Mini-Project: Bench PSU *Update Mar 5th*

Hey, I just started a new mini project a few days ago to replace my aging 120w modified ATX PSU that I was using for testing items requiring molex power. I got this nice 200w AT model that I had no use for, and it has a fair amount of room inside for switches and things so it fit the bill. List of mods being done;

-Mounting toggle switch
-power indicator LED
-Wire terminals
-Molex mounted in PSU case
-possible paint if it needs it
-possible window (and therefore more LEDs)

So far I've ran into a few snags. Radioshat had a nice little set of wire terminals I thought, but when installing them they kept coming loose from the case when I tried to turn the plastic tops, and while super-tightening them one of the bolts sheared off at the base. Then later after wondering why the PSU wouldn't turn on anymore, I find out that the terminals all are shorting to the PSU case. Apparently they aren't made for being mounted in metal, but that was never written on the package, and it said they were insulated. I may be able to fix this problem with some larger holes and some hot glue though.

Other than that everything has gone well. Nearly wore out my needle file set though making the molex holes fit perfectly and be rectangular.


^ Trimming the wires back and discerning what I do and don't need.


^ Poor-quality terminals (before being broken)


^ The molex holes nicely cut out


^ PSU reassembled for a test


^ Molex connectors held in place by friction, I'm not gluing them in until I decide about painting the case.


^ Just another shot.

Since then I've added a green LED right above the toggle switch in a small LED holder.

More updates soon!

*PS* Thoughts on a colour?

 

Update

All done this mini project, for now.


^ Priming the case for black paint.


^ Painted black, assembling components.


^ another shot.


^ Squishing everything in, molex connectors mounted across the top.


^ All done.


^ Turns on! a bonus.


^ 12v terminal works...


^ ...and the 5v!


^ Break out the good-bad camera for this!


^ The money shot.

And thus concludes my mini bench PSU project. I now have a power supply perfect for testing fans and other computer components without tangled dangling wires everywhere.

 

Thats a really good project and a very well thought out idea for what it is. Definitely would come in handy i know that for sure. Top stuff

 

Did someone say Ghetto ???

No, just yanking your Chain. Nice little tester, and you have the added bonus that it actually works.

 

Lo!
Got somethin quite similar, find it to be about the most usefull thing on my desk besides clear space (which is worth it's weight in gold) and my soldering iron. Only thing that kinda bugs me is when I'm being careless and drop one of the power lines and it shorts against the case.
Great mod dude, v handy.
Jaz_knos

 

Thanks all for the great comments!

Mine has a solution to combat this problem. The paint is non conductive, so unless the wire touches the bottom of a relatively deep scratch, it can't be shorted out. Funny how some things find other uses you hadn't thought of previously.

 

Nice project, I have something similar only without the paint and the LED's and the tidyness, lol...

1 thing I would/did change though... you left out the fun wires! Where's the -12v and -5v! Nothing better than a 12v fan running at 24v (Also with -12v I can power random pre-amp type stuff with it )

 

looks good.

similar to mine: http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=127374 (which i will redo the case for when i get back from uni in 6 weeks time )

 

Yes, your work sparked me to make a new one, because my old one was noisy and didn't work very well, and needed an update.

 

I just have 3 AT psu's lying around, gives more cable clutter, but works too

 

UPDATE

I got a hold of my dad's Rebel XTi, so I took some nicer pics;











I also came up with a plan to make some add-on components for it. The first one is a wire terminal box that connects to a molex connector. I made some garbage drawings in sketchup;









The contact pads thing is for a modified voltmeter, so you can fine-tune the Rheostat to exactly the voltage/resistance you want. Also thinking about some sort of lock mechanism, so that you can lock the Rheostat in place so it doesn't move and change voltage. It will all be contained in a small project box.

I will be scrounging up the parts I need in a few days. Comments?

 

that looks real good i think i am going to borrow some of your ideas if that is ok
good work

 

No problem! If I didn't want my ideas to be used (or improved, for that matter) then I wouldn't have put them on the internet

What ideas are you interested in?

 

thank you
i like the way you mounted the molex connectors and added the screw terminals
when i seen your mod i was thinking that would be a great way to control my wire mess on my work bench.

 

I came up with another Add-on box based on a molex connection. This one is an LED tester.





The top row will be 2.1V, and the lower row, ~3.3V. Then it will be 10mA, 20mA, 30mA and 40mA across for each. Hopefully that will encompass most LEDs that I need to test. The wire terminals are for LEDs attached to wires, so you don't have to jam wires into the little holes.



Thoughts?

 

nice

 

U got some very cool ideas here , i would love to have a LED tester.

 

Nice work!

 

Thanks for the comments.

TapperSwe, the LED tester is going to recieve its power via a molex connector so that I can use it on any standard PC power supply, even one being used inside a PC! Just have to be careful about shorts.

 

Looks pretty cool. liking the idea of the addons