Chapter 5

Power Supplies

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 Objectives

•Learn how electricity is measured and about electrical components

•Learn how to select a power supply

•Learn how to protect yourself and your equipment against the dangers of
electricity

•Learn how to troubleshoot electrical problems

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Introduction
❑ There are two types of currents
• Alternating current (AC)
– Oscillatory current driven by an alternating voltage
– In this current the direction of electronic flow changes periodically
• Example: house current oscillates at 60 Hz
• Direct current (DC)
– Single direction current driven by constant voltage
• Required by computer in small amounts, such as 5 V
• Materials to make components:
– Conductors: weakly resist current flow (copper)
– Insulators: highly resist current flow (ceramics)
– Semiconductors: allow flow if charged (silicon)

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Some Common Electronic Components
• Transistor
– Switches current on (1) and off (0)
– Amplifies current
– It regulates current and voltage which act as logic gate or
switch for electronic signals for example A and B are electronic
signal for those gates.

• Capacitor:- Holds electrical charge for a period of time

– Creates even flow of current in a PC
• Diode:- Allows electricity to flow in one direction only
• Rectifies current: convert AC to DC
• Resistor: Control amount of current flowing through device
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Some Common Electronic Components

Diode Capacitors

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Electricity measurement
• Voltage—force or pressure caused by the
separation of electrons and protons
– Unit of measurement: Volts (V)
• Current—the free flow of electrons in an
electrical circuit
– Unit of measurement: Ampere (amp)
– When voltage (electrical pressure) is applied and
there is a path, electrons flow producing current
• Resistance—impedance or opposition to the flow
of electrons: conductor=low resistance
insulators=high resistance 6
Power Supply
• power supply is the metal box usually found in a corner of the
case.
• The power supply is visible from the back of many systems
because it contains the power-cord receptacle and the cooling
fan
• Box inside a computer case supplying power to motherboard
and other installed devices

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Power Supply
▪ The main tasks of power supply

– Rectifier: Converts AC house current to regulated DC

– Transformer: Regulate voltages from 110 V or 220 V to 3.5,

5, and 12 V

– This are the required voltages and currents that are needed to
operate the components of the computer

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Factor determine features of power supply
Power supply features determines by different factor
1.Form factor to determines its size
2.Wattage ratings
• Maximum amount of power watts required by the
computer
3.AC power voltage

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Internal Components of Power Supply
• There are five types of power connectors:

1. Motherboard Connector: The power supply in your computer

has one 20-pin connector that supplies power to the
motherboard.

• For example, for ATX form factor a female 20-pin connector,

which plugs into a male connector on your ATX motherboard.

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Internal Components of Power Supply
2. Large 4-pin DC connector (Molex): is 4-pins connector used for
some drives like HDD and for some peripheral components

3. Medium DC connector (Berg): are type connectors with 4-pins and

used on some drives like FDD.

4. Small DC connector: is connector with 2 or 3 pins is sometimes used

for the CPU cooler or other devices. Never plug this connector directly
into the motherboard

5. Auxiliary 12V connector: this is 4-pin square type connector used to

provide the motherboard with 12V power

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How to Select a Power Supply
• Considerations

– Match form factor to case, motherboard

– Make sure it provides necessary connectors

– Match wattage capacity to system requirements

– Consider warranty, price, and additional features

• How to determining wattage capacity

– Consider all components inside case

– Consider USB and peripheral devices

• Get power from ports connected motherboard

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Power Disturbance
1. Complete power failure:
– Power-line voltage drops to zero for extended periods of time
Consequences: data loss
2. Transients:
– It is suddenly increment of voltage or an over voltage
condition caused by lighting, poor grounding or electric motors
resulting in possible permanent system damage
– Classified as:
• Spikes (nanosecond)
• Surges (millisecond) spike Surge

3. Sags
– It is an under voltage condition (temporarily power decreasing)
where voltage dips below voltage required by power supply
resulting in data loss.
– Classified as:
Voltage Sag Brown out
• Voltage sag (milliseconds) 13
• Brown out (longer seconds)
Causes of Power-Line Disturbances
1.Power Company
– Disturbances in power supplied by utility company may be
intentional or due to natural causes; e.g., lightning
2. Building-related
– Power fluctuations may be caused by faulty or inadequate
building wiring
– Building machinery; e.g., air conditioners, lighting, heating
systems
3. User wiring
– Multiple PCs plugged into the same power line
– PCs plugged into power line shared by high-current
machines; e.g., laser printers, air conditioners, coffee makers,
copiers, etc.
– PC plugged into an ungrounded power strip
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Solutions to power line disturbances
1. Surge Suppressors
– Is also known as surge protector device
– Is a device that inserted in the AC utility line to prevent
electrical equipment from spikes (over voltage) voltages or
protects equipment from sudden power changes

– Absorbs and/or blocks surge (AC filter)

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Solutions to power line disturbances
2. Backup Power Supplies (Batteries)
– Power supply incorporating a battery and an AC inverter
circuit that provides continuous power when line power fails
– Two basic types are available: SPS and UPS
2.1. Standby Power Supply (SPS): 2.2. Uninterruptible power
• Batteries charged while current supply (UPS)
level is monitored • Batteries always used to
• If power fails, batteries switch provide power to system
on automatically • Input power used to
• Faster switch times desirable (5 charge batteries while in
ms or less) use
• It provides power to computer • More expensive than
only when it lose power SPS
• It is not provide constant • No needs switching time
power like UPS 16
• It needs switching time
Solutions to power line disturbances…

AC outlet PC input
power power
Line sensor

Charger Battery Switch Invertor

Figure: SPS Block Diagram

AC outlet PC input
Charger Battery Invertor
power power
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Figure: UPS Block Diagram
Technician Tools
• Power Supply Tester
• Cable ties
• Network cables testers
• Ac ground testers
• Multimeter

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 Electric grounded
• It helps to return electrical power safely before any dangers happen.
• It protection against electrical overload problem
• It direct electricity flow wherever you need
• It prevents damage, injury and death
• we can check wether electrical system has grounded or not based
power outlets have three wires and if it has three wires then one of
them is ground wire.

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PC Support Technician Tools
Power Supply Tester
– Measures output of each power supply connector
– This measuring of output power helps to use proper power
supply for our computer components.

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PC Support Technician Tools
Multimeter
• Helps to measure several characteristics of electricity in a
variety of devices such as
– To measure DC voltages
– To measure AC voltage
– To measure data hold switch
– To measure resistance

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Troubleshooting the Electrical System
• Possible electrical problem symptoms:

– PC appears “dead”

– PC sometimes halts during booting

– Error codes or beeps occur during booting

– Smell burnt parts or odors exists

– PC powers down at unexpected times

– Hearing some unexpected sound (whine) coming from the

power supply

• Most PC problems have simple solutions

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Intermittent Problems because of power disturbance
• Intermittent problems are a problem that come and go suddenly
or occasionally.
• Their symptoms indicating a post-boot (after computer boot)
problem
– Computer stops, hangs, reboots for no reason
– Memory errors appear intermittently
– Data written incorrectly to the hard drive
– Keyboard or mouse stop working at odd times
– Motherboard fails or is damaged
– Power supply overheats, becomes hot to the touch
– Power supply fan becomes very noisy or stops
• Intermittent problems are more difficult to solve

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Problems with an Inadequate Power Supply
• Power supply may not meet with need of power for new devices

• So it needs testing for an adequate power supply for new install

device, to do this:-

– Make sure that all devices in the system work at the same
time b/c if two devices work in different time there is
problem of consistency

• Example: copy files from new drive to old drive

– upgrade your power supply to a higher power supply

• By voltage measurement tool calculate total wattage

needed by system 24
Problems with the Power Supply Fans
• Fans usually hum, whine before failing
– Replace fan or entire power supply
– Suspect another short if failure continues
– It recommend that not operate computer if fan not working
• Troubleshooting of nonfunctional fan
– Turn off power; remove all power cord connections to all
components except motherboard; turn on power
– Turn off power; reconnect one card or drive at a time

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Troubleshooting Power Supply
• Types of Power Supply Problems
1. Power Up Problems: problems occurred during cold boot up
start and dead of PC
– 1.1. Symptom:
• System is completely dead after power-up (no fan noise,
LED indicators do not turn on)
– 1.2. Possible faults:
• AC power cord
• Blown fuse (burnout) in power supply
– 1.3. Troubleshooting procedures:
• Check AC power-cord connection: Plug the cord into
another power socket (make sure AC wall outlet is good)
• Substitute good power supply
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Troubleshooting Power Supply
– 1.2. Symptom:
• System shuts off almost immediately or emits a continuous
beep or repeating short beeps
– 1.2.1. Possible faults:
• New adapter card is overloading the power supply
• Defective (malfunctioning) adapter card or motherboard
• Defective power supply
– 1.2.2. Troubleshooting procedures:
• Remove all adapter cards and check power-supply status after
power-up
• If power supply shuts down with only the motherboard
connected, replace with good power supply
• Add adapter cards one by one while checking power-supply
status (remember to turn off power when removing or
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inserting cards)
Troubleshooting Power Supply
2. In-Use Problems: problems occurred during working on PC
– 2.1. Symptom:
• System reboots or shuts down while in use
– 2.2. Possible faults:
• AC power-line disturbance
• Defective power supply
• Thermal problems; e.g., clogged vent
– 2.3.Troubleshooting procedures:
• Check AC power line
• Substitute good power supply

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Troubleshooting Power Supply
• Repairing Power Supply:
– It is rarely recommended that an inexperienced user open a
power supply to make repairs because of the dangerous high
voltages present.
– Also the price of the power supply is cheap.
– So it recommend that it is better replacing power supply than
repairing it

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Replacing the Power Supply
• Criteria for replacement power supply
– Uses correct form factor
– Adequately rated for power in watts
– Has necessary power connectors
• Determining power supply problem
– Turn off PC, open computer case, set new power supply on
top of the old one
– Disconnect old power supply’s cords, plug PC devices into
the new power supply
– Turn on PC, verify new power supply solves problem

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