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Tech => Parts, Mods And Hacks => Topic started by: TheRan on January 28, 2021, 11:18:30 PM

Title: IEC to USB charging adapter?
Post by: TheRan on January 28, 2021, 11:18:30 PM
While browsing through Amazon for a suitable USB socket to go on the dash of my Zero I stumbled across this curiosity. I have no intention of buying one to use it but it's certainly interesting, although my question is could it actually work? It doesn't say it's specifically for a Zero but surely any other bike that uses an IEC socket is going to have that connected to the built in charger, and that charger won't be designed to send power back out through the socket from the battery, right?

The only way I could think that this could work is if the bike used an external charger that plugged into a socket that connects straight to the battery, like the external charge socket on a Zero to use the Quiq charger, but surely no bikes would use an IEC connection for that. If they did then that would create the possibility that it would be connected straight to the mains which of course wouldn't be good.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41iCB-n1UYL._AC_.jpg)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MKOKO-Electrical-Motorcycle-36-120V-Mobile-phone/dp/B07WP8Z47B/ref=sr_1_169?dchild=1&keywords=usb&qid=1611801982&s=automotive&sr=1-169&th=1
Title: Re: IEC to USB charging adapter?
Post by: Demoni on January 30, 2021, 01:52:24 PM
I would NOT plug my phone into that thing...
The label shows the input voltage is AC (50HZ). Most AC circuits rely on a transformer to step down voltage. A transformer supplied with DC power will overheat as it's a dead short (directly connecting + to -).

If you wanted to pull power from the battery to power a device you would want to use a DC/DC converter. But it's much safer and easier to just tap into the 12v circuit of the bike.

Regarding getting power out of a bike, that all depends on how the bike is designed. I have worked with EV scooters (48v) that had a live C13 plug for connecting a charger. Alternatively Energica uses contactors to disconnect the charge port from the battery, they only close when a charge cable is plugged in and a charge is initiated.

Title: Re: IEC to USB charging adapter?
Post by: togo on February 27, 2021, 11:33:40 AM
If a supply supports a wide range of input voltages, and is compact, it is not likely to be an SMPS, i.e. a rectifier followed by a chopper and smoother, rather than transformer -based.
Title: Re: IEC to USB charging adapter?
Post by: DonTom on March 13, 2021, 07:15:43 AM
If a supply supports a wide range of input voltages, and is compact, it is not likely to be an SMPS, i.e. a rectifier followed by a chopper and smoother, rather than transformer -based.
I wonder why the 50hz spec. A simple rectifier won't care about the frequency to convert to DC.

-Don-  Reno, NV
Title: Re: IEC to USB charging adapter?
Post by: Shadow on March 13, 2021, 10:30:24 PM
In computer network datacenters, equipment is often mounted in standardized racks that have C13/C14 or C19/C20 connections up and down the front and/or rear face of the rack, depending on rack configuration.

It could be handy to have some USB power while doing maiintenance at a datacenter rack.