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UltraCap™ LPS-1 Operation and Pre-purchase thread


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As you know (but others here may not), the Mutec has an open-frame Mean Well SMPS mounted inside the unit. And it seems that you are considering doing as some have done--removing that internal supply and feeding it with a clean, external LPS.

 

Based on photos and comparisons to photos of the various Mean Well NFM series, I suspect that your Mutec has the NFM-15-5 (seen here: NFM-15-MEAN WELL Switching Power Supply Manufacturer).

 

So while it may actually be a 5V supply instead of 6.3V, that really does not matter as the Mutec's on board regulators should be fine even from 7V (one of the LPS-1's settings: it offers 3.3V, 5V, and 7V).

 

The more important question is how much current the Mutec actually draws. The Mean Well NFM-15-5 is a 15 watt supply, and the LPS-1 maxes out at about 7.5W. But the Mutec may not even draw that much. The only way to know would be to disconnect the positive leg of the MeanWell and put an ammeter/multimeter in line between that PS wire and the connector pin it was plugged into. That will--with the Mutec powered and running--show you its true current draw. If it is 1 amp or less, then yes, the LPS-1 could readily power your Mutec clock/converter.

 

 

Thank you very much Alex! I'll try and find out.

 

Two other questions...

1) Anyone using this with FMC devices? Specifically, I'd like to know if a single LPS-1 could drive two FMC's.

2) As the LPS-1 is a single output device, how would I get it to drive two components in the first place? Do I need a different cable?

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1) Pretty early as the post office is just starting to deliver units in the USA today. And while it may be possible to power two fibre-media-converters with a single LPS-1 (provided the pair does not exceed the modest current capabilities of our supply), it might not be desirable as the point of FMCs is the galvanic isolation. In a way, running both ends from one LPS--even one that is 100% floated/isolation such as the LPS-1) might defeat some aspect of the fiber connection.

 

2) To attempt to power two devices with a single UltraCap LPS-1, all you need is a DC 'Y' cable/splitter such as this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Q8IKRE/

That one assumes the devices you want to power are close together (so you run our included 70cm 5.5mm x 2.1mm cable to the 'Y' cord); if the devices to be powered are far apart, then one of these would be more appropriate: https://www.amazon.com/1-Male-2-1mm-5-5mm-2-Female-Adapter/dp/B0059MYIQG . Then you would need another male/male DC cable.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks again! Those links are really helpful.

 

In my case I have two fmc setups, one feeding my rednet3 - and one feeding my microRendu. Was hoping a single lps-2 might work...

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  • 3 weeks later...
I had a pair of TP-Link MC200CM and currently have a pair of MC100CM units here. I looked inside both models... they use a 34063 switching step-up/step-down regulator as the main regulator for 3.3v and it should work ok at least anywhere from 5v-9v, specs for the device is 3v-40v!

 

If you want to be absolutely certain, look inside for an 8-pin IC right next to the relatively large inductor. Confirm it is marked as a 34063. I find the best way to see the marking is to take several cellphone pictures at maximum magnification at different angles both with and without flash. 4-6 shots will almost always yield a good picture of the markings.

 

Greg in Mississippi

 

Will a single LPS-1 power 2 of these FMC devices? Do you happen to know?

 

Thanks in advance Greg :)

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The MC100CM has a max power consumption of 2,5 W. So here you can power 2, or even 3 :)

10/100Mbps Multi-Mode Media Converter - TP-Link

 

Thanks. That link is what I needed. I have a pair of 200 and a pair of 110, the former to power the rednet rn3, which needs gigabit, and the latter to power the microRendu, which doesn't need gigabit. 5.5 + 1.52 looks to be below 7.5watts, so I'm probably good!

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