ATX-PC power supplies convert for stable 13.

8 volts
Saturday, 07th April 2012 at 15:32

For stable 13.8 to 14.2 volts rebuild ATX-PC power sup

After I had converted some AT power supplies stabilized 13.8 volts, I have now converted an ATX power supp
method. My copy provides 14 volts is maximum 18 amps as desired. The voltage drop between idle and full lo
power supply is operated successfully for the power supply of an amateur radio shortwave transceiver becau
course, for example car batteries can be recharged with this power supply. My copy is also short-circuit-proo
all switching power supplies.

Opposed to the reconstruction of power supplies AT: AT PSU, you are older and have a power switch, which can be
addition, they have no green wire. Under conversion of PC switching power supplies for stable 13.8 Volt , whose c
based on the same principle.

An ATX power supply before the conversion. According to his label, the 12-volt output can supply 18 Amps max, before th
switches off the power supply. This copy there for under 20 euros and had more reliably worked after three years of opera
hours) electrolytic capacitors become due to defective in a PC.

Safety and warning notices: In PCswitching power supplies are high voltages and currents, which can be lethal or c
reserved only professionals who recognise the danger and know, what they are doing. Every liability and warranty is exclu
off of PC switching power supply the sieve of the primary with several 100 Volts capacitors could be charged. You should b
light bulb.

I am not inexperienced and got still during this reconstruction through negligence electrocuted myself, with the current to
fingers of the right hand. Nevertheless, he has prepared me ordinary pain. The PC switching power supplies must be oper
conductor. The electrolytic capacitors in switching power supplies, which long were not in operation, can explode in the ra
The rebuilt 350 Watt ATX power supply provides highly stable 14 Volt 18 amp. Thanks to a Überstrromkontrolle this make
amps.

Testing of used, ATX power supply prior to the conversion with a 12-volt light bulb that is connected to the 12-volt output
control with a parking light bulb.  So that the power supply, the Green wire to a black wire must be connected, what happe
should operate a switching power supply without load.  Many power supplies do not work without load.
Test cable for AT and ATX power supplies.

The basic principle of transformation: Most ATX - or AT power supplies for PCs are more or less similar. They often co
the standards, the standardized housing and the high cost pressure in very high quantities have already led to a circuit op
developers to little additional room. Therefore, my conversion instructions even with the most other ATX power supplies w

AT and ATX-PC power supplies provide + 12 v and + 5 volts, which in principle only the + 5 volts are stabilized (strictly sp
in addition to many other tensions. To raise the + 12 volts to 13.8 or 14.2 volts, we can disconnect the + 5 volt and use o
amplifier, which measures the 5 volts to stabilize the 12 (or 13.8 or 14.2) voltage of a voltage divider. The voltage divider
volts, which are fed to the power amplifier. This is the + 12 volt-output stabilised.

More tips on switching power supply tags are described in http://www.mydarc.de/dl7iab/ of DL7IAB. I have him to th
Installation of the voltage divider and the necessary cable connections (great view here). In my case I chose parallel 22
consists of 2 x 100 ohms parallel.  The smaller R1 of compared to R2, is the smaller the output voltage.

Overvoltage protection: When my ATX power supply protection circuitry ensures also that the + 12 volt output can sup
could happen due to a defect of the voltage divider. The voltage divider is greater than + 14.2 volts measured, so for a vo
off.

Protection against over current: My ATX power supply can at his + 12 volt output no longer power supply as prints on
features 18 amps for + 12 volts. At a current of 18 amp, the power supply switches off immediately and must be restarte
seconds. Unfortunately, these security not at all ATX switching power supplies is fitted.

Increase maximum output current: A resistance as a current sensor that looks like a wire bridge provides for the over
supplies. This resistance can be reduced by other resistors in parallel to achieve 10 to 20% more power. Done I don't hav
report. Overloading is not expected because the tensions are not used 3.3 volt and 5 volt. Unfortunately, my copy that I r
recognizable resistors. Without wiring diagram, it is then difficult to find the equivalent resistance and change.

As I recognize an ATX PSU? In contrast AT PSU , ATX power supply has a green wire (PS_ON), which is to connect w
operate.
Pin assignment for an ATX power supply.  Some have a Brown cable (source: Wikipedia  )).

Like I'm testing an ATX PSU? The green cable is to connect with mass. If there is a Brown wire, this is one to join oran
(yellow cable) need a load, ensure that the power supply. 12-volt brake light bulbs can serve. If necessary, the 3.3 volts (
light bulb.

Arched to cover of the capacitors and a Brown mass on the covers are an unmistakable sign of defective electrolytic capac
with corresponding lowESRtypes.  The yellow mass of the pages is adhesive and comes not from the electrolytic capacitor
extinction of Elko is described in Wikipedia - capacitor plague (capacitor plague)  .

Of the reconstruction and the installation of the voltage divider: All of the thick cable harness cable are up on a few
off. The + 5 volt soldering island is to insulate, so that it is connected only by the control voltage input for the 5-volt Span
remaining circuit by cutting traces. It's a long, thin trace. the Green wire is ground (black) to connect. If it exists, is the B
Volt) to connect.

The wiring harness must be removed.

After snapping out of the harness, the stub will extract solder.  Some stumps remain to the colour marking.
Cutting the traces on a drilling with a drill which is misused as a cutter.

The red cable connects the separate 5-volt soldering island with the input of the power amplifier. The Brown cable connec
cable.  Could the Green wire through a solder bridge  dimensions are connected.

Function of the Brown cable: Some ATX power supplies have a thin, Brown cable (3.3 volts DC/sense), which leads to
volt on this. Therefore this Brown + 3.3 volt cable is to connect (orange)
The soldered a voltage divider. Two parallel 100-ohm resistors are located between ground and the isolated island of sold
connection of 2200 ohm and 100 ohm is between + 12V and the + 5V-Insel.  2 Watt resistors are used.  The 2200 Ohm re
series of trim pots of approximately 5000 ohms and a 1000 Ohm resistor to set exactly the desired voltage.

The soldered a voltage divider, the islands of solder for ground, + 5V and + 12V, links of which the cables for the output v
section to minimize the voltage drop.

Sketch an ATX power supply printed circuit board from the top. The arrangement is mostly similar. The installation of the
the traces and the additional wire connections are registered. The electrolytic capacitor C1 can be removed if space is nee

Voltage divider install: Now, even the voltage divider must be fitted. Between + 12V (yellow) and the separate 5-volt is
(called R1). Between the island of 5 volts and the crowd comes 18 Ohm resistor (called R2), as it is entered in the drawin
100 ohm for R1 and R2 50 ohm. So I did it in my case. Since the output voltage was too high, a 2200 Ohm resistor was p
in relation to R2, R1 is low, the output voltage is lower. R2 was realised through two parallel geschaltetet 50-ohm resistor
the voltage divider must be not designed otherwise the overvoltage protection responds and switches off the power supply
Test Setup to test the voltage divider.

On the front of the housing is still a two-pole mains switch, a signal lamp (or LED with series resistor of 10 kOhm) and the
voltage. Everything else can be removed the photos.

Test run to a load resistance, which is cooled in a jar with water.

Remove label: Who wants to remove them for optical reasons, used for the best petroleum, barbecue lighting fluid, lamp
the glue, which is scraped off with a piece of wood. Wood takes manm because it not scratched the paint. Then clean with
pen can be removed with alcohol. Alcohol may however attack the paint.

Video: The rebuilt power supply to the Kurzwellentransceiver FT-747GX in the test.

Connect mains choke (PFC choke): Before switching on is essential to ensure that also the thick line choke (PFCchoke
copy on the cover, is connected. I had forgotten this. Therefore, the fuse blew when you turn with a Flash. Then the powe
this, one of the four rectifiers diodes of the bridge rectifier was responsible, which had a short circuit in both directions. A
replacement.

The fully wired and built to power supply.  Before switching on the thick PFC choke (pictured left) do not forget to connect.
The wired front panel. The cable must not touch the heat sink.

Protective conductor and debugging: The power supply must be operated at a protective conductor. The mass of the
the housing. Any lacquer must be removed in the appropriate places. Without ground connections and the protective cond
radio reception by a carpet of noise. In addition a power filter can be fitted to the debugging input side. This was not nece
operate the power supply unit to a shortwave transceiver.

The front panel made of aluminium and the openings in the housing.  The front panel may not cover the cooling slots.
Before drilling, attaches the front panel with two screws.  The holes are drilled with 3 mm. The lid is secure.  The fan must
can be damaged by the vibration of drilling.  The light is a 24 volt truck parking light bulb.  It lasts practically forever at 14
with all-purpose glue.  Instead of the light bulb is also a light-emitting diode with a series resistance of 1 kOhm.

The front panel: I made it in this case, a piece of footboard. In other cases, I have used epoxy PCB base material.

Tips for the front panel drilling: All holes with a 3 mm drill, screw the footboard on the front, attach the lid. Drill with a
biomass, then drill drill bit for the desired diameter with much oil and low feed use. So the holes are nicely round. The squ
punch, hole drill and file out the breakthrough with some oversized after removing the sheets.

The faceplate made of aluminum has been polished before and after drilling with stainless steel wool and detergent as lub
smoothed out also in this way. I've filed before around the corners. It is to Polish to get an attractive surface with steel w
The power supply in the operation as a power supply for my hf.  Only four small rubber or plastic feet lacks for sticking, so

The fan: The fan is to expand before drilling and filing of the case, because the fan bearings can be damaged by the vibra
happened to me.

I oil the fan camp with a few drops of engine oil prior to installation. The sticker is to remove. Sewing machine oil is too th
Drehazahlen. Gumming never occurred even after 10 years. High-viscosity silicone oil of course even better. If the speed
preceded by about 50 ohms. It is suitable for a speed reduction of-5-volt-connector, if this still works. Then pay attention
fan blows out always the air. This enters the cooling air from the front and cools more evenly.

The back of the power supply unit with his fan remains intact.  The power button has no function and could be expanded t

My copy has a temperature dependent speed reduction, which in the normal operation of a transceiver the fan to just quie

With an ATX power supply of a third-party review: Now, I had rebuilt a further ATX switching power supply. It dates
300 Watt according to the imprint. Mechanically, it is very solidly built and was once in a PC Magazine test winner. The ele
way the outside still intact from (no lids arched up).

For the + 12 volt, maximum 15 A were specified. The voltage in comparison to the open-circuit voltage to 200 mV at a loa
conversion. The despicable cheap PSU, which I had first developed, was there with 50 mV a lot better. At a first stress tes
current for one minute at 19 A. Switching power supply would have to turn off but when 15 A. You get already a sinking f
stomach. 266 w load is close to 300 Watts. So a switching power supply is designed but not for 300 Watt continuous load
power supply was even built, had consumed 60 to 70 watts average.
With this ATX power supply in 2002 certain protections do not exist.  The renovations designed particularly difficult becaus

At least, the switching power supply is short-circuit-proof. A fuse attached 3 amp, time-lag, between the two Poland, surv

However, the overvoltage protection circuit is missing. To remove the R1 (100 ohm) of the voltage divider, the voltage ris
short time, because the capacitors only for 16 Volt are designed. The weal and woe of a connected transceiver depends so
solder and must be dimensioned with sufficient power. If come off the soldered wire for voltage regulation, the voltage wi
his soldering skills. An overvoltage protection circuit can be with a thyristor by the way up.

A further, umgeautes ATX switching power supply: 300 Watt, 14 volts, over 19 A (briefly), more.

The missing surge protector circuit but provides space for a switching power supply with adjustable voltage. How far you
not yet tested. The question of reliability is still completely open it.
I've repainted the lid because the stickers were hard to solve. I had to maltreat the surface with steel wool. The glue was
despicable cheap PSU (retail price formerly under 20 euro) is circuit design more secure than the promised luxury model (
conversion here with his thin sheet metal housing which I had previously converted to).

Links:

- Diagrams of ATX power supplies

- Schematics and layouts of many old and new AT and ATX power supplies
- Calculation of switching power supplies
- Declaration and principle of switching power supply
- Switching regulator fundamentals
- ATX form factor (Wikipedia)
- Reconstruction of AT and ATX switching power supplies for DL7IAB