Seeking Your Opinion on Power-Management & Related RoadTests

These are interesting, but several levels down in my priorities. Having recently gotten married, all my interests are 'under review'. I need to curtail my hobby interests for a while and focus on the one thing that is more important to me than all of electronics. That being said, I sure would like to have some very fancy outdoor Christmas lights in the next year or two. LOL

To me, both my interest on them, and the reasons why I don't apply, can vary wildly. For example if it's an AC power module (or transformer, rectifier, inverter, etc) I lack both the experience and the equipment to safely test them beyond a basic multi-meter check. If it's a solar power management unit, I lack the infrastructure (solar panels and compatible battery packs). If it's a DC-DC converter or battery management IC THEN I'd be more interested, unless it's a massive high-current or high-voltage module. I think in fact there was one poll recently where one of the options was a very small DC-DC module and I was rather interested in it.
Because of the very narrow spectrum of power applications that are relevant to what I do, and the gear I have, I rarely see a Power-related roadtest that catches my eye.

I'd like to thank everyone who voted or provided a comment. 

a few takeaways....

1. A lack of the proper test equipment plays a role, but not totally, in people deciding to enroll or not in this sort of roadtest. I have attempted to select test equipment for prizes in my other programs. But I don't think I have the budget to provide test equipment for every power roadtest. But I will mention it to my boss during our next meeting

2. It sounds to me that for a lot of people, the need isn't quite there. That's understandable. Power products are niche products, well suited for a specifc kind of person. Hence, I think I need to place a limit on power roadtests. Perhaps like, 5 a year (1 or so a quarter). I'm still thinking about this.

3. Time, availability and skills are always a factor in roadtests. 

Many thanks. 

Randall Scasny

RoadTest Program Manager

thank you!

A PNIC evaluation kit might be more attractive if it contained enough parts to build a complete power supply with appropriate protection.

The problem with PMIC roadtests is that the range of parts is large and individual parts (especially the kind that manufacturers would like road tested) tend to have small areas of application.

When most of us want a PMIC it's part of a bigger project and we wouldn't want to compromise work on the project by using a not quite right part that happens to be on a road test.

Gough Lui has done some great non-project road tests where he has put  a lot of work into doing  testing purely to investigate the part - most people lack at least one of resources, time,  or interest to do this.

So I think to get more interest in PMIC Road Testing you'll need to sweeten the deal somehow. Possibly challenges where the PMIC is a key part of the thing.

I have a current example for this  - I'm repairing an old HP instrument and the LM309K TO3 voltage regulator has failed. I'll probably just use a TO220 7805 regulator bodged in but the idea of making a TO3 shaped board with an AD Silent Switcher chip on it is appealing as project/challenge.

But I think PMICs might be more suitable in challenges than straight Road Tests. In all cases the value of the chip is not going to be a motivator (unless it was an actual real TO3 LM309 ).

MK

Before starting being included in the Roadtest program, I found very helpful this recording: /learn/events/w/documents/3378/webinar-recording-how-to-write-a-winning-roadtest-application
To me also has been very helpful (as you're doing) comparing my past failed attempts with actual roadtests when they are published, looking on aspects my application was lacking.

Why haven't you enrolled in a power-management & related RoadTest?  Other:  Lack of expertise and lack of an application to use it (the board, chip, etc.)

When you enroll in a RoadTest, what is your personal favorite?  I chose Test Equipment but really anything that I can find a real world application for (meaning also within my skill set)..

As far as what I am most interested in to road test, this changes depending on what I am working on and what gaps are still left in my electronics capabilities. There is also a trade-off between level of effort required to complete the road test and perceived benefit of the knowledge gained and equipment value. For example I am interested in many microcontrollers but would tend to apply for those that bring some new capability without a huge learning curve of some new IDE. Sensors mainly depend on whether I can think of some projects I would like to use them for. Test equipment depends on whether my instrumentation has that particular gap. SBCs probably need to introduce a new level of power or feature set. FPGAs would need some attractive added kit to make the effort worthwhile. AI would need to lower the learning curve barrier.

I didn't indicate I had enrolled in a power management road test although I did one on power scavenging.

As to why I don't generally enroll in power management road tests, most of them are not of burning interest. I tend to design with modular power supplies or reference designs or legacy designs I've used in the past. While I have an interest in power systems, for a power management road test to be more interesting than other projects on my bucket list, it needs to be something I don't have an equivalent solution for, such as a POE system, or perhaps a solar power system.