Making a Lab Power Supply from a Computer ATX Power Supply, Part 1

I found a video on YouTube.com that explains how to alter an ATX power supply for use as a Lab Power Supply. Sounded like an opportunity to use that old computer for something other than a dust magnet!

Search YouTube.com

Conversion Video

Anyway, I found the one that talks about how to perform the "surgery" using a How to convert an ATX Power Supply manual from WikiHow.com.

Part 1 - Removing the power supply

Here's the dust magnet! a Compaq that I used while I was working in Turkey. It has a 250 Watt power supply and it's about to have a heart deplant.


There's the power supply. No switch. Big deal. Yer mine anyway.
I'd hoped for a pic of the specs, but it washed out too bad. Oh well.


There's where the power supply connects to the motherboard, and look! Ferrite cores. Must make a note to remove them as well.


All these red/black/black/yellow connectors have to be disconnected as well.


Another angle of the connectors.


A closeup of the motherboard connector and the peripheral connectors all wadded up in my grubby mitt.


Now to loosen it up using a No. 1 Phillips screw driver and rip it out.


And there's the plunder, one 250 watt power supply, a fan, and a micro switch with two diodes still in the plastic mounting bracket. The ferrite donuts will come out later when I think of them.

Lab Projects Articles

Next: Converting an ATX Power Supply to a Lab Power Supply, Part 2
Previous: Setting Up the WorkBench