D30V30F7 for powering Nikon D5300 DSLR with USB-C

Support Voltage regulators
1

I’m planning to externally power my Nikon D5300 DSLR camera during the upcoming total solar eclipse in April 2024. I’ve found several knockoffs to the factory EP-5A which replaces the regular battery with an adapter that normally plugs into an EH-5a AC adapter. The specs I’ve found on the AC adapter says it supplies 9VDC @ 4.5A. I’m assuming that the 9V is converted down to the nominal 7.2V that a normal battery provides as I don’t know if the camera can actually take 9V. I’ve measured a fully charged battery and saw just under 8V. I’ve already put questions into Nikon Support today about all of this.

However, I’m probably not going to be around any wall outlets during my observations so that leads me into using a power brick. My choice is an Anker 25600mAh (65W). USB-C output is rated 9V@3A. Both D30V30F7 and D36V50F7 maximum output current curves show 9V input will work, but the D36 is just barely operational. So if I choose to built my own adapter, it looks like the D30V30F7 is the ticket. I found several USB-C cables that have the appropriate PD chips inside that can supply the 9V input voltage to the regulator.

Questions:

  1. Given that the input voltage is going to be 9V, how hot can I expect the regulator to get? I’m assuming that the camera will not take more than 2A in operation (video recording for 3 hours, with a couple of interruptions due to hitting a maximum file size and/or a battery swap).
  2. Is there any recommended way to attach a heatsink?
  3. Will customized components for efficiency (since Vin < 10V) help with heat?
  4. Would using a D36V50F7 vs. the D30 lower the temperature?
  5. Should I consider upping the input voltage to 15V? The Anker can support it but does it gain me anything in running time, lower temps, etc.?

Thanks!

2

Hi.

With 9V in and 2A out I expect the D30V30F7 to stay relatively cool. How hot it gets will depend on how enclosed it is in your setup, but I did a quick test of one unit here and the hottest part was less than 60 degrees C and the majority of the PCB itself was under 50 degrees C. If that is too hot for your application, you could try adding a heatsink or forced airflow.The main IC and inductor should be the hottest components.

The D36V50F7 should run even cooler, so if it will fit, it would probably be a better solution than the D30V30F7 with a heatsink.

Customizing the D30V30F7 with a lower voltage reverse MOSFET would slightly increase the efficiency, so it would slightly reduce the regulator’s temperature, but I do not expect the effect to be significant. I also do not think increasing the supply voltage to 15V would make much difference.

-Claire

3

Claire,

Thanks for the quick response and answers.

I envision putting the VR inside a small ABS project box similar to Amazon.com (4x2x1). There’s enough room for the VR and mounting DC power jacks on opposite ends of the enclosure. Several drilled holes could help if airflow is required, as well as adding a small USB fan and/or using a bigger box if it’s really needed.

I just purchased both the D30V30F7 and D36V50F7 and will construct two adapters and see how they work.

Thanks!

Ray

4

Good luck with your project! You might have to experiment to find the best cooling setup, but I imagine a USB fan would be enough. If you do play around with different enclosures or thermal management strategies, I would love to hear about it!

-Claire