Linear power supply for the USB3.0 PCIe card

[juanpmar]

Hi

Could someone tell me (Peter, Anthony or others) if this Teddy Pardo linear ps would work with the Silverstone card?

When I asked Teddy for a ps to power the Silverstone he told me that "We have a 5V 3A power supply which we can provide with a bare end cable to which you can connect the connector of your choice"

So it could be connected to the card 4pin power connector.

http://www.teddypardo.com/powersupplies/teddy5-3.html

Juan

[CoenP]

I'd say: no problems. Looks like a good reg to me. 3A is over spec even if you consider attatching usb powered devices to the card.

Regards, Coen

[juanpmar]

Thanks Coen, I´m considering to get one and see how it affects the SQ

Regards,
Juan

[acg]

Hi Juan,

I would hold off on the Pardo for now.  As you would have read in the other thread I am about to start to play with isolating the USB card from the pcie bus.  If that works then you will be up for another supply because the pcie bus only supplies 3.3v and 12v to its inhabitants (not 5v like the Pardo supply) so your new supply may become quickly redundant.  Plus there are better supplies about than the Pardo.

Cheers,

Anthony

[AlainGr]

Hi Anthony,

As I understand it, there will be a need for the 2 voltages ? If so, there would be a need for a 2 voltage LPSU ? I see these PCIEx riser cables, but I have yet to find a diagram...

Regards,

Alain

[acg]

Hi Alain,

I don't think that there will necessarily be two voltages required (there might be 3).

The USB Host Controller Chip (NEC 720201) requires two voltages:  3.3V and 1.05V.  Obviously the 1.05V supply will need to be regulated from either the 3.3V or 12V coming from the PCIe bus or from the 5V feed from the Molex Plug (the Molex can also provide 12V but I have not seen a USB card that uses it).  On top of the 3.3V/1.05V for the IC, 5V is needed for the power output of the USB plugs themselves, so there are at least three voltages required on the USB card (3.3V/1.05V and 5V).

But the PCIe bus only provides 12V or 3.3V.  I would think that most well designed USB cards will send the whole 3.3V PCIe feed straight to the USB Host Controller IC and the 1.05V the IC needs will be derived from the 12V rail of the PCIe (and possibly the 5V for the USB ports as well).  The Silverstone card is a little different in that it NEEDS 5V from the Molex plug to operate, which suggests to me that that 5V is used for more than the voltage in the USB plugs, it may be used to run the crystal or derive the 1.05V rail or something else, which may be part of the reason that it 'sounds' better than other cards.  Who knows?  Hopefully some of this will become clear when that PCIe riser cable turns up.

So, I would definitely hold off on a high priced LPS because I don't know where this is going to lead, if anywhere.

Regards,

Anthony

[acg]

Alain, have a look here for the pinout of the PCIe socket.  We are only interested in pins 1-18 on both the A and B sides.

Cheers,

Anthony

[AlainGr]

Thanks

Alain

[PeterSt]

Anthony,

I'm a little confused now. Are you sure it is the 5V which is used from the Molex ? The other cards use 12V you know ... Or am I mistaken ?

Peter


PS: I know, I am the one who a few months back talked about 12V and wondered, and you guys determined it was the 5V part used. So I too took that for granted. But I don't think it is true ... for those other cards at least.

[PeterSt]

Hi Juan,

I would hold off on the Pardo for now.  As you would have read in the other thread I am about to start to play with isolating the USB card from the pcie bus.  If that works then you will be up for another supply because the pcie bus only supplies 3.3v and 12v to its inhabitants (not 5v like the Pardo supply) so your new supply may become quickly redundant.  Plus there are better supplies about than the Pardo.

Cheers,

Anthony

The reason to hold off is a different one (if you ask me);
Personally I think it is of not much use to have a LPSU for that "Molex" part, while 12V comes from the PCI bus in the mean time. Btw, I didn't investigate whether the 3.3V from the PCI bus is used, but I think it is the 12V only which is used to convert to 5V and all the others needed.

Also notice : The Silverstone does not need to Molex to be connected in order to run in the system (I mean, to let the system see it in good fashion). It's only that at least the NOS1 won't work, which can be related to the high current needed when the NOS1 is "initialized" (the program for the FPGA is loaded over USB).
I never tried to connect other devices to the card, so I actually don't know what it does without Molex.

Peter

[Scroobius]

For what its worth I tried linear 5v supply to the molex on the Paul Pang card (when I was using it) and I could not hear any noticeable difference compared with the ATX supply. Although I realise that is a bit different from the Silverstone etc.

Paul

[acg]

Anthony,

I'm a little confused now. Are you sure it is the 5V which is used from the Molex ? The other cards use 12V you know ... Or am I mistaken ?

Peter


PS: I know, I am the one who a few months back talked about 12V and wondered, and you guys determined it was the 5V part used. So I too took that for granted. But I don't think it is true ... for those other cards at least.

Quite sure.  It even says so on the Silverstone box.

[acg]

Hi Juan,

I would hold off on the Pardo for now.  As you would have read in the other thread I am about to start to play with isolating the USB card from the pcie bus.  If that works then you will be up for another supply because the pcie bus only supplies 3.3v and 12v to its inhabitants (not 5v like the Pardo supply) so your new supply may become quickly redundant.  Plus there are better supplies about than the Pardo.

Cheers,

Anthony

The reason to hold off is a different one (if you ask me);
Personally I think it is of not much use to have a LPSU for that "Molex" part, while 12V comes from the PCI bus in the mean time. Btw, I didn't investigate whether the 3.3V from the PCI bus is used, but I think it is the 12V only which is used to convert to 5V and all the others needed.

Also notice : The Silverstone does not need to Molex to be connected in order to run in the system (I mean, to let the system see it in good fashion). It's only that at least the NOS1 won't work, which can be related to the high current needed when the NOS1 is "initialized" (the program for the FPGA is loaded over USB).
I never tried to connect other devices to the card, so I actually don't know what it does without Molex.

Peter

Ok...I've can't recall if I have tried the Silverstone without 5V connected to the Molex (I don't connect the 12V at all).

I am pretty sure the 3.3v goes straight to the USB Host Controller IC, but I could be wrong.  I guess I will find out when the PCIe riser turns up and I can cut the power from the PCIe socket.

Anthony

[acg]

For what its worth I tried linear 5v supply to the molex on the Paul Pang card (when I was using it) and I could not hear any noticeable difference compared with the ATX supply. Although I realise that is a bit different from the Silverstone etc.

Paul

I remember you saying that Paul.  My V1 card responds to linear but not in a 'wow' sort of way...more a "notice it when it is not there" kind of way. 

[PeterSt]

Quite sure.  It even says so on the Silverstone box.

You're right.

Btw, it also says "unllimited current". LOL.