Converting Pc Power Supply To Bench Power Supply

Converting an atx power supply into a dc bench supply this article is the first in the projects category.

Converting pc power supply to bench power supply.

The standard computer power supply unit psu turns the incoming 110v or 220vac alternating current into various dc direct current output voltages suitable for powering the computer s internal components and with a little bit of imagination it is possible to convert atx psu to a bench power supply. Prices today for a lab power supply well exceed 180. Convert a computer power supply to a variable bench top lab power supply. While a commercial bench power supply is certainly a worthwhile investment there is a cheaper solution that you might want to consider.

There are already a lot of tutorials online that show how to convert an old computer power supply into a bench power supply but most of these designs require you to permanently modify it. First a bit of background on a typical atx power supply. With these costing you only 25 and having short circuit protection thermal protection overload protection and. Adapt an old computer power supply to use on your workbench.

For instance a computer power supply can make a great bench power supply for your workshop. It s a very inexpensive way to make a pretty good dc bench supply or dedicated 12 volt supply for working on projects or powering devices. But it turns out a obsolete computer power supply is perfect for the job instead. Computer power supplies have all the voltages you ll need and some very impressive current capabilities.

By converting the cheap free atx power supplies that can be found in any discarded computer you can get a phenomenal lab power supply with huge current outputs short circuit protection and reasonably tight voltage regulation on the 5v line. Computer power supplies are switch mode power supplies smps which use high frequency switching circuit elements to provide a high quality output voltage with good energy efficiency one side effect of this technology is the minimum load requirement that each power supply has.