This is a total "noob" question and I have done some searches but want to b= e sure before I go and purchase a replacement.
I own something called a Bitscope which I use for tinkering with electronic= s. It an older one and I'm pretty sure the wall-wart power supply is dead.= The creator of the Bitscope isn't responding to my emails so I'm sorta st= uck trying to find a replacement one and so far no luck on an exact match. If I'm reading the PS correctly it says that the output is:
10VAC
1A
My electronics knowledge is pretty basic, but am I right in that I could ch= oose a supply that is rated higher in amperage but would need the exact vol= tage specified? I've looked on digikey and a few places and can't seem to = find a supply that puts out 10VAC.
It an older one and I'm pretty sure the wall-wart power supply is dead. The creator of the Bitscope isn't responding to my emails so I'm sorta stuck trying to find a replacement one and so far no luck on an exact match.
a supply that is rated higher in amperage but would need the exact voltage specified? I've looked on digikey and a few places and can't seem to find a supply that puts out 10VAC.
Since it's rated as AC then you know that there's a converter inside and so it should be fairly forgiving in terms of what you can feed it. Let's see now Yup, it's a linear:
A 12 VAC wart may be easier to find than a 10 and it'll work fine.
ics. It an older one and I'm pretty sure the wall-wart power supply is dea= d. The creator of the Bitscope isn't responding to my emails so I'm sorta = stuck trying to find a replacement one and so far no luck on an exact match= .
According to the web site, that's correct, yes.
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Yes.
I'm not sure you'll find a simple wall-wart that puts out AC. They're all DC.
Have you measured the output of the power supply to make sure that's the problem?
If there's no output can you open it up and look if there's a fuse inside?
First off, check the power adapter with a voltmeter. If you don't have one, go buy at least a cheap one - less than $10 will get you some piece of chinese junk that will be handy for working on the car or anyplace else you wouldn't want to take a nice one lest you should drive over it, and see if the wall wart is, or is not, putting out 10VAC.
There are only a few things that might kill a simple transformer wall-wart like this, so odds are good (barring you've already tested it and not mentioned that fact) that the more likely to die device is what it plugs into, rather than itself.
Yes, you need 10 VAC and any amperage 1 or above will work (note that his may be written as 1000mA - just one amp in different notation, like
100 cents to a dollar.) Whether it would work on 9VAC or 12VAC is not something we can figure out - some things are quite picky about supply voltage, others not so much. Best to stick with what it used originally unless you hear otherwise from the unresponsive developer.
ebay (also known as sleazebay, so caveat emptor to the max) is probably your best source for a 10VAC wall wart if it's actually dead. They are out there, especially in the used market, just not stunningly common these days. I think they were a common voltage for modem wall-warts at one point.
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Please don't feed the trolls. Killfile and ignore them so they will go away.
Since the OP's question has been answered, he shouldn't mind if I divert this thread with a couple about the BitScope power supply.
What is the purpose of the choke on the Analogue Power common?
What is the purpose of diodes D12 & 13 on the Analogue Power inputs? My guess would be to prevent the Digital Power section from drawing on the A-P caps C19 & 20.
Why is there separate (but equal) regulators for analog & digital?
Please do not make Categorical statements about which you know Nothing.
Many Modems and some small audio mixers use 10 volts AC to get + and - supply rails. The first one I picked up in my obsolete stuff heap was 10 volts AC 1 Amp. And it is just a simple iron and copper wall-wart. :-?
Wow, thanks for all of the excellent help (and info). I didn't realize I c= ould just check the power supply output. For some reason I assumed it ther= e would have to be a load attached. It's very possible the unit itself has= gone belly up (it's almost 8 yrs old I believe).
Also good to know that a 12VAC one will work also.
Someone else has already posted that it keeps noise from the digital logic out of the supply to the analog.
But it's worth adding that the three terminal regulators were introduced as "on card regulators". The plan was that you'd have a single supply of transformer/diodes/filter capacitor and feed that to the various boards, with each board having regulators to get to the proper voltage. It helped isolate noise on the supply line, but also distributed the heat from the regulators.
It didn't take long before the three terminal regulators were used in the power supply, so many things not needing more than 1amp, might as well power everything from the one regulator. And it does work, it's just the initial vision was for something that used a lot more current than 1amp so multiple regulators dealt with the current draw and had advantages.
The advantages are still there, and it's often worth considering using multiple regulators rather than trying to figure out how to get more current out of a 3 terminal regulator (as we've often seen).
And since those initial 1amp TO-3 regulators came out, there have been much smaller 3terminal regulators, making it easier to split things up with lower current levels.
It an older one and I'm pretty sure the wall-wart power supply is dead. The creator of the Bitscope isn't responding to my emails so I'm sorta stuck trying to find a replacement one and so far no luck on an exact match.
Considering they'd just be a transformer, then if that was true, one could just dig out a suitable voltage and current transformer and hook it up, though likely needing some box to make it safe.
But, there are plenty of AC adapters that put out AC. Sometimes the AC is used for clocking (it's not a great example, but the power supply for the Commodore 64 included 9vac for counting by the CPU but maybe for incidental voltages). As someone pointed out, plenty of modems use AC supplies, because they need multiple voltages, and it makes more sense to use a stnadard AC out adapter than create an external power supply that supplies the multiple voltages.
Don't forget that the whole reason for AC adapters (other than to make portable equipment smaller, hence if you need to run it off AC power you use the adapter at home) is to make UL and CSA approval easier. If they have the transformer inside the unit, the unit has to be approved. If they move the transformer to the AC adapter, it can be approved separately since the unit doesn't have 120VAC roaming inside it. Since there's more demand for AC adapters of standard voltage, the cost of approval can be spread over the multiple units. If you have a piece of equipment that will sell only a few units, using an external supply makes sense.
If you only need one voltage, (or can step it down to other voltages) it makes sense to use an AC adapter with DC output. If you need multiple voltages with different polarity, it makes sense to use an AC adapter with AC output.
It's also worth noting that since the unit does specify an AC voltage, then that shows that such things have to exist.
could just check the power supply output. For some reason I assumed it there would have to be a load attached. It's very possible the unit itself has gone belly up (it's almost 8 yrs old I believe).
Before you go crazy check the wire where it meets the connector. Pull on it a little (I said a little) and see if the insulation stretches, if it does the wire is broken inside. This is quite common.
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com was thinking very hard :
So if you bought a 120 VAC to 10 VAC (or 12 VAC) transformer and used the cable from your dead walwart for the output side (wire nuts) and screwed on an ac plug on the 120 VAC side (no soldering required) ... then what? You would have a quick and cheap fix.
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