With the new control system, the VRM is somewhat obsolete. I’ve been looking for a nice solution to power consumer-grade network switches and other 5 volt devices that isn’t quite as bulky as the VRM. I think I just found the perfect solution: https://powerwerx.com/usbbuddy-powerpole-usb-converter-device-charger
Thoughts on this? Does anyone have other 5v power supplies convenient for FRC?
I have had success using Pololu - 5V, 3A Step-Up/Step-Down Voltage Regulator S13V30F5 for a network switch.
The specs on that aren’t great for FRC, as it’s quite common for battery voltage to drop well below 10 volts. You should look for a product with as low a minimum voltage as possible—note this will mean looking at buck/boost converters to get below ~7 volts input for a 5 volt output. The VRM for example goes down to 5 volts input.
The CTRE CANdle is a pretty good option for heavier loads: 6A output at 5V, with 6V minimum input.
Ahh dang, missed that low end voltage cutoff
Thanks for the added suggestions, will take a look
We ordered this to power our rPi /Coral TPU. Can’t tell you if it is any good as we will be putting it on today. Though I wouldn’t say the VRM is obsolete as it is still good to power 5v under 2amp but the rPi 4 wants 3 amp and it is powering a TPU as well. a VRM should still be good for other 5v applications.
We have been using the “Drok” branded version of this same device this build season to power a rPI 3B+. It’s been solid. We had previously powered the PI with a battery pack to eliminate brownouts, but even with running the robot hard in practice and pushing the batteries further than would seen in a competition round, we haven’t browned out the PI. A buck converter like this would easily power a network switch. As an aside, we are using a good-ol VRM to power our network switch and a couple other small loads and it is doing fine for those roles.
We used the “Drok” brand one as well in 2020 to power our Pi 4 and network switch with zero issues.
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