Erica Synths DIY Eurorack Case and Power Supply Kit for EDU Modular System (84 HP) User Manual
Erica Synths Synthesizers
The mki x es.edu project takes you on a journey of building a complete, self-contained
eurorack system. Those who are already into eurorack will find the mki x es.edu modules
to be a nice addition to their existing systems, but those who are about to take their first
steps into modular synthesizers will need a reliable power supply unit (PSU) and
eurorack-compatible enclosure. You can find a lot of information online about DIY PSUs
and enclosures; some nice projects blog
or, for example, this one found on
I got into DIY electronics in the mid-80’s when I sneaked into a physics class and
“borrowed” a book called “Young Radio Amateur”, published in the USSR in 1961. Most
of the DIY projects described in the book were designs based on vacuum tubes and they
required PSUs with output voltages up to 400V.
High voltage is extremely dangerous and can be lethal (an electric chair for executions
operates at 2000V), therefore, if you are newbie in electronics or a teacher who cares
about the safety of your students (all teachers should care), we do not recommend
building PSUs that connect directly to mains (wall) power outlets, even though some of
the projects mentioned above use switching power supplies that convert mains power
(110 – 230VAC) to eurorack standard bipolar +-12V.
, but it requires
a rather hard-to-find AC/AC wall wart.
So, with all of the considerations above, we decided to design a DIY eurorack PSU based
on a DC/DC converter. It turns +12VDC from a wall wart AC/DC adapter into eurorack
standard bipolar +-12V. This ensures the voltage in your eurorack system never exceeds
12V and any area in your eurorack case is safe to touch. We use stock DC/DC converters
(MORNSUN URA2412LD-30WR3) that are safe and reliable and have internal short circuit
protection.
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mki x es.edu
POWER SUPPLY UNIT (PSU) AND
EURORACK CASE ASSEMBLY MANUAL