We have been quietly experimenting on a special IONI motherboard that has discrete power stage to extend IONI power capability. We already have a proof-of-concept board that is equipped with leftover VSD-E mosfets (61A 200V rated). After couple of weeks of use, we could not tell the difference between integrated and external power stage by observing motor control performance and smoothness.
IONIZER proof-of-concept board
Bottom side showing the discrete power MOSFETs
IONIZER has been considered to be available as DIY board (bare PCB) and a reference design where users could modify it to match virtually any power need. However, it’s not ready and many changes are needed to have our approval (such as galvanic isolation of all I/O, short circuit protection and switch to PCI-E 8x socket for newer IONI). Finishing this might be a subject for another crowd funding project.
Some pros are:
- Can be made to virtually any power
- Not highly expensive
And cons:
- If built with assembly errors, can be hazardous
- Some safety & protection features add complexity on circuity (STO, over temperature & short circuit protections)
- Industrial manufacturing may not be cost effective (more complex solution than Argon)
Tell me in the comments how useful do you see IONIZER and which voltage & current range would be your preference :)
