High Voltage Power Supplies
Happy New Year 2024 everyone! At Peta-pico-Voltron, we start the year with a new minor release (version 1.1) that introduces some novelties: Support for 6kV hvps-x. We have know built and tested 6kV, 5kV, and 4kV, and the new release includes all the required values to configure/work with a 6kV hvps-x. This is probably the […]
We have performed measurements of the current transfer capabilities of the OPTO-150 optocoupler used as output stage of the hvpx-x. The current capability of the optocoupler determines how much current the power supply can deliver. The current output capability is a trade-off between safety and how fast the power supply can charge electrostatic actuators. The […]
It is time to release the beast: the first version of our new generation of high-voltage power supplies is now published on our website! You’ll find all the information to assemble your own power supply on the hvps-x section of the website. All components are available from the download page. Build instructions are already present […]
Merry Christmas and happy new year! Check back mid 2023 for the neXt generation of HVPS: hvps-x! We are looking forward to provide a better power supply on this website in the next few months.
Version 9.2 of the shvps firmware has been released. A bug that prevented using the open loop mode has been corrected. Open loop mode is used for automatic voltage calibration, so if you intend to use this functionality, please upgrade your shvps to firmware 9.2 You can get the new firmware on the Download page, […]
Here is a very nice application using a Peta-pico-Voltron HVPS to power electrostatic actuators: Electriflow, designed by Purnendu at University of Colorado Boulder, based on Christoph Keplinger’s HAZEL actuators. Link to article in Electronics Weekly: Electro-hydraulic actuator animates soft mini-robots by Steve Bush, 22.07.2021. Link to open-access conference proceeding. It’s always encouraging to see this […]
Ooops, took us a while to realise, but there was a bug in the shvps v9 firmware that can lock the unit in either DC or Off, with no possibility of generating switching or custom waveforms. This has been fixed in version 9.1 which is now included on the download page. It can be accessed […]
Although a preliminary version has been available on the website for some time, we are now officially releasing the version 9 of the software for Peta-pico-Voltron. The documentation, is being updated on the website, but here is a summary of the exciting new features: Python interface The python interface integrates a lot of new features […]
A new PCB version is available: version 6 batch 1 Check out the schematics, and assembly instructions. What is new in this version? There is no modifications on the functionalities of the board. However, the previous version of the PCB had a bill of material relying on different suppliers, and with parts that were not […]
The information in how to build a stand-alone High-voltage power supply is now available on the website. The stand-alone configuration combines a single-channel HVPS, a Raspberry Pi, a LCD touchscreen, and a battery. This enables to have a stand-alone unit that does not rely on an external computer and power source. This is for example […]