Tindie Weblog | USB Energy Blocker for 3D Printing

Typically the straightforward concepts are one of the best or most helpful. The USB VBlock is a USB adaptor that means that you can join or disconnect the ability rails whereas sustaining the information line connectivity.

There are quite a few conditions the place this is perhaps helpful. It may be utilized in conditions the place a tool is perhaps liable to drawing an excessive amount of energy out of your laptop or the place there’s a potential for energy to stream again from the hooked up gadget unintentionally. I can consider a few 3D printers in my assortment that, when un-powered, in case you transfer the axis the display flashes with the again rush of present from the stepper motors.  The venture creator mentions that that they had a printer the place the printer display would all the time keep energetic, drawing energy from the pc USB, when when the printer was powered off. An analogous use case can be a GRBL-controlled CNC machine the place the machine axis steppers and spindles are on a better voltage provide which may be switched off, however the USB provide to the GRBL board stays powered. After all, you might simply unplug it however having this switchable USB adaptor is a chic resolution.

One other facet is that you could have a microcontroller venture working on a separate energy provide however you continue to require information connectivity over USB for serial or different monitoring. Having this gadget in your assortment provides you extra choices, and will turn out to be useful for a lot of totally different initiatives! The USB VBlock is equipped absolutely assembled and lined with some warmth shrink. Within the picture above a case has been added utilizing a design that’s obtainable so that you can obtain and print over on Printables.