The DPS5020 is a constant voltage/current programmable control power supply module, that integrates analog and digital control in one device. Th e module is a 0-50V/0-20A Lab PSU module that comes in 2 parts, the main controller and a front panel. The main board has connections for input/output voltage as well as connection headers for Bluetooth and USB to Serial converter.
The front panel module has buttons and a control knob to set the desired voltage/current and an OLEDdisplay to show actual readings and set points. The DPS5020 can store up to 10 preset group values which are preserved during power off. You can also quickly set two stored group values. In comparison with traditional analog power supplies, it is more convenient to quickly set the voltage or current required. Using the provided instructions, assembling and switching on the device is straight forward. Along with the package, you will receive a small user manual, cables, and the two main modules.
USB And Bluetooth Connection
In the box, there’s is also a FTDI – i.e. UART to USB converter and a Bluetooth module (with pass: 1234, which just looks like a wireless UART COM port). You can use the available software to make a serial connection (wired or wireless) to the module, by downloading the PC software accordingly. Once the software is loaded, and the serial connector is connected to the board and PC, you are able to control the board from the onscreen menus. When the maximum current is set to 1A, voltage is set to 5V and connect a 2-ohm load, the voltage immediately drops to ensure no more than 1A flows through the load. This is the current limiting feature.
When the current limit is removed, the same load draws 2.4A and that’s a total of 12w of power, which follows Ohms Law. In this case the output voltage stays rock solid at 5v and the supply itself remains cold enough. To test another scenario, you can set the output to 20mA, attach a small LED to the output – and turn the unit on.
User Interface
The photo above shows the HMI in use. The Green/Yellow/Purple text in the middle indicates actual output. On the bottom (cyan), you see voltage in, on top (cyan) you see Voltage and Current setting. You can notice that Voltage reading shows actual output voltage, not the set point. It is possible you will actually see a +/- 0.01 offset in this reading, which is normal. Operation of the module is straight forward. Just press V and turn the knob to set Voltage, Press A and turn the knob to set Current limit. When you are done, press Set and you see the confirmation screen. After that, by pressing ON/OFF button, output is enabled.
This is interesting because it is not just about turning the knob to change voltage – you have to press V button first. This is a nice feature because it is nice to know that your PSU output won’t change by accident. You can also adjust the voltage both on-line and off-line this way. The second feature is the ability to adjust setting before you enable the output. The knob is a standard rotary encoder that features a push switch, which is used to change the digit you adjust. After some minutes of use you will be able to familiarize with the interface.
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