Review on Converter DROK 12V 120V Adjustable Regulator by John Eaton

Update: Device works very well as expected. I spent half an hour typing a full description of the interfaces etc, only to find that DROK actually has documentation that just fell into my hands. Oops. Make sure you read the mode descriptions fully and understand them well, and be very wary of higher potentials! (≥20V DC can be absolutely dangerous for children, pets and even adults with minimal humidity! The direct path (between DC potentials) is dangerous and the ground path can be too dangerous for certain types of modules depending on the power supply. I have witnessed how a person was hospitalized with internal burns from running a poorly designed, non-insulated DC-DC converter off mains voltage. That's not to say it poses a major hazard with this particular piece of equipment, but in general you should always play it safe first to be safe.) As I mentioned below, the only way to properly isolate yourself from a major ground fault is to isolate the power supply with a toroidal core at a 1:1 (or other ratio) ratio. I built a big one for my lab, they may be expensive but money isn't that important when it comes to safety. ------ It works pretty well, definitely manages the power nodes correctly. I have a lot of experience in LV HV DC systems design and manufacture. I also have a lot of experience with DROK modules. This should have included a paper security manual, otherwise it's pretty self-explanatory. It's pretty easy to use, you'll find out pretty quickly. Most newer (and some older) DROK modules have a serial port on the board, you just need to find it and plug it in. In some cases, this requires that you have at least some specialized knowledge of a simple single-domain serial network. It's not set up to be super easy, and I wouldn't recommend working with it unless you have basic EE experience (just to avoid breaking something very expensive or even painful, though the latter is unlikely if you have at least basic experience). an experience). I've cut and re-routed every critical path on the board, I do this with all my pre-built modules regardless of source. DROK components usually use reasonable standards and quality assurance. (In particular, I think I have 7-8 different DC control systems designed by DROK, a few of each, I've only had two or three major failures and they were replaced with no fuss). I can have two complaints, and only because I want to be fair here. The substrate of the circuit board is deformed enough to be seen, although it is otherwise purely cosmetic. I added four screws with silicone feet to level the device and tilt it forward a bit. Second, DROK (and/or its contract manufacturer) uses a special type of "impure" flux during assembly. While this may seem acceptable in some organizations, I ALWAYS clean the flux residue off the circuit boards used. Some fluxes can and will absorb moisture over time and while they are most likely non-toxic they can cause problems with the HV/HW unit. It's a simple fix, 99%+ IPA and a toothbrush, soak and brush, air dry well with a lint free cloth. It doesn't matter, just do it when you get modules with flux residue. Also, as I said, I always redistribute and re-cut my boards for several reasons, it's not a big deal let's say, but it's important for CH-HV output systems. After that, the entire working assembly (in this particular case just the bottom part of the motherboard) is also sealed with a copious amount of conformal coating. I recommend MG Chem 419D for a clear seal. (Some may prefer to use a thicker, opaque resin fill, which is fine, but I don't like messing with rails and connections for diagnostics and safety.) DC modules with power ≤1kW. I haven't listened to the series yet, I will in the next few days. Most DROK serial configurations are really simple, 9600 baud, 8 data bits, single stop, parity or flow control/CTS/DTS are not required so you can use a cheap FTDI clone or similar. Just avoid using 5V VCC, just use gnd /Tx/Rx to be safe. It wouldn't hurt to test the float on a powered module as well, especially if it's powered externally by the host/Arduino. This case is particularly important when you are connected to a DC load line in the form of many less expensive (and some high level surprises, I've seen enough to mention) devices with a dangerously high lift type galvanic isolation being used. The absolute safest way to do this is to use a 1:1 isolated toroidal core between the mains and the main DC supply, otherwise a big ol' 12V lead acid battery can be used to power the unit during to support the programming. This is not common, as a suitable isotransformer can be prohibitively expensive for hobbyists, but it's worth building a 600VA minimum device for something like this. It's a good idea if you're trying to connect to a serial UART without real documentation. Again, DROK devices are generally reliable. I've only had a few issues, mostly with first-gen stuff, and that wasn't the norm. I'll update this review after further testing, other than that I don't see any issues at the moment.