PegasusAstro Pocket Powerbox Advance (PPBADV) - Universal Power Supply
Pocket Powerbox Advance (PPBADV) is a welcome addition to PegasusAstro´s "Powerbox" product series. Proudly stands between Pocket and Ultimate Powerbox and it has been designed to provide advanced features than Pocket Powerbox in a good price and in a more compact / quality design.
4 x 12 V DC power outlets for your equipment
A powerful MOSFET transistor provides "electric juice" to your precious equipment. It supplies 4 electrical outputs which can be switched on/off via software (not individually).
Adjustable regulated output
An adjustable output is suitable to provide power to your DSLR or mirrorless camera. You can tune the voltage to different levels (3,5,8,9,12 V). PegasusAstro provides different battery couplers for Canon, Nikon, Sony, FUJI cameras.
Built in voltmeter
A precise voltmeter measures and displays in real time your input voltage. If the input is more than 14 V, the power is instantly cut off to protect your equipment.
Built in Amp-meter
An Amp-meter placed on the input reports the total current consumed.
Moreover there are three additional amp-meters. One for the 12 V outputs and two for the dew heater channels. Now you can monitor the detailed power consumption of your equipment
More than 12 A of total power
Controller has been designed to support up to 12 Amps of total current.
Standalone operation
Pocket Powerbox Advance can work "out of the box" as a standalone device. Just plug the cables, setup the "autodew" functionality and every time you boot the device, it will retrieve your settings. So, if you don?t like to connect a PC every time, you don?t have to. Simple as that!
Two channel duty cycle PWM outputs
Two pulse width modulation (PWM) outlets are capable to provide power to your "thirsty" dew heaters. No more moisture fuzzing your equipment and destroying your clear nights. These outlets can be remote controlled from your laptop using the supplied software.
Auto adjustment of PWM (dew outputs)
Controller can auto adjust the heater power levels by consulting the environmental sensor dew point reading. Just click "Auto" and leave to Pocket Powerbox to decide if it is time to turn on and precise tune the level of your dew heaters.
Embedded USB3 hub 4 x USB3 ports
A powered USB3 hub at the back of the device provides 4 x USB3 SuperSpeed Ports. *
It supports Hi-Speed (HS), Full Speed (FS) and Low Speed (LS). The new SuperSpeed hubs operate in parallel with the USB 2.0 controller, so 5 Gbps SuperSpeed data transfers are not affected by slower USB 2.0 traffic.
* Please notice that only 3 out of 4 USB ports are compatible to USB2 devices
Important note: A large number of USB3 cameras like QHY require USB2 discovery before switching to USB3. These cameras are not going to work into USB Port1.
Please ask your camera manufacturer if your camera works into a USB3 (only) native port.
1 x USB high power output
A special USB port (Port1) provides 5.2 V / 3 Amps. You can connect any device that requires 5 V. For example a Raspberry PI 3/4 or Intel Compute Stick M3/M5 can receive power from this port.
Expansion port (EXT)
EXT (expansion) port is available for device expansion. This RJ12 socket allows the connectivity of current and future Pegasus Astro products. Plugged devices can be controlled from Pocket Powerbox Advance standalone software or dedicated ASCOM driver.
Compact aluminium enclosure
A high quality robust, blue anodised aluminium enclosure houses the electronics of the Pocket Powerbox Advance. Size is 100mm x 71mm x 24mm. Weighs 250 grams.
ASCOM 6 fully supported
Pocket powerbox fully supports ASCOM6. In combination with the main program which acts as a server you can use PegasusAstro´s latest ASCOM 6.4 supplied drivers to:
- Pass environmental settings to supported software (for example Sequence Generator Pro / MaximDL) (ASCOM ObservingConditions)
- Switch ON or OFF all 12 V outputs. (ASCOM Switches)
INDI fully supported
Pocket powerbox fully supports INDI, so you can bundle it with Stellarmate or any other device that can use INDILib.
Led indications for power and failure states
Led can blink in patterns to warn you regarding important power issues (like over or under voltage). Moreover light can be turned off using the software. The led is very dim but in case you don?t like it on you can switch it off via the software.
Power cables are included in the package
Four power cables with DC connectors 2.1 mm to 2.1 mm male (1 m) are included in the package.
External environmental sensor
External one (1) meter temperature & relative humidity sensor is included in the package. Know exactly the environment conditions of your location. Temperature, humidity and dew point measurements are displayed in the software.
Connectivity
Connect the device to your laptop/PC and control Pocket Powerbox Advance from the supplied software or ASCOM drivers
Reverse polarity protection
Pocket Powerbox has been designed with a reverse voltage polarity protection. It will definitely save your night if you accidentally connect the main power supply in reverse polarity!
Watchdog
A hardware watchdog resets the device if for any reason there is no response from the controller for two seconds. A neat feature in the unlikely event of a controller freeze ? when you have a remote observatory and you need to be certain that everything works as expected.
Upgradable firmware
Device is firmware upgradable to support future features and bug fixes.
Mounting accessories
Optional mounting accessories (brackets and top plate) will be available - made of black anodised aluminium.
Scope of Delivery
- Pocket Powerbox Advance controller
- External temperature / humidity sensor
- 4 x power DC 2.1 to 2.1 male cable (1 m)
- USB cable type B (1.8 m)
