Adding DC Power connection to DC side of AC/DC converter power supply

Thread Starter

Non-Sequitur

Joined Oct 27, 2014
85
Greetings, greetings, greetings!

I have an AC/DC power converter that takes 100-240VAC input and outputs 12VDC. Works great, no problem. However, that are times when it would have been nice to be able to use an available DC power source. Essentially bypassing the AC/DC converter and supplying the 12VDC from an external source. When running from 12VDC external power, the AC plug would not be connected. Intuition says that I can't just introduce the external DC power directly to the board, or can I? What would happen to the AC/DC converter if it sees 12VDC and no AC power? Will it act as a DC/AC converter?

I'm not looking to redundify (not a word, I know) the power. I only trying to figure out how to introduce an external 12VDC power source.

VR/NS
 

Dodgydave

Joined Jun 22, 2012
11,284
You can connect an external psu to the inverter, just like connecting a battery to a charger, your inverter only works "one way". If your worried about back feeding , then use steering diodes from each psu to the load.
 

Thread Starter

Non-Sequitur

Joined Oct 27, 2014
85
You can connect an external psu to the inverter, just like connecting a battery to a charger, your inverter only works "one way". If your worried about back feeding , then use steering diodes from each psu to the load.
Thank you, Dodgydave! That's what I was hoping, that introducing a DC power source to the DC side of the AC/DC converter circuit would not harm the AC/DC converter or having try to generate AC voltage "in reverse." I'll look up the "steering diode" and see how it works.
 
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