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8V/15AfromaPCPowerSupply

ManythankstoPeterVK2BFQfortheexcellentrevisionofthefollowingtext

13.8V/15AfromaPCPowerSupply
SafetyInstructions
Cautionmortaldanger:Thefollowingcircuitoperatesatamainsvoltageof230Vac.Becauseof
rectificationsomeofthecomponentsconductdcvoltage,ofmorethan322V.Workhastobecarried
outonlywhenthecircuitisdisconnectedfromthemains,anddeenergized.Notethatcapacitors
locatedontheprimaryside,canbechargedwithhighvoltageforseveralseconds.Evenafterswitching
offthemainsvoltage.

Themajordisadvantagesofusuallinearpowersuppliesarehighpowerdissipation,thesize,andthe
appropriatedweight.Whenlookingforanalternativesolution,Idecidedtouseaswitchmodepower
supply(SMPS).Theefficiencyofsuchpowersuppliesisaround70%to90%atapowerdensityof
0.2W/cm.Becausehomebrewingwasoutofthequestionduetolackoftime,Itriedthemodification
ofaPCswitchmodepowersupply.Thelatteraremassproducedgoods,andavailableforlessthan
50DM.

Fig.1:Blockdiagramofaprimaryswitchingpowersupply

BriefdescriptionofPCSMPSFeatures

DependingonthePCmodel,theseareratedanywherebetween150and300W.Forsupplyingsocket
7mainboardstheyhavefourdifferentoutputvoltagesof+5V,+12V,12Vand5V.Theyaremainly
primaryswitchingpowersupplieswithpowerswitchesarrangedinahalfbridgeconfiguration.The
outputscandrivetheusual20A(+5V),8A(+12V)and0.5A(12V,5V).Atapprox.205Woutput
powerandatypicalefficiencyof75%thismeansadissipationofonly68W.Ihadacquiredan
unbrandedPCpowersupply,measuring140Wx100Dx50Hmm,andweighing350g.Mostpower
supplyunitsaredesignedaccordingtothesameprinciple(halfbridgeconfiguration),andhencethe
followingdescribedmodificationshouldbeapplicablealso,topowersuppliesfromother
manufacturers.

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Fig.2:Halfbridgeconfigurationofpowerswitches

Regulation

After switching on the mains voltage the circuit operates for a short duration as a freerunning
oscillator.ThisbehavioriscausedbyafeedbackwindingattheoutputtransformerT2.Assoonasthe
auxiliary voltage Uaux is present, the pulse width modulator IC, TL494CN from TexasInstruments
takesoverthecontrolfunction,andsynchronizesthe"oscillator".
The error amplifier in the TL494 compares the voltage at the +5 V output (actual value), with a
referencevoltage(setvalue).ItcalculatestheanaloguecontrolvariableaccordingtothePIalgorithm,
andadjuststhepulsewidthmodulator(seeFig.6).Themodulatorsendsalternatepulsestothedriver
transistors Q5 and Q6. The pulse duration is inversely proportional to the variable control setting.
Increasedloadingonthe+5Voutput,makesforwiderpulses.Lighterloadingcausesnarrowerpulses.
As there is a finite minimum pulse width, a minimum load of 0.1 A is required. Without this load the
power supply may be destroyed. The switching frequency is approximately 33 kHz. fairly normal for
PCpowersupplies.Itisdefinedbyaresistor,andacapacitorlocatedatpin5and6ofIC1.

Fig.3:Primarysidemainsfilter,rectifier,powerswitchesanddrivers

MonitoringCircuit

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Severalprotectioncircuitsareincludedintheoriginalpowersupply.Excessiveprimarycurrentdueto
averyhighsecondarycurrent,leadstoahighalternatingvoltageattheT3output.Ifthisvoltageis
aboveafixedthreshold,theTL494stopscyclicallygeneratingpulses,andchangestotheintermittent
mode(on/off).Thecircuitandtheloadareprotectedlikewiseagainstovervoltageatthe+5Voutput,
orshortcircuitatthe12Vand5Voutputs.SwitchingoffisexecutedviaHsignaltotheIC1
protectioninput(pin4)aswell.
IfyouseeaKA7500orIR3MO2PWMregulatorIContheboard,eachoneisapincompatiblesecond
sourcetotheTL494CN.IC3isaLM339dualcomparatortype.Somepowersuppliesarenotequipped
withthisIC,butinstead,withadiscreettwotransistormonitoringcircuit,offeringthesamefunctionality.

ModstotheSecondaryRectification

The intent is for all of the available power at the 12 V secondary of T1 to be rectified, regulated,
protected,andfilteredtoprovideasingleoutputof13.8VDCat205W,ormore,ifpossible.Afirst
checkindicatedthatthe+12Vwirewasofthesamediameterasthe+5Vwire.
First unsolder, and remove all components on the secondary side of T1, which are provided for
rectification, filtering, and regulation of the four output voltages. On that part of the board, there are
onlythreeremainingcomponents.RC1toRC3,andthecomponentsforprovidingtheauxiliarypower
supplyUaux.

Fig.4:SecondaryrectificationasfoundintheoriginalPCpowersupply

Reconstructionofthesecondaryside.

BreakthePCBtracksbetweentheRCmembersRC1/RC2andboth5V
tapsoftheT1secondarywinding.
ModifyL4for12Vat20A.RemovewindingsL4a,L4bandL4cfromthe
toroid(countingturnsofL4c).RewindthetoroidL4*withasinglewinding,
turncountasoldL4cbutwith2.5timesthethickness.Taketwowireswith
1mmdiametereach,bifilarwounded.
InstalltwolowESRelectrolyticcapacitorsof2200uFeachandthe100
Ohmbleederresistoraspermanentload.
UsetheoldPCBtracksfromthe+5VsectionandGNDtracksas
terminalsforL4*.The100Ohmresistorandthetwo2200uFcapacitors.
InsertL4*atthesameplace,ontothePCBcomponentsidewherethe
L4bwindingwasconnectedbefore.
TheoriginalcoolingoftherectifierdiodeD5isinsufficient.Adequate
coolingisachievedbyafinnedheatsinkmeasuring70x50x30mm(W,
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D,H)insteadoftheoldaluminiumsheetmetal.
FastenD5totheheatsinkandextendthethreeleadsby40mmlong
wires.Useisolationmaterialandthermalcompound.D5carriesonsome
boardstheabbreviationSKD.
Placethefinnedheatsinkapprox.40mmabovethe"stripped"secondary
(seephoto)withplasticspacersandlongM3screws(avoidshortcircuitto
common).
ConnecttheanodeleadsofD5aandD5bwithoneRCmemberRC1/
RC2each.ThecathodeshavetobeconnectedtothenodalpointofRC1,
RC2andL4.
Establishtwolinksbetweenthe12VterminalsofT1andtheRC
membersbytwothickwires.D5willbefedfromthe12Vwinding.

Asimpleandclearstructureofthesecondaryrectificationwasachievedafter"stripping"and
"reconstruction".

Fig.5:NewdesignedsecondaryforUa=13,8V

ModstotheRegulationandProtectionCircuit

Thepartofthecircuitresponsibleforregulationandmonitoringhastobemodifiedatthreeplaces.
ArrangeadditionalcomponentsfreestandingonthecomponentsideofthePCB.

R24*iscalculatedfor13.8Voutputvoltage.Thevoltageatthe(+)inputof
theerroramplifiermustbeequalto2.5Vaftercontrolloopstabilization,
i.e.halfthe5Vreferencevoltagewhentheoutputisat13.8V.

R24*=20kOhm=2x10kOhminseries
Arrangeaseconduniversaldiode1N4148anda8,2VZenerdiodein
seriestoD16.

Usum=8,2V+2x0,7V=9,6V
Simplifythevoltagedivider(R36,R42,R45andD14)intheshortcircuit
protectioncircuit.ForthisremoveR36andD14.Connectthefreeendof
R42tocommon(GND)andreplaceR45withoneofhighervalueto
ensurenoshutdownatnormaloperation.ThevoltageacrossR42must
belessthan1,7V(Ichose1,2V).

R45*=15kOhm

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Theareasmarkedwithdottedframes,showthemodifiedoradditionalcomponentsthatarenecessary
for13.8Voutput.

Fig.6:Regulationandprotectioncircuitsincl.allmodifications

FurtherModifications

Aftercommissioningthemodifiedboard,thesituationinregardstointerferencelooksverybad.The
wholereceptionrangefrom3.5MHzto30MHzwasdisturbedbyharmonicsofthe33kHzswitching
frequency.SmeterreadingsshowedS5on80mdowntoS2on10m.AsIwastestingtheboardina
metalbox,theHFradiationcouldonlygetoutonthemainscableand/orDCoutputleads.The
insertionofanadditionalstandard230VACmainsfilter,andahomebrewedpifilterintheoutput
renderedtheinterferenceinaudible.

Insertanadditional230V/2Amainsfiltertotheprimaryside,closetothe
placewherethemainscableenterstheenclosurerearwall.
Inserta20ApifiltertotheDCoutput,behindthe+/DCterminalsatthe
rearwall.
Thepowersupplyenclosuremustabsolutelyconsistofironsheetmetalto
screenmagneticfields.Aluminumplatesprotectonlyagainstelectrical
fields.
Optionalontheprimary:Replacethe220uFsmoothingcapacitorsC1
andC2by470uFcapacitors.Thisreducesprimaryripple,whichhelps
outputregulationatfullload.

TestingthePowerSupply
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Phase1:ThesetestshavetobecarriedoutatalowDCsupplyvoltageinordertoavoidcomponent
destructionincaseofpossibleerrors.The13.8Voutputisloadedwitha12V/50Wcarheadlight
globe,anda15V/1AlabpowersupplyisconnectedtoGND,andUaux.TheTL494ICgenerates
controlpulses,withamaximumpulseduration.CheckthesignalsatQ5andQ6.

Phase2:Duringthesecondtestphase,thegalvanicisolatedprimarysideofthecircuitissuppliedby
the lab supply also. For this purpose make a short cable link between Uaux and U+ as well as
between GND and U. The PWM controller tries to offer 13.8 V at the output at maximum pulse
duration. The latter cannot be successful, due to the low 15 Vdc input voltage, and the present
transformer ratio. With an oscilloscope, measured signals at the measuring points TP1 (emitter Q1
againstemitterQ2)andTP2(cathodeD5againstGND)mustlooklikethat,showninfigure7.

Fig.7:SignalshapeatTP1andTP2

Phase3:Nordisconnectthelabsupplyfromtheprimarysideonly.Insteadconnecta48V/1Amains
transformertotheL1andNterminalinordertofeedtheboardwithagalvanicisolatedAcvoltage.60
VdcatC1andC2isinEuropedefinedasanondangerousvoltagerate.48VACattheinputcausesa
riseoftheoutputvoltageupto+6V.

Ifeverythingisallrightuptonow,onecanproceedwiththeexcitingtestat230Vac.Thelaboratory
powersupply,the48Vtransformer,themeasuringinstrumentsandallprovisionalcablelinksattached
forthetestetc.mustobviouslyberemoved.Thecarlamp,isfurtherneededasaload,andforthe
functionalchecks.Ifafterapplicationofthe230Vacmainsvoltage,thelampslightupbrightly,the
outputvoltageamountsto13.8V,andnoundefinednoises,orsmellsarenoticeable,youhavewon
thefirstround.Ifanonrecognisableerrorhaspassedthepretesting,thetwoswitchingtransistors,
andcoppertrackssaygoodbye,withamoreorlessloudbang.

Forthefollowingloadtest,somehighpowerresistorswith1Ohmresistance,andsufficentpower
ratingarerequired.Thecurrentflowingwiththisloadshouldnotcauseexcessiveheatingofthe
rectifierdiode,andtheswitchingtransistorsduringa5minutetestperiod.

Warning:Checktemperatureofcomponentsonlyifthemainsvoltageisswitchedoff

CoolingoftheswitchingtransistorsQ1andQ2atacontinuouscurrentof15Ahastobeprovedin
anycase.Whenexchangingthesmallheatsinks,notethattheyformanelectricalconnectionbetween
coppertracksonsomeboards.Replacethemissingconnectionbywirelinks.Asonecanseeonthe
photo,Ididnottakethismeasure,forfurtherpowerimprovement.

OperationExperience
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The modified board was permanently installed in the SP120 speaker cabinet that matches my
transceiver.Themainsleadexitfromitsrear,whichalsocarriestheDCterminals,anonoffswitch,the
additionalmainsfilterandasmall12Vblower.AgreenLEDpoweronindicatorwasinsertedinthe
frontpanelintoa5mmhole.Ihadinstalledthesmallblowerjustincase,butfounditsuperfluous.At
the low duty cycle of CW and SSB, none of the components are getting hot. The power supply has
beeninuseforseveralyears,andhasgivennoproblems.

Fig.8:ModifiedpowersupplyboardintheSP120speakercabinet

Backtothemenu

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