Hello,
We have some Balance one in vehicles using a 12vdc power source, I can’t seem to find the power range… I.E. what is the min and max voltage before the unit switches itself off.
Help please
I think the reason for that is the BPL-ONE is a Branch router designed to work from the constant AC to 12VDC conversion from the power brick. Most vehicles put out more voltage than 12 - something in the 13 to 15 range is typical. Long term, this may cause damage to the hardware by over-driving the input voltage, the need to dissipate extra heat from the caps as they down-step voltage, etc.
Have you considered installing a DC to DC converter/regulator that would take the vehicle voltage ranges and steady out to 12VDC? Note that it would need to handle up to 2 Amp. Saw one online that was 10 - 36VDC in and 12VDC out - up to 4 amp - for around $24 each.
Sorry I was not able to provide a more direct answer. Hope this helps!
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This is exactly what you should do in a vehicle. Voltage regulate the hell out of on board power always as voltage variation and spikes can cause weird symptoms.
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hmmm now you have me thinking… i just installed the unit with a 12v power source that can vary from 12v to 14v and change… does peplink recomend a DC-to-DC converter/regulator? i thought their devices were pretty versatile and could handle a dc input that ranges? also, out of curiosity, is there a way to see the actual voltage being inputted on any admin screen or prompt?
They are and they can, but supply ‘blips’ can cause weird stuff. It used to be quite easy to screw up the state of a cellular module on a BR1 by causing a temp low voltage event (like power drain from accessories circuit on engine start). I always stick voltage regulation in as it generally has inbuilt capacitance too to smooth out the blips and that way if there is a problem I’m not always wondering about onboard power.
Nope.
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Normally we don’t find DC-DC converters to be necessary but, as @MartinLangmaid suggested, their use will pretty much guard against most wacky power issues. We would use an oscilloscope and/or lab grade DVM to look at power quality on the input if we suspected issues. We’re not aware of any Peplink product that will report momentary power issues. However, having said that, the Peplink/Pepwave products we’ve used and sold have a fairly wide tolerance for VDC input that is well documented in the specifications.
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How long can one expect the DC-DC converter/regulator to keep power at say 12v when there is a voltage drop on the supply side?
Depends on the design of the circuit and what you mean by “voltage drop” (a few mV or to, say 6V), but the “quick answer” is “milliseconds.” Such devices are not intended to be back-up power supplies. (If the latter is a requirement there are easy, inexpensive solutions for that.)
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I was thinking for example a vehicle starting. Voltage drop could be for multiple seconds. So if these converters/regulators dont really protect against that, I am having trouble understanding why they are necessary / what they would help? Especially when for example the MK2 can accept 10-30V input.
Some do; some don’t. As a starting point, see here — Buck converter - Wikipedia.
You are correct – when a vehicle starts primary DCV plummets, and it’s particularly bad in the winter when more current is needed to start the engine and battery capacity is lower – not a great combination.
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