Newer computer cases often have all the USB connections on the back. That’s fine for some, but I have a very crowded lab, and it’s a pain to reach back there and fumble around trying to plug/unplug equipment. So I created this USB 3.1 capable extender box.
I started with a search of Tiger Direct, Amazon, eBay, and several other of the usual suspects. I was looking for a relatively high density way to mount female USB jacks. They had to be mounted in something with some mass to it, so it won’t skitter around when I try to plug things in, and it needs non-skid rubber feet too. Ultimately, I took the guts out of an old 2400 baud modem. Remember those? You’re dating yourself. That provided the box to mount the USB jacks into. A little aluminum plate, some machining with a drill, punch, and file, and some specialty USB jacks, and Bob’s yer uncle.
Back of that old modem
An old 2400 baud modem
Shuck the modem of its guts…
Leaving a usable case.
BATIGE Dual Ports Square USB 3.0 Panel Flush Mount Extension Cable
These are what the panel-mount USB cables look like; Amazon has them in both 3 and 6 foot lengths.
I’ve been playing with small power supply modules you can get from BangGood.com and other Asian retailers. What I’ve found is that you can build a bench power supply that’s lightyears more advanced than my old Elenco Precision Dual Power Supply, for an affordable cost, provided you understand their limitations and use them accordingly. Here’s a once-over on the RD6012. I’ll post another article about operating a little later. I also have a DPS8005, a much less expensive ($35), much smaller 5 amp model. I’ll write that one up too.
The Riden RD6012 is an upgraded version of their RD6006 model. The former is the 60 volt / 12 amp version of the 60 volt / 6 amp product, and now there’s an 18 amp version, the RD6018. Like most of these modules and boards, they feature DC-to-DC conversion, switching regulation, and require a voltage source. This means that they don’t plug into a wall outlet and accept 120 volts AC. A power supply brick designed for LED lighting makes a good voltage source. I have one that produces 60 volts DC at 17 amps, and another that does 60V/10A.
It comes in two flavors, the base unit pictured above, the same thing with a USB connectivity and Bluetooth module included. I bought mine that way, and paid about $90 for. I see it on sale now for $64 in places, You can also buy a custom-desgined housing for it for about $35.
The unit is about 6.5″ wide, 3.35″ high, and 2″ deep, but of course you’ll need a lot more clearance than that at the back. It’s got a cooling fan, so you need air space behind it to keep it cool, and you need some cable clearance.
In the photo above, the WiFi/Bluetooth module is at the lower right. It’s supplied, if you buy it that way, but you have to finagle it into the tiny space allotted for it. I have yet to get the cooling fan to run, even at heavy load, something others have reported too. There’s an input and output fuse soldered in, each next to an empty fuse socket. If you fry one, you can install the provided spare. The input terminal provides two plus and two ground wires, to enhance current carrying capability, and a screw terminal block is included with the kit. The black wire exiting from the top in the photo has a thermistor on the end of it. The unit has a battery charging circuit (that’s what the green binding post on the front is for) but I don’t know if the thermistor is for sensing battery temps while charging, or if it’s an ambient temp sensor. Either way, the temperature is shown in the display.
In any event, you’ll need a DC source, that can supply the current you want, and has an output voltage just above maximum voltage you want to supply. I bought a 10 amp, 60 volt unit under $40 and a 17 amp / 60 volt one for a different project, $65 or so. Look around, there’s hundreds of sellers on eBay selling this kind of thing.
