Antec Smartpower PSU mains wiring oddity

[Les Matthew]

Got this PSU with an Antec Sonata II case that I
bought in July last year.

It died after four months use, as it was powering
an overclocked AMD64 4000 cpu that died at the
same time I just replaced it with a new Hiper PSU
as it may have been my overclocking of the CPU
that caused both of the the problems.

So it sat in the corner until today when I opened
it up to see if it was just the internal fuse that
had gone. Below is a rough drawing of the mains wiring
that I found inside the PSU.


http://home.clara.net/lesmcdm/images/antecpsu.png


The live mains is wired to the switch then goes
straight to a connection on the pcb marked with
a letter "N" (circled 1)

The neutral is wired straight to a connection on
the pcb marked with a letter "L" (circled 2) then
to a thermistor? (TH1) and then on to the 5amp fuse.

To me this does not appear to be correct?

Any comments on this would be appreciated.


les...

 

[Jerry G.]

What you drew is very standard. I don't know your skill level, but you
would have to verify with a DVM that there is proper power going
through the power input circuit to its destination on the circuit
board.

If the fault is in the UPS processing and drive circuits themselves,
then the problem will require advanced troubleshooting using the
service manuals.

Unfortunately the manufacture does not support non contracted
servicing for their products. The manufacture will not supply any
service parts or any service manuals.

Technicaly, the only thing the customer can do himself is change the
batteries when they ware out, or fix a very simple fault such as a
loose connection or simple cold solder point. The most common problem
for UPS failure are the batteries waring out. The life expectancy for
the batteries is about 3 to 4 years average.

I doubt your computer caused the UPS to fail, unless the power supply
in the computer had a dead short on its input side, the power supply
was not properly fused, and the UPS was not properly fused. This would
mean that the computer power supply would also have to be changed.

If the fault in the UPS is more than the batteries, the UPS is
probably not feasible to service. The batteries must be replaced to
verify the UPS's condition. Most of the UPS's use sensing circuits
that shut down when the batteries are not in proper spec.


Jerry G.
======

 

[Arfa Daily]

Got this PSU with an Antec Sonata II case that I
bought in July last year.

It died after four months use, as it was powering
an overclocked AMD64 4000 cpu that died at the
same time I just replaced it with a new Hiper PSU
as it may have been my overclocking of the CPU
that caused both of the the problems.

So it sat in the corner until today when I opened
it up to see if it was just the internal fuse that
had gone. Below is a rough drawing of the mains wiring
that I found inside the PSU.


http://home.clara.net/lesmcdm/images/antecpsu.png


The live mains is wired to the switch then goes
straight to a connection on the pcb marked with
a letter "N" (circled 1)

The neutral is wired straight to a connection on
the pcb marked with a letter "L" (circled 2) then
to a thermistor? (TH1) and then on to the 5amp fuse.

To me this does not appear to be correct?

Any comments on this would be appreciated.


les...

I would have to say that, as you apparently suspect as well, in my opinion,
it has been wired theoretically backwards after the switch. I would have
expected the "N" on the board to be for Neutral and the "L" for live.

In strictly operational terms, for most switch mode power supply front end
designs, it actually makes no odds which input terminal is taken to live,
and which to neutral, as all filtering is symetrical, before the mains being
applied directly to the bridge rectifier. However, from a safety point of
view when servicing, something that is actually on the live side, when it is
expected to be on the neutral side, could represent a safety issue to the
inexperienced or unwary engineer.

Arfa

 

[Les Matthew]

Got this PSU with an Antec Sonata II case that I
bought in July last year.

Thanks all for the replies, confirmed my suspicions.

After taking the psu appart I have to say the overall build quality of
this particular antec psu rates in the "piss poor" variety.

The soldering on the underside of the pcb looks like it has been done
with a red hot poker. And the wiring looms are a spaggetti junction.

It was my first and now last antec purchase.

cheers.

les...

 

[Mike Tomlinson]

After taking the psu appart I have to say the overall build quality of
this particular antec psu rates in the "piss poor" variety.

Antec PSUs went through a phase of expiring with a bang a couple years
ago. They seem to have tightened up their quality control now.

The Smartpower I bought went with a bang. Returned for a refund under
warranty and replaced with a different brand.

 

[Franc Zabkar]

Got this PSU with an Antec Sonata II case that I
bought in July last year.

It died after four months use, ...

Fuhjyyu caps were a common problem in Antec PSUs.

- Franc Zabkar

 

[Adrian C]

Antec PSUs went through a phase of expiring with a bang a couple years
ago. They seem to have tightened up their quality control now.

No direct experiance of Antec PSU's but seems to be a company relying on
customer confusion with a well established supply manufacturer called
Astec (subsidary of Emerson)

<http://www.astec.com.vn/about/about.html>

 

[Les Matthew]

Antec PSUs went through a phase of expiring with a bang a couple years
ago. They seem to have tightened up their quality control now.

The Smartpower I bought went with a bang. Returned for a refund under
warranty and replaced with a different brand.

Hi Mike, I think their quality control may have gone down the pan again,
will post some pics of this psu later today.

The reason I didn't go for a warranty return was that I was heavily
overclocking the amd64 4000+ it was powering and running folding@home on
it 24/7 so it may well have been my own fault.

I have to say though, I have had more PC kit fail in the last 18 months
than I have since I built my first PC, that was a 12MHz 286 some time in
the late eighties.

3 CPU's have blown
4 PSU's (2 Hipers with fan problems, old Macron with bad caps)
4 motherboards all Asus with various different problems.

Personally I'm beginning to think that I seriously upset someone in a
previous life.

On the PSU front, I have a 7 year old Enermax 350watt that still runs
like a champ.

Oh yea, that Gigabyte slot1 motherboard I bought of you is running well.


les...