I'm working on building a compact robot arm and plan to connect six identical laptop power supplies in parallel by linking all the inputs and outputs. My main concern is whether I need to add diodes or any other components to prevent potential damage when these supplies are connected together. Any advice on this setup would be appreciated!
3 Answers
It's definitely an interesting project! Just a heads-up: connecting those power supplies in parallel might not yield six times the current. Feedback circuits could get out of whack when the first unit starts to limit its current. Definitely something to consider before going full speed ahead!
I've actually done something like this before, without using diodes, and it worked alright for me. As long as the power supplies are all the same voltage, they usually don't have too many issues. But it's always risky, so keep that in mind!
You might want to rethink that setup. Paralleling power supplies that aren't specifically designed for it can get tricky, even with diodes. If you haven't bought the supplies yet, it might be better to look for alternatives that can provide the output you need without the hassle. Trust me, preventing 'magic smoke' from escaping is key!