[CentOS] Power-outage

[Marko Vojinovic]

On Saturday 02 July 2011 18:21:27 Jason Pyeron wrote:
> > > > But surely computers actually use DC, so couldn't my
> > > > torch-battery
> > > > device just supply the PC components directly?
> > > 
> > > A PC uses several *different* DC voltages: +12, +5, +3.3,
> > > and several
> > > others and they need to be *precise*.  Some of these are
> > > not an exact
> > > multiples of the standard 1.5V Carbon-Zinc cells typicaly used in
> > > torch batteries.
> > 
> > I wonder, how is this issue solved in laptops? They use only
> > one DC battery, typically with a single voltage output, AFAIK.
> 
> (sorry ctrl-enter sends...)
> 
> Laptops, google mother boards, etc have power supply circuits on board.
> Remember that a switching powersupply taking AC still has dc to dc
> converters in it after the conditioning stage.

So couldn't the OP then plug a battery "in between" (I'm talking in principle 
here, not realistically) --- after the AC-to-DC stage but before the 
"conditioning" stage?

If a laptop can have several *different* and *precise* voltages from a single 
DC battery, why the desktop cannot?

I am not saying that it would be easy or cheap, just that the above "different 
voltages" argument seems false from my POV. If a laptop can be battery-
powered, so can a desktop (given that you have all the hardware to implement 
it). You don't need to tweak the motherboard, just the PSU. It's routinely 
done in laptops, so it doesn't seem to be rocket-science or something too 
expensive. I wonder why aren't there any desktops on the market with same 
technology?

I'm using an UPS for my desktop system, but I don't need it for the laptop. If 
the AC power drops, even for a moment, the laptop battery will kick in and 
sustain the machine. I just think that the same thing can be implemented for 
the desktop too. If I understood the OP correctly... ;-)

Best, :-)
Marko