Greetings and Happy New Year everyone!

I have a single, very-stable 12 VDC power source supplying power to two small CPU boards. There haven't been issues to date, but I'm wondering if I should have something between the two CPU boards to isolate each one from the other in case there is an unexpected "event." The boards are physically isolated from each other with the exception of field ground, I am literally just y-cabling the +VDC and -VDC lines from the power supply.

Suggestions?

 

Fuses come to mind. You could use a diode to each to prevent reverse current but that would drop the voltage.

If the CPU loads are smallish compared to the supply specifications, I’d probably just ignore it.

 

Fuses come to mind. You could use a diode to each to prevent reverse current but that would drop the voltage.

If the CPU loads are smallish compared to the supply specifications, I’d probably just ignore it.

The total output of the DC voltage supply is 8 amps, of which about 4 is used at this time. Is that smallish?

 

The total output of the DC voltage supply is 8 amps, of which about 4 is used at this time. Is that smallish?

Borderline, but I think the principle is the same. It’s the supply’s job to maintain a regulated output.

Are the loads similar? Any way to avoid starting them up at the same time (or otherwise avoiding simultaneous transients)?

 

Borderline, but I think the principle is the same. It’s the supply’s job to maintain a regulated output.

Are the loads similar? Any way to avoid starting them up at the same time (or otherwise avoiding simultaneous transients)?

No, I'm afraid not, they both start at the same time to synchronize access to other hardware.