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loanbank · 2 months

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How do choose a load bank？|EMAX Load Bank

When it comes to maintaining and testing power systems, load banks play a crucial role. They help ensure that generators and other power sources perform optimally under various load conditions. However, choosing the right load bank can be a daunting task, given the myriad of options available. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential factors to consider when selecting a load bank, ensuring you make an informed decision. At emaxloadbank, we pride ourselves on providing top-notch load banks tailored to meet diverse needs.

Understanding Load Banks

Before diving into the selection process, it’s essential to understand what a load bank is and how it functions. A load bank is a device that simulates electrical loads, allowing you to test the performance and reliability of power sources like generators, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and batteries. Load banks come in various types, each suited for different applications:

Resistive Load Banks: These load banks use resistors to convert electrical energy into heat. They are ideal for testing the basic capacity of power sources.

Reactive Load Banks: These load banks simulate inductive and capacitive loads, making them suitable for more complex testing scenarios.

Resistive/Reactive Load Banks: Combining both resistive and reactive elements, these load banks provide a comprehensive testing solution.

Electronic Load Banks: These advanced load banks offer precise control over the load and are commonly used in laboratory settings.

Key Factors to Consider

1. Load Bank Type

The first step in choosing a load bank is determining the type that best suits your needs. If you need to test the basic output of a generator, a resistive load bank might suffice. However, for more complex testing, such as verifying the performance of UPS systems or simulating real-world conditions, a reactive or resistive/reactive load bank would be more appropriate.

2. Load Capacity

Load capacity is another critical factor. It’s essential to choose a load bank that can handle the maximum load you plan to test. For instance, if you’re testing a generator with a capacity of 500 kW, you’ll need a load bank that can accommodate at least that much power. At emaxloadbank, we offer load banks with various capacities to cater to different requirements.

3. Portability

Depending on your testing needs, portability might be a significant consideration. If you need to test multiple power sources at different locations, a portable load bank would be ideal. Portable load banks are typically lighter and more compact, making them easy to transport and set up.

4. Control and Monitoring

Modern load banks come with advanced control and monitoring features. Look for load banks that offer user-friendly interfaces, real-time data logging, and remote control capabilities. These features can significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of your testing procedures.

5. Cooling Method

Load banks generate a considerable amount of heat during operation. Therefore, the cooling method is an essential factor to consider. Air-cooled load banks are common and suitable for most applications. However, for higher power capacities, water-cooled load banks might be more efficient.

6. Durability and Reliability

Investing in a durable and reliable load bank is crucial for ensuring long-term performance. Look for load banks constructed with high-quality materials and components. At emaxloadbank, we prioritize durability and reliability in all our products, ensuring they withstand rigorous testing conditions.

7. Cost

Cost is always a factor when making any significant purchase. While it’s essential to stay within your budget, don’t compromise on quality. Cheaper load banks might save you money upfront but could cost you more in the long run due to frequent repairs and replacements. Consider the total cost of ownership, including maintenance and operational costs.

Why Choose emaxloadbank?

At emaxloadbank, we understand the diverse needs of our clients and offer a wide range of load banks to meet those requirements. Here’s why we stand out:

Customization: We provide customized load bank solutions tailored to your specific needs.

Quality: Our load banks are built with high-quality materials, ensuring durability and reliability.

Support: We offer excellent customer support, guiding you through the selection process and providing ongoing assistance.

Innovation: Our load banks feature advanced technologies, enhancing control, monitoring, and overall performance.

Conclusion

Choosing the right load bank is critical for ensuring the optimal performance of your power systems. By considering factors such as load bank type, capacity, portability, control features, cooling method, durability, and cost, you can make an informed decision. At emaxloadbank, we are committed to providing top-quality load banks that meet your specific needs. Whether you need a basic resistive load bank or a sophisticated resistive/reactive load bank, we have the right solution for you.

Invest in the reliability and efficiency of your power systems with a high-quality load bank from emaxloadbank. Contact us today to learn more about our products and how we can help you choose the perfect load bank for your needs.

#electricity #electronics #loadbank #machine #test #emaxloadbank

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rock-swag-tournament · 1 year

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Mineral Swag Round 1 Copper Minerals A

More information under the cut!

Copper Sulfate (CuSO4) aka Chalcanthite is a blue mineral that is water soluble (it dissolves in water, like salt!).

From one submitter: in my field (a specialization of electrical engineering) we use copper sulfate sometimes to make salt water resistors. the idea is that you can control the resistance based on how much salt you put in deionized water, and then if you slap that all in a tube with some electrodes on either end, you have a custom resistor that can handle a lotta power since water has a high specific heat capacity

Cumengeite is another copper (and lead) mineral, which is why it’s paired with chalcanthite. It has a deep blue color. Sometimes, the mineral boleite forms the cube of material on the inside, and cumengeite forms the square pyramids on each face!

#mineral swag round 1

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usafphantom2 · 1 year

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The cover artwork of the novel Firefox by Craig Thomas depicted a MiG-25, and the plane was described similarly to the MiG-25 in the book.

The Soviet MiG-25 (NATO code-name “Foxbat”) was a high-speed interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft entered service in 1970 and has a top speed of Mach 2.83, powerful radar, and could carry up to four air-to-air missiles.

A capable interceptor, the MiG-25 was widely exported by the Soviet Union.

The MiG-25’s capabilities were not discovered until 1976 when Viktor Belenko, a Soviet MiG-25 pilot, defected to Japan.

Subsequent analysis revealed a simple-yet-functional design with vacuum-tube electronics, two massive turbojet engines, and sparing use of advanced materials such as titanium.

The Soviet government put pressure on Japan, demanding the delivery of the purloined ‘Foxbat’ pronto. Since there were no legal reasons not to, the MiG-25 was returned, in dismantled and crated condition. The Japanese did it on purpose to cover up the ‘surgery’ they and the U.S. intelligence experts had undertaken on the MiG.

However the Soviet experts were quick to find out just how much the West actually knew. When the MiG-25 was returned to the USSR it was determined that the Americans had run the engines and measured the aircraft’s infra-red signature and also made a detailed analysis of the systems and avionics, including the radar, and the structural materials. Not knowing how to operate the equipment, the Americans had damaged some of it and had to make hasty repairs (foreign fuses and resistors were discovered in the radar set).

The incident got the world press going wild with stories about the MiG-25 and U.S. Defence Secretary Schlesinger stated that the new Soviet interceptor was a sufficiently potent weapon to bring about drastic changes to the Western weapons systems and strategies.

Belenko’s defection was also mentioned in the novel Firefox by Craig Thomas, on which Clint Eastwood’s movie is based. According to an interesting post appeared on Quora, in the book there’s a mail conversation (the snail mail kind, since it was published in 1977 and takes place a short time after) in which they discuss Belenko’s defection. Someone argues that the new MiG-31 Firefox is not a big deal, since they already have Belenko’s MiG-25, while someone else argues that the MiG-31 is a completely different beast.

Clint Eastwood in Firefox

Then, as MiG-31 flies for the first time, NATO has everything in the air to spy on it, and nobody could see anything on the radar. They conclude that the MiG-31 not only is faster than anything and features a revolutionary fire control system controlled by thought, but also is invisible to radar, and that they have to steal one.

And that’s when the book begins in earnest, and also where the movie starts.

Since the defection of Victor Belenko was widely mentioned at the time, the publisher had an unusual large first print run, gambling on the publicity of Belenko’s defection to push up the sales.

In fact Craig Thomas was inspired by the awesome performance of the MiG-25, and then Belenko defected as he was finishing the book and thus included in the letters.

Fun fact: the cover artwork depicted a MiG-25, and the plane was described similarly to the MiG-25 in the book. In the sequel, Firefox Down, the description was more like the MiG-31 in the 1982 movie.

MiG-31 Firefox

Full-scale MiG 31 Firefox mockup used in the film “Firefox” parked at Van Nuys Airport, California in May 1982

Fun fact 2: The artwork on the Swedish paperback translation of Firefox instead depicted a canard and double-delta aircraft, pretty similar to the Swedish JA-37 Viggen.

JA-37 Viggen

Photo credit: Screenshot from YouTube video, CIA, Dmitriy Pichugin and MilborneOne via wikipedia

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

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Fedotov MiG-25RB altitude world record

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lunarsilkscreen · 5 months

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Electricity, Resistance, and Tunneling

What is Quantum Tunneling? The ability of elections to break barriers and this through walls?

Yes. Exactly. However; This is how electricity works. (I feel like I keep repeating myself here).

Electrons (or current) follows along a wire towards a positive charge (Voltage). And we use resistors in order to control the flow of current in a circuit.

The resistors discourage electrons from one side of a circuit to the path of least resistance. (Lol, geddit?) By disconnecting this wire "without resistance" (the quotes are because you cannot get rid of Resistance entirely) the current can go straight through the resistor.

Electrons travel *through* metal (or another conductive medium) it's simply how electronics work.

And so; when we get to tiny enough circuits, that Resistance is harder to create. And electrons go through the resistor, even when there's no power.

Which means they're also affected by latent static charge as well as the power that we want to control.

The "Wave" we keep hearing about has a bunch of different topics it covers. Light waves for one, waves created through a medium. But the one I haven't covered yet is what engineers, electricians, and mechanics would call "Phase".

"Phase" is a term used specifically for A/C(Alternating Current) and in order to generate multiple streams of power.

A basic generator has a single phase and can be recorded as a single waveform of high(positive) and low(negative) creating a back-and-forth pulling of electrons where voltage is present.

However many systems, such as aircraft, have multi-phase generators. This means that multiple different electrical waveforms are generated from a single generator.

The standard multi-phase generator is 3-phase.

And for the most sensitive electronics on the aircraft, the phase position can actually affect the operation of the equipment. As some are put specifically on certain paths with certain phases for a reason.

This harkens bank to early computer screens and oscillators used to generate images. But it'd be too complicated to go in depth here.

These phases, usually labeled A,B, and C are about 45° off from each other. Since they pull no current at the source, the generator, they don't interfere with each other.

Reference material states that it is if these phases add up to zero.

And so--what I have left to explain; Is exactly how this understanding of electric phases correlate with quantum mechanics and *states*

This will have to be done with a more coherent explanation of how current flows along voltage, and may not always flow through a path created from voltage (as above).

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fuzzkaizer · 1 year

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Blackstrap Electrik Co. - The Third Policeman

"Reserve-series very verdant, very one-off Irish OC44 effect I mean, those guts. I mined my stocks for very rare, very high end, and very green caps and resistors. Save the filter caps, all other components are the only ones I had. One and done! Almost every wire is a different piece and shade of old unbranded green. Did I roll through dozens of transistors to find one that biased up to 6.66v with my green resistors' values? I didn't not 🤦🏻😁☘️😍💚🥦 The motor is a special NOS Mullard OC44 in very high gain for a self-saturating, very power tubey effect. Full range tone control too. Bring this and yer Vox to yer next concert performance, and you'll look totally stylish Brit House, but sound like a green bull beating its sylvan bullocks. Based on the titular Irish novel about . . . Bicycles"

cred: instagram.com/blackstrap_electrik

however, it might be also dedicated to "At Swim Two Birds":

"It is important to remember that he reads and writes only green books. (...) All colours except green he regarded as symbols of evil ... Although a man of wide learning and culture, this arbitrary rule caused serious chasms in his erudition. The Bible, for instance, was unknown to him and much of the knowledge of the great mysteries of religion and the origin of man was acquired from servants and public-house acquaintances and was on that account imperfect and in some respects ludicrously garbled. It is for this reason that his well-known work, Evidences of Christian Religion, contains the seeds of serious heresy." - Flann O'Brien, At Swim Two Birds

cred: librarything.com/topic/313902

#blackstrap electrik co #the third policeman #Flann O'Brien #guts #style #green #at swim two birds

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amnottrak-official · 6 months

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Train surfing

Illegal act of riding on the outside of a moving train

Train surfing (also known as train hopping or train hitching) is typically a reckless, dangerous and illegal act of riding on the outside of a moving train, tram or other forms of rail transport. In a number of countries, the term 'train hopping' is used synonymously with freight hopping, which means riding on the outside of a freight train, while train surfing can be practiced on any type of train. This type of travelling can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening, because there is a risk of death or serious injury due to falling off a moving train, electrocution by the power supply (overhead catenary wire, third rail, current collectors, resistors, etc.), colliding with railway infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, station platforms, trackside buildings, railway signals or other trains, while riding outside off structure gauge on the side or on the roof of a train, or unsuccessful attempts to jump onto a moving train or off it. Today, the practice is illegal by statutes on many railroads in the world. Despite this, it is still practiced, especially on those railroads where the trains are overcrowded.

An overcrowded train with passengers riding on the outside in Bangladesh

History

Further information: Running board

An early horse-hauled rail car with passengers on its roof and foot boards

The phenomenon of riding on the outside of trains came with the appearance of the first railway lines. On a series of first railroads, riding on rooftops and footboards of trains was common, but over time, starting from the second half of the 19th century, with an increase in the sizes and speed of trains, passenger coaches began to be produced fully covered and insulated from streets with a placement of all passenger seats inside carriages in order to improve the safety of passengers and prevent people falling from a moving train. However, some individuals continued riding on the outside of trains to travel without having a ticket.

In the United States, this became a common means of transportation following the American Civil War as the railroads began pushing westward, especially among migrant workers who became known as "hobos". It continued to be widely used by those unable to afford other transportation, especially during times of widespread economic dislocation such as the Great Depression.

In the first half of the 20th century during the era of trams rising in Europe and USA, trams in some cities became overcrowded, so some passengers began a practice of riding on footboards, doors, couplers and sometimes on the roofs of trams. Also, train surfing often occurred in European countries during the war conflicts, especially during the First World War, Russian Civil War and World War II. Soldiers and refugees often traveled on the roofs of carriages due to lack of seats inside.

In the mid-20th century, European and American railroad companies in many countries took measures to reduce overcrowding in cars and prevent riding outside of them, so the prevalence of train surfing in those countries decreased. However, in some countries of Southeast Asia and Africa with a high population density, the problem of overcrowding of different vehicles, including trains, grew rapidly, so train surfing in those countries became a widespread phenomenon.

As an extreme hobby, train surfing firstly appeared in South Africa during the 1980s among teenagers from poor families, and then began to appear in other countries around the world. Teenagers as young as 13 were reported as train surfing in Rio de Janeiro in 1988. During the 1990s, train surfing on a commuter electric multiple unit train became popular in Europe among young people who live near railway lines.

In Germany, the practice of S-Bahn surfing was made popular during the 1990s. The phenomenon was forgotten until the millennium, but in 2005 it was rediscovered by a group of train surfers from Frankfurt, Germany. The leader of the crew who calls himself "the Trainrider" surfed the InterCityExpress, the fastest train in Germany. An Internet video claimed that he died a year later from an incurable form of leukemia, but later the Trainrider revealed in an interview that this video was made by a fan and the story of his death was a hoax.

In the Soviet Union during the 1980s teens and youths sometimes surfed trams. The practice of surfing on electric trains appeared during the 1990s in Russia and some other post-Soviet countries due to the economic crisis and growing interest among teens and youths who lived near the railroads. In around the year 2000 they also began to surf subway trains in tunnels in the Moscow Metro and organized train surfing crews and web-communities.

German demobilisation, Western Front, 1918. Soldiers cling on to the roofs and doors of a train already full of other troops

Beginning in the mid-2000s there were frequent cancellation of commuter trains and crowding inside rail cars in the Moscow region. In the summer of 2010 dozens of commuter trains were cancelled due to track repairs on the Moscow railway and the crowding of trains and the number of train surfers in the Moscow region rose dramatically. This was when train surfing for the first time became a wide phenomenon on Russian railways and it caused a big scandal. Train surfing was mostly a teenager hobby before this. After the railroad track repairs were completed overcrowding on trains began to reduce and the number of ordinary passengers who were roof riding disappeared. Roof riding among teenagers became more popular and they began to create a community of train surfers and post videos on YouTube. Train surfers began to organize meetings and big-way surfing events on the outside of commuter, subway and local freight trains via the Internet. Russian train surfing fans began to call themselves "Zatseper" and also name their hobby "Zatseping" (from the Russian word "Зацепиться-Zatsepitsya" translated as "to catch on"). Train surfing became something like an extreme sport discipline for them. From the beginning of 2011, Russian train surfers made several rides on the outside of the high-speed Siemens Velaro train "Sapsan", the fastest train in Russia.

In Indonesia, especially Greater Jakarta, large numbers of people train surf, especially since the late 1990s, as gridlock grips this metropolis of 30 million without a single metro system, and the city comes up with alternative transport such as car jockeys. Jakarta traffic is the most gridlocked in Southeast Asia,[citation needed] perhaps among the worst worldwide. It has built a bus rapid transit system, but with little success, as there is no separation from the heavy traffic. The tropical heat and urban heat island effect also makes the top the only place on the train with plenty of air circulation. Since 2013 the practice has been eliminated after the state railway company Kereta Api Indonesia modernized the ticketing system, allowing tickets to be sold up to 90 days in advance, and including check in requirements along with increasing number of rolling stocks. On KRL commuter services, stations are modernized by installing turnstiles, implementing contactless payment and locking down the station. All non-commuter train now have passenger limit of 100 to 110% while previously a service could run at 200% or more capacity.[citation needed]

Current state

Train surfers climb onto a high-speed Velaro RUS "Sapsan" electric multiple unit train.

Train surfing is a common and usual way to ride trains in countries such as Bangladesh and South Africa, where this type of riding by trains is compelled due to the high population density and severe overcrowding of trains. This practice is a serious issue in these countries where people have been killed or injured in numerous accidents. However, train surfing can occur in any area with trains and trams. Individuals may train-surf to avoid the cost of a ticket or as a recreational activity.

With the creation of the internet, the practice of filming the act and posting online videos of it is on the increase worldwide. Train surfers can use social networks to find and communicate with each other and organize trips by trains in small groups. In countries where a big community of train surfers exists, they sometimes organize major events of riding on the outside of local trains, where dozens of riders participate.

Some railroad workers, such as shunters or conductors, are often allowed to ride on exterior parts of trains during shunting operations, but with many limitations.

Motivation

Passengers who practice train surfing consider it as an extreme hobby, or to get a free ride by train, which has a number of advantages in comparison with riding inside a railcar:

enjoyment of riding and feeling of speed;

extended view of surrounding area in comparison with the view from a window inside a railcar;

opportunity to avoid the cost of a ticket;

opportunity to ride in comfort when a train is extremely crowded or when it is extremely hot inside railcars;

opportunity to ride a train which simply has no space for more people, need to go to work;

Tram surfing in Sarajevo 2010

opportunity to catch a departing train or jump from an arriving train at low speed before a complete stop;

opportunity to ride on a train which does not provide transportation of passengers (for example on a freight train, service train, single locomotive, etc.).

opportunity to improve one’s internet prestige (also known as clout) for a relatively small number of micromorts.

Hazards

Hazards that occur whilst train surfing include falling off a moving train, falling underneath the train, colliding with buildings, structures and objects that are close to the train's path as it moves along the railway track and electrocution from power supply.

A person can receive an electric shock from an overhead power line or conductor rail when their body comes into contact with it.

A person can receive an electric shock from an electric arc without their body actually touching an overhead power line. An electric arc can go from an overhead power line and pass through the air and then make contact with a person's body. When this electric arc reaches a person's body they can then receive an electric shock from it.

Injuries and deaths

Main article: List of train surfing injuries and deaths

In the decade before August 2000, in Brazil, there were 100 people who died in more than 200 accidents.

In South Africa in 2006, 19 people died whilst train surfing with a further 100 train surfing accidents occurring.

In Indonesia, in two years before 2008, 53 people died whilst train surfing.

In the Russian Central Federal District in 2015 there were 24 people injured whilst train surfing and in 2016 in the Central Federal District there were 9 people who died whilst train surfing.

In New York, from 1989 to 2011, there were 13 people who died and 56 people injured train surfing.

In Ukraine, in 2017, there were 12 people who died whilst train surfing.

Prevention and punishments

Police arrest a train surfer on the Moscow Metro

Train surfing is illegal on most railways in the world, with some exceptions. Many railroad companies usually take a zero tolerance policy to practice of riding on exterior parts of trains, and employ railway police and guards in an attempt to prevent the practice. Police officers and guards usually patrol the territory of large passenger stations and freight yards, and can arrest train surfers if they are spotted. In some countries, railway police can patrol the territory of railways in utility trucks, SUVs ("bullmobiles"), or even standard police cars. In countries where the practice of trains surfing occurs regularly, the police frequently organize raids in order to detect and remove surfers off the trains and arrest them. The most common form of penalty for train surfers is a fine. However, in some countries, such as the United States or Canada, train surfers can be not only fined, but imprisoned too.

In the United Kingdom, train surfing is prohibited under railway byelaw No. 10, which prohibits travelling in or on any train except in areas of the train intended for use by that person.

At least 87 people were arrested in the last four months of 2010 in Melbourne for offences relating to train surfing. In Russia, over 1000 train surfers were arrested at the Moscow Railway during ten months of 2011. In India, 153 people were prosecuted in a single day in June 2012 for train surfing on the Central Railway.

Deterrents

Fencing between the cars of an 81-717/714 train which prevents passengers from falling into the gap and also impedes climbing between them

To reduce the practice of riding on the outside of trains, railway companies often place signs that warn about the dangers of train surfing. While there are no official numbers, the London Underground ran a public awareness campaign against "tube surfing".

The Indonesian railway company, PT Kereta Api, has tried several methods to deter train surfers. Early methods included spraying those caught with red paint and placing barbed wire on train roofs. In 2012, the company began suspending heavy concrete balls above the railway, a short distance from the stations. This method was criticised as being potentially lethal -Anastasia the train girl

(Everything is going go for now (apart from the fact I’m really sick))

This was a fun read! I watched a documentary a while ago about hobos and people who traveled on rails across america in the 1920s, and it was really interesting to me. Before reading this, I didnt know much about train surfing outside of the US, and I always love learning new things!

Sorry again for responding to this ask so late, I hope you feel better soon!

#trains #train surfing

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andmaybegayer · 1 year

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Reading more about inrush current control techniques now, all I knew before this was that you use Negative Temperature Coefficient parts to control it without affecting overall efficiency too much.

I've never had to design a board that drew much power, or didn't just use an off the shelf power supply. Power supply design is black magic so even major companies usually just buy certified open frame units to avoid redoing a ton of regulatory work, it's what's best for everyone. All the appliances at First Job just had a 24V Great Wall open frame units jammed in there, plus consumer 12V supplies for the network gear.

You can do some clever things involving having the NTC take itself out of the loop with a relay and a zener diode if you have really high efficiency targets to hit or you don't want to fry your NTC as the current picks up. I love these kinds of self-contained feedback tricks, they're super handy. And of course there's digital current controllers for high precision applications.

Figure 5 shows the relay circuit for a 1kW power supply. The relay is initially turned off. During power up, the input current flows through a 10Ω/10W cement resistor. Once the power supply is energized, a regulated bias voltage, 12V2, turns on the relay to minimize the power dissipation on the current-limiting circuit during normal operation.

Anyway. Reading specs it looks like there's a systematically higher inrush current in computer PSU's when you connect them to 230V, which is probably just Ohm's Law at work. A lot of supplies with really good 110V inrush limiting have utterly dogshit 230V inrush limiting.

An interesting problem I realize this might cause is that, because most tech reviewers are Americans with 110V, they won't pick this up as often. E.g. the highly recommended SF750 from Corsair has fantastic 120V inrush of ~30A but on 230W it's almost 80A, which would definitely trip a lot of home breakers.

#electronics

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moose-mousse · 1 year

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The Universal Serial Bus is often not universal...

So there is this problem you often run into when doing development. You come up with a solution. You research the solution, and find only tiny amounts of people talking about it, and/or they seem to say many different things and disagree. Most of the time, that is for 2 reasons 1: it is a very novel solution, so no one have tried it much, and everyone who have, has made very custom versions of it. 2: There are variables that makes it impossible to do it in one single way. I needed a rechargeable battery system to power my robot. These can get... VERY complicated, and pre-made solutions can quickly be expensive and you might end up with batteries catching fire, or destroying the batteries so they can never be used again. You need protections on them, but which kind depends on a bunch of things. I know electronics, but I am mainly a software guy, and I know when I do not know enough about electronics to do it myself. This being such a case. So, I came up with the idea to use powerbanks. One for each steppermotor, and one for the microcontroller(so the noise fromt he motors could not cause issues).If I use ones that can output enough amperage, they should just work and they are cheap. They are meant to be used by normal costumers, so have all the protection needed, and are quite idiot-proof(Which is a very handy thing when you are an idiot, like me) so should be easy to use. But I could not find much info about doing this... and I did not realize I was looking at reason 2. Basically, BECAUSE powerbanks are idiotproof, they do not want to discharge themselves unless there is a real device at the end of the USB cable. So if they cannot detect one, they turn off after about a second. How do they determine if there is a real device? Depends on the power bank.... No really, there is NO standard way to do it, as far as I can tell. And it does not depend on the power bank MODEL. I have 2 identical power banks, bought at the same time, and they do NOT behave the same. Which means that when I connected the powerbanks to supply my system, they (SOMETIMES) did not supply anything. Some check how much current is being drawn, which can be faked with a resistor wasting some power. 500mA was being quoted a lot, but that is more of a "That is probably enough to get it going". Others check for impedance(Basically, also resistance, but from frequency dependent sources). Those can be "faked" by having a coil or a device that acts like one to the faking resistor. I wanted a tiny 5 volt fan to cool the stepper motor drivers anyway, so I had one power bank also power that. That ensured that it actually stayed on (But if I used the other, (identical!) power bank it just turned off anyway). The other one could be connected up directly. If I used the powerbanks lower amperage socket. If I used the high amperage one, it just turned off. So now it works... I have 2 powerbanks for the motors, each with painters tape marking which powerbank and socket to use for what. Took me a week longer than I had hoped to figure all this out and do all the experiments. Sometimes, things that should be simple are just headaches.

#devlog #frustation #the world is silly #electronics

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