“Maker Your Own DIY Professional Bench Power Supply Using A Old Computer PSU
Every workbench should have at least one power supply.
When you’re experimenting with electronics and microcontrollers a good power supply can be an essential piece of equipment. While you can certainly make do with USB power bricks and “battery eliminators” nothing beats having a dedicated power supply with plenty of voltage selection and current capability.
An ideal workbench power supply should have both 5-volt and 12-volt outputs, with 3.3-volts being a nice option as well. It should be capable of providing several amperes of current for each voltage.
You can buy bench power supplies of course, but they are not inexpensive. As the current capability and number of output voltages go up so does the price.
While a commercial bench power supply is certainly a worthwhile investment there is a cheaper solution that you might want to consider. Adapt an old computer power supply to use on your workbench.
Computer power supplies have all the voltages you’ll need and some very impressive current capabilities. And, thanks to mass production, they are cheap when compared to dedicated bench power supplies.
In fact, if you have access to an old computer that is on its way to the junk heap you can rescue its power supply and put together a nice bench power supply for just a few dollars.
That’s what I did actually – an old Windows desktop computer has now become a useful addition to my workshop.
Supplies:
1 x AXT Power Supply
1 x DC Volt/Amp Digital Meter
15 x Female Banana Connectors (7-0Black, 8-Red)
1 x 50W 8 Ohm Load Resistor
1 x AC Switch
2 x Mini DC Switch
1 x LED
1 x 10KOhm Resistor
4 x Rubber Foot
Few Male Banana Connectors”