USB powered PC

[FruitBasketSilex]

So, I recently looked up the specs of the usb standard, and it appears it runs at 5V and 5A, giving us a wattage of 25. So my thought was this: What if you jury rigged, say, 8 USB plugs up to a low-power systems PSU, something like a 8xusb-psu cable. Would something like this actually be possible?

[patriotbarrow]

I don't know electrical systems that well, but I'm not sure voltages add up like that.

[Tedster]

I'm not sure that a PSU can convert power back, but something like a Raspberry Pi can run off the power from a standard USB socket, or charging socket if you want to use peripherals.

[FruitBasketSilex]

I don't know electrical systems that well, but I'm not sure voltages add up like that.

I don't know them well either, but I believe its Amps*Volts=Watts, electricity is weirdly mathmatical.

[DigitalHermit]

Won't work...

 

You've got say 5VDC 25A feeding a 220VAC (or 110VAC) PSU...

 

You'd need to wire up the usb such that the plugs are in series so that you get 25VDC theoretically... to do this, you need to tamper with your mobo's circuit traces which could lead to catastrophic results...

 

It's better to power a single board computer like the Raspberry Pi (or similar computers that can run off 5V 2A) off your main rig's powered USB port...

 

another way is to power it off the 12V/5V rail via Molex/SATA connectors but this time, you run the risk of overloading your PSU...

[FruitBasketSilex]

Won't work...

You've got say 5VDC 25A feeding a 220VAC (or 110VAC) PSU...

You'd need to wire up the usb such that the plugs are in series so that you get 25VDC theoretically... to do this, you need to tamper with your mobo's circuit traces which could lead to catastrophic results...

It's better to power a single board computer like the Raspberry Pi (or similar computers that can run off 5V 2A) off your main rig's powered USB port...

another way is to power it off the 12V/5V rail via Molex/SATA connectors but this time, you run the risk of overloading your PSU...

Well, what if I wanted to run 8 raspberry pis off a single computer?

[DigitalHermit]

Well, what if I wanted to run 8 raspberry pis off a single computer?

 

A single pi is around 10-12W at stock clocks (overestimation)... depending on your PSU and how you ghetto rig your 5V USB power strip, you can...

[FruitBasketSilex]

A single pi is around 10-12W at stock clocks (overestimation)... depending on your PSU and how you ghetto rig your 5V USB power strip, you can...

*gasp* then I could hook up each one with a little transmitter and the right coding and get myself 8 roombas, wire them up with a receiver and alter their coding and then they could battle it out in my living room. ALL GLORY TO KING MODOC, CLEANEST OF THE ROOMBAS!

[babbaj]

Won't work...

 

You've got say 5VDC 25A feeding a 220VAC (or 110VAC) PSU...

 

You'd need to wire up the usb such that the plugs are in series so that you get 25VDC theoretically... to do this, you need to tamper with your mobo's circuit traces which could lead to catastrophic results...

 

It's better to power a single board computer like the Raspberry Pi (or similar computers that can run off 5V 2A) off your main rig's powered USB port...

 

another way is to power it off the 12V/5V rail via Molex/SATA connectors but this time, you run the risk of overloading your PSU...

if it consumes less than 25 watts it's possible but you'll need a circuit for the 12v and 3.3v stuff

[Jimbillroo Digital]

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[FruitBasketSilex]

@FruitBasketSilex

USB 3.0 outputs 1.5 amps and USB 2.0 outputs 0.5 amps.

According to wikipedia it outputs 5a when charging a device.