Seeking Advice on Best Way To RoadTest DIN Rail Mounted 24 VDc Power Supply

Hi colporteur ,

Yes, these are good thoughts.

Manufacturers write this in their specifications, data sheets, what wires to use and how to fix them.

For example, how many mNm the screw has to be tightened or, in the case of push-in terminals, how much pressure the clip has to exert on the wires.

With the pulling test, the spring force can be checked with a pulling scale.

Gerald

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I had some thoughts around installation.

I think it would be important to check installation using stranded and solid wires as well as different gauges. Another test would be making the connections without the ferrule sleeves.

Ideally all the required wire and connections would sport the ideal connectors. That might happen on installation but later when stuff gets moved, there is a strong chance in making due the custom stuff won't be around. Wire strippers and shove the wire in the hole might be the reality. A solid connection especially on the AC side needs to be checked.

The pooper is the technical spec calls for a 6A or 10A Din Rail circuit breaker in front of it. 

I feel that's not necessary, but it is a "backup", as the internals seem to have a 1A slow-blow fuse protection.

Note that it's 6A (C-curve) or 10A (B-curve) or higher - I suspect that is just to ensure that the inrush doesn't cause nuisance tripping. Having your wall outlet protected by 15A B-curve for example is okay - because I think the only time the backup fusing would be invoked is if the internal fuse fails to break an overcurrent event because it exceeds the breaking capacity (usually in the kA region when an arc is formed and not quenched), thus a breaker with a much higher rating should come in to intervene.

- Gough

I selected that it can be RoadTested in "any" home lab, but what I mean is that it can be RoadTested in many but not all home labs, depending on what you'd like to test.

The DIN Rail Mounting, for example, will need at least a section of DIN Rail "metal" or preferably a small "load-centre" enclosure if you'd want to test that. But since DIN Rail is such a universal industry standard for RCDs, CBs, etc there isn't all that much to learn about mounting it onto the rail itself.

Instead, the performance of the unit in servicing the load is probably more interesting. Testing say wall-plug efficiency, overload protection, short-circuit protection, voltage regulation of the output under load, performance across different line voltage inputs. That stuff is best done on the bench with test equipment (e.g. AC inverter source, variable transformers, power analysers, DC electronic loads) - it just so happens that I've recently been doing similar work so I've actually got my bench semi-configured for that kind of testing. Other testing of power supplies often include transient load response, ripple/noise which usually can be done with an oscilloscope on top of the above, and perhaps EMI which will require spectrum analysers and probes (the latter of which I don't have). It gets down to "how deeply do you want to test it?"

For those who might not have so much in the way of gear, they could probably test it by servicing certain sorts of loads, but 24V is perhaps not all that common of a voltage for consumer electronic equipment. The risk of using it "open" on the desk is the terminals are exposed, but if you get your wire lengths right and don't jam your fingers into the terminal blocks, it should be quite safe.

But if the sponsor really wants to see pictures of their products in the field powering PLCs ... then that's probably not a possibility in most home labs without something to run. As it stands, the 12W capability of the unit could be a bit limiting for certain industrial gear, which is usually not cheap. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to do that either ...

- Gough

P.S. Wago 221s are absolutely awesome. Love those tool-less blocks!

Hi shabaz,

This inline terminal is new.

Durchgangsverbinder mit Hebel (221-2411) | WAGO AT

So, from the phone wire to the 4 qu. everything can get jammed.

There are also mounting plates so you can mount them practically anywhere and! they are ideal for developments with wiring on your desk that has to be separated over and over again.

A technical manual about the terminal blocks, this can be used as a reference for this roadtest here:

https://www.wago.com/medias/Volume1-2019-2020-Technical-Section-en.pdf?context=bWFzdGVyfGRvd25sb2Fkc3wyMTc0NzIxfGFwcGxpY…

Hi Gerald,

Ah, I see. Makes sense!

Interesting connector! I've used the one that is in parallel but didn't know it was in an inline version too.

Winter is coming! Therefore some of us could test the power supply, maybe not at -40 C but at -20 C without a special chamber.

geralds  wrote:

 

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The Wago range of terminals are really awesome as you say! Love the Wago banana terminals with the wire clamp capability!

Yes, the Wago and as well the Phoenix Contact devices, terminals are favorites in my projects.

...

 

Gerald

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Yes, they have a great range of connectors. I'm using these:

I've won some Project14 shopping carts, and each time I added some of them - and related utilities such as pass-through bridges and ferrules.

Hi geralds

You are right, this is why its 500 mA limit can be easily tested (compared to a 2.5A one).

Hi Szabaz,

There's a setting in the RoadTest application where applicants can choose if they are testing to a particular specification or applying the product to a real-world application. Normally there's no need to verify the specifications of the device, or across entire ranges (otherwise nearly all RoadTests would be impossible for nearly everyone, or would be destructive, or both) - and if a product doesn't perform to a specification then that's a faulty product that can be replaced, whereas if a product cannot be used for an application then that's a different matter where replacing the product with the same product will make no difference).

Yes, I thought this too. I just explained how difficult can it be.

I sell such power supplies in my projects. Sometimes I have to consider which kind of power supply I have to use. For example if they will be mounted in a climate control system in a single family home.

The Wago range of terminals are really awesome as you say! Love the Wago banana terminals with the wire clamp capability!

Yes, the Wago and as well the Phoenix Contact devices, terminals are favorites in my projects.

This new one-wire pluggable terminal block is one of the best I use.

Durchgangsverbinder mit Hebel (221-2411) | WAGO AT

Gerald

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