Power supplies in parallel for more current/same voltage?

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You're asking for trouble with most power supplies. The instant of powering up you'd have a potential for one supply feeding back into another. A few diodes to isolate the supplies, some careful setup, and maybe a few low value resistors to help the load sharing and it might work - or at least prevent a catastrophic failure.

Check out All Electronics for surplus switchers -

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Reply to
w_tom

3A mains adaptors are available but does the camera really draw 3A+ ?

Which model do you have?

Reply to
CWatters

By far the cheapest solution is to buy a single 3 Amp supply.

Be very VERY carefull: it's not uncommon for 3 Amp supplies to supply a much higher output voltage than the label says.

Wich may well result in a 'final flash' from your camera :-)

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Kind regards,
Gerard Bok
Reply to
Gerard Bok

What is so unusual about a 3A supply that it's output isn't specified correctly?

Ken

Reply to
Ken Taylor

Some supplies are stabilized. Some supplies provide the stated output voltage (more or less) under the specified load. And under no or low load a voltage that is much higher. A digital camera connected to a PSU is unlikely to draw 3 Amps all the time :-)

Also: some appliances take their input voltage to an internal stabilizer. While others just supply it to their chips. Without good knowledge of both the PSU and the camera, it is easy to blow the camera.

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Kind regards,
Gerard Bok
Reply to
Gerard Bok

Um, yeah, well I was kinda assuming that by 3A a supply isn't going to be unregulated, but it's a fair comment. Pre-morning tea. :-)

Given that the OP is only after about 3A total, a single switch-mode (hence regulated and stabilized) wall-wart/power-pack is a good option and certainly better than trying to connect several up in parallel.

Cheers.

Ken

Reply to
Ken Taylor

Daniel, the conventional way of equalizing the amount of current from multiple supplies is to put a resistor in series with each supply, exactly the same method that is usually done to equalize the current distribution among multiple transistors sources.

Since your application is a digital camera, it's a bit unclear whay you cannot locate and purchase a wall wart type of supply for your particular camera, since they are generally available on eBay and at most camera stores or even Radio Schlock. That's certainly the easiest, cheapest, and safest solution to your need.

Harry C.

Reply to
hhc314

Removing a device without first turning the device off in Windows will not crash NT based operating systems. It may crash Windows 9x/ME systems that are not as resilient because failed task in non- preemptive systems can lock the OS. If a device is removed without first turning off, then data inside the camera could be lost. This has been demonstrated with a camera, USB port, and Windows 2000. But it never locks the NT OS - as NT OS design even demands.

If disconnecting camera without first telling computer causes computer to crash, well, it was recently solved on that Windows 2000 system. Static electricity from a nylon carpet and air that was too dry created problems. Eventually, the static electricity destroyed camera's USB interface.

Informing computer before removing USB cable is a data protection function. USB peripherals should never lock or crash an NT based OS such as Windows 2000.

Meanwhile, I find numerous 3 volt external power supplies in

10 and 18 watt sizes just > I am glad I asked before trying it. I have reviewed what you all have
Reply to
w_tom

use unregulated (or AC) powersupplies all of the same model. (if AC rectify them individually) connect them in parrallel and then feed the combined output into the regulator.

Doing that should ensure that the load is shared evenly by the powersupplies.

how much power does youy digital; camera need, I've seem "wall mount" powerfupplies upto about 12Watts.

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Bye.
   Jasen
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Reply to
Jasen Betts

Reply to
phatty mo

I guess this isn't your normal consumer camera? What is it some kind of scientific/lab camera?

Reply to
CWatters

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