Danz409
09-25-2009, 01:53 PM
TRY THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK
this tutorial will be my first. so if there's something messed up or not right please inform me via PM and i will correct it. this tutorial will show how you can turn a ITX or ATX computer PSU into a bench top or lab type PSU for doing electronic work. if you happen to have a PSU laying around this will be considerably cheap. if already know me.. you know im cheap ^^.
SAFETY!________TRY THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK__________________________
remember your dealing with something that uses electrical risk of electrical shock is there. so use regular safety procedures like making sure the thing is unplugged and capacitors are drained before probing and tinkering with it! also if you are using any power tools eye protection is a must! my glasses have saved me many times!
WHAT YOU WILL NEED.__________________________________
a computer PSU (duh) free - $15 for the cheaper ones
terminal hookups, $2.99 - $3.99 there are 2 sizes
toggle switch. (2 if you want to be able to toggle standby and main power separately) $2.99
fuse holder, $2.99
fuse. (im using 5A) 4 pack $1.99
10k pot $3.49
Digital multi meter (for the fancier units) $3.99
10 ohm 10 watt resister (for the ATX build)
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_PSUparts.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=PSUparts.jpg)
TOOS: Screwdriver, drill or Dremel/rotary cutting tool, soldering iron heat shrink, lighter or heat gun basic safety equipment safety glasses fire extinguisher in case things go RELAY wrong wire strippers and other tools you may find to be useful for this build.
TESTING YOUR UNIT__________________________________
step 1 Test the PSU unit to make sure it works. with ITX its pretty simply. pug it in. hit the hard wired button that's on it. ATX is a little trickier
easier done if its still in a computer. keep it plugged into the motherboard and hit the power switch on the machine. without a computer it can also be done very easily. you will need a 10 ohm 10 watt resister for this tho. and also will need for the PSU build itself simply short any RED and BLACK (this is putting a load on the 5v rail) so the power supply won't turn itself off. its a type of safety thing with the power supply so it wont fry the board. and also another step that will need to be done is taking what is usually the green wire
if there is no green wire check the penout image. and short that wire with the ground. if you want a standby switch this is where it would go. but when it comes to building after those are done by simply plugging in the unit it should power up. if it doesn't. then most likely the unit is dead. If your unit does power up. i suggest taking your DMM (digital mutli meter) and checking your voltage on the YELLOW (12v), RED (5v) and ORANGE (3.3v) lines to make sure they are the right voltage. if it passes you have your subject!
THE PSU DIAGRAM
http://www.helpwithpcs.com/courses/power-supply/atx-psu-pinouts.gif
THE BUILD______________________________
Case_
depending on how well you want the finished product to look and work. will determine how long the project will take. i decided to go all out for my unit.. you could simply crack it open remove all wires accept a yellow, red and black. put a load between the GND and 5V rail with a 10 ohm 10watt resister drill 4 holes in the front 1 for GND terminal, 5v terminal, 12 terminal and switch. pop those in. solder them together and have your unit there... but I'm going in depth on how to make a full out convert from one to another
my first step was to change the front of the unit to not have all the holes so i have room to put all my hookups and knobs/switches etc
being I'm removing vents from the front i don't want this thing to overheat so i had to put a new vent on the side. for all my cutting i used a dremel. remember safety! safty glasses/goggles are a must!
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_chasesnewvent.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=chasesnewvent.jpg)
and the front gets a face lift... MUHAHAHA!
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_frountcutout.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=frountcutout.jpg)
now that that is done. i need to find a nice flat peace to use. another panel from another PSU will do just fine! or if you have any peace of metal that will fit. use that. cut to shape like so
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_newfrountmade.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=newfrountmade.jpg)
also the new vent port will need a grill so no critters or family will get a shock of there life.
i also salvaged this off another PSU
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_grillforvent.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=grillforvent.jpg)
after taping screw holes for the new front bezel and putting your screws in. your just a few holes from having a REALLY nice looking bench top PSU box!
Cleaning the board_
ok. before any wiring. you may notice one HECK of a wad of wires and connectors and... a huge mess of ... yea... lets clean this up
what i did was took my soldering iron and turned it to 11. (max) and heated the solder to all the connectors i didn't need... all but1 red 1 yellow 1 black, (for ITX boards you will probably want to put the resister right on the board. in most cases the GND and 5V are pretty close. just make sure your leads don't touch anything else, also you will need the green wire to be shorted with the ground so that the unit will stay on. unless you want a hibernation mode and you can wire a switch up to this after all that cleanup its looking much neater and roomier. make shore there is no shorts. solder bridges and such. those can do some nasty things. when its done it might look something like this. (this is a ITX board so that blue is NOT needing to be grounded. i tested with my DMM and its acculy the -5v line. so i later removed that. also the Orange was the -12v line. that was also removed. normally orange on a ATX PSU is 3.3v you will want to check this before using it)
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_Thinoutwires.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=Thinoutwires.jpg)
LEDs_
ok. time to set that aside for now. and do some wiring for this unit i will have 2 LEDs 1 green and 1 red. the green will indicate its on standby mode (powered up but all terminals are dead) for the standby its very simple you wire it directly to your GND and 3.3v line. problem solved! or if your using a ITX PSU and don't have a 3.3v line you will have to use the 5v and a ~150 ohm resister. for the other LED it will be triggered by the DPST switch that i will be mounting for the "Live" switch which basically makes the terminals hot. for this LED the GND is hooked normally to the GND and the red + volt will be hooked up to the 3.3v or 5v line after switch so that it will be turned on when the switch is thrown. If your using the 5v, agan you will need a ~150 ohm resister. now you can tell when your setup is live!
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_LEDlightup.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=LEDlightup.jpg)
AC switch_
if you used the type of rocker that was on the back of the PSU or a switch that must be installed on the bezel before soldering/wiring up can be done. that needs to be done now. again dremeling is required here
at this point the AC might be hooked up to the board (ATX PSU) or already is hooked up to a switch (ITX PSU) if it is ITX you can simply put a hole in your front bezel and plop the switch right there. or if you don't like the switch and want something fancier simply heat up the solder and pull the wires off and plop on a switch of your choice. (member this is the AC 120v line. be shore to use a switch rated for this)
if your using a ATX unit you will need to snip only 1 of the wires running from the plug to the board. if the wires are a little short simply put on a few inches of wire to give you more play. 1 wire will go on one terminal of the switch and the other on the other. if your dealing with a switch with more then 2 posts make shore at least 1 is in the middle. and leave 1 untouched for now. the fuse will be between this post and the other also for less risk of shock and shorts its best to use shrink tubing for all your wire connections.
Fuse_
pretty simple put a wire on that switch post to one of the posts on the fuse holder and solder the remaining wire from the board or plug for AC it doesn't matter which is which its a alternating current just as long as you don't short them your fine
after this you can make a hole in the bezel for your fuse holder and latch that in
remember this is the AC line so if something is hooked up wrong it could throw a spark and throw a breaker so make shore no lines are touching. this is why shrink tube is nice. it's not messy and chance of shorts is almost completely eliminated if done right
DC switch_
this will be the "live" switch. it has to be one with 6 posts for both voltage rails. or if your going with 5v 12v and 3.3v you will ether need an additional switch for the remaining rail or have switches for each one individually.
for this switch i was able to solder on leads before putting it in the bezel so i did so. on this switch you want whatever rails your wiring up to be horizontal to one another holding the switch so that it is 3 posts high and 2 wide. you will want 1 rail on one side and 1 rail on the other
the leads from the board will go to the center posts. for mine i did 5v on left and 12v on the right. once your board is wired up to this switch. if you plan on not wanting a POT for making the voltage variable. you can wire them directly up to the posts at this point. and remember to correctly lable each post the correct voltage so no accidents will happen... hooking a lux K2 up to a 12v line could be reeeeal nasty
at this point its looking rather nice. almost like a bench top unit already. just missing the terminals! :D
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_powerswitchs.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=powerswitchs.jpg)
at this point im gonna do some more chases work. im going to make the holes for the terminals and POT
my unit will have a unaltered 5v line unaltered 12v line ground and variable 12v line so ill also need a hole for the POT thats 5 holes.. time to get drilling away!
after all that. its looking alright... i accidentally drilled the holes too big.... woops
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_termanalholescut.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=termanalholescut.jpg)
i had to use some custom washers for mine. i couldn't find any the right size.. a quick trip to the grinder fixed that...
Wiring up the Potentiometer_
ok. this can be tricky if you don't know how they work. these are like switches putting wires on the ends and none in the middle. it won't work. you NEED 1 in the middle.... *laugh* the wire from the 12v line goes to the middle one. and from the post you will need to figure with your DMM which post is lowest in resistance (ohms) when the switch is turned to the max setting. this is the post you will want to use. soldering your stubby wire on there!
WARNING! most Potentiometers are not rated for high wattage/amperage the one i got only had a wattage rating of .5! that's less then a lux/P4 LED! keep this in mind! use for LOW wattage/amperage devices unless you have a high power-POT (already blew mine playing with a RC motor)
Wiring up the Posts_
extremely easy. wire your GND to GND. 12v to unaltered 12v. 5v to unaltered 5v wire from your POT to the variable 12v line and its as simple as that. again you will want to look over the wiring to ensure there is no shorts or possible shorts when wires are moved about
so far this is the PSU. (note that mine is missing 2 posts.. its because the other pack i got that had 2 red posts are different. so im going to have to return that tomorrow and get more of the ones i got)
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_termanalsputin.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=termanalsputin.jpg)
OPTIONAL-DMM INTEGRATION--
you will need a DMM for this obveusly. and a set of leads you don't mind cutting up. you will want to cut and strip the ends with the points. and put them on the posts inside. red to red- black to black. simple. and the other ends will need to find a way to the DMM. depending on where you put your DMM. i made a metal holder for mine
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_DMMholder.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=DMMholder.jpg)
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_DMMholder2.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=DMMholder2.jpg)
from some scrap PSU casing and drilled a couple of holes to mount it on the right side. so ill need to drill a hole big enugh to fit both of the lead wires in. you will also need to find some way to prevent the leads from getting cut on the sharp edge. putting some hot glue around them to hold them firmly will do fine. also you will want enough to be able to pug the ends into your DMM. after you do this. simply mount your DMM holder to the side. and no other mods is needed! the DMM (if wired up correctly) can read voltage! also a cool thing is. you can turn the live switch to (off mode) and you can set the DMM to resisters and measure resisters on your posts! (probably will need to calculate in 10 ohms if you have an ATX setup with the resister built in)
REMINDER_
this unit was made from a COMPUTER POWER SUPPLY. and will not have the accuracy as a lab unit. so things that .1v can mean the difference in frying or not working this is not recommended! this is just a cheap alternative for basic electronic uses. also the DMM is a cheapo so its readings are not going to be super accurate. depending on procedures taken the unit could be a fire hazard! im not liable for anything that happens with your unit. remember this was at your OWN RISK! and also this product does not meat FCC standards and should not be resold or distributed without contacting the FCC to get the product to meat FCC standards. does not contain CFCs (that I'm aware of) contains substance known to the state of California to cause cancer. not for children under 16 years of age. IS NOT A TOY! batteries not included. (unless your DMM came with one)
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/compleate.jpg
this tutorial will be my first. so if there's something messed up or not right please inform me via PM and i will correct it. this tutorial will show how you can turn a ITX or ATX computer PSU into a bench top or lab type PSU for doing electronic work. if you happen to have a PSU laying around this will be considerably cheap. if already know me.. you know im cheap ^^.
SAFETY!________TRY THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK__________________________
remember your dealing with something that uses electrical risk of electrical shock is there. so use regular safety procedures like making sure the thing is unplugged and capacitors are drained before probing and tinkering with it! also if you are using any power tools eye protection is a must! my glasses have saved me many times!
WHAT YOU WILL NEED.__________________________________
a computer PSU (duh) free - $15 for the cheaper ones
terminal hookups, $2.99 - $3.99 there are 2 sizes
toggle switch. (2 if you want to be able to toggle standby and main power separately) $2.99
fuse holder, $2.99
fuse. (im using 5A) 4 pack $1.99
10k pot $3.49
Digital multi meter (for the fancier units) $3.99
10 ohm 10 watt resister (for the ATX build)
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_PSUparts.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=PSUparts.jpg)
TOOS: Screwdriver, drill or Dremel/rotary cutting tool, soldering iron heat shrink, lighter or heat gun basic safety equipment safety glasses fire extinguisher in case things go RELAY wrong wire strippers and other tools you may find to be useful for this build.
TESTING YOUR UNIT__________________________________
step 1 Test the PSU unit to make sure it works. with ITX its pretty simply. pug it in. hit the hard wired button that's on it. ATX is a little trickier
easier done if its still in a computer. keep it plugged into the motherboard and hit the power switch on the machine. without a computer it can also be done very easily. you will need a 10 ohm 10 watt resister for this tho. and also will need for the PSU build itself simply short any RED and BLACK (this is putting a load on the 5v rail) so the power supply won't turn itself off. its a type of safety thing with the power supply so it wont fry the board. and also another step that will need to be done is taking what is usually the green wire
if there is no green wire check the penout image. and short that wire with the ground. if you want a standby switch this is where it would go. but when it comes to building after those are done by simply plugging in the unit it should power up. if it doesn't. then most likely the unit is dead. If your unit does power up. i suggest taking your DMM (digital mutli meter) and checking your voltage on the YELLOW (12v), RED (5v) and ORANGE (3.3v) lines to make sure they are the right voltage. if it passes you have your subject!
THE PSU DIAGRAM
http://www.helpwithpcs.com/courses/power-supply/atx-psu-pinouts.gif
THE BUILD______________________________
Case_
depending on how well you want the finished product to look and work. will determine how long the project will take. i decided to go all out for my unit.. you could simply crack it open remove all wires accept a yellow, red and black. put a load between the GND and 5V rail with a 10 ohm 10watt resister drill 4 holes in the front 1 for GND terminal, 5v terminal, 12 terminal and switch. pop those in. solder them together and have your unit there... but I'm going in depth on how to make a full out convert from one to another
my first step was to change the front of the unit to not have all the holes so i have room to put all my hookups and knobs/switches etc
being I'm removing vents from the front i don't want this thing to overheat so i had to put a new vent on the side. for all my cutting i used a dremel. remember safety! safty glasses/goggles are a must!
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_chasesnewvent.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=chasesnewvent.jpg)
and the front gets a face lift... MUHAHAHA!
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_frountcutout.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=frountcutout.jpg)
now that that is done. i need to find a nice flat peace to use. another panel from another PSU will do just fine! or if you have any peace of metal that will fit. use that. cut to shape like so
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_newfrountmade.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=newfrountmade.jpg)
also the new vent port will need a grill so no critters or family will get a shock of there life.
i also salvaged this off another PSU
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_grillforvent.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=grillforvent.jpg)
after taping screw holes for the new front bezel and putting your screws in. your just a few holes from having a REALLY nice looking bench top PSU box!
Cleaning the board_
ok. before any wiring. you may notice one HECK of a wad of wires and connectors and... a huge mess of ... yea... lets clean this up
what i did was took my soldering iron and turned it to 11. (max) and heated the solder to all the connectors i didn't need... all but1 red 1 yellow 1 black, (for ITX boards you will probably want to put the resister right on the board. in most cases the GND and 5V are pretty close. just make sure your leads don't touch anything else, also you will need the green wire to be shorted with the ground so that the unit will stay on. unless you want a hibernation mode and you can wire a switch up to this after all that cleanup its looking much neater and roomier. make shore there is no shorts. solder bridges and such. those can do some nasty things. when its done it might look something like this. (this is a ITX board so that blue is NOT needing to be grounded. i tested with my DMM and its acculy the -5v line. so i later removed that. also the Orange was the -12v line. that was also removed. normally orange on a ATX PSU is 3.3v you will want to check this before using it)
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_Thinoutwires.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=Thinoutwires.jpg)
LEDs_
ok. time to set that aside for now. and do some wiring for this unit i will have 2 LEDs 1 green and 1 red. the green will indicate its on standby mode (powered up but all terminals are dead) for the standby its very simple you wire it directly to your GND and 3.3v line. problem solved! or if your using a ITX PSU and don't have a 3.3v line you will have to use the 5v and a ~150 ohm resister. for the other LED it will be triggered by the DPST switch that i will be mounting for the "Live" switch which basically makes the terminals hot. for this LED the GND is hooked normally to the GND and the red + volt will be hooked up to the 3.3v or 5v line after switch so that it will be turned on when the switch is thrown. If your using the 5v, agan you will need a ~150 ohm resister. now you can tell when your setup is live!
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_LEDlightup.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=LEDlightup.jpg)
AC switch_
if you used the type of rocker that was on the back of the PSU or a switch that must be installed on the bezel before soldering/wiring up can be done. that needs to be done now. again dremeling is required here
at this point the AC might be hooked up to the board (ATX PSU) or already is hooked up to a switch (ITX PSU) if it is ITX you can simply put a hole in your front bezel and plop the switch right there. or if you don't like the switch and want something fancier simply heat up the solder and pull the wires off and plop on a switch of your choice. (member this is the AC 120v line. be shore to use a switch rated for this)
if your using a ATX unit you will need to snip only 1 of the wires running from the plug to the board. if the wires are a little short simply put on a few inches of wire to give you more play. 1 wire will go on one terminal of the switch and the other on the other. if your dealing with a switch with more then 2 posts make shore at least 1 is in the middle. and leave 1 untouched for now. the fuse will be between this post and the other also for less risk of shock and shorts its best to use shrink tubing for all your wire connections.
Fuse_
pretty simple put a wire on that switch post to one of the posts on the fuse holder and solder the remaining wire from the board or plug for AC it doesn't matter which is which its a alternating current just as long as you don't short them your fine
after this you can make a hole in the bezel for your fuse holder and latch that in
remember this is the AC line so if something is hooked up wrong it could throw a spark and throw a breaker so make shore no lines are touching. this is why shrink tube is nice. it's not messy and chance of shorts is almost completely eliminated if done right
DC switch_
this will be the "live" switch. it has to be one with 6 posts for both voltage rails. or if your going with 5v 12v and 3.3v you will ether need an additional switch for the remaining rail or have switches for each one individually.
for this switch i was able to solder on leads before putting it in the bezel so i did so. on this switch you want whatever rails your wiring up to be horizontal to one another holding the switch so that it is 3 posts high and 2 wide. you will want 1 rail on one side and 1 rail on the other
the leads from the board will go to the center posts. for mine i did 5v on left and 12v on the right. once your board is wired up to this switch. if you plan on not wanting a POT for making the voltage variable. you can wire them directly up to the posts at this point. and remember to correctly lable each post the correct voltage so no accidents will happen... hooking a lux K2 up to a 12v line could be reeeeal nasty
at this point its looking rather nice. almost like a bench top unit already. just missing the terminals! :D
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_powerswitchs.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=powerswitchs.jpg)
at this point im gonna do some more chases work. im going to make the holes for the terminals and POT
my unit will have a unaltered 5v line unaltered 12v line ground and variable 12v line so ill also need a hole for the POT thats 5 holes.. time to get drilling away!
after all that. its looking alright... i accidentally drilled the holes too big.... woops
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_termanalholescut.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=termanalholescut.jpg)
i had to use some custom washers for mine. i couldn't find any the right size.. a quick trip to the grinder fixed that...
Wiring up the Potentiometer_
ok. this can be tricky if you don't know how they work. these are like switches putting wires on the ends and none in the middle. it won't work. you NEED 1 in the middle.... *laugh* the wire from the 12v line goes to the middle one. and from the post you will need to figure with your DMM which post is lowest in resistance (ohms) when the switch is turned to the max setting. this is the post you will want to use. soldering your stubby wire on there!
WARNING! most Potentiometers are not rated for high wattage/amperage the one i got only had a wattage rating of .5! that's less then a lux/P4 LED! keep this in mind! use for LOW wattage/amperage devices unless you have a high power-POT (already blew mine playing with a RC motor)
Wiring up the Posts_
extremely easy. wire your GND to GND. 12v to unaltered 12v. 5v to unaltered 5v wire from your POT to the variable 12v line and its as simple as that. again you will want to look over the wiring to ensure there is no shorts or possible shorts when wires are moved about
so far this is the PSU. (note that mine is missing 2 posts.. its because the other pack i got that had 2 red posts are different. so im going to have to return that tomorrow and get more of the ones i got)
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_termanalsputin.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=termanalsputin.jpg)
OPTIONAL-DMM INTEGRATION--
you will need a DMM for this obveusly. and a set of leads you don't mind cutting up. you will want to cut and strip the ends with the points. and put them on the posts inside. red to red- black to black. simple. and the other ends will need to find a way to the DMM. depending on where you put your DMM. i made a metal holder for mine
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_DMMholder.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=DMMholder.jpg)
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/th_DMMholder2.jpg (http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/?action=view¤t=DMMholder2.jpg)
from some scrap PSU casing and drilled a couple of holes to mount it on the right side. so ill need to drill a hole big enugh to fit both of the lead wires in. you will also need to find some way to prevent the leads from getting cut on the sharp edge. putting some hot glue around them to hold them firmly will do fine. also you will want enough to be able to pug the ends into your DMM. after you do this. simply mount your DMM holder to the side. and no other mods is needed! the DMM (if wired up correctly) can read voltage! also a cool thing is. you can turn the live switch to (off mode) and you can set the DMM to resisters and measure resisters on your posts! (probably will need to calculate in 10 ohms if you have an ATX setup with the resister built in)
REMINDER_
this unit was made from a COMPUTER POWER SUPPLY. and will not have the accuracy as a lab unit. so things that .1v can mean the difference in frying or not working this is not recommended! this is just a cheap alternative for basic electronic uses. also the DMM is a cheapo so its readings are not going to be super accurate. depending on procedures taken the unit could be a fire hazard! im not liable for anything that happens with your unit. remember this was at your OWN RISK! and also this product does not meat FCC standards and should not be resold or distributed without contacting the FCC to get the product to meat FCC standards. does not contain CFCs (that I'm aware of) contains substance known to the state of California to cause cancer. not for children under 16 years of age. IS NOT A TOY! batteries not included. (unless your DMM came with one)
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p2/danz409/lightsaber%20project/PSU%20build/compleate.jpg