PCF Jan 2011 oops

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PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by Drakonis »

Hi guys
We have recently been contacted by a couple of (probably) electrical engineers who pointed out that that AC to DC current diagram on page 8 of our Jan 2011 issue is somewhat incorrect. There is a disclaimer in the mag stating that the diagram was simplified (it is only supposed to illustrate what is going on on that thar PSU rail, not pass an engineering inspection) but that doesn't change the fact that it is a bit wrong.

Instead of showing a bridge rectifier the diagram shows a "Quick quad-diode fryer". Attempting to build anything from the diagram in the mag will result in busted components, small fires, large fires and possible death and destruction. Also, the terrorists win. Attempting to build anything from the diagram in any event would have been a fairly useless endeavor due to its oversimplified nature.

tl;dr: the diagram on page 8 of our Jan 2011 shows a short circuit instead of a bridge rectifier. In case you were considering anything along these lines, do not attempt to construct anything using that component set-up. If you build it, you will fry.
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by doo_much »

I do NOT want your job...
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by Anakha56 »

:lol: PCF burning loyal readers since K/B & Drak joined :P.

I can see PCF getting a huge medical bill coming there way :lol:.
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by KALSTER »

Don't have the mag, but are you talking about the diagram that is a square standing on one pointy end with arrows on each side, all pointing to the right?
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by Drakonis »

That'd be the diagram, yes
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by THE_STIG »

I knew is was wrong the first time I saw it......and thought:some idiot somewhere will try to build this and then he will get an explosion or fire of some kind instead of full wave rectified DC current :lol:
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by -Prometheus- »

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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by Stuart »

THE_STIG wrote:I knew is was wrong the first time I saw it......and thought:some idiot somewhere will try to build this and then he will get an explosion or fire of some kind instead of full wave rectified DC current :lol:
Or will possibly inherit superpowers and fly around in black and yellow tights calling himself Electroman.
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by DeathStrike »

Stuart wrote:
THE_STIG wrote:I knew is was wrong the first time I saw it......and thought:some idiot somewhere will try to build this and then he will get an explosion or fire of some kind instead of full wave rectified DC current :lol:
Or will possibly inherit superpowers and fly around in black and yellow tights calling himself Electroman.
careful.. this may tempt some people into building it. :P
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by Anthro »

I was tempted to create a duplicate account, ranting about this mistake... someone keen to take my place ?
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by McGuywer »

Mmmm... Super powers....

But seriously, thanx Drakonis, will try not to build it.
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by -Prometheus- »

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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by doo_much »

OK. This is kinda on topic.

Question about PSUs. And I'm no electronics buff so keep answers simple please.

Most of us use a UPS. Which takes 220V, stores it as 12V or 24V (I think?) and then jacks it up to 220 again. Which we then input into our PSUs which take it down to 12V, 5V and 3.3V or whatever. With a resultant energy loss and noise.

Why can we not just take 12 or 24V straight from the UPS and use that?
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by -Prometheus- »

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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by Hman »

Because you'd still need a PSU to take the 12V and convert some of the power to the other required voltages. Thus you'd still have to spend money on a PSU and be forced to spend money on a UPS if you don't already have one.

AFAIK current UPSs only use the 12V charging system to charge the battery, and let 240V bypass the charging circuits, supplying 12v constantly would require the charging circuits to be beefed up to handle the constant use. Which would increase their prices dramatically.

And I guess you can expect extra heat generation and noise from fans to counter the heat.

So you'd sit with more heat, noise and expense than you had in the first place.
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by Hman »

Though if you could manage to build a PSU with a built in UPS and stay in the ATX size specs (unless you could convince the authorities to change the specs) you'd be a winrar.
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by -Prometheus- »

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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by doo_much »

You know less about this than I do, don't you Hman? :lol:

Anyone else?
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by -Prometheus- »

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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by doo_much »

No you didn't actually. You regurgitated what I had already said adding some interesting percentages.

The question is: Why isn't it being done?
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by -Prometheus- »

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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by doo_much »

HA!

Thanks for that bakery link. There's nothing new under the sun?
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by -Prometheus- »

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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by SykomantiS »

doo, very good question. It's actually a sound idea.
Also, Hman, ever heard of clean power? Some ups' do bypass the charging circuit when on mains, however some power the pc from the battery, iirc- hence the 'clean' power. Spikes and dips are caught in the charging circuit and since the battery powers the pc, no spikes go to your psu.

Come to think of it, a simple split unit type product can work. Standard ups outside- with the exception that it supplies 12v, not the 220Ac. Then, instead of having a traditional psu, you now have something responsible for supplying 12v, and of course taking the 12v input and creating 5v and 3.3v sources.

That's about the gist of it, doo? :)
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Re: PCF Jan 2011 oops

Post by doo_much »

Yup.

Take the noise, heat and energy loss out of the PSU and put it in you (now really expensive) UPS. With a resultant decrease in noise, heat and energy loss. ;)

Now - who's going to build it? And if it is such a good idea why isn't it a main stream product?
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