Turning a server PSU into an everyday/benching PSU (worklog)

16-12-2007, 10:31 PM #1 (**permalink**)

Ok so a few weeks ago i bought a DICE pot and this server PSU off dinos, but up until now i haven't had a chance to do anything. So having a fairly free weekend, i decide to open her up and see if there is anything cool i can do.

Looking at the overall PSU rating, it looks like a fairly decent PSU

Which contains 3 of these modules

Holy schnizzle!!
Each one does 25A on the 12v rail!!!

That means 3 of these can technically output 900W altogether just on the 12v rail

Since it didnt have any pci-e power cables, it meant that i would have to attach some to it (since those molex-pcie converters are dodgy

)

So i picked up a dead Shaw 600W and an antec 380w PSU from work to scab connectors off.
The pci-e wires on the shaw were tiny as! I somehow didnt think they would be enough, so i attached thicker wire to them:

I also desoldered all the wired that were not connected to the 24 pin ATX connector (cause i couldn't be bothered rewiring that

)

Then i attached much thicker wire to the empty holes

Im planning on making an external breakout box where all the other cables are either soldered to or plugged into (havent decided yet lol)
More to come

16-12-2007, 11:01 PM #2 (**permalink**)

sweet as dude,

cant wait for the finished product

16-12-2007, 11:49 PM #3 (**permalink**)

**** me man
what the heck is goingo on here

those 3 modules are configured for redundancy >> same sort of thing with RAID5 with 3 hard drives so basically you will only use 2xmodules and third one is live backup kinda thing

that PSU would never go below 12.4v lol no matter the load heh

17-12-2007, 12:07 AM #4 (**permalink**)

Originally Posted by dinos22

those 3 modules are configured for redundancy >> same sort of thing with RAID5 with 3 hard drives so basically you will only use 2xmodules and third one is live backup kinda thing

Oh yeah i didn't realise that

Ill see if i can hack it to operate them all 3 at once. Looking at the rails, they are all connected to each PSU, so the only difference would be in the controller board.

19-12-2007, 03:39 PM #5 (**permalink**)

Crap... I was showing a mate one of the delta fans in the PSU, and when i hooked it up,, POOF.

Turns out i forgot that most server fans rewire the 3 pin connector, so i ended up sending 12 volts through the RPM sensor

07-01-2008, 09:22 PM #6 (**permalink**)

So after putting this off for a while, i decide to keep going. First thing was to test the fans, to make sure that blowing up the RPM sensor wouldnt pwn the fan completely.
Both fans spin up ok, and i measure 0.05v or so across the RPM sensor pin and ground. At least the fan is still useable, even if the RPM signal doesnt work properly

Putting it together:

There were no shorts between any of the rails, but i was still pretty on edge when i turned on the PSU:

IT WORKS!!!

Well... not exactly as before... All the green lights at the bottom are on, instead of 2 (as far as i can remember) and the fans now spin full speed thanks to the broken RPM sensor

Next step will be to finish all the connectors and wire them up to a breakout box. Decided that going modular is a waste of time since this will probably never fit in a case

(More to come)

07-01-2008, 09:58 PM #7 (**permalink**)

that thing will make hipros psus look whimsy

08-01-2008, 12:51 AM #8 (**permalink**)

That PSU is epic =o
Whats the total power rating now?