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Help me think of a better name for this USB charger thingy... — Parallax Forums

Help me think of a better name for this USB charger thingy...

W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
edited 2010-01-24 02:26 in General Discussion
This will be my next Gadget Gangster widget. Tentatively called the "PowerTrip".

attachment.php?attachmentid=66880

It is a USB charger/power supply "thingy".

It features;

Regulated 5V 1amp output. (that's four times as much current as the Minty Boost)

Input 4.8 to 14 VDC

It uses a shottky diode for reverse polarity protection and very low dropout regulator. It drops only .35 volts under a 90 ma load - important when used with a four cell battery pack.

Two pads at the lower right allow use as a breadboard power supply.

The data lines are accessible via two pads above the LED - could double as a USB breakout board.

Uses either a 2.1mm barrel jack or terminal block for power connection. Would like to have a 12v auto plug/cord/2.1mm plug as an available option.

I thought of "PowerTrip" because it provides a way to charge your iPod/etc. while on a trip. Hard to think of a name to call it that describes what it does.

Rich H

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The Simple Servo Tester, a kit from Gadget Gangster.

Post Edited (W9GFO) : 1/18/2010 8:46:44 AM GMT
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Comments

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2010-01-18 09:02
    Voltage Input Smoothly Applied = VISA. (It's a charge card, after all. smile.gif )

    -Phil
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2010-01-18 09:40
    @Phil: Plus, it's everywhere you want to go. Be. Charge. Something.

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  • edited 2010-01-18 17:57
    UPG = USB Power on-the-go Gadget
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2010-01-19 19:45
    Looks like I've got a couple more days to put the order in.

    V.I.S.A? Clever play on the charge card thing - I think I better not use that though!

    UPG - don't like the acronym but I do like what it stands for. USB Power on-the-go Gadget is quite appropriate and sounds good too, it's just too long.

    Maybe shorten it to PowerGadget USB or USB PowerGadget, perhaps USB on-the-go?

    For six months I've been wondering what to call this thing, gotta make a decision soon...

    Rich H

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    The Simple Servo Tester, a kit from Gadget Gangster.
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2010-01-19 20:07
    iToast - Because it leaves your gadgets nice and toasty... wink.gif

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  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2010-01-19 20:14
    USBTrip

    I don't care what you call it.. I want one.. [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    OBC

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  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,935
    edited 2010-01-19 20:51
    USB JouleBox

    or

    USB Juicebox

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  • Patrick TPatrick T Posts: 6
    edited 2010-01-19 20:53
    USB on-the-go will confuse people with the usb.org version of same name. -Patrick
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2010-01-19 20:55
    Say wha? You're asking EE's for marketing advice? lol.gif

    PowerTrip sounds good to me. In fact, it's such a good name, I'd do some searching to make sure it hasn't been used already.
  • kf4ixmkf4ixm Posts: 529
    edited 2010-01-19 20:55
    USB Supercharger? Universal Supercharger Board
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2010-01-19 21:08
    ElectricAye said...
    Say wha? You're asking EE's for marketing advice? lol.gif

    PowerTrip sounds good to me. In fact, it's such a good name, I'd do some searching to make sure it hasn't been used already.

    Yeah, good idea. Several times I thought that I should google it but kept forgetting. Guess what? There is already something called the PowerTrip V2. *sigh*

    Rich H

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    The Simple Servo Tester, a kit from Gadget Gangster.
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2010-01-19 21:11
    Maybe I should just stick with what I've been calling it all along - "USB charger thingy"?

    Rich H

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    The Simple Servo Tester, a kit from Gadget Gangster.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2010-01-19 22:05
    REGULUSBOARD (It hints at "regulate", but Regulus is a twin star in the constellation Leo. You could add a double-star logo to the name.)

    IMPETUSBOARD

    -P.

    Post Edited (Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)) : 1/20/2010 12:13:51 AM GMT
  • pacmanpacman Posts: 327
    edited 2010-01-19 23:20
    W9GFO said...
    Maybe I should just stick with what I've been calling it all along - "USB charger thingy"?

    Rich H

    I actually like this name - it's geeky enough and it conveys what it does.

    I would at least browse on over to see what it did if I was visiting the site..Some of the other names I would just think "I don't need a [noparse][[/noparse]fancy/clever/name], so I wouldn't even bother clicking the link".

    But a "thingy", I just might need one of those....

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  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2010-01-19 23:43
    W9GFO said...
    Maybe I should just stick with what I've been calling it all along - "USB charger thingy"?

    Rich H


    USBingy??? lol.gif

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  • rjo_rjo_ Posts: 1,825
    edited 2010-01-21 16:16
    usbEE

    emphasizes the quality engineering[noparse]:)[/noparse]

    iPutz

    Shows a sense of humor... understates the utility.


    What I would like you guys to figure out is how to recharge my car battery from an iPod[noparse]:)[/noparse]
  • edited 2010-01-21 18:18
    USB Charger Gadget
  • BradCBradC Posts: 2,601
    edited 2010-01-22 07:07
    Is that using a linear regulator?

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  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2010-01-22 07:34
    Yup, it's a DPAK surface mount.

    Rich H

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  • BradCBradC Posts: 2,601
    edited 2010-01-22 08:49
    W9GFO said...
    Yup, it's a DPAK surface mount.

    Hrm 14V input with 5V @ 1A output. How big is the heatsink ?

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  • Jimbo30Jimbo30 Posts: 129
    edited 2010-01-22 17:58
    USB dingy



    Or Dingle.....Like Dongle
  • HollyMinkowskiHollyMinkowski Posts: 1,398
    edited 2010-01-22 21:03
    The Curiously Strong Charger...lol
    (from the line on the Altoids box "The Curiously Strong Mint")
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2010-01-24 01:46
    BradC said...
    Hrm 14V input with 5V @ 1A output. How big is the heatsink ?

    Just had to rain on my parade eh? smilewinkgrin.gif

    Well, not big enough apparently. I had tested it at 13.8V and it did get quite warm but nothing alarming. However, I did not test it at the full 1 amp. So today I made up a 5 ohm resistor network and indeed, it goes into shutdown moments after being hooked up. With a 6 volt input it is fine but at 13.8 or 12 volts it just can't shed the heat.

    My milled prototype has about 120 mm^2 of copper that serves as a heatsink, the production version will have about 1,000 mm^2.

    Looks like I might have to de-rate it at higher voltages or limit the max voltage to something lower - or spec it as "up to 1 amp".

    Rich H

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    The Simple Servo Tester, a kit from Gadget Gangster.
  • BradCBradC Posts: 2,601
    edited 2010-01-24 02:26
    W9GFO said...
    BradC said...
    Hrm 14V input with 5V @ 1A output. How big is the heatsink ?

    Just had to rain on my parade eh? smilewinkgrin.gif

    Yeah, sorry about that. I notice you mentioned the Minty Boost in your first post, and yes this device will supply more current than it will, but then it generates almost no heat.

    At a full load, plugged into a car that is charging nicely ~14.4V your board will dissipate over 9W. I wondered if it would thermally shut itself down or de-solder the regulator first? Sounds like you determined that [noparse]:)[/noparse]

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