PDNode Baseboard

PDNode-600 Pro

High-Performance USB PD Power Distribution Unit – 10" Rackmount

Description

ENERGIS is the 230V managed PDU project. PDNode-600 Pro is the modular DC/USB-C sibling for setups where mains switching is not desired, but controllable, rack-friendly power output is still needed.

The PDNode-600 is a professional-grade, 600W USB Power Delivery Unit designed specifically for compact 10-inch rack systems, targeting embedded developers, homelab enthusiasts, test benches, and smart infrastructure. It delivers regulated, high-current power across 8x independent USB-C PD outputs and 4x fixed 5V USB-A outputs.

At the core of the PDNode platform is a centralized industrial-grade 24V/25A power supply, distributing regulated DC to dedicated per-port buck or buck-boost converters. Each USB-C port is managed by an MPQ4242-AEC1 PD controller, enabling clean, autonomous negotiation of power profiles up to 20V @ 3A or 5A with eMarker cable support. All power conversion, protection, and monitoring are designed to meet high reliability and safety standards.

The PDNode-600 Pro, by contrast, is built for remote-managed racks and headless environments, featuring Ethernet connectivity, a clean web-based UI, SNMP integration, and firmware updates via USB-C. Doing this by using BladeCore-M54E

Web UI sneak peek

Interactive playground (dummy UI):

• https://dvidmakesthings.github.io/HW_PDNode-600-Pro/playground/

Project timeline estimation

Status legend: ✅ Completed · 🟠 Ongoing · 🔵 Planned

Specifications

Input

• Input voltage: 230 VAC, max 4A
• System topology: 24V distribution on the baseboard, per-slot conversion on PD cards

Output (per PD card / per slot)

• 8x independent USB-C PD source:
  • 5V 3A (5A only with 5A e-marked cable)
  • 9V 3A (5A only with 5A e-marked cable)
  • 12V 3A (5A only with 5A e-marked cable)
  • 15V 3A (5A only with 5A e-marked cable)
  • 20V 3A (5A only with 5A e-marked cable)
  • (Total power output cannot exceed 600W)
• 4x USB-A source up to 5V / 1A per port (depending on configuration and limits)

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Features

• 8x independent USB-C PD source ports (modular PD cards, one port per slot)
• Per-port PD profiles
• Total system capability: up to 600W (shared input power budget)
• 4x USB-A auxiliary outputs (5V, 1A per port) for low-power devices
• Ethernet connectivity for control / monitoring
• USB service interface (debug, configuration, firmware update, or log access depending on implementation)
• Per-port power monitoring (current/voltage telemetry via onboard sensing)
• Per-port status reporting (PGOOD / fault indication, and software-readable status)
• Hot-swappable slot concept (cards can be replaced without redesigning the baseboard)

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Hardware architecture

Baseboard

• 24V DC input from industrial power supply
• Power distribution to all slots (high-current bus)
• Slot connectors + slot management (card detect, enable, status aggregation)
• I2C fanout per slot (mux) for monitoring and controlling devices
• Ethernet interface for user interaction
• USB/service interface for debug/config/updates
• 4x USB-A outputs
• 8x USB-C PD outputs

BladeCore-M54E

• RP2354B microcontroller
• External QSPI flash memory
• External I²C EEPROM
• 100BASE Ethernet via W5500
• Dual‑path USB connectivity with automatic source selection
• Onboard power regulation and defined power‑up sequencing
• Compact M.2 M-key form factor

PD Card

• 1x USB-C PD source port (one card = one port)
• Local power conversion to generate VBUS from the 24V bus
• PD controller + USB-C port control signals (enable, reset, IRQ)
• Per-port current/voltage measurement
• Per-port power good / fault status output
• Optional ID EEPROM footprint (DNI) for traceability/calibration

Schematics

The full schematics are available:

• Baseboard Schematics
• PDCard-4242 Schematics
• BladeCore-M54E Schematics

PCB Documentation:

• Baseboard PCB
• PDCard-4242 PCB [blocked]

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Development Phases (Hardware + Firmware)

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Changelog

Rev0.1.0:

• Initial design
• STUSB4710 controller + TPS552882

Rev1.0.0:

• Full redesign. STUSB4710 became EOL, need to use different PD controller
• New concept: modular Baseboard + PDCard architecture
• PDCard power stage (MPQ4242-AEC1)
• Baseboard: Per-slot I2C muxing (TCA9548A)
• Optional per-card EEPROM (not used, but capable)

License

Software Components

This project's software is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0). See the Software License file for details.

What AGPL-3.0 means:

• ✅ You can freely use, modify, and distribute this software

• ✅ You can use this project for personal, educational, or internal purposes

• ✅ You can contribute improvements back to this project

• ⚠️ You must share any modifications you make if you distribute the software

• ⚠️ You must release the source code if you run a modified version on a server that others interact with

• ⚠️ You must keep all copyright notices intact

• ❌ You cannot incorporate this code into proprietary software without sharing your source code

• ❌ You cannot use this project in a commercial product without either complying with AGPL or obtaining a different license

Hardware Components

Hardware designs, schematics, and related documentation are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International License). See the Hardware License file for details.

What CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 means:

• ✅ You can study, modify, and distribute the hardware designs

• ✅ You can create derivative works for personal, educational, or non-commercial use

• ✅ You can build this project for your own personal use

• ⚠️ You must give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made

• ⚠️ You must share any modifications under the same license terms

• ⚠️ You must include the original license and copyright notices

• ❌ You cannot use the designs for commercial purposes without explicit permission

• ❌ You cannot manufacture and sell products based on these designs without a commercial license

• ❌ You cannot create closed-source derivatives for commercial purposes

• ❌ You cannot use the designer's trademarks without permission

Commercial & Enterprise Use

Commercial use of this project is prohibited without obtaining a separate commercial license. If you are interested in:

• Manufacturing and selling products based on these designs
• Incorporating these designs into commercial products
• Any other commercial applications

Please contact me through any of the channels listed in the Contact section to discuss commercial licensing arrangements. Commercial licenses are available with reasonable terms to support ongoing development.

Contact

For questions or feedback:

• Email: dvidmakesthings@gmail.com
• GitHub: DvidMakesThings

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! As this is an early-stage project, please reach out before making substantial changes:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/concept)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add concept')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/concept)
5. Open a Pull Request with a detailed description