Technochicken
03-27-2011, 02:20 PM
After reading x88x's (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23540&page=3)most recent bench PSU build, I decided I would make my own. I started out with a PC Power and Cooling Silencer 470 power supply. While it supposedly only supplies 30 watts less than the 500 watt version x88x used, it can handle significantly less on the 12 volt rail- 26 amps as opposed to 35.
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9610/p3260612.jpg
As you can see, it is already pretty crowded in there:
http://img863.imageshack.us/img863/5218/p3260616.jpg
Add a switch:
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/3904/p3260622.jpg
Add connectors:
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/5384/p3260627.jpg
The internal connections use these connectors. The blue wire is the -12V connection:
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/9495/p3260628.jpg
Switch:
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/7264/p3260629.jpg
Here are the wired connectors. I used three wires per connector, for a total of 6 12 volt wires, 6 5 volt wires, 3 3.3 volt wires, and 12 ground wires. In hind sight, that was probably overkill.
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/2228/p3260630.jpg
The grey wire puts out 5 V when powered on, so I put in an indicator LED:
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/453/p3260633.jpg
To provide some load, I used these resistors I had lying around:
http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/6978/p3260634.jpg
Wired up:
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3779/p3270635.jpg
http://img852.imageshack.us/img852/7784/p3270636.jpg
Closed:
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/2995/p3270647.jpg
On:
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/6539/p3270651.jpg
Voltage range:
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/8197/p3270660.jpg
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/189/p3270659.jpg
After a little testing, I opened it back up to see how hot the resistors were getting. The 5 Ohm one at 5 volts got hot enough to melt the hot glue it, so I made a heatsink for it:
http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/2956/p3270663.jpg
Then I mounted that, with the help of some thermal paste, to one of the main heatsinks:
http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/7263/p3270668.jpg
Done! This should be more than powerful enough to power anything I'll be working on.
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9610/p3260612.jpg
As you can see, it is already pretty crowded in there:
http://img863.imageshack.us/img863/5218/p3260616.jpg
Add a switch:
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/3904/p3260622.jpg
Add connectors:
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/5384/p3260627.jpg
The internal connections use these connectors. The blue wire is the -12V connection:
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/9495/p3260628.jpg
Switch:
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/7264/p3260629.jpg
Here are the wired connectors. I used three wires per connector, for a total of 6 12 volt wires, 6 5 volt wires, 3 3.3 volt wires, and 12 ground wires. In hind sight, that was probably overkill.
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/2228/p3260630.jpg
The grey wire puts out 5 V when powered on, so I put in an indicator LED:
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/453/p3260633.jpg
To provide some load, I used these resistors I had lying around:
http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/6978/p3260634.jpg
Wired up:
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3779/p3270635.jpg
http://img852.imageshack.us/img852/7784/p3270636.jpg
Closed:
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/2995/p3270647.jpg
On:
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/6539/p3270651.jpg
Voltage range:
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/8197/p3270660.jpg
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/189/p3270659.jpg
After a little testing, I opened it back up to see how hot the resistors were getting. The 5 Ohm one at 5 volts got hot enough to melt the hot glue it, so I made a heatsink for it:
http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/2956/p3270663.jpg
Then I mounted that, with the help of some thermal paste, to one of the main heatsinks:
http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/7263/p3270668.jpg
Done! This should be more than powerful enough to power anything I'll be working on.