Where can I find a nice-looking 120V AC to 5V DC power supply?

December 1, 2022 9:45 PM

I am working on an art installation using 100 WS2812b RGB LEDs (will draw about 6A at 5V at theoretical max brightness). The project is mounted on a wall (like a picture frame), and so the power cord is visible. Right now it is powered by a very plain looking 5V power supply with a black plastic cord like this one (you know, the type of power supply that every printer, router, doodad comes with). I would like to find a more aesthetic way to get power to my project!

My current best idea is to buy a fabric cord (IKEA sells these nice-looking lamp cords which would work), and then find a step down transformer that I can tuck in the back of the project. There are many transformers listed on AliExpress that seem like they could do the job (like this one) but I'm a bit sketched out about buying junk that might burn down my house.

However, I feel like I'm trying to solve a problem that seems like it might already be solved. Do you know of any 5V power supplies that look nice?

posted by beepbeepboopboop to Technology (12 answers total)

There are white wall warts with white cords that would possibly contrast less with the wall.

Or if you have or can make enough space behind the frame, you could tuck a brick power supply (just an example -- not endorsing that collection-of-5-random-letters brand over any other) back there, and then use any cord to connect it out to an outlet. The required type of cord for that is super-standard. I guess technically it is "NEMA 5-15P" to "IEC 60320 C13." You can easily find a white cord, for example.

I'd avoid using a bare board like you've linked. You'll potentially have exposed connectors carrying 120VAC, and that's not very safe.
posted by whatnotever at 10:30 PM on December 1, 2022 [2 favorites]

If you go for the "ugly box hidden in the back" strategy I'd go for something like this one. Digikey is a reputable industrial distributor (they have a lot of options) and Meanwell is a reputable manufacturer. On preview - whatnotever makes a good point about exposed 120V conductors and a laptop brick type thing might be a better choice.

It's also worth pointing out that 6A is not nothing. It's unlikely to be a safety concern unless it's a really long or really thin cable, but a 10 foot 18AWG cable (typical lamp cord) will drop about 0.75 V at 6A (calculator). I think those LEDs are probably tolerant of that, but still.
posted by davidest at 10:58 PM on December 1, 2022 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Why don't you use the Ikea cord to carry the 5V, if you can find a cord good for. 6A? 5.5mm barrel connectors seem to be the de facto standard for low voltage wall warts nowadays, so if you could add connectors at both ends you can use that to distance your wall wart from the project.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 11:32 PM on December 1, 2022

Have you already purchased the 5V WS2812 LEDs? You might consider switching to 12V WS2812s instead - you can still control them with 5V digital I/O, and you'll find many more power supply options at 12V by searching for "LED driver supplies". For your application I would recommend a black wall-mountable supply and paint or tape over the labeling so it blends into the wall.

Also, if you don't have them already I would make sure you add a 1000+uF capacitor across power and GND near the start of the LED strip and a 200-300 ohm resistor in series with the data line to mitigate interference / voltage drop after installation.
posted by perihare at 3:34 AM on December 2, 2022

If this wall is going to be the LED art installation wall, you might consider just putting another outlet- possibly one of those with USB C and USB-A plugs built in- higher up on the wall, so you don’t have to deal with hiding the cords at all. You could even make the plug recessed so that it doesn’t get in the way.
posted by rockindata at 7:08 AM on December 2, 2022

Are you pulling less than 1 amp? Use an old Apple iPhone power supply. They're everywhere, they're compact, and they're safe.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:20 AM on December 2, 2022

LEDs react notoriously poorly to low and inconsistent voltage. You can get some really nasty flickering even from a brand name power supply that isn't supplying the correct waveform. I might take this to a local hardware store where you could hook up a strand of lights to the power supply in person. Are you planning to dim the LEDs?
posted by wnissen at 9:34 AM on December 2, 2022

As far as fire hazard goes, look for the UL label (or the equivalent in your country). You aren't likely to have a better opinion than UL.
posted by hypnogogue at 12:27 PM on December 2, 2022

Why not just case the ugly cord with a cord cover? If you’re not allowed to put up a casing on the wall, an alternative is to integrate the cable into the art piece with a fabric/knitted cord cover in complimentary colours - pinterest has lots of cool ways people turn necessary cables into wall decorations.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 5:50 PM on December 2, 2022

I dont' supposed we can see the art piece? We may be able to come up with more ideas then.
posted by kschang at 10:05 PM on December 2, 2022

Here is my go to for things like this Cable Ties and More. They have many types of braided sleeving.
posted by Uncle at 10:26 AM on December 3, 2022

Response by poster: Thanks everyone! These are all really good suggestions. I wound up going with How much is that froggie in the window's suggestion to use the IKEA fabric cord as a low voltage extension cord. It looks great!
posted by beepbeepboopboop at 9:18 PM on January 2, 2023