Question best cheap buck converter for wii trim power

[SimplyPigeon]

hi! ive seen a lot of wii trim project using the pth8080 or PTR08100 the thing is, where i live they are 25$ each without shipping. im looking at finding the cheapest way to power the wii trim. i thought about the "mini360 buck converter (adjustable output)" on aliexpress but i dont think they are reliable enough. i want to keep my budget as low as possible for the whole build. i just bought 3 different wii ( 1 was 6 layer by accident) and then 2 other ones that are 4 layer so that i have a spare if i mess up. i already put like 100$ on the project but i really dont want to pay 127$ for the rvl-pms-2. thanks a lot in advance!

im planning on using either 12v power from usb-c or 5v power

 

[SimplyPigeon]

after a lot of research i found the glc1239 which looks promising with its different output possibilities such as 1v, 1.15v, 1.8v, 3.3v and even 5v what do y'all think ?

image:

 

[Stitches]

after a lot of research i found the glc1239 which looks promising with its different output possibilities such as 1v, 1.15v, 1.8v, 3.3v and even 5v what do y'all think ?

image: View attachment 44643

PTH regs were the standard back in the day because TI used to do cheap sample packs. They also happened to be absurdly reliable. You can use most any switching DC regulator that can handle 3A sustained output. The one you linked looks like it could be passable. No way to know its reliability under load without trying though.

You will have to use one module per voltage to meet the Wii's current draw requirements, and also solder in filtering capacitors on the outputs to protect your peripherals. I would recommend leaving the Wii's stock 1.8v LDO reg in place until/unless this platform proves itself safe. Don't want voltage ripple to kill your RAM.

 

[YveltalGriffin]

Hard to beat the convenience of that GLC-1239 board's solder jumpers. Looks like it uses a Monolithic Power MP2315. That's an obsolete part, and the board is not optimized for low-voltage output. The datasheet recommends a ~1.8uH inductor for Vout < 2V, while this board uses 4.7uH, meaning for a given inductor size, the inductor resistance is 2.5x higher than necessary, causing the inductor to burn 6x as much power as heat! It would work OK for a Wii Micro but I wouldn't recommend it for a portable.

AliExpress has some other MP2315 modules, like this one. Same inductor selection issue, and a smaller board, so it'll run even hotter.

A TPS565201 module from YourCee will probably perform better. Much better regulator specs, and the correct inductor is being used.

(YourCee designs really good TI regulator boards, so definitely check out their store. Only downside is that they focus on buck-boosts.)

You may also want to check out the regulator boards I sell on Flashfire, though if you're not located in the US, shipping will be around 15USD.

Bucky is intended for low-voltage input (2.5V - 5.5V) and is ideal for a USB-C powered Wii micro or 1S li-ion powered portable.

Reggie is wide-input (4.2V to 17V) but runs pretty hot with Vin > 9V.

Note that for Wii voltage regulation, the main regulators will always be more efficient the lower the input voltage is. 1S li-ion or 5V USB-C input is optimal. 2S/3S lithium-ion or 9V/12V DC input is less optimal. Depends on what you're building, though. Micros are usually pretty big and need 12V for the sensor bar and audio preamp, so 12V input makes sense for them.

If you're building a 1S portable, make sure your regulators work with 3V - 4.2V input, and consider using a buck-boost for the 3.3V rail.

YourCee has this TPS63802-based one:

and I sell Blue Beetle, a TPS631000-based one:

Hope that helps!

 

[Luigid]

YveltalGriffin gave you a practically perfect list; I’ve used and tested quite a few of them for the same purpose. If you want to save money, the TPS63802 module is practically perfect for 3.3V—and potentially 5V if the load is low (like for an SD card or LCD). You can even use it for 1.8V (the module is very small; while it isn't a "pure" DC-DC converter in the traditional sense, it works fine). Otherwise, for 1.8V, 1V, and 1.15V, I recommend—and suggest setting them slightly lower to reduce power consumption and heat generation (try around 0.95V and 1.1V).
dc-dc
You'd be pushing the limits a bit on the GPU side, but as I mentioned, with a slight undervolt and a small heatsink, you should be fine.

 

[SimplyPigeon]

Hard to beat the convenience of that GLC-1239 board's solder jumpers. Looks like it uses a Monolithic Power MP2315. That's an obsolete part, and the board is not optimized for low-voltage output. The datasheet recommends a ~1.8uH inductor for Vout < 2V, while this board uses 4.7uH, meaning for a given inductor size, the inductor resistance is 2.5x higher than necessary, causing the inductor to burn 6x as much power as heat! It would work OK for a Wii Micro but I wouldn't recommend it for a portable.

AliExpress has some other MP2315 modules, like this one. Same inductor selection issue, and a smaller board, so it'll run even hotter.

View attachment 44644

A TPS565201 module from YourCee will probably perform better. Much better regulator specs, and the correct inductor is being used.

(YourCee designs really good TI regulator boards, so definitely check out their store. Only downside is that they focus on buck-boosts.)

View attachment 44646

You may also want to check out the regulator boards I sell on Flashfire, though if you're not located in the US, shipping will be around 15USD.

Bucky is intended for low-voltage input (2.5V - 5.5V) and is ideal for a USB-C powered Wii micro or 1S li-ion powered portable.

View attachment 44647View attachment 44648

Reggie is wide-input (4.2V to 17V) but runs pretty hot with Vin > 9V.

View attachment 44649View attachment 44652

Note that for Wii voltage regulation, the main regulators will always be more efficient the lower the input voltage is. 1S li-ion or 5V USB-C input is optimal. 2S/3S lithium-ion or 9V/12V DC input is less optimal. Depends on what you're building, though. Micros are usually pretty big and need 12V for the sensor bar and audio preamp, so 12V input makes sense for them.

If you're building a 1S portable, make sure your regulators work with 3V - 4.2V input, and consider using a buck-boost for the 3.3V rail.

YourCee has this TPS63802-based one:

View attachment 44653

and I sell Blue Beetle, a TPS631000-based one:

View attachment 44654View attachment 44655

Hope that helps!

Thanks a lot for all that! I'm building a micro or a mini. I don't want a portable (for now at least?) thanks for everything

 

[SimplyPigeon]

YveltalGriffin gave you a practically perfect list; I’ve used and tested quite a few of them for the same purpose. If you want to save money, the TPS63802 module is practically perfect for 3.3V—and potentially 5V if the load is low (like for an SD card or LCD). You can even use it for 1.8V (the module is very small; while it isn't a "pure" DC-DC converter in the traditional sense, it works fine). Otherwise, for 1.8V, 1V, and 1.15V, I recommend—and suggest setting them slightly lower to reduce power consumption and heat generation (try around 0.95V and 1.1V).
dc-dc
You'd be pushing the limits a bit on the GPU side, but as I mentioned, with a slight undervolt and a small heatsink, you should be fine.
View attachment 44662

How do I adjust the output? It can go all the way down to 1v?

 

[Stitches]

How do I adjust the output? It can go all the way down to 1v?

Switching regulators have their output voltage adjusted via an RSET resistor. The datasheet for the part has a table and a simple equation for figuring out what resistance you need for a given output voltage. They're usually easy to get.

YveltalGriffin gave you a practically perfect list; I’ve used and tested quite a few of them for the same purpose. If you want to save money, the TPS63802 module is practically perfect for 3.3V—and potentially 5V if the load is low (like for an SD card or LCD). You can even use it for 1.8V (the module is very small; while it isn't a "pure" DC-DC converter in the traditional sense, it works fine). Otherwise, for 1.8V, 1V, and 1.15V, I recommend—and suggest setting them slightly lower to reduce power consumption and heat generation (try around 0.95V and 1.1V).
dc-dc
You'd be pushing the limits a bit on the GPU side, but as I mentioned, with a slight undervolt and a small heatsink, you should be fine.
View attachment 44662

The 63802 can go down to 1v? I thought the min was 1.8v

 

[Luigid]

How do I adjust the output? It can go all the way down to 1v?

Switching regulators have their output voltage adjusted via an RSET resistor. The datasheet for the part has a table and a simple equation for figuring out what resistance you need for a given output voltage. They're usually easy to get.


The 63802 can go down to 1v? I thought the min was 1.8v

Hi. No, I meant for all voltages from 5V down to 1.8V; besides not being able to operate at 1V, it wouldn't have the necessary current (that module has a tiny inductor anyway, so I wouldn't exceed 500mA for 5V in buck-boost mode).
For lines below that voltage, look for that green module on AliExpress; it works much better than the Mini 560s and has far less ripple. If you look at others, a smart trick is to check the inductance used—it needs to be as low as possible—and make sure the title says "DC-DC" rather than "buck-boost." In any case, it’s hard to find a regulator that can stably output 1V and 1.15V. The one in the photo has low ripple but doesn't deliver more than 2A, so you're pushing the limits a bit for a GPU; that’s why I recommended a slight undervolt to 1.1–1.05V and attaching a small heatsink.
If you look at the green module, it already has jumpers for 1.8V and 1.2V, so for a simple and effective solution, you can use it for 1.8V without any issues. To adjust to the specific Wii voltages, simply compare the resistors used for the 1.8V and 1.2V settings (I don't recall if they are positioned at the bottom or the top) and then solder in a different value to achieve the desired voltages.