I'm pretty new to electronics and would like to power 6 servos for my Arduino controller using an regulated AC to DC power source instead of batteries.
They are rated at 6V each and could draw up to 3 amps. I'm wondering, could I get two wall warts rated at 6V and 10 amps, and have them hooked up to 3 servos at a time in parallel. That way if they were all running they would draw up to 9 amps on each circuit. Each power supply would be on a separate circuit to prevent it from overloading the 12.5 amp limit.
Is there anything wrong with this plan?
Better get out a voltmeter and make sure that the output is not greater than 6V (6VDC) before you do anything.
Well the operating voltage is 4.8-7.2V, so if it's a little off 6V it should be ok.
aeroheli:
Well the operating voltage is 4.8-7.2V, so if it's a little off 6V it should be ok.
My adjustable wall wart ("Jus" brand) is well over 10V unloaded on the 6V setting.
LarryD:
1953
I don't have all those as back copies Larry; my brother in law was a Sun user his whole motor career and I remember the "Test- don't guess" slogan well. So Google to the rescue.
Thanks for the heads up. But provided that I could source one that provides well regulated output, everything else should be fine?
Yep just join all the -ves to Arduino ground
..... but just to check @aeroheli, you do have a voltmeter, we hope?
Where did the "12.5 amp limit" come from? If you are talking about load on the mains from the power supply, recognize that watts = volts * amps and it is the watts that remains constant (well, switching losses etc.) so if you have a supply with 12v @ 10 amps output, that is 120 watts which is 1 amp at 120v (or 1/2 A @ 240v). It will be a bit higher due to losses but switching supplies are usually above 80-90% efficient.
Right now I'm considering a AC/DC converter such as:
In terms of the 12.5amp limit I wanted to avoid drawing too much current from the 120v-15amp receptacle and end up tripping the breaker.
That Digikey unit is a switching supply.
Its input current is nothing like its output current.
Power in is only somewhat more than power out.
Ideally, they would be the same, but in the real world there are inefficiencies.
60W out, maybe 70w in (haven't read the product specs to that detail);
i = p / e
i = 70w / 120v
i = 0.6a
Suffice to say, nowhere near your breaker limit
aeroheli:
Right now I'm considering a AC/DC converter such as:
PMT-5V50W1AA Delta Electronics | Power Supplies - External/Internal (Off-Board) | DigiKey
In terms of the 12.5amp limit I wanted to avoid drawing too much current from the 120v-15amp receptacle and end up tripping the breaker.
That was what I thought you were saying. That was why I pointed out (#9) that 12v @ 10 A from the supply translated to something like 1A at 120 volts from the outlet. Or the reverse way of looking at it, 10A at 120volts from your wall outlet is good for about about 100 amps at 12volts.
