A530 external power - Hotwire! Hardware Mods, Accessories and Insights - CHDK Forum
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A530 external power

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Offline geocrasher

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A530 external power
« on: 19 / May / 2010, 11:18:56 »
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Hi all, I am new to the forum. CHDK is amazing! I really love it and am just starting to explore it. I'd like to take long time lapses (as seems to be so popular) while running on battery. The port on the side says 3.15V. Would 3V be enough, and would 3.6V be too much? It seems almost too easy to wire up a cable with 2 "D" cell batteries. With a typical D cell having up to a 17ah capacity, and an AA cell only 2ah, it would last me a LONG time :-)

I also have aspirations of leaving the camera on a hillside over Reno NV where I live, and let it run one exposure every 30 seconds for a couple of days and I believe this would work.

I may also use a 6V lead acid gell cell that I have with a 7803 voltage regulator do perform the same thing. Would that work?

Thank you very much!
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Offline geocrasher

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Re: A530 external power
« Reply #1 on: 19 / May / 2010, 17:24:24 »
I looked and the lowest voltage available (w/o using a variable) regulator is 3.3v. That should work, shouldn't it?
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Offline geocrasher

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Re: A530 external power
« Reply #2 on: 25 / July / 2010, 20:04:30 »
Here's what I ended up with. A 6v 3.2ah lead acid battery with a 3.3v 1A rated voltage regulator connected to a 2.35mmOD .7mmID coaxial connector. The 2.35mmOD was insufficient. I had to build up solder on the outside and then trim it down until it fit snug (but not too snug). Pics attached. It works great! I've done 3 hour lapses, no problem. I suspect I could do longer.
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Offline PEU

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Re: A530 external power
« Reply #3 on: 29 / October / 2010, 10:56:41 »
The attachments are missing, could you reupload them? Thanks!

I used the circuit attached but the camera keeps saying that the batteries are low, tried from 3 to 3.3v and the same happens, I used a 5V 2A source
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Offline geocrasher

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Re: A530 external power
« Reply #4 on: 29 / October / 2010, 11:12:02 »
Here they are. The problem with low voltage that you have is due to your input voltage not being high enough. I used a fixed regulator so I can get away with a lower input voltage but the LM317 requires a difference of at least output voltage +3 volts to work. So, 3v out requires 6v in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LM317

So try a fixed voltage regulator of 3.3 volts and your 5v supply may work ok but I think you'd be better off with a 6v supply. Are you trying to power it via USB?

Ryan
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Offline PEU

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Re: A530 external power
« Reply #5 on: 29 / October / 2010, 13:15:41 »
You are correct, I was wrong at thinking that 5v would be enough, I tought that the voltage dropout of the LM340 was 1.25 and the datasheet says 2v, so I used the 12v output of the power supply Im using and now it works. I used a power supply of an old external drive rated at 2A.
Problem may be overheating for the voltage difference, I will search for a stepdown switcher in my box of parts.
Thanks!
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Offline geocrasher

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Re: A530 external power
« Reply #6 on: 29 / October / 2010, 14:14:06 »
Another thing you could do is build a switching power supply. I found plans online that I plan to use eventually.

http://hackaday.com/2010/08/29/make-switched-mode-power-supplies-do-your-bidding/#more-27668

Looks pretty simple, but could probably be done on your own without having to hack something apart. They are far more efficient and don't heat up so badly. With just a 6v input, mine gets VERY hot and the tin has to be open when its running, along with that heat sink I put on it. A larger one probably wouldn't get as hot as they are rated for more amperage.
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Offline PEU

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Re: A530 external power
« Reply #7 on: 29 / October / 2010, 17:14:18 »
Using a TI PTN78000WAH and a resistor of 99K as the voltage set I ended up having 3.15v at the output. Conected it to the camera and the moment I moved the zoom I received the change batteries message.

What is wrong???

Im using a Canon 590is
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Offline PEU

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Re: A530 external power
« Reply #8 on: 30 / October / 2010, 11:24:57 »
I used a PTN78060 (3A) and set it to 3.6v instead of 3.15 now it seems to work. These switching modules from TI are great! they are efficient thus generate little heat and need no heatsinks, you just set the output voltage via a resistor (table provided) add a couple of caps and you are ready to go! and since they were samples from TI they are free! :D

I wrapped the whole module with the caps and resistor, mounted dead bug style, in kapton tape and fitted it inside the power supply I used, neat result
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Offline geocrasher

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Re: A530 external power
« Reply #9 on: 10 / March / 2012, 16:05:36 »
Sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but I'm happy to report that after my A530 died, I picked up a used A470 on Craigslist for $50 :D and the power supply also works great in it.
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