Anyone ever heard of Pico Power Supplies?

Discussion in 'Technical' started by Asia-Off-Grid, Dec 5, 2017.


  1. Asia-Off-Grid

    Asia-Off-Grid RIP 11-8-2018

    After reading arleigh's reply (above) in the Solar panels on roof? thread, I began thinking of something. Pico PSU's.

    Rather than going DC (battery) to AC (power inverter) to DC (CPU power), why not just go DC to DC to power the computer, and "cut out the middle man"? Pico PSU's are one way to certainly do that. They plug directly into the ATX socket on the motherboard. They also have the appropriate connectors for your peripherals you will need for your specific machine.

    picoPSU-120-big3..a2be272d6cd08c936f068cadc857e741.
    A Pico PSU uses considerably less power and runs quite a bit cooler than a standard ATX power supply. You could, in fact, easily power it directly off solar. A single panel, a small controller, a couple of (smallish) deep cycle batteries, and a Pico PSU rated for your specific power needs, would be all you need to power the CPU. (Calculations, of course, would be necessary for your specific power / system up time requirements.)

    power_dc_dc_graph_v4..1ee0127e61b88a76aa8fcf6461e6d1e8.
    Anyway, just turn off the monitor and speakers when you are finished with your computer, and you could leave it running 24 / 7 / 365, for cheap.

    Just a thought I wanted to share.
     
    GOG, 3M-TA3, sec_monkey and 1 other person like this.
  2. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    Sounds like a very workable system, depending on cost.
     
    Asia-Off-Grid and sec_monkey like this.
  3. sec_monkey

    sec_monkey SM Security Administrator

    they run about $60-$80 plus plus

    unfortunately they cannot power a Xeon or a PC that requires a lot of power

    a yuuuuuuuuuuuuge game PC can have a PSU in the 850-1250W range perhaps plus plus
     
  4. Asia-Off-Grid

    Asia-Off-Grid RIP 11-8-2018

    Actually, less than that, and free shipping. Two examples:
    picoPSU-160-XT, 160watt (200watt peak) , 12V input DC-DC ATX Power Supply
    picoPSU-150-XT 12V DC-DC ATX power supply

    Personally, I have never been a gamer. I've always looked at a computer as being a tool - something that should be earning its keep. Games, to me, are a waste of computing power. If it is running, it had better be making me money. The irony is, without the gamers, companies probably wouldn't be pushed to create better, faster machines.
     
    sec_monkey likes this.
  5. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

    yup , I run Pico Scope and Pico stuff .
    Metric prefixes.
    m (mili) 10-3 k (kilo) 103
    micro (ยต) (micro) 10-6 M (mega) 106
    n (nano) 10-9 G (giga) 109
    p (pico) 10-12 T (tera) 1012
    f (femto) 10-15 P (peta) 1015
    a (atto) 10-18 E (exa) 1018
    z (zepto) 10-21 Z (zeta) 1021
    Y (yotta) 1024

    Units of measurement.
     
    sec_monkey likes this.
  6. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    Computers today are simply appliances, like your range, fridge and TV. They have a host of uses. Entertainment is just one.
    I used to play a lot of computer games, before I became an IT professional. After working on a computer all day, I had little interest in getting back on one at home. So my Atari and Commodores have been consigned to the closet. Then I got online. Now my PC tames the placevof TV, providing entertainment, streaming TV, communication via e-mail, access to information better than any S&B library, billpaying without using snail mail, etc.
    Maintaining access while in a power outtage situation is a good thing.
     
    sec_monkey and Ganado like this.
  7. Asia-Off-Grid

    Asia-Off-Grid RIP 11-8-2018

    And, it's even better when you don't have to depend on mains power to begin with.
     
    sec_monkey likes this.
  8. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    Moot point when you cannot afford a whole house solar system. Some of us are on limited income.
     
    sec_monkey likes this.
  9. Asia-Off-Grid

    Asia-Off-Grid RIP 11-8-2018

    I don't have a "whole house" solar system. In fact, one could simply provide enough solar to power the CPU 24 / 7. This wasn't only to save money on an electric bill. It could also be to provide consistent, clean, stable power for a home computer.
     
  10. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    Exactly, which is why I still have grid power. But on those occasions it goes away for awhile, this little power unit would come in handy.
     
    Asia-Off-Grid likes this.
  11. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

    You can do that with a 10 dollar Buck converter as I have done in my cars mobile system. I take 12Vdc (14.4 running and its boosted to 19Vdc -20Vdc ) this plugs into my Panasonic Toughbooks I use.
    They mount on a RAM Mount (like a cop car).
    Sloth
     
    Asia-Off-Grid likes this.
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