EEVblog 1561 - µSupply USB Power Supply - Part 21

Part 21 of the uSupply USB power supply design. An update on where the project got to and why.
A look at the working unit, PCB and schematic.

00:00 - The final prototype µSupply, it's been a while!
01:36 - It's actually a working product
02:50 - The story of why it wasn't released
03:34 - Teardown
05:33 - Old prototype
07:04 - Multiple processors and USB Power Delivery
08:03 - Evolution of the Banana Jacks
08:50 - Old vs New Prototype
10:11 - The LCD is gorgeous
11:36 - The Schematic
12:34 - The secondary side ST ARM micro
13:22 - Altium and Modular Electronics RANT
15:43 - The Primary Side ST ARM Micro and the USB Power Delivery RANT
19:00 - UART isolation
19:44 - Main isolated switching conveter with custom Planar Transformer
20:33 - Some old prototype concept renders
21:41 - Choose Your Fighter! Keypad vs Up/Down Interface
24:14 - Custom Planar Transformer
25:47 - Tracking Switching Pre-Regulator
27:16 - Not Recommended For New Design
28:03 - Output Constant Voltage and Constant Current Regulation Circuit
31:59 - µSupply history and Leo Simpson Silicon Chip story
34:18 - The PCB
36:19 - Conclusion

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#ElectronicsCreators #uSupply

[nezbrun]

You're right about USB type C PD, just like USB itself, it's a bitch of a standard.

I'm working on a project that negotiates from first principles, using sub $ MCUs that are now available with enough on chip to do the PHY for PD, including opamps, comparators, CRC. Everything about PD is hard work, from the wire through the software stack and seemingly endless state machines.

The state machines interact with each other too under abnormal conditions, it's a bit like having a goto in code.

Just choosing a regulator and voltage domains is hard work for PD UFP, it needs to be able to function from 3.3V to 20V, and you need to be able to protect the CC1 & CC2 lines.

You could do a whole series of videos on USB PD,

[sabamacx]

Prior to starting engineering studies, this project was *the* thing that got me into eevblog and critical to my interest in EE. The promise of a whole EE design from concept to execution and mass manufacture was *the* highlight of subscribing to EEVblog. I'd still buy this supply in a heartbeat.

[RandyLott]

I've been watching since before Sagan and when you were in the garage (actually saw the hazmat video on Altzone). I've learned so much from this channel and I believe the success of my career has been partially due to you (enthusiasm, curiosity, information, creativity).

Since I first started watching, I've designed high voltage fluid charging/deflection for cell sorters, satellite thruster power supplies, infrared cameras, laser systems, and cutting edge space electronics.

Thank you for everything! You've inspired and educated so many people.

[chongli]

I dunno about everybody else, but I could watch endless videos of power supply design. It's an amazing rabbithole!

[NoLandMandi]

Wow! At last! Very happy to see this little guy still kicking!

[ryebis]

It's a very nice elegant design, going to be a tough sell though unless priced competitively. One of those passion projects in which the process and journey provides more joy than the commercial outcomes 😄

[SeanBZA]

Keep the isolation, will make it easier to keep noise down. Plus you can get cheap DC DC converter IC's that run at 1MHz plus, so you can easily get the 12W plus through the transformer, with a driver the size of a flea. PD controller, 3V3 regulator that can handle 12V or higher on input, and then a 3V3 simple USB isolated interface, to pass USB over to the chip handling display to allow USB control over the USB side of the USB C port. Keep it to one grunty micro on the isolated side, which was chosen to handle display directly, and let it do all the work.

[seppeon]

Hello, I am David2!

This was a wonderful, fun and educational project and in complete agreement! USB-PD really was a surprise in complexity and I completely agree, isolation was a giant pain!
It was the primary source of inefficiency too, may have even been worse for efficiency than the output regulator!


That battery prototype was indeed a negative bias!

[kylerkidd]

I designed something like this when I was inspired by the old school uSupply and learned so much along the way. Thanks for showing off

[mr.jimmydean]

Finally, the video I've been waiting for all these years... I'd love to see the stages of it.

[jjqformerlyjailbreak]

I didn’t even know you were designing this. All the videos you have it don’t surprise me. I also have spent documentable time to the subject of USB power supplies. I really want a Bluetooth middleman or even usb middleman for one hub all usb and Bluetooth WiFi console environment to set hosting values and management to share devices with hardware not supported by a particular device. This was the intention of going down the road of electronics design and will be a product before I die. Thanks for all you do for the community.

[badarjahangirkayani]

I got inspired by this the last time I saw it and made a quick and simply contraption with a USB-PD board and a Ruideng Tech DPS3003 power supply module. Not as sleek as your solution but does the job. I think if you sell the screen, case and banana jack, people would love to take the challenge of designing their own circuits for it. Could even be a competition or something for the best design.

[Hasitier]

Yes Dave. I would love to see more details and the history of this little supply. As you might know I watch your channels since years beginning from the Garage time. And I would buy one if it would become a product.

[Willy_Tepes]

Projects are fun and you learn a lot from them. Getting to the end is not always that important. I've been working on my own project for 4 years because I had to do everything myself, but I will be sending you a sample when I finish it around Christmas time this year Dave. It's a DIY kit with some cool features.

[TheHuesSciTech]

This is about as exciting as if Valve had released Half Life 3! Great to find out details about this mysterious project!

[inductivethinking]

CH224 is a simple usb PD controller, used in various Chinese products.

[Ghostpalace]

This is the type of videos that are amazing to watch. Id love to have a gadget like this in my toolbag

[balas]

Great video that walks over many many details of making a finished product, vs a bare PCB lying around the workbench (but still getting used) . I would keep this around as a case study of what not to do, though. This could be the prototype and lessons learned for a competitive V2. Indeed some of the custom components could be a product in themselves .

[JoelQO]

Hi Dave! Can you show some costs calculation about the product? This would help to get an idea about the budget to get a product working!

[mynameisben]

I’m sure I’m just echoing what literally everyone is saying, but please sell these! I’m sure there are partners out there who will take on the heavy lifting of supporting a product!