Parts-PowerSupply


Power Supply

 

PartsOfaComputer-Web - PartsOfaComputer-Topics

The computer power supply converts the AC wall power into DC for use in the circuits of the computer

AC is Alternating Current and operates in wave form, switching direction 60hz (times a second) in the Americas and 50hz (times a second) in Europe, Asia and Africa.

There is usually a switch on the back of the unit to choose 60hz or 50hz. If it is set wrong for your region, the computer will not run.

DC is Direct Current and does not switch direction.

Power Supplies use an arrangement of Diodes to remove the wave pattern from the electrical signal.

Diodes force the electricity to flow in one direction.

A Rectifier bridge is a specific arrangement of four diodes.

AC flows into the Rectifier Bridge and DC flows out of the Rectifier Bridge.

The power supply has voltage regulators in it to provide specific output voltages.

The power supply has colored wires coming out of it.

Each colored wire carries a specific voltage and amperage of electricity.

On the case of some power supplies, there is a label indicating which colored wires have which output voltage.

There are plastic connectors on the wires that will fit various parts of the pc.

The motherboard connector is longer than the connectors for the Hard Drive/optical drive and floppy drives.

The power supply is usually air cooled to keep the components from overheating.

There are different form factors of power supplies. The ATX power supply is pretty common these days.

Laptop power supplies do the same process of conversion, but have a single connector to the computer.

Many laptop power supplies provide 19 volts to the computer at a range of amperages.

The fitting to the computer varies by manufacturer

You can buy a used laptop power supply or repurpose a dumpscore ps to replace a failed or missing one.

The OLPC XO (One Laptop Per Child) has a power requirement of 12 volts, common in car and boat electronics.

Putting a computer into a car will require you to do some super ninja voltage conversion.

 

 

Written assignment:

Write at least 3 paragraphs of at least 6 sentences to demonstrate your understanding of this topic. Use your own words, and do not copy any text from any online sources. You should provide links to web pages that have been helpful in understanding this system. Place the text on your Ning blog and print a copy to hand in. You can include photos in your post. Print this and hand it in with your notes from researching the subject. 

 

Links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_supply

power supply buying guide - http://www.newegg.com/product/CategoryIntelligenceArticle.aspx?articleId=199

http://www.howstuffworks.com/power-supply.htm

http://hackaday.com/2009/10/13/olpc-pedal-power/

http://www.wikihow.com/Convert-a-Computer-ATX-Power-Supply-to-a-Lab-Power-Supply

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/trends-innovations/car-computer.htm

Car computer power supplies - http://www.mini-box.com/s.nl/sc.8/category.101/.f