How to test a power supply ?

[JackShephard]

Make sure you get a voltmeter with a USB connector, in case you have
to reinstall the OS on the voltmeter

Naw... he'll contact the meter manufacturer and have them send him a
new chip for it.

Bwuahahahahahahahahaha!

 

[JackShephard]

Actually, you CAN get Digital Multimeters with serial and USB ports - for
logging, and, I suppose, for flash updates for the more sophisticated DMMs.

Phil Weldon

Data logging, yes... meter updates - never seen it, and it would
certainly invalidate any calibration done on the meter. Very unlikely to
be a field service item at the user level in any case.

 

[JackShephard]

If you don't open the case there's nothing that should bite you.

You need a "dummy load" to load down the PS to test it (many won't
even power up without a load of some sort)

None of the commercial units, I've seen, put enough load on a PS to
stress it (pulling 10 watts from a 300+ watt supply isn't a real
test).

There were some dummy load schematics on the web. What would be good
(don't know if anyone is selling it) would be a plug that can be put
between the PS connector and mobo and analyze and monitor the actual
voltages with some lights to tell you if the power is clean.

That all sounds well and good, however, a Power supply test correctly
done involves loading it FULLY to its rated spec, and THEN looking at
each rail to determine that it complies with the ripple spec. It ALSO
must retain the regulated voltage spec from no load through full load.

PC supplies are notorious for having monitoring circuitry that will
shut them down if loading on certain rails changes significantly.

The right way to test it is with several electronic loads (very
expensive), and an oscilloscope, and ideally, a power factor test device
on the input line.

The ATX supply spec has serious voltage regulation and ripple voltage
specs, and all are done at full rated loading on the supply.

 

[krw]

The claim that is trademarked is bullshit. What that is is public
domain, dipshit.

The ONLY proper way to test a PC supply is FULLY loaded to the spec of
that particular supply, and with a scope to examine the ripple voltage so
that one can test for compliance to the ATX PS Specification.

It may look fine, it may supply full voltage, but if the ripple is too
high, then it is really FOOL Voltage!

The ATX spec is very stringent on ripple, as that is what causes
failures in logic, and we can't have that on something we would call a
computer.

Dimbulb, if you want to look so smart why don't you talk about the
dynamic regulation too. Wot a maroon!

 

[JackShephard]

Dimbulb, if you want to look so smart why don't you talk about the
dynamic regulation too. Wot a maroon!

You're a fucking idiot, KeithTard. I know more about testing power
supplies than you ever will.

 

[JackShephard]

Dimbulb, if you want to look so smart why don't you talk about the
dynamic regulation too.

I did ya fuckin' retard.

[email protected]

Wot a maroon!

Bugs bunny would smack you for using his line when you are such a lame
fucking retard.

Yes, you most certainly are very fucking moronic.

 

[Angry_American]

One cannot properly OR safely test a supply hooked up to the computer
either.

It needs load testing, but ON THE BENCH. It needs to have each rail
examined with a scope to look at the ripple voltages on each rail when
they are all under their full rated loading spec.

That's where one will see the big difference between the cheap shit and
the well made supplies.

It's just like the bad old days of the seventies when car stereo makers
had misleading and erroneous claims about their audio output power
levels. Yeah, it puts out 15 Watts per channel... at ten percent
distortion!

And how many people much less shops can afford an Oscilloscope much less a
device that you can use to run the PSU at full load? Very few indeed. Right
now the best option for most people is using a voltmeter. Maybe someday I
will get on the stick and put together a sub 1000 dollar device to do a all
in one psu test for professionals and shops. Until that day though the
multi-meter is the way to go.

 

[krw]

You're a fucking idiot, KeithTard. I know more about testing power
supplies than you ever will.

How can someone who "knows everything" always be MassivelyWrong?
Dimbulb, you're priceless. Useless, but priceless, none the less.

 

[krw]

I did ya fuckin' retard.

MassivleyWrong again, dimmest of them all.

[email protected]


Bugs bunny would smack you for using his line when you are such a lame
fucking retard.

You still believe Bugs and the Easter Bunny are real?

Yes, you most certainly are very fucking moronic.

I hear you mommy calling, Dimbulb.

 

[Lamey]

Do you even know what the word "nipple" means?

You cross posting Usenet retard.

Do you?

--
Usenet lits score:

GIT-R-DONE!
alt.usenet.legends.lamey
http://blu05.port5.com
AUK Offishal Tinfoil Sombrero award 05/07
#20 Usenet asshole
#6 Lits Slut
#9 Cog in the AUK Hate Machine
<approved by Lionel>
#11 Most posting trolls/hunters/flonkers 2007
#1 Disenfranchised AUK Kookologist.
#1 AUK Galactic Killfile Award
< we all know how well that works...LOL >
Co-inventer of the "Prongtard Yap-Dog Award"

<working on one of them specheel AUK awards>

 

[Lamey]

You're a fucking idiot, KeithTard. I know more about testing power
supplies than you ever will.

Licking the prongs on a 9 volt doesn't count Prongtard.

--
Usenet lits score:

GIT-R-DONE!
alt.usenet.legends.lamey
http://blu05.port5.com
AUK Offishal Tinfoil Sombrero award 05/07
#20 Usenet asshole
#6 Lits Slut
#9 Cog in the AUK Hate Machine
<approved by Lionel>
#11 Most posting trolls/hunters/flonkers 2007
#1 Disenfranchised AUK Kookologist.
#1 AUK Galactic Killfile Award
< we all know how well that works...LOL >
Co-inventer of the "Prongtard Yap-Dog Award"

<working on one of them specheel AUK awards>

 

[JackShephard]

And how many people much less shops can afford an Oscilloscope much less a
device that you can use to run the PSU at full load?

That's not the point. The point is "to test a power supply" one needs
to test it at a loading that meets the supply's rated spec.

Very few indeed.

That doesn't mean that merely checking the voltage is adequate by any
measure.

Right
now the best option

It is a sad option, since it does not tell one that the supply is good.
A very OUT of spec supply can still show the proper voltage on all rails,
and STILL be the source of PC operational failure modes.

for most people is using a voltmeter.

It is not definitive in any way.

Maybe someday I
will get on the stick and put together a sub 1000 dollar device to do a all
in one psu test for professionals and shops. Until that day though the
multi-meter is the way to go.

The multimeter merely tell you if the supply is making voltage at the
current load level, which may be zero or some other number. The fact is
that PCs load supplies fairly hard on some rails, and those rails need to
supply CLEAN voltage, not merely THE voltage they claim to produce.

It really is that simple. A mere voltage test is not in any way
adequate enough.

And any shop you claim is professional would know that mere voltage
testing is not how it is done.

 

[mr deo]

I don't disagree but I do wish I'd had the cheapo $10-$15 ps test
thingie around before I hooked up a RAID array to a brand new Ultra
power supply that shipped from the factory with its +5 swapped with
+12. I didn't bother testing it with a voltmeter ahead of time as I'd
never seen one of these switchers come on without some sort of even
minimal load.

SMPS's should come on with no load, and should survive too (it's in the
specifications)....


But as for as your +5/+12v line swap, what happen'd, did the psu company buy
you all new kit?... That would REALLY piss me off and I would be sending
them flammable dogshit through the post lol.

 

[Howard Goldstein]

:
: >
: > I don't disagree but I do wish I'd had the cheapo $10-$15 ps test
: > thingie around before I hooked up a RAID array to a brand new Ultra
: > power supply that shipped from the factory with its +5 swapped with
: > +12. I didn't bother testing it with a voltmeter ahead of time as I'd
: > never seen one of these switchers come on without some sort of even
: > minimal load.
:
: SMPS's should come on with no load, and should survive too (it's in the
: specifications)....

I wasn't aware of that. Is this part of the ATX spec? As you know
the old XT supplies wouldn't come on without some sort of load and I'd
never bothered to see if anything since then would...

:
:
: But as for as your +5/+12v line swap, what happen'd, did the psu company buy
: you all new kit?... That would REALLY piss me off and I would be sending
: them flammable dogshit through the post lol.

I was - am - very unahppy. The power supply is one of these newer
ones that have male molex fittings on the case for drive power
cables. (From an Ultra Defenderxxxxx Destroyer case+PS) Some
knucklehead at the factory soldered one of the five molex fittings
backwards. The drive array was plugged into the one that was
backwards so *poof* went all the drives in the array, magic smoke let
out and all.

Getting things put right is extremely frustrating. The manufacturer
(Ultra) initially refused to do anything because they stated that
during the first 30 days the warranty was serviced by the vendor. The
vendor (Amazon) after telling me it was my fault I should have checked
for compatibility before ordering (!), that they were very sorry but
warranty fulfilment was up to the manufacturer.

It's been well over 30 days and Ultra is simply not returning my phone
calls. Although I can reach a tech dude by phone the dude calims he
can only send a new supply. The supervisor just won't return the
calls and is never there.

 

[mr deo]

: But as for as your +5/+12v line swap, what happen'd, did the psu
company buy

: you all new kit?... That would REALLY piss me off and I would be sending
: them flammable dogshit through the post lol.

I was - am - very unahppy. The power supply is one of these newer
ones that have male molex fittings on the case for drive power
cables. (From an Ultra Defenderxxxxx Destroyer case+PS) Some
knucklehead at the factory soldered one of the five molex fittings
backwards. The drive array was plugged into the one that was
backwards so *poof* went all the drives in the array, magic smoke let
out and all.

Getting things put right is extremely frustrating. The manufacturer
(Ultra) initially refused to do anything because they stated that
during the first 30 days the warranty was serviced by the vendor. The
vendor (Amazon) after telling me it was my fault I should have checked
for compatibility before ordering (!), that they were very sorry but
warranty fulfilment was up to the manufacturer.

It's been well over 30 days and Ultra is simply not returning my phone
calls. Although I can reach a tech dude by phone the dude calims he
can only send a new supply. The supervisor just won't return the
calls and is never there.

I am not sure how big some of these companys are, it's not your fault and
the power supply company "should" be responsible for this. An open letter
to the complaints department might help as most staff and managers will
refuse to touch an issue until there's a formal complaint (it doesnt exist
until a formal complaint is made)..


Good luck with that ..

 

[JackShephard]

Getting things put right is extremely frustrating. The manufacturer
(Ultra) initially refused to do anything because they stated that
during the first 30 days the warranty was serviced by the vendor. The
vendor (Amazon) after telling me it was my fault I should have checked
for compatibility before ordering (!), that they were very sorry but
warranty fulfilment was up to the manufacturer.

Reversed supply rails are NOT part of ANY spec! That is 100%
manufacturer defect, and Amazon should remit! and REPLACE the supply and
anything it fried.

It's been well over 30 days and Ultra is simply not returning my phone
calls.

I'd contact the BBB (about Amazon) with a very diplomatically worded
letter of how they shirked their responsibility. Amazon IS a BBB member,
and they will bend to the proper, Politically correctly put pressure.

Although I can reach a tech dude by phone the dude calims he
can only send a new supply.

They want to get out cheap. Don't fall for it. This ain't damaged
shipping. I would fully document the supply before sending it back both
by video and by a tech that is willing to provide an affidavit of the
supplies non-conformant condition. If they blew gear, the supply AND the
gear should be replaced. Amazon isn't really responsible since it is a
true MFGR blunder, and a "catastrophic error" at that. Ultra is
culpable, just don't let them buy their way out with a mere supply
replacement, and don't back down. Reversed rails are 100% law suit
material, and they know it.

The supervisor just won't return the
calls and is never there.

Have an attorney send him an e-mail, and CC the BBB. It's a damned
shame that these guys make so damned much money, yet they can't fix what
is obviously one of their ****-ups.

 

[Howard Goldstein]

: > It's been well over 30 days and Ultra is simply not returning my phone
: > calls. Although I can reach a tech dude by phone the dude calims he
: > can only send a new supply. The supervisor just won't return the
: > calls and is never there.
: >
:
: I am not sure how big some of these companys are, it's not your fault and
: the power supply company "should" be responsible for this. An open letter
: to the complaints department might help as most staff and managers will
: refuse to touch an issue until there's a formal complaint (it doesnt exist
: until a formal complaint is made)..

Well I'm starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. With a
problem like this I'm faced with a problem of being just one guy and
having no leverage with the warrantors. Initially amazon was
amazingly resistent to doing anything, but I've finally managed to
reach a very cordial lady in their executive offices who walked this
through their buyer and helped me make contact with Ultra's
salesperson.

I *think* I may be a couple of weeks away from being made whole
again. The fallback is to just do the small claims court thing and
the have large amounts of fun trying to execute on the judgment I'll
undoubtedly get.

Appreciate your, JackShephard, and GMAN's responses. I'll follow up
with an update in a week or so to hopefully report that Ultra stood
behind their product.