              Found one at ebay:
                              http://www.ebay.de/itm/5V-550mA-switching-power-supply-module-MYRRA-47122-PCB-mount-/301663807573?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item463c906855

                              if (knowledge == 0) { use BRAIN; use GOOGLE;use SEARCH; } else {make POST;}

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • rvendrameR Offline
                                rvendrameR Offline
                                rvendrame
                                Hero Member
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #53

                                @Moshe-Livne , I believe there is no off the shell as if you dig in the details, you will see that the impedance of the consuming circuit ( arduino + radio + relay in our case) direct influence the overall performance of the capacitor/resistor model.

                                Usually triacs consume less than relay (something between 10 and 50mA), and you can also control the bright of a light or speed of a motor, instead just turn them on or off.

                                The downside, you need a snubber circuit as well as a zero-cross detection circuit. The snubber is also recomended for relays, though.

                                So at the end you don't reduce the footprint or costs --- But triacs tend to last longer than relays, as no mechanical commutation occurs.

                                Home Assistant / Vera Plus UI7
                                ESP8266 GW + mySensors 2.3.2
                                Alexa / Google Home

                                DrJeffD 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • rvendrameR rvendrame

                                  @Moshe-Livne , I believe there is no off the shell as if you dig in the details, you will see that the impedance of the consuming circuit ( arduino + radio + relay in our case) direct influence the overall performance of the capacitor/resistor model.

                                  Usually triacs consume less than relay (something between 10 and 50mA), and you can also control the bright of a light or speed of a motor, instead just turn them on or off.

                                  The downside, you need a snubber circuit as well as a zero-cross detection circuit. The snubber is also recomended for relays, though.

                                  So at the end you don't reduce the footprint or costs --- But triacs tend to last longer than relays, as no mechanical commutation occurs.

                                  DrJeffD Offline
                                  DrJeffD Offline
                                  DrJeff
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #54

                                  @rvendrame I'm right with you on all of this have been trying to do this for a couple months with no time right now. Actually it has been longer I was originally building all this for another system using XBees and then found it better to use esp8266 then said better yet use Mysensors so here we are! Transformer less is key at least I think so! Only problem no off the self builds.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • scalzS Offline
                                    scalzS Offline
                                    scalz
                                    Hardware Contributor
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #55

                                    Hi,

                                    I found an application notes from enocean regarding power supplies design. I think it could be helpful, and good to remember, so I share the link.
                                    http://www.enocean.com/fileadmin/redaktion/pdf/app_notes/AN101_POWER_SUPPLY_LAYOUT_2015.pdf

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • rvendrameR Offline
                                      rvendrameR Offline
                                      rvendrame
                                      Hero Member
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #56

                                      I'm currently studying this doc STEVAL-ILL004V1 AN2263 AppNote .pdf. I should prototype something over next week if family allows.

                                      Home Assistant / Vera Plus UI7
                                      ESP8266 GW + mySensors 2.3.2
                                      Alexa / Google Home

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • scalzS Offline
                                        scalzS Offline
                                        scalz
                                        Hardware Contributor
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #57

                                        Hi. interesting link, I will read it when I will have time. It looks like u2008 or u2010 which are obsolete now (I have some in stock, cheap on aliexpress) but I didn't know your ref. thanks

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                                        • rvendrameR Offline
                                          rvendrameR Offline
                                          rvendrame
                                          Hero Member
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #58

                                          @scalz, I'm trying to porting the capacitor-resistor power supply concept from that doc to our mySensor world. Specially for 1-wire dimmer, as described in chapter 3.1.

                                          Home Assistant / Vera Plus UI7
                                          ESP8266 GW + mySensors 2.3.2
                                          Alexa / Google Home

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