Using a DC wall adapter

[alex_dubinsky]

Is this possible? In theory it would seem so, but I just want to make sure. The AC adapters are much harder to find than DC ones.

[lord.bix]

everything is possible =) just deppends on the effort.. lol

i modified a DC adapter as well to be used for x0x... (reason was that i burned my AC and had no chance to get a new one during weekend). So i opened a DC one, soldering out all the circuits of rectifiers... and =) it was working....

No magic

/Marco

[alex_dubinsky]

I meant more like just plugging a DC one straight in. In theory it should work with the correct polarity. The DC current will go through the rectifier bridge without a problem. But I'm just wondering if there's anything about the humps of raw rectified AC that contributes to the sound.

[Amberwolf]

In theory DC-in will work *regardless* of polarity, since AC reverses polarity at whatever rate your local electric supply uses (50 or 60hz is common).

It might even work better, if the DC wallwart is already regulated and capable of supplying the desired current at a voltage sufficient to give what the xox needs at the rectifier.

[katarakt]

With a little modification to the io-board it is no problem to run the x0x with AC and DC wallmart (and batteries adding a DC/DC converter!). I posted this in the battery mod thread i think.

I did not understand everything where the points on the pcb are which need to be cut because i have to figure it out with a friend and my "information" and here comes the problem: he has no time! If some german guy is here who has some electronic knowledge it will be no big problem to find these points on the pcb together, just PM me if someone is really interested.

[adafruit]

there is a voltage doubler that requires AC input.
Just get an AC/AC adapter, Jameco has them for $4 each

[ACrIkeD]

I am thinking to use +12V DC wall adapter to begin with. Since x0xb0x don't have battery slot either it seems
that I might bust this up and make a battery slot for it that brings the DC to +12V and regulates the voltage
with common precission +12, +6, +5 regulators and one adjustable to get the +5.333V.

10x AA will do.

The simulation point's that +12V 500mA adapter works fine for this project.

For some reason I don't like to connect AC into the prototype that I am working on...
One failing diode and we got blue smoke.

The lab tests show that using DC adapter brings less distortion and more stability into the music systems.

[katarakt]

Accenter has done this with a DC/DC Converter NMA0515S. He can run it with AC, DC and batteries! Speaker also included. Needed some modification to the pcb. He used 8 x 1,2V accu ..i think 2 x 4,8V in parallel mode because the DC/DC converter needs a minimum of 4,5V so parallel 2 x 4,8 will give an excellent running time! Output form the DC/DC converter gives the needed 15V. He had some noise in the headphone out which he solved with a 100nF capacitor. I don't know exactly how he has soldered this all together. I only know the basics how he did it.

Datasheet link: http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datashe ... A0512S.pdf

A direct DC input would be much better to modifiy with batteries. Why this AC input is done at the time back the x0x was created? Who knows

ACrIkeD, if you can do this i think some people are interested in new modified io-pcb's with an power on/off switch too, this would be really cool for version 1.1

[alex_dubinsky]

Someone I happened to have talked to has been running their x0x off 15V DC after burning out their 9VAC adapter. (This was being done out of sheer chance and ignorance.) Yet, it seems to work. Looking at the schematics, it even seems that it should. The voltage-doubled path is satisfied, and the 7805 and 7806's are rated well beyond 15V. Of course, they'll heat up more, but the 7805 does have a heatsink and never got particularly hot in the first place. Also, the 2200uF caps are worked right up to their 16V rating, but not exceeded.

[silky303]

I am the person mentioned in the above post by Alex.The 15 v DC adapter I am using runs my xOx without any issues other than the volume drops when you turn the cutoff to a higher frequncies.It seems to happen when cutoff is turned 1/4 of the way up and higher.Very slight though and barley noticible.won't be an issue shortly anyways as I have ordered the proper power supply.Thanx Alex for the checking into specs on the power supply and the link to the store selling the proper power supply.

[silky303]

Just a note.The reason I was using the 15 v DC adapter was by chance.I was having some technical issues with my xOx when the original power supply went.I was trying to see if the xOx would power up with other power supplies to try and rule out any other serious problems with the xOx.Like I said I had other technical problems with it as I had just purchased it and had problems with it right from the time I unpacked it out of the box.I was scared i got had and bought a faulty built unit.Luckily the DC adapter made it usable again.I tried a few other adapters before hand that would power it but not enough for it to run properly.Once I stumbled onto 15 v DC being able to run it I was relieved to know that the unit wasn't 100% faulty.The only problem I had now was worrying about overpowering my xOx and ruining it.I don't have any knowledge at all on how eclectricity and voltage stuff works so again thanx to Alex clearing up this issue for me.

[alex_dubinsky]

Do you mind sharing from who you bought your x0xb0x?

[silky303]

I guess I am not getting the proper power supply.The site selling them will not take on any new customers from Canada. Check this out Canadian people.

Thank you for your order. Unfortunately, due to the ever increasing complexity of United States export regulations, McMaster-Carr will only process orders from a few long-established customers in Canada. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this causes you.



Thank you,

That Frigging sucks

[Gaetano]

everything is possible =) just deppends on the effort.. lol

i modified a DC adapter as well to be used for x0x... (reason was that i burned my AC and had no chance to get a new one during weekend). So i opened a DC one, soldering out all the circuits of rectifiers... and =) it was working....

No magic

/Marco

Marco is right, you can remove the rectifier diodes (and caps if it has them) from a DC plugpack to make an AC one. But you must be sure that you know what you are doing, as there are obviously dangerous AC voltages in a plugpack when opened. Using a plugpack like this (if you don't know what you're doing), defeats one of the purposes of making a project that does not require the builder to work with these dangerous voltages. You, also you need to be careful that the AC output is close to 9v AC (that the x0xb0x needs), as some of these plugpacks can put out more than 24v AC if you remove the diodes, and I would not run 24v AC into a x0xb0x.

[alex_dubinsky]

I guess I am not getting the proper power supply.The site selling them will not take on any new customers from Canada. Check this out Canadian people.

Thank you for your order. Unfortunately, due to the ever increasing complexity of United States export regulations, McMaster-Carr will only process orders from a few long-established customers in Canada. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this causes you.



Thank you,

That Frigging sucks

As per Limor's recommendation, Jameco also has these. (Tho unfortunately not for $4.)

Here's a good one:
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores ... Id=210729&