[ale] OT: single rail 12V PSU, NUC, and you

[Damon L. Chesser]

I am building my own "orange box" only using NUC with celerons, 4GB ram 
and 65Gb ssd in each.

I plan on having 10 of these devices mounted on a board with two 1Ge 
destkop switchs (8 ports each).

The purpose it to have an inexpensive, but many physical "servers" for 
lab purposes to learn new tech or this cloud vs that cloud, etc.  Hence 
sticking with x86 vs ARM (which would cost less).

they draw perhaps 13W power under load, but have rather large wall warts 
instead of in line converters. The dc converters are labled as 12v, 3a out.

Simple math, 3a x 10 + 2 (for the Netgear prosafe switches rated at 12V 
1a each) is only 32A.

I can find PSU with single rail 12Vdc out at 72a and higher.

Questions:

1.  do I need to load down a PS other leads to power it up (perhaps 
jumper to say "it is connected") and will it hurt the PS?

2.  where do I find a supply of the dc barrel connectors to build the 
power cable from some sort of "power strip" to the NUCs female barrel input?

3.  is there some other solution?


I could just run quite a few power strips since these wars all take more 
than one "plug" space,  but that becomes bulky and awkward.

Any ideas?

This will all be mounted on a plywood base that can hang on a wall, 
something like 2' x 4'.


-- 
Damon at damtek.com
404-271-8699