New Project: Antec Truepower 650 Trio

[eccerr0r]

A friend ended up giving his bad PSU to me, the Antec Truepower 650 Trio.

Let me tell you, I hate these PSUs that use SMT (hate SMT in general, makes it hard to replace devices). I hate these PSUs that use these riser cards that tries to pack more devices in the same amount of space too...

Well, it looks like this PSU the 5VSB is working but will only blip the normal rails when power is attempted to be turned on. Suspecting a fault condition... I was looking for the TPS3510 or similar chip as a place to start debug but...OUCH it's probably on a riser board... OUCH it's a SMT riser board... GRRR!!!

This also looks like a primary side control switcher like the UC384x but the controller is on a riser card too Can't tell what controller it uses other than it's 14 or 16 pins...

I guess this might be relegated into the spare parts pile, though it may be a PSU worth repairing and using as a spare...

Looks like most of the caps in this are OST branded, the main filter cap (Active PFC) is a Rubycon oddly enough. I'm not sure why they made the choice this way...since the smaller caps are under higher stress, wouldn't it make sense for them to be the quality devices? World may never know...

[tom66]

Re: New Project: Antec Truepower 650 Trio

SMD is easier than through hole.

I hear screeches of horror when I say this usually, but it really is.

You can't block through holes, it's nearly impossible to rip pads off (if you're careful), and you can't make cold solder joints.

[eccerr0r]

Re: New Project: Antec Truepower 650 Trio

Not when the riser board is right next to another device (heatsink or capacitor). I can't probe the board in-situ while powered up, or at least it makes it much easier to do probe slips and getting electrocuted...

The surface mount riser board is even apparently coverred in plastic on both sides or something, can't even see components/traces but it has to be SMT because it's too flat to be through-hole. Argh.

[tom66]

Re: New Project: Antec Truepower 650 Trio

In which case you have to pull it, but I don't see how it being through hole would make that easier.

I too don't like riser boards, but whacha gonna do. ATX power supply size is too small. For anything more than 300W nowadays it's a magic art to get it all in there, and with air flow to boot. If the ATX power supply were ~50% longer I'll bet we'd seen improved reliability (greater cooling), lower output ripple (bigger output capacitance or lower ESR possible), and possibly more efficient designs. With less riser boards.

[eccerr0r]

Re: New Project: Antec Truepower 650 Trio

That is true but at least through hole it's big enough to slip on a hook probe onto the riser board; a SMT riser it's pretty much physically probe it (and hope for no slippage) or leave it.

I have seen some 200W PSUs with riser boards too... Ouch.

I have to hold on and keep repairing my Antec SP300, I think it's the largest PSU I own with no risers and no SMT... The SP400 and SL350 I have, at least have no risers but they do have some limited SMT...

[eccerr0r]

Re: New Project: Antec Truepower 650 Trio

Welp, I desoldered the riser boards and they are:
CM6800 - the controller for the PSU and APFC (through-hole on riser board #1)
HY-510N - the supervisor chip (SMT on riser board #2)

Now need to see if I can figure out what the pins on the riser board are compared to the chips on board...then I can solder this back in and debug using the pins on the main board instead of finding a way to tap off the riser when the ICs are facing a capacitor (CM6800) or heatsink (HY-510N)...

[smason]

Re: New Project: Antec Truepower 650 Trio

SMD is easier than through hole.

Agreed *



* except those really really friggin tiny passives, and trying to probe one pin on a very fine-pitched IC

[eccerr0r]

Re: New Project: Antec Truepower 650 Trio

That exactly is the problem, probing is a pain. You can get clips for through-hole but they're much more rare for SMT- usually end up having to hold the probe and hope that it doesn't slip before you look at the meter or scope...

I do need to get myself a hot air rework station for SMT, that would make SMT work easier at least after I find the problem...