What PSU for Warp?

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WarpGuyde
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What PSU for Warp?

Post by WarpGuyde »

Simply put, the one that lets the Warp work stable. Whatever the brand you'll choose it has to be at least 4 Amp on the 5 V line.
Commodore 4.5 A
Now, some are very happy with the original Commodore 4.5 A version. It's quite difficult to get because there weren't many produced back then. But they give the best (so far) voltage. Here's an example (picture of the PSU from an external server):

Image Image

There was also 4.3 A version but this seems to be even rarer.
In addition to the difficulty of availability, this PSU is also very old, so for this reason others are looking for a new solution.
Amiga PSU with OLED
There are some satisfied users with this new product available on eBay:

Image Image

Although it doesn't impress with the 5 V line every Warp user reported that it works stable.
A-Power
...is a new proposition from German Vesalia shop. They present it as an HQ Power Supply for Amiga 500/500+/600/1200 and looks like it replaced the "C64 cartridge" version:

Image

This 55 W PSU gives a maximum of 4.0 A on the 5 V line, which makes it another interesting option for powering up our Warped Amigas.
Astec
One more quite popular option is Astec PSU. It has a very powerful 5 V line at 9 Amps and renders some 4.9 V. It requires a fan (or two as shown on the picture below) due to its original server use purpose):

Image Image

However, this power supply has mixed opinions and some even reported problems. On the topic of where the link leads to, Jens from Individual Computers commented:
Those Astec PSUs have nice technical data, but you need to make sure that voltage drops on the cable and in the input coil are being compensated for. Measure the voltage of the 5V rail under load on the A1200 floppy power connector: It must be between 5.0 and 5.1V for the 55MHz card to work properly.


This topic will be updated with other power supply models so feel free to share your experience.
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WarpGuyde
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Re: What PSU for Warp?

Post by WarpGuyde »

Regardless of the power supply you have, there is a simple mod that can increase the 5 V line a bit by shortening the power cable.
Here is an example on a Commodore 4.5 A PSU:

Image

The result will certainly depend on the power supply.
The second issue is the wire of the 5 V line. Make sure that it has no less than 2 mm in diameter.
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BSzili
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Re: What PSU for Warp?

Post by BSzili »

I removed the insides of a regular A500 PSU with 2.5A 5V line, and put a Mean Well RQ-50B into its case.
https://www.meanwell-web.com/en-gb/ac-d ... ut-rq--50b
It does about 4,89V at 105MHz with a USB thumbstick connected. Under full load the voltage drops a bit, but it doesn't seem to affect the system's stability. I might fiddle with the 5V adjustment pot later to increase it just to be safe.
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WarpGuyde
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Re: What PSU for Warp?

Post by WarpGuyde »

BSzili wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 7:31 am (...) I might fiddle with the 5V adjustment pot later to increase it just to be safe.
Yes but keep in mind that while changing the 5 V line in that Meanwhile you're changing 12 V as well. So it's advisable to measure both lines to make sure the other one doesn't exceed the nominal value.
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BSzili
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Re: What PSU for Warp?

Post by BSzili »

I didn't know it affected 12V as well. The 12V line is around 12.48V without load, so it's still within spec, but I probably won't risk increasing it more.
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BSzili
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Re: What PSU for Warp?

Post by BSzili »

If you have a cartridge-style iComp PSU be careful, as the connector can't seem to handle the current drawn by the Warp:
https://twitter.com/chainq/status/1563992002815053831
Those wires look pretty thin too, I bet they heat up under load :shock:
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WarpGuyde
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Re: What PSU for Warp?

Post by WarpGuyde »

BSzili wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 5:44 am If you have a cartridge-style iComp PSU be careful, as the connector can't seem to handle the current drawn by the Warp:
https://twitter.com/chainq/status/1563992002815053831
Those wires look pretty thin too, I bet they heat up under load :shock:
WOW :shock:
marmacc
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Re: What PSU for Warp?

Post by marmacc »

CA-PSU Individual Computers


Ca-psu.jpg
Ca-psu.jpg (166.91 KiB) Viewed 246 times
CA-PSU Warp.jpg
CA-PSU Warp.jpg (236.63 KiB) Viewed 246 times
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