Can a person run leads from each power supply all grounds to one and all power to one spot for hookup or do they have to be run from one to the other plus to plus ground to ground and then what your feeding the power to hooks to the last one in line?
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PROPPER WAY TO HOOKUP POWER SUPPLIES IN PARRELEL
- Thread starter TonyV225
- Start date
If that was what I wanted to do, that would be how I would do it. That is, if I needed all of those power supplies to power one thing. There are 'catches' to that sort of thing, and you probably already know them so I won't go into that.
And just because I may have misunderstood the question... If each of those power supplies were to power only one thing, then I would run wiring only from that power supply to the thing it is supposed to power. Not to anything else.
The power line ground is not always the equipment ground. Mixing the two can cause unexpected problems. (For instance, I wouldn't try grounding the soundcard in a computer to the computer's case, if I were you. It can certainly cause some very unexpected things to happen.) Power 'ground' isn't necessarily 'component' ground or necessarily case ground. How can you tell? Simplest way is to measure for voltage between any two 'grounds'. If there is any voltage present, they ain't necessarily compatible (both AC and DC voltages!).
If any of all this doesn't pertain to what you're talking about, forget that part of it.
- 'Doc
And just because I may have misunderstood the question... If each of those power supplies were to power only one thing, then I would run wiring only from that power supply to the thing it is supposed to power. Not to anything else.
The power line ground is not always the equipment ground. Mixing the two can cause unexpected problems. (For instance, I wouldn't try grounding the soundcard in a computer to the computer's case, if I were you. It can certainly cause some very unexpected things to happen.) Power 'ground' isn't necessarily 'component' ground or necessarily case ground. How can you tell? Simplest way is to measure for voltage between any two 'grounds'. If there is any voltage present, they ain't necessarily compatible (both AC and DC voltages!).
If any of all this doesn't pertain to what you're talking about, forget that part of it.
- 'Doc
You can parallel power supplies. not really recommended, but it is done all the time. You are on the right track by using identical supplies. If you mix and match brands you are going to see a "mis-match" and will have problems.
There are special power supply's designed for paralel work, Meanwell for example.
You can connect "normal" power supply's paralel, but you need to compensate "backward current" between them. Usually high power resistor or high current diodes in series can do the trick.
Never connect them directly, they can blow or explde in a second.
Mike
You can connect "normal" power supply's paralel, but you need to compensate "backward current" between them. Usually high power resistor or high current diodes in series can do the trick.
Never connect them directly, they can blow or explde in a second.
Mike
Ok so if 2 power supplies hooked together require + to + and - to - and your amplifier leads would be + to one supply and - to the other how would it work for 3 supplies? +to last one and -to the first one middle is just hooked in?
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Any number of supplies can be connected in parallel as long as ALL the + connections are connected together and ALL the - connections are connected together. It makes no matter which supply is then connected to the equipment because all the connections are joined together at a common point.
I have been running power supplys hooked together for 15 years and have never had a problem.. I have 5 hooked together right now..
If you use diffrent sizes (35-50 amp) start with the smallest one 1st, then go to the biggest making sure that whatever it is you're hooking up is connected to the biggest one. You just keep hooking + to + and - to -..
I also check and set all voltages exactly the same BEFORE I hook them to each other to balance out the load.. I also wouldn't reccomend anything smaller than 4ga wire to connect them..
With everything connected in paralell it makes no differance whatsoever which power supply is connected to the load because ALL power supplies are connected to the load via a common connection.