Power supplies

[bdarley5]

Have a look at this if your selecting a supply, it's shows how quality can make differences in the supply and how current isn't the only factor.
Chips can't run very well without a good noise free supply

http://www.righto.com/2012/10/a-dozen-usb-chargers-in-lab-apple-is.html?m=1

[Zahir]

Less Is Sometimes More

Have a look at this if your selecting a supply, it's shows how quality can make differences in the supply and how current isn't the only factor.
Chips can't run very well without a good noise free supply


http://www.righto.com/2012/10/a-doze...le-is.html?m=1

There's a lot of interest in power supplies for our devices - volts, amps, clean current etc - and doubtless people will be swapping about the various wall warts they have to see which delivers really good results.

I have three boxes - A Tronsmart MK 908; a version 2 Raspberry Pi running Raspbian from a flash drive; and a Matricom G-Box MX2. The sleeper in this pack has turned out to be the odd-looking and slightly improbable Pi. Virtually useless when running a wi-fi dongle, it bursts into majesty on ethernet, producing effortlessly the best 1080p video of any of these devices streamed through a tight Linux build of XBMC.

I've swapped power supplies in and out among all three, using Kindle HD and Apple wall warts, and frankly haven't seen much, if any difference. What I really miss with the MK 908 and the little Pi is a power off switch, which is where the MX 2 with its remote OFF button shines.

Early this evening, as an experiment, I tested the two USB ports on the back of my 55" Samsung HD TV. One of them seemed willing to deliver some reasonable juice - and wonderfully, this juice was tied to the TV's remote on-off switch. Anything plugged in would power up when the TV was turned on, and shut down when it was switched off...

I rushed to plug in the Tronsmart, which has brilliant wi-fi but no power switch and it fired right up and played strong 1080p scaled video from my NAS and Amo Navi-X all evening. No lags, strange sparkles or flickers to suggest a strained power supply. A minute after shutting off the device with its soft power button, I turned the TV off - and the device powered down completely. Switching the TV on again brought that familiar Android interface on line again in about 40 seconds.

Solved. Tomorrow I'm installing powerline adapters to get ethernet next to my TV and will hook up the Pi the same way to arrive at a switched solution to quality streamed video on my HD TV.

[bdarley5]

Downside?

There's a lot of interest in power supplies for our devices - volts, amps, clean current etc - and doubtless people will be swapping about the various wall warts they have to see which delivers really good results.

I have three boxes - A Tronsmart MK 908; a version 2 Raspberry Pi running Raspbian from a flash drive; and a Matricom G-Box MX2. The sleeper in this pack has turned out to be the odd-looking and slightly improbable Pi. Virtually useless when running a wi-fi dongle, it bursts into majesty on ethernet, producing effortlessly the best 1080p video of any of these devices streamed through a tight Linux build of XBMC.

I've swapped power supplies in and out among all three, using Kindle HD and Apple wall warts, and frankly haven't seen much, if any difference. What I really miss with the MK 908 and the little Pi is a power off switch, which is where the MX 2 with its remote OFF button shines.

Early this evening, as an experiment, I tested the two USB ports on the back of my 55" Samsung HD TV. One of them seemed willing to deliver some reasonable juice - and wonderfully, this juice was tied to the TV's remote on-off switch. Anything plugged in would power up when the TV was turned on, and shut down when it was switched off...

I rushed to plug in the Tronsmart, which has brilliant wi-fi but no power switch and it fired right up and played strong 1080p scaled video from my NAS and Amo Navi-X all evening. No lags, strange sparkles or flickers to suggest a strained power supply. A minute after shutting off the device with its soft power button, I turned the TV off - and the device powered down completely. Switching the TV on again brought that familiar Android interface on line again in about 40 seconds.

Solved. Tomorrow I'm installing powerline adapters to get ethernet next to my TV and will hook up the Pi the same way to arrive at a switched solution to quality streamed video on my HD TV.

The only problem I see with this is having to leave your tv on if you want to download a file over night? Maybe a remote controlled wall switch could be an option.

I was having problems with my device constantly crashing and I found it to be the cheap supply causing it.

[Zahir]

Yes

The only problem I see with this is having to leave your tv on if you want to download a file over night? Maybe a remote controlled wall switch could be an option.

I was having problems with my device constantly crashing and I found it to be the cheap supply causing it.

Yes, no question my solution won't do for everyone. I don't see myself downloading big files to any of these devices, so hogging the TV for that wouldn't come up. And the last thing my coffee table needs is another remote for a power switch...

But you are absolutely right to look for strong, stable juice if your original PS was letting you down. The one for my Kindle HD did an admirable job, but then so did the one for my old Nook Color, with the right usb cord plugged in...

I've been lucky with my TV - it puts out a very competent current from USB.