For those who love experiments: how to turn on the power supply without a computer? Electrical short circuit - what is it, causes and elimination What ends should be closed on the ATX blocks.

Damage to electrical wiring, although infrequent, does happen, and any owner in his house or apartment should be able to find the causes and location of the damage. This article was written to help you in this simple matter.

In it we will look at troubleshooting methods, the most likely damages and, of course, ways to eliminate them.

The reasons for a short circuit in electrical wiring are quite varied, but most of them are related to its improper operation and non-compliance with standards during installation.

We will list only the most common causes of damage:

The first and most common is aging wiring. Like everything in our world, wires do not last forever. They are susceptible to oxidation, which changes their physicochemical properties. At the same time, not only the wire material, but also the insulation is subject to aging. This is especially pronounced in aluminum wires.
The second, but no less important factor is wire overload. The reason for this may be either an incorrect choice of electrical wiring cross-section (see), or the connection of electrical equipment for which it is not intended. Due to overload, the wire overheats, which destroys its insulation and changes its physical and chemical properties.

Also, any instruction will tell you that incorrect connection of wires leads to their accelerated aging. After all, contact connections are the weak point of any electrical wiring, and they must be made in accordance with clause 2.1.21 of the PUE. This clause allows the use of only welding, soldering and screw or bolt clamping methods to connect wires.
Well, in last place in our article is human activity. Due to flooding, intentional or accidental damage to the wire insulation, or mechanical impact, a huge amount of damage occurs.

Finding the location of wiring damage

Finding the location of the damage will greatly facilitate the electrical wiring plan, if you have one. This will not only significantly reduce the search area, but will also eliminate unnecessary actions in an undamaged section of the power grid. But usually there is no such plan and you have to search in the hope of complying with generally accepted norms and rules.

Definition of damage

Before we begin searching for the location of the damage, we should determine the nature of the damage. We will consider damage to a single-phase 220V network, since this is what is used in most houses and apartments.

For a three-phase circuit, there can be significantly more damage options, and just determining the nature of the damage will require much more effort.

So:

To determine the nature of the damage, we will consider two main options. The socket doesn't work and the lighting doesn't work. For normal operation of these devices, it is necessary that a phase and neutral wire be connected to them. If they do not work, then one of the wires is not suitable and we need to determine which one.

To further determine the location and nature of the damage, we will need a two-pole voltage indicator. With its help, we check the presence of a phase in the socket. If there is a fault in the lighting network, then we check for the presence of a phase directly on the lamp or the connection point of the lampshade.

Note! When checking the presence of a phase at the connection point of the lampshade or chandelier, the lighting circuit breaker must be turned on. If the phase is present, then turn off the switch and make sure that it is gone. If the phase is still present, then the connection of your lighting network does not comply with the PUE standards. This will greatly complicate further DIY searches.

If the phase is present, then most likely we have a break in the neutral wire. This is much worse, because it is more difficult to determine. In order to accurately verify that the neutral wire is broken, you can use two options. Both of them can only be used with precautions and only by people with at least a knowledge of basic electrical engineering. Otherwise, it is better not to perform this check.

So:

Option number one. We find the zero contact on the nearest outlet. We connect a wire of sufficient length to this contact. We check for the presence of a circuit between this wire and the neutral contact of a non-working socket or lighting network.
Option two. In the distribution box of the damaged area, after removing the voltage, disconnect the phase wire of the damaged area. It should be insulated. In its place we connect the neutral wire of the damaged area. Apply voltage and check for the presence of phase on the contact, which was previously zero. The absence of a phase is sure evidence of a break. Having convinced ourselves of this, we restore the previous scheme.

Finding the location of damage during a break

Having determined the nature of the damage, you can begin directly searching for its location. In more than 50% of cases, the site of damage is one of the contact connections.

After all, this is the weakest point. Therefore, we begin the search by inspecting the contact connections of the socket, switch or lampshade.

Using this method, we will not only exclude one of the possible causes, but also significantly narrow down the search area. So, by checking the contact connections, you can say exactly in which area the zero or phase is lost.
Now comes the fun part - pinpointing the exact location of the damage. If you use an open wire laying method, then a simple visual inspection of the wire in this area will reveal the problem in 90% of cases. Otherwise, you can replace the entire wire.
If you have hidden wiring, then everything is a little more complicated. To search, you will need a wiring plan, at least an approximate one, and a special device for searching for damage. But the cost of such a device is quite high. Some suggest creating your own device to search for a damaged element. But personally, I use a much simpler method.
To do this, you will need a non-contact voltage indicator. The price of this device is not high, and in general it makes the work much easier. This indicator works from the influence of the electromagnetic field that exists around any live wire.
If the wire is not laid under a very thick layer of plaster, then a non-contact indicator is usually sufficient. When it is brought near a live wire, it begins to glow or make sounds, or both. You simply move the pointer along the line of possible wire laying until the indication disappears.
If the indication disappears, then at this point you check that you have not simply lost the wire or that it has not turned. If everything is correct, then this point is your place of damage.

Note! To avoid making a mistake, check that there is no outlet or switch in the adjacent room. Also, check everything a few more times before you start repairing the damage.

But, you say, what about the place where the neutral wire is damaged? Its indicator cannot be determined. Yes, it won't determine. Therefore, the neutral wire should be made phase, as we did when checking the integrity of the neutral wire.

Finding the location of damage during a short circuit

We will separately consider the question of how to find the location of damage during a short circuit. Indeed, with this damage, it is not possible to apply voltage to the damaged area.

When voltage is applied, the machine turns off or the plugs burn out:

In order to exclude a short circuit, we should get rid of it. A short circuit is a connection between uninsulated phase and neutral wires. To eliminate this, you should disable one of them.
To simplify further search, the neutral wire is usually disconnected. He is isolated and taken aside. After all, when you turn on the machine that supplies the damaged section of the network, it will be energized.

Note! While performing these operations, no electrical appliances should be powered from the sockets or lighting network of this group. All of them must be removed from the sockets, otherwise they may be damaged.

Now we apply voltage to the damaged section of the circuit. If there are no other short circuits, then the machine should not turn off. Otherwise, it is necessary to look for contact of the wire with grounded parts or a short circuit with the neutral wire of another group.
If the machine does not turn off, then we carry out further search, as in the case with a broken phase wire. If a short circuit occurs with the wires going to the socket or switch burning out, you can easily identify the damage.
You can check whether the wires are burnt out or not by simply checking for the presence of a phase in the socket or switch in the damaged area. If there is a phase, then this indicates that at least one wire has not burned out.

In this case, searching for the location of the damage becomes extremely difficult and it is almost impossible to do it at home. Therefore, it will be easier to either unhook the damaged area or install completely new wiring.

Repair of damaged area

Repairing a damaged area is quite simple (see). Although ideally a new wire should be installed, temporary repairs can be made to this area. To do this, it is important to use a wire with a cross-section no smaller than the existing one and made of the same material.

So:

First of all, we will have to remove the layer of plaster under which the wiring is hidden. This should be done carefully so as not to damage it further.
We make sure that we have correctly identified the location of the damage by the presence of a break or traces of a short circuit.
We cut the damaged wire and connect to it a small insert made of wire of the same material. The connection is best done by soldering or pressing. This will significantly reduce the depth of the required niche for subsequent plastering of the wire.

It is best to use heat shrink as insulation, which will be much easier to put on and which will again save space.
After repairs, check the functionality of your network by applying voltage and turning on the load. If possible, apply a higher load and check that there is no increased heat at the joints. If everything is fine, you can plaster the niche with the wire.
It is better to reapply voltage and put it into operation after the plaster has dried.

Conclusion

As you can see, finding the location of wiring damage and troubleshooting is not such a difficult task. The main thing is to follow safety measures and have a minimum set of knowledge.

After all, there are videos that are the best example of what happens to those who, without understanding electricity, try to repair it.

Instructions

In cars that do not have ignition switches, the engines are started with a key or a button, but in such cars a chip or key with an electronic mechanism is needed that deprives the vehicle of mobility (English immobilizer - “immobilizer”). This device is found in cars: BMW X3, BMW X5, BMW X6, Mercedes C-Class, etc. If the ignition button fails, you will need to contact the company center to replace it, where you can also find out the prices for this type of work. If you try to do the same operation as with the lock, the engine may not start (on certain models, for example, Audi Q7, Volvo-XC70, BMW-7 series (E-65), etc.).

Sometimes you have to try hard to start the engine in frosty weather. The winter season sometimes becomes a real test for both the car and the driver.

The main reason for difficulty starting the engine is usually an insufficiently charged battery. But sometimes other reasons arise, which can easily be attributed to low-quality oils and fuel. Unfortunately, such factors are discovered too late. And precisely at those moments when you urgently need to go somewhere.

You will need

Ether.

Instructions

It is necessary to prepare for the morning start of the engine in the winter season in the evening of the previous day. When parking, and especially in an open type, before turning off, press the accelerator pedal and increase the speed to three to four thousand for a few seconds, then sharply turn the key in the lock to position “0”.

In the morning, when you arrive at the parking lot, do not rush to start it right away. Before starting the engine, turn on the headlights for a few minutes. This action will warm up the electrolyte in the battery, which will make it easier to start the engine.

After turning off the headlights, insert and turn the key in the ignition, wait until the fuel pump automatically turns off, and only then try to start the engine by holding the starter key for 20 seconds. If the car does not start on the first try, then you need to take a minute break and then try again to start the engine. To successfully start a car in the morning in frosty weather, as a rule, no more than three attempts are required.

Video on the topic

Sources:

In this video you will learn how to start a VAZ car without a key

Almost every person has lost their car keys at least once in their life. And most likely it happened that a second set of keys was not at hand, but it was necessary to get into the car and start it. For those who want to know how to deal with such situations, there are some simple tips.

You will need

Screwdriver

Instructions

Unscrew the screws and remove the panel by lifting it up. Now you can see the ignition key.

Remove the fasteners that connect the ignition key and steering column. This will unlock the steering wheel.

Unscrew the screws holding the electrical part (the part with the wiring) and the mechanical part of the ignition key together.

Insert the screwdriver into the key hole and turn it in the same direction as you would turn the key. This will start the car.

Video on the topic

Sources:

How to open a VAZ 2110 without a key and start it or how to steal a ten

Unfortunately, this happens. We got into the car and discovered that the ignition key was lost. Or another unpleasant option - the key broke in the lock. How to start a car without a key?

You will need

screwdriver, tester.

Instructions

Determine grounding. Usually this is a black or green wire. To check, connect the wire through the tester to the car body. The instrument needle is in the zero position. Therefore, this is “earth”. Once identified, it is advisable to insulate the end of this wire, since accidental connection to the power wires may damage the vehicle's wiring.

Identify the power wire(s). Most often it is a thick wire of yellow or red color. Sometimes there are several power wires. In this case, you need to find them all. Determining the power wires comes down to determining the voltage relative to ground. Using a tester, connect each wire one by one to ground or to the vehicle body. The arrow of the device will show the battery voltage value. Tie the found wires together. Avoid accidental contact with ground or vehicle body.

Identify the wires that supply power to the starter. Place the vehicle's handbrake in neutral. Connect the remaining wires to the power wires one by one. When one of the wires is shorted, the starter will start working. The required wire has been found. The remaining wires provide power to the vehicle.

We connect the power wires to the wire that supplies voltage to the car. Make sure that the connection is strong, as when the car is moving, the wires may become disconnected, causing the engine to stall.

We connect the wire that supplies voltage to the starter to the connection. Let's close. The car starts - we disconnect the wire and isolate it.

Video on the topic

note

Under no circumstances should the power wires be connected directly to ground or the vehicle body! The car wiring will burn out. Do not allow power wires to come into prolonged contact with the wires supplying power to the starter.

Situations in which it becomes necessary to start a car without a key are not so rare in the life of an ordinary motorist. After all, both the key itself and the ignition switch break. To cope with a breakdown, you need to know the general principles of operation of car components.

We have all seen more than once how in dashing action films the main character starts a car without a key by connecting a couple of wires. Of course, it is possible that a similar situation can happen in life, and it is not necessary to steal a car or participate in a chase. The ignition key may simply be lost or broken during a sudden jerk in the socket. Repairs have their time, but for now you need to somehow start the car without a key. So how to do this? We're not action heroes, so we don't need to rush. Step by step turning on the ignition of a car without a key looks something like this for all car models:

First, you need to carefully get your hands on the wires, which will require removing the protective cover from under the steering wheel.
Once this operation is completed, you will see a set of multi-colored wires leading to the ignition switch. You need to separate the wires from the lock in any way that is most convenient for you.
Having done this, determine whether each wire belongs to the vehicle’s on-board system and what each of them is responsible for.
First thing Let's calculate the ground wire. Its most common color is green or black. Some cars have this yellow wire with a thin green stripe. To make sure that it is the grounding wire in front of you, connect it through the tester to the machine body. A digital indicator at value 0 means that this is the same wire. Insulate its end to prevent an accidental short circuit with the power wires: this can lead to failure of the on-board system.
Now you need to calculate the power wire. To do this, study the colors - most likely it will be red or yellow, a lot depends on the voltage. It happens that there is only one such wire, sometimes there are several. Then you need to find everything. You will have to examine all the wires by connecting one multimeter probe to the ground wire or car body. You need to set the tester in advance to the voltage measurement position. Have you found all the wires from which the power comes? Also isolate them by grouping them first. Their accidental contact with the ground or machine body is dangerous.
Now you need to find the wire that powers the starter. Be sure to lower the handbrake and, in turn, connect the wires of unclear purpose to the power wire, or to all of them at the same time, grouped together. One will definitely turn on the starter. Mark it with something, a marker or tape.
Now connect the power wires to the wire that supplies voltage to the car. It is important that the connection is strong, otherwise the engine may stall at any moment.
Now let's do it like in the movies- we strike the wire that powers the starter, which will cause a short circuit and the car, if all the conditions described above are met correctly, will start. Once this happens, move the wire away.

How to start VAZ 2106, VAZ 2109, VAZ 2110 and VAZ 2112 without a key

In the case of a car VAZ 2106 You need to remove the ignition cover and find the brown, blue and red wires. The thick red wire is positive. The brown and blue wires need to be secured with electrical tape, and the red wires should be struck on both wires. The car should start. A similar procedure can be done for the VAZ 2109.

To start a VAZ 2110 or 2112 car without a key, you will need to pull out the entire headlight switch so that it dangles on the wires and remove the cover: there will be four connectors. Now you need to insert it differently - into three connectors so that there is one free on the right. At the same time, the fuel pump will start working and the ignition will turn on. Now open the hood. It is necessary to force the starter to start, for which it is enough to bridge the copper bolts, which are located in the back cover of the starter solenoid relay, with a wrench or scissors. The car started.

Activate all emobilizers and do not leave the car unattended in this condition!

You can clearly see how to not only start, but also open a “ten” or “two” without a key in the following video:

Now you know how to start a car without a key. Of course, a considerable number of cars of foreign expensive brands are already equipped with factory buttons and special key fobs; you can often find code panels for entering a PIN code. As for domestic cars, such an easy opportunity to start a car without a key should be alarming - do not leave the car unattended and without an alarm.

Read about opening a car without a key. Well, if you are upset about losing your keys, read our instructions for this case.

Regardless of the cause, a short circuit in the electrical wiring is one of the most unpleasant (in terms of diagnosis and repair) malfunctions of any electrical circuit - in an apartment, private house or industrial premises. A particularly difficult case is the short circuit of hidden electrical wiring, because the wires are hidden under a layer of plaster. Even if the home electrician’s tools include devices that will help you find the location of the damage without opening the walls, you will still need to remove the wires to repair it.

Types of wiring short circuits, their causes and search methods

It would seem that the reasons for a short circuit in power wiring and their varieties are different issues, but in fact they are closely intertwined. In fact, a short circuit is a consequence of a number of reasons why the phase wire is in direct contact with the neutral wire, or the insulation between them does not prevent the occurrence of an arc discharge (of course, if there is voltage on the conductors). The main reasons why the wiring shorts and what the consequences may be, by which you can determine the location of the breakdown, are as follows:

Physical wear and tear of insulation

Occurs over time and due to even minor but regular temperature changes.

Usually, in this case, the insulation gradually becomes brittle from flexible - cracks appear on it, in which moisture or dust can accumulate. In the event of an unfavorable combination of circumstances, this can provoke the occurrence of a short circuit through a microarc, and this is the most difficult case from the point of view of troubleshooting.

At the same time, outwardly all the wiring looks intact, but when voltage is applied to it, over time it knocks out the circuit breaker.

The search for the vast majority of faults in an electrical circuit occurs on the principle of checking “weak links” - these are any contacts, transitions - all those places where the outer insulation of the cable is exposed during installation. Therefore, in hidden wiring, troubleshooting should always begin in sockets, boxes and panels.

As a result - in this case, a careful inspection of the wiring is carried out - if the circuit breaker is already knocked out, then perhaps the place where the insulation is damaged will be burnt and it will become visible. In some cases, it is necessary to “stress test” the wiring by applying increased voltage to it. This is a rather extreme method, because in essence you have to provoke a full short circuit in the electrical wiring, after which the location of the fault is visible to the naked eye.

For hidden wiring and finding microcracks in the insulation, you can also use a megohmmeter, but it will only show the presence of a short circuit in a localized section of the electrical circuit, and will not be able to determine the location of its occurrence.

After we find the fault, then, depending on the general condition of the wiring, we must decide whether to change the cable or make do with restoring the insulation using electrical tape.

An example of the operation of a megohmmeter is in the video:

Damage to insulation by rodents

This is a fairly common occurrence in rural areas, and in industrial conditions such breakdowns are far from uncommon - mice gnaw through the outer insulation of cables, then the inner insulation and short-circuit the neutral phase.

The difficulty in finding such a malfunction may lie in the fact that it is unknown where the mouse could have chosen a place for its “meal”. But on the other hand, usually the location of the damage is clearly visible, so a superficial inspection of the wire, albeit along its entire length, is sufficient.

It should be taken into account that a complete short circuit does not always occur here - sometimes the mouse can partially damage the insulation and short the wires not directly, but through itself. In this case, there is a high probability of finding the location of the wire damage by looking at the dead animal, which is chained to the chewed wire by a spasm from the electric current. Although sometimes it happens that the mouse is thrown away from the cable, especially if it manages to short-circuit the wires directly and a complete short circuit occurs in the chewed wiring.

Significant overheating of cable insulation

This is not always noticeable to the eye, but when voltage is applied to the wires, an electromagnetic field begins to act on them, which tends to straighten their metal part. As long as the wire is operating normally, this does not matter much, but if too powerful a consumer is connected to it, the wires will begin to heat up. When, as a result, the insulation becomes soft, the conductors, under the influence of the electromagnetic field, will loosen the plastic from the inside, and over time, they will completely break through it. As a result, a complete short circuit will occur and the circuit breaker will be knocked out, and if you are completely unlucky, the cable insulation itself will catch fire.

Until the wire insulation melts, it is impossible to visually notice that it is becoming soft - therefore, after laying a new line or connecting additional electrical equipment to it, it is necessary to check whether the cable is heating up.

Wire manufacturers usually indicate on the labels how much short-term heating the insulation can withstand, but in any case, if overheating has already occurred, then it is better to change the cable.

Direct connection of phase and neutral wires

The reasons why the power wiring is directly shorted can be very diverse - from simple carelessness, which is sometimes allowed during installation, to an accident due to a storm or other natural disaster.

The main thing here is that with direct contact between phase and zero, there is always an abrupt increase in current strength and temperature on the current-carrying conductors. In most cases, the wires are not designed to withstand short-circuit currents, so a mini-explosion occurs at the point of contact, as a result of which the insulation burns out, and flying molten particles of current-carrying conductors carry its ashes around. In this case, there is no particular problem in how to find a short circuit in the wiring - everything is visible to the naked eye - the wires are melted and everything around is covered in soot.

Here it is especially necessary to take into account that soot, which covers the entire adjacent surface, like dust, in certain concentrations is capable of conducting electric current, therefore, when eliminating the consequences of a short circuit, it must be thoroughly cleaned.

How to prevent a short circuit

The easiest way is to follow the recommendations specified in the PUE - almost all entries in this book are preceded by some kind of accident or at least an emergency situation. Well, since most likely no one will learn the rules, you should at least be guided by common sense, which dictates the following:

If the wiring is old, then replacing it is highly recommended. If for some reason this is not possible, then at a minimum, you need to inspect the contacts of the sockets and assess whether they require additional insulation.
If the apartment is flooded by neighbors from above, then, even if nothing is short-circuited, this is a reason to reconsider the twisting of the wires in the distribution boxes - under the influence of moisture, the sticky side of the electrical tape loses its properties.
You need to be careful when driving nails into walls - an unsuccessfully driven nail brings with it a lot of headaches in replacing the broken wire.

You can also simply take a photo of the wires before they are hidden in the wall.

In the private sector, it is imperative to take additional measures to protect wiring from rats and mice - there are a fairly large number of ways to combat rodents found by home electricians - these can be metal corrugations, coating cables with mastic and other methods.
If you had to plug a powerful device into the outlet, then it’s worth double-checking whether the contacts and the condition of the insulation are burnt.

An example of searching for a short circuit with a special device is in the video:

Elimination of short circuit consequences

Most often, it all comes down to replacing the damaged section of the wiring, and it is almost guaranteed that you will need to extend the cable instead of its burnt-out piece. The basic rules are as follows:

The space adjacent to the place where the short circuit occurs must be thoroughly cleaned of soot - it can provoke a recurrence of the short circuit.
You should not skimp on the wire and try to leave the current-carrying core on which the insulation has burned - it is always better to completely replace the wire.
If a full circuit has not yet occurred, but the sockets have begun to melt, then you should not try to repair them - after numerous heating/cooling, the structure of the metal changes and the device becomes more vulnerable.

If the wiring begins to short out “from old age” (the insulation has become brittle), then this is an urgent signal for a full repair - in any case, it will cost less than eliminating the consequences of a possible fire.

As a result, should we be afraid of a short circuit?

Usually the process of a full short circuit occurring in the electrical wiring takes place very quickly - everything happens within a fraction of a second, after which the protection is triggered. Old-school electricians even have a dark humor on this topic: “Turn it on - if it has a short, we will see it right away.” This means that all necessary security measures must be applied before an emergency situation occurs, and if it does occur, then all that remains is to eliminate the consequences.

In some situations, it is necessary to start the power supply without using a personal computer (PC). First of all, this is necessary to check the functionality of the component and the voltage at the terminals. Next, we will consider in detail the principle of operation and startup of the power supply without the use of a computer.

Important! Before starting the process, it is worth mentioning right away that starting the power supply (PSU) without using a PC or other load (at least a connected light bulb or cooler) can lead to its breakdown and electric shock, so all actions are performed on at your own risk.

A little about why this is needed

Reasons why you may need to start the power supply without using a PC:

computer won't start or a few seconds after start it turns off. In this case, you need to check the power supply for the presence of output voltage;
diagnostics PC components;
usage multiple devices in one computer to increase productivity.

Standard activation procedure

The operating principle of the power supply is based on electricity conversion(mains voltage) to the value required for PC operation. Thanks to this, computer components can operate stably and not be affected by various interferences.

The startup process is as follows:

first of all the current fed into the filter, which is responsible for peaks, harmonics and interference in the electrical network;
further due to passing through the filter, the current stabilizes. Let's take for example a power value of 350V;
then current supplied to the inverter, where it is converted to a variable value from 30 kHz to 55 kHz. Finally, current is supplied to all components of the PC through different taps, because equipment requires different voltages.

How to turn on the power supply without a computer

The first power supplies for PCs were produced according to the AT standard. Thanks to this, the launch could be done without using a PC, i.e. directly. Now the units are produced in the new ATX standard, and idle starting is now harmful to them. They are equipped with SATA and Molex connectors for connecting hard drives and video cards. There are also 4-pin and 8-pin power supply for connecting the processor and 20 pin (older devices) or 24 pin (modern PCs are equipped) for the motherboard.

To start the power supply, you need to know which contacts need to be closed, as a rule, for this use PS_ON connector(green) and COM(black). Next, we will take a step-by-step look at the general steps to start without a PC.

First of all, you need to understand which cables carry what voltage in order to protect yourself. Power supply pinout diagram:

Color	Voltage level in Volts	Connector number	Connector number	Voltage level in Volts	Color
orange	+3,3	1	13	+3,3	orange
orange	+3,3	2	14	-12	blue
black	grounding	3	15	grounding	black
red	+5	4	16	Power on	green
black	grounding	5	17	grounding	black
red	+5	6	18	grounding	black
black	grounding	7	19	grounding	black
grey	Power good	8	20	-5	white
violet	+5 VSB	9	21	+5	red
yellow	+12	10	22	+5	red
yellow	+12	11	23	+5	red
orange	+3,3	12	24	grounding	black

Instructions:

first you need perform shutdown Power supply from the network and other PC components;
then unscrew the fastening bolts and carefully remove the power source from the system unit;

note that units equipped with 20 pin and 20+4 pin connectors should not be turned on without load. Otherwise, it may fail.

Regarding the old power supply standardAT- everything is a little different there. Shorting the green and black contacts will not turn on the power supply without the motherboard. In this case, you need to make 2 jumpers and use them to start immediately two combinations: blue - black and white - brown.

ATTENTION! When starting an AT standard power supply, you should be careful! The voltage at one of the closed contacts is 220 Volts!

How to use a computer power supply

From an unnecessary power supply it is quite possible to make devices that are useful in everyday life. Next, let's look at how you can use a computer block.

Converting the power supply into an alternating voltage source

A constant voltage source from a computer power supply is quite a convenient thing. To do this you will need to do replacing resistance coils and remove the choke. Thanks to this, you can adjust the voltage from 0 to 20V. If a standard voltage (12V) is required, then you need to install a thyristor regulator.

Converting a power supply into a charger

To convert the power supply into a charger you will need to perform replacing Schottky diodes to ultra-fast. The main advantage of such a charger is that it is light in weight and dimensions. The disadvantages of this device are its sensitivity to overloads and short circuits. To prevent overloads and short circuits, it is necessary to construct a protection system.

Converting the power supply into a constant voltage source

First you need to determine what type of power supply is AT or ATX. Pulse (AT) engines operate exclusively under load, while ATX only needs to be closed to simulate the load, as described in the instructions above. In this case, the output voltage will be from 5 to 12 V. The final values will depend solely on the initial power of the unit.