Author Topic: Looking for an automotive DC-DC regulator  (Read 15389 times)

Offline spittet

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Looking for an automotive DC-DC regulator
« on: November 25, 2017, 09:28:38 PM »
Hi,

What are you using for DC-DC power supply when you want to keep all your electronic devices alive even during a hard cold-start where battery voltage can drop down to 6V?

I was using these http://www.current-logic.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=201 , but I recently discovered that they have a low input voltage protection and when input voltage goes slightly under 8V, the output voltage goes to 0V and everything that is powered by this power supply goes off.

I liked this unit because :

- wide input voltage
- encapsulated/sealed enclosure
- easy mounting
- large power (120W!)

Please share what are you using as power supply.

Have a good day!

Sam

Offline Mike AA

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Re: Looking for an automotive DC-DC regulator
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2017, 04:55:23 PM »
Sam,

I played around with using a small 12 volt lithium battery hooked to a charger running from the main battery bank. It worked well until guys forgot to turn off the master. We now have a 24 volt system and alternator and a 12v system battery and alternator just for the computer system and all the items we have swapped to 12 so we have no issues with engine drawing too much.

Mike

Offline oiltronic

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Re: Looking for an automotive DC-DC regulator
« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2017, 06:28:04 AM »
I've used Axiomatic and Phoenix Contact DC-DC converters.  They're nice, but like everything else off-the-shelf that I could find, will drop out or stop regulating below 6-9V once their internal energy storage is depleted. 

Phoenix also make UPS modules, and even better, capacitor-based Buffer Modules.  These are 24VDC, however.  Maybe something similar exists out there in 12VDC-land.

Related threads:
http://www.plus1forum.danfoss.com/index.php?topic=912
http://www.plus1forum.danfoss.com/index.php?topic=945