soldering cables onto pico psu - looking for pinout...

PSUs: The source of DC power for all components in the PC & often a big noise source.

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murtoz
Posts: 122
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:24 pm
Location: Wiltshire, UK

soldering cables onto pico psu - looking for pinout...

Post by murtoz » Sat Nov 10, 2007 4:08 pm

Hi all,

I hope you can help me. I've got a pico psu (120W) and a D201GLY (original version). The board needs seperate CPU power (4x4 P4 connector). I have a seperate P4 to molex converter, but (if possible) I'd like to solder this directly onto the pico psu to avoid cable clutter etc. From other posts, it looks like this can be done (and there seem to be some solder points on the pico psu itself), but I've not been able to find out which solder pad on the pico psu is which...

Any help much appreciated!

pfft
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon May 10, 2004 3:26 am

Post by pfft » Wed Dec 12, 2007 3:57 am

I can't help with pinout but I do have an idea. Get butt connectors one size larger than the size that matches your wires. Identify the 12 volt and its ground on the wire that runs to the molex. Cut these. Strip the ends. Get an existing P4 connector to molex adaptor and cut off the molex and strip the wire ends. Twist the two 12 volt P4 wires and the one 12 volt wire running to the molex together and stick them into the butt connector then double crimp. Do the same with the grounds and another connector. The single wires running from the psu may be too small and if so add a dummy wire or two(short and taped off) to fill the connector for crimping. I do this sort of thing for fans to avoid clumps of molex connectors and I don't have to add dummy wires as a double crimp squeezed hard is plenty tight. I doubt there is any voltage drop from a double crimped butt connector. I use a cheap electricians tool that you can find even at some drugstores. I'm sure you have seen them.

Bluefront
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Post by Bluefront » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:16 am

I also use "butt" connectors frequently.....but I don't use a cheap crimper. That type of flat crimp is prone to failure and/or a loose connection. There are much better crimpers available at places like Home Depot. Tape over the connector when you're done.

A soldered connection is superior, if you can avoid a cold solder joint....

murtoz
Posts: 122
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:24 pm
Location: Wiltshire, UK

Post by murtoz » Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:52 am

Thanks all for your replies.
In the end, I managed to create a custom power cable to plug in to the molex connector (instead of using 2 or 3 splitters for CPU power, CF card and 3 HDD's) and was able to get this out of the way of the airflow in my chassis. Given my soldering experience (hardly any!) this was probably for the better anyways :-)

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