USB-C Easy Bake Oven (2017) | Hacker News Reader

USB-C Easy Bake Oven (2017)

reclaimerlabs.com

104 pointscolinprince23 comments

> I had to work with over 4000 lines of code and thousands of pages of specifications. I also had to redesign my breakout board to better handle the power. In the end, I hope this project can help other people understand USB-C more deeply.

The spirit that moves us forward as a people.

USB Power Delivery is just flat out great. You get various voltages including 5, 7.5, 9, 12, 15, or 20V up to 5A.

I have converted a load of stuff to run on USB-C PD.

My most useful one is a travel CPAP. It consists of a USB PD trigger and a boost converter to step 20V to 24V. The trigger board is integrated into the USB-C connector and there is a small 3d printed box for the boost converter inline to contain it and provide space to adapt the output to the proprietary DC connector. Anyone wanting to DIY something similar can find PD triggers or PD trigger cables on aliexpress or ebay easily.

There are tons of products right now on Amazon and elsewhere that are basically nothing more than USB-C PD input, DC barrel plug output. Super useful, especially paired with a compatible power bank. Unfortunately for some reason all the suppliers set them at 20v despite the ICs they use in them being able to request a different voltage.

>There are tons of products right now on Amazon and elsewhere that are basically nothing more than USB-C PD input, DC barrel plug output.

Buying USB-C PD stuff on Amazon scares me. USB-C is enough power that there is a serious risk of fire or other bad stuff happening with low quality parts. With Amazon's counterfeit problem, this feels like rolling the dice.

Wow, 100 Watts over USB-C! Thats enough to power the incandescent light bulb in the original Easy Bake.

The Macbook Pro 15" charger is 85 watts.

I replaced my Thinkpad USB-C charger with one of these when the business end got flaky (had to be bent a certain way or it wouldn't charge). Expensive, yes, but higher wattage, more compact, and detachable cable so next time it flakes I don't have to replace the whole thing. 10/10.

This is pedantic, but it's actually 87!

I literally couldn't use it on an airplane outlet today because it drew too much power.

It doesn't always draw that much power.

Try plugging it into the MacBook switched off, let it charge a bit, and then boot the MacBook but keep heavy gaming to a minimum, and all should be okay.

What's up with that Easy Bake Oven?

It's not like I remember them! You'd think it would at least look like "an oven". That looks like a clock radio from 1995!

Looks like that form factor appeared in 2011, with the darker colour scheme coming in 2013. See:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/the-magical-evolutio...

It's a shame they never made one that looks like a standard Hobart/Blodgett two door industrial oven.

A more practical use of USB C power supply would be replacing a NUC's power adapter.

I saw this posted on Twitter today: https://mobile.twitter.com/taresky/status/115938806298554777...

The keyword is "PD 诱骗头", which is a small converter to trick the power supply to output at full capacity. Not sure if it's safe, but it's tempting to replace the big power adapter that comes with NUC with a small GaN USB C PD adapter.

Edit: a link to this kind of "PD 诱骗头" http://www.chongdiantou.com/wp/archives/10456.html

Even better, there are "PD 诱骗头" for Surfaces, ThinkPads and other laptops using proprietary DC ports. Try searching "PD 诱骗头" + "<your laptop's brand>" in alibaba/taobao.

Not sure there's anything inherently unsafe about outputting the power supply at full capacity.

This is likely just an actual PD controller that always tries to negotiate the maximum power. Nothing wrong with that.

The second link if it's actually outputting max voltage/current over the USB Type-A: that's probably not safe. I don't think any USB Type-A connector is rated for 5 amps. Don't think there should be any issue with the voltage, besides the fact you'll fry any regular USB device if you plug it in...

Oh yes, what a dream come true! I would like this to extend to fan, feature phone, rice cooker, wifi router, TV, and so much more! Unlimited potential! Works on every continent!

I think it's sad the USB spec didn't go right up to 5 kilowatts, so it was able to replace AC outlets worldwide.

A hypothetical design could use 1000 volts at 5 amps. By having the power conductors isolated from ground, an earth impedance checker could detect any human body parts coming into contact with the power lines, and as long as the cable capacitance is required to be kept low, and the cutoff within a few hundred microseconds, it would be perfectly safe for your child to bite through the cables.

The same design wouldn't require extra costs for cheap devices either - they needent bother with electrical power isolation, but would just end up limited to 20 volts.

Minor modifications to the existing connector would let it withstand 1000v

I recall there was some speculation that some combination of USB-C and household DC could replace the current use of AC within the home... is this practical/desirable/beneficial?

I don't think USB-C offers enough power for many appliances. 100W is just not enough for a toaster or a vacuum cleaner. A big TV probably also uses more than 100W. So you could only use it for electronics.

Also, the lower voltage means you need more current to deliver the same power, which in turn means you need thicker wires.

Also, since USB-PD can negotiate the voltage, each USB-C outlet needs its own regulator, and you can't use a shared 20V line for multiple outlets.

So the best way to implement something like that would be to stay with the 110V or 220V system, and just install USB-C power supplies that are hidden in the wall, like they already exist for USB A, eg [1]

[1]: https://www.elektro.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Elektro+_...

Hmm. I wonder if this could be controlled enough to make a proper reflow oven, with temperature curves controlled by a host computer?

Fun thought. It would probably be much easier (and more dangerous?) simply using a relay and switching mains voltage than 20v DC for such an application.

But imagine a portable USB-C reflow oven powered by a power bank!

But this is HN. Who wants the easier way? Looking at you JS library users ;-)

this would be pretty fun for other small kitchen appliances like toasters and toaster ovens

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