Tired of AC bricks? Try the DCBuddy

[theatrus]

A quick update on the 32V (and other voltage option) supplies: I'm prepping these Meanwell HLG-240H-30A units with cords and the right wire adapters, preset to 32V.

They're built from the power supply, an off the shelf power cord, Molex Perma-Seal heat shrink butt splices crimped with the official crimper, and a second adhesive filled heat shrink layer:

Maintains the two levels of insulation and at least a damp environment rating for the immediate cord end.

The DCBuddy end is waiting on the final adapter PCBs to land tomorrow - converts a terminal block to the 10pin connector and comes with the 10pin to 10pin wire.

 

[BZOFIQ]

You're limited by what the EB832 communication can report. For example, it may never really properly report voltage or current correctly depending on how the communication packets are formed and what data is being sent.

As a starting point, some of the EB8 fields were documented here:

AquaBusLib/src/EB8.cpp at master · Stonyx/AquaBusLib

Contribute to Stonyx/AquaBusLib development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

ESPHome builds on top of (optionally) Arduino and the ESP-IDF framework, so as long as the UART layer is ported from FreeModBus and the right frames are sent, it should be quite possible. Never say never, but not my current priority.

I didnt give up on you guys. I know you can do it.

All that needs to be done is a board that has 10 relays that show as regular outlets in the APEX Fusion- much the way an EB832 would. You dont even have to worry about any load reading etc, just simple on/auto/off controlled by code like any other outlet.

 

[theatrus]

I didnt give up on you guys. I know you can do it.

All that needs to be done is a board that has 10 relays that show as regular outlets in the APEX Fusion- much the way an EB832 would. You dont even have to worry about any load reading etc, just simple on/auto/off controlled by code like any other outlet.

The good news is all the hardware is there (minus an aquabus wire adapter), just needs the software

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I didnt give up on you guys. I know you can do it.

All that needs to be done is a board that has 10 relays that show as regular outlets in the APEX Fusion- much the way an EB832 would. You dont even have to worry about any load reading etc, just simple on/auto/off controlled by code like any other outlet.

Along with a buddy, we decided to take on this challenge, we've been brain storming the possible paths and making a clear end goal.

I have a pretty good vision of how it'll work and turn out. Working with my software buddy we're going to come up with something tangible... hopefully soon.

 

[theatrus]

Along with a buddy, we decided to take on this challenge, we've been brain storming the possible paths and making a clear end goal.

I have a pretty good vision of how it'll work and turn out. Working with my software buddy we're going to come up with something tangible... hopefully soon.

Sounds great, community in action

My recommendation would be trying to wrap this in a custom C++ component in ESPHome so we can integrate it into the core easily (with the loss of true CANbus).

I’m doing some light refactoring to avoid the mass duplication that exists in the declarative config (using package imports per port) and also introducing indirection between the intended switch state and actual switch state so all the current/voltage protection functions work - that should land shortly in GitHub.

Initially refactoring landed. https://github.com/blueacro/reefvolt-dcbuddy/pull/1

 

[theatrus]

Quick bench photo: production DCBuddy board and the DCBuddy Split (3x 12V) first version.

Currently I don’t load the display connector, DIN power connector or LEDs at the manufacturer so those get done as a local second op, hence they are missing.

And yes the Split board powers up and appears to function at a basic level, so no major disasters yet.

 

[MikeTheNewbie]

Quick bench photo: production DCBuddy board and the DCBuddy Split (3x 12V) first version.

Currently I don’t load the display connector, DIN power connector or LEDs at the manufacturer so those get done as a local second op, hence they are missing.

And yes the Split board powers up and appears to function at a basic level, so no major disasters yet.

Congrats! Curious about the reasoning behind populating LEDs and connectors locally. I would have thought it would be cheaper at the manufacturer. Are you using offshore fabrication?

 

[theatrus]

Congrats! Curious about the reasoning behind populating LEDs and connectors locally. I would have thought it would be cheaper at the manufacturer. Are you using offshore fabrication?

Would be cheaper, and yes it’s done offshore. However the LEDs and DIN connector are a bit special and either need a long lead time order, or actually would need to be imported back and forth. Once I’m out of the double digits of units that will get fixed pronto

(The LEDs are a very focused and bright model from Cree to shine through the case nicely. Honestly probably a bit too bright but that’s some future tweak to make. The display connector should be source able I just haven’t gone through the pain of offshore catalogs and finding the right tall enough connector)

 

[theatrus]

First look at the terminal block / flexible wiring adapter, for bigger or different bare wire power supplies. The PCB inside also breaks out the CANH/L signals for some hardware hacking.

 

[theatrus]

Some new firmware features!
- Staggered power up - better for everyone as there is a minimum 300ms delay between any port turning on after another port.
- Reporting the over current counts for each port (its one sensor)
- A Home Assistant service call to reset this (easier than unplugging)
- Over voltage and under voltage lockouts. These aren't perfect as it still relies on the voltage sensor being polled, but it allows for some amount of safety if the power supply changes, is the wrong one, or you use a diode-ORed battery system. For example, you can feed both 12V or 24V/32V in with some external diodes (or the HUB, coming soon!), and turn off non-EcoTech pumps and equipment automatically when you switch to the 12V supply. The VorTechs will automatically switch to battery limp mode if they get powered on 12V, even on the main power input.
I'm not going to have a pretty dashboard blueprint for Home Assistant ready by the first units going out, but its in the plans. I also do need to dress up the built in web server look and feel since its just a giant dump of all the data (at least its ordered by name!).

A quick look at the information and settings you get:

I'm not computing Power (Watts) though if its asked for its easy to add. Power gets a bit weirder with the Split model as it doesn't know the voltage of the aux ports and would have to assume the voltage.

There is both a switch intent (the Switch object in HA) letting you turn the port on and off, and a status object (the right set). If there is over current, or over or under voltage, it will still turn the port off, report that status, but not reset the intended on/off state the user set. Think of the "Auto" value for outputs in the APEX system, where Auto is set by the user.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Some new firmware features!
- Staggered power up - better for everyone as there is a minimum 300ms delay between any port turning on after another port.
- Reporting the over current counts for each port (its one sensor)
- A Home Assistant service call to reset this (easier than unplugging)
- Over voltage and under voltage lockouts. These aren't perfect as it still relies on the voltage sensor being polled, but it allows for some amount of safety if the power supply changes, is the wrong one, or you use a diode-ORed battery system. For example, you can feed both 12V or 24V/32V in with some external diodes (or the HUB, coming soon!), and turn off non-EcoTech pumps and equipment automatically when you switch to the 12V supply. The VorTechs will automatically switch to battery limp mode if they get powered on 12V, even on the main power input.
I'm not going to have a pretty dashboard blueprint for Home Assistant ready by the first units going out, but its in the plans. I also do need to dress up the built in web server look and feel since its just a giant dump of all the data (at least its ordered by name!).

A quick look at the information and settings you get:

I'm not computing Power (Watts) though if its asked for its easy to add. Power gets a bit weirder with the Split model as it doesn't know the voltage of the aux ports and would have to assume the voltage.

There is both a switch intent (the Switch object in HA) letting you turn the port on and off, and a status object (the right set). If there is over current, or over or under voltage, it will still turn the port off, report that status, but not reset the intended on/off state the user set. Think of the "Auto" value for outputs in the APEX system, where Auto is set by the user.

Looks elaborate - while I dont have the need at the moment I love your work.

 

[Aaron75]

This is a ton of info and kind of over my head. Would this work with lights. If lights are 32v-6.5A?

 

[theatrus]

This is a ton of info and kind of over my head. Would this work with lights. If lights are 32v-6.5A?

No, at 6.5A it’s well exceeding the limits of the port switch. The max sustained current draw is set at 3A.

Lights are one of these devices not well suited to share power adapters.

 

[ashburn2k]

No, at 6.5A it’s well exceeding the limits of the port switch. The max sustained current draw is set at 3A.

Lights are one of these devices not well suited to share power adapters.

I think this is for the A8 LED light that i'm trying to solve too, but the power adapter says 32v-6.5a, the light itself doesnt use the full 6A, maybe around 1.67A

If you have 200 watts of power and you are working with a 120-volt circuit (which is common in many households in the United States), you can calculate the amperage as follows:

91 \text{Current (amps)} = \frac{200 \text{ watts}}{120 \text{ volts}} = 1.67 \text{ amps} 93

Therefore, if you have 200 watts of power in a 120-volt circuit, the current would be approximately 1.67 amps.

 

[theatrus]

I think this is for the A8 LED light that i'm trying to solve too, but the power adapter says 32v-6.5a, the light itself doesnt use the full 6A, maybe around 1.67A

If you have 200 watts of power and you are working with a 120-volt circuit (which is common in many households in the United States), you can calculate the amperage as follows:

91 \text{Current (amps)} = \frac{200 \text{ watts}}{120 \text{ volts}} = 1.67 \text{ amps} 93

Therefore, if you have 200 watts of power in a 120-volt circuit, the current would be approximately 1.67 amps.

Edit: I somehow said it was fine but that was before coffee. What matters here is the current on the DC side. Lights are high power constant current devices - a “heavy duty” DC buddy could be built but you’re also going to quickly run into limits of the power supply you can use. Some of the 1kW+ supplies are derated when running at 120V and need 240V input. Lighting, while appealing, is ill suited in general and not feasible at this moment.

For the 120V side. Since we are switching the DC side, 200W at 32V is 6.5 A. A no go.

 

[ashburn2k]

This is why i got this powersupply

Amazon.com

a.co

and on my own agenda removing 2384302 power bricks, is there a way to make your DCbuddy to work with this power supply I bought to power the lights?

 

[theatrus]

This is why i got this powersupply

Amazon.com

a.co

and on my own agenda removing 2384302 power bricks, is there a way to make your DCbuddy to work with this power supply I bought to power the lights?

Not for the lights on the current model(s). At 32V the limit is 96W per port out. The reason? Physics. Its all a cost/size/complexity/feature compromise.

I'm interested in an HD (for Heavy Duty) version. Or the DCBuddy MAX. Or whatever silly name. The limit can be raised to make a, for example, 4 port high power per port version. Target around 300-400W per port, running at up to 60V (some lights run on 52V adapters). I do want to close out the Split, Hub and Battery module first, and then we can talk. The design isn't impossible, just not on this hardware.

 

[RayKCMO]

How would I hook this up to a 24v 100 Ah LiFePO4 battery? I'd like to use this to power Neptune Systems DOS pumps, 1Link, and FMM modules.

 

[theatrus]

How would I hook this up to a 24v 100 Ah LiFePO4 battery? I'd like to use this to power Neptune Systems DOS pumps, 1Link, and FMM modules.

I'm working on the Hub which support multiple inputs (e.g. an adapter and a battery, two adapters, etc), as well as a battery charger/voltage controller. Its the next product after the Split.

Since you already have that battery situation sorted, the battery module is not required, but the hub will be needed to support two inputs feeding the DCBuddy (or multiple DCBuddies)

As for the Apex, you'll want the upcoming (I have hardware in hand, releasing soon) DCBuddy Split which has dedicated 12V ports (24V in, 24V out on 4 ports, 12V out on 3 ports). The FMM/Aquabus/Apex can run on the 12V side, and the 24V for 1Link devices and other 24V things, which leads to..

As for 1Link, my original prototype (11 pages ago) had dedicated 1Link ports. Current version does not. That said, its worth actually making an adapter to allow a power output port to power up the 1Link bus as a backup when the EB832 can't, and keep the CAN signals. Will add that to my list. Maybe its worth adding to the Hub? Will get back to you as I work through some design problems.

I think its important for me to whip up some Diagrams :tm: of how this all works since its exploding in complexity. And to think the most recent thing I fixed was finding the right boxes to ship the units undergoing testing! (If you're an early order, you might get a recycled Amazon outer box. I'm sorry :-D)

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

I'm working on the Hub which support multiple inputs (e.g. an adapter and a battery, two adapters, etc), as well as a battery charger/voltage controller. Its the next product after the Split.

Since you already have that battery situation sorted, the battery module is not required, but the hub will be needed to support two inputs feeding the DCBuddy (or multiple DCBuddies)

As for the Apex, you'll want the upcoming (I have hardware in hand, releasing soon) DCBuddy Split which has dedicated 12V ports (24V in, 24V out on 4 ports, 12V out on 3 ports). The FMM/Aquabus/Apex can run on the 12V side, and the 24V for 1Link devices and other 24V things, which leads to..

As for 1Link, my original prototype (11 pages ago) had dedicated 1Link ports. Current version does not. That said, its worth actually making an adapter to allow a power output port to power up the 1Link bus as a backup when the EB832 can't, and keep the CAN signals. Will add that to my list. Maybe its worth adding to the Hub? Will get back to you as I work through some design problems.

I think its important for me to whip up some Diagrams :tm: of how this all works since its exploding in complexity. And to think the most recent thing I fixed was finding the right boxes to ship the units undergoing testing! (If you're an early order, you might get a recycled Amazon outer box. I'm sorry :-D)

I apologize if this has been asked/answered somewhere in the pages thus far, I haven’t read it if it was. I find this entire project very fascinating by the way, awesome work! In relation to the 1Link ports that are not in the latest build. Say someone has wav pumps, using 1Link modules (not eb832 which would require line power, or the previously included 1Link ports), at three wavs per 1Link. I believe (pulling this out of my hat here) each pulls 37 watts max, so say 120 watts total max on a single dc24 port (my scenario would require 2 of your devices 24vdc ports as I’m running 2 1Links and 6 wav pumps). Would your device handle that no problem? If so, would a battery work for ac power loss (say only running 2 wavs on low power with the head unit although I think the wavs will continue running on 1Link without head unit comm at whatever the fallback setting is)? My soldering days are over and I’m very interested in this project to eliminate a few bricks and have an emergency back up of a few pumps.