Faulty primary-side components.

Rectifier diodes, filter capacitor(s), MOVs, and other parts located before the switchmode (chopper) transistor(s) may short due to a surge or lightning, or for no apparent reason. Main fuse will blow instantly. Symptoms: Totally dead supply, fuse blows instantly (vaporizes or explodes) even if switchmode transistor is removed unless a fusable resistor has blown to protect the fuse. :) Test all components on line side of high frequency transformer for short circuit failures with a multimeter.

Shorted switchmode transistor - may take out additional parts such as fusable flameproof resistors in collector or emitter circuits of bipolar transistors or source or drain circuits for MOSFETs as well as gate components like the 15 or 18 V protection zener. Main fuse will blow unless protected by fusable resistors and one or more of them blows first. Symptoms: Totally dead supply, fuse blows instantly (vaporizes or explodes unless fusable resistor has opened). Measuring across C-E or D-S of switchmode transistor yields near zero ohms even when removed from circuit.

Shorted rectifier diodes in secondary circuits - these are high frequency high efficiency diodes under a fair amount of stress. Symptoms: In a very basic supply without overcurrent protection, the failure of one or more of these diodes may then overload the supply and cause a catastrophic failure of the switchmode power transistor (see above) and related components. Thus, these should be checked before reapplying power to a supply that had a shorted switchmode transistor. On short circuit protected supplies, the symptom may be a periodic tweet-tweet-tweet or flub-flub-flub as the supply attempts to restart and then shuts down. Any power or indicator lights may be blinking at this rate as well.

Test with an ohmmeter - a low reading in both directions indicates a bad diode. Sometimes these will test OK but fail under load or at operating voltage. Easiest to replace with known good diodes to verify diagnosis. Rectifiers either look like 1N400X type on steroids cylinders about 1/4" x 1/2" (example: HFR854) or TO220 packages (example: C92M) with dual diodes connected at the cathode for positive supplies or the anode for negative supplies (the package may include a little diagram as well). These may either be used with a center-tapped transformer, or simply parallel for high current capacity. If in doubt, remove from the circuit and test with the ohmmeter again. If not the output used for regulation feedback, try the supply with the rectifier removed. As noted, a test with an ohmmeter may be misleading as these rectifiers can fail at full voltage. When in doubt, substitute a known good rectifier (one half of a pair will be good enough for a test).

Bad startup circuit - initial base (gate) drive is often provided by a high value, high power resistor or resistors from the rectified AC voltage. These can simply open for no good reason. Symptoms: In this case the supply will appear totally dead but all the semiconductors will check out and no fuses will blow. Check the startup resistors with an ohmmeter - power resistors in the AC line input section. WARNING: there will be full voltage on the main filter capacitor(s) - 1X or 2X peak or around 160 or 320 VDC depending on design. Discharge before probing.

Dried up capacitors - either input or output side. Symptoms: The main filter capacitor may dry up or open and cause the output to be pulsing at 60 (50) or 120 (100) Hz and all kinds of regulation problems. Measure voltage across main filter capacitor(s). If the reading is low and drops to a much lower value or 0 instantly upon pulling the plug, then one of these capacitors may be open or dried up. If you have an oscilloscope, monitor for ripple (use an isolation

transformer!!). Excess ripple under moderate load is an indication of a dried up or open capacitor. In extreme cases, a main filter capacitor with greatly reduce capacity or that is totally open may result in failure of the switchmode transistor and a dead supply that blows fuses or fusable resistors. Therefore, it is always a good idea to test the electrolytic capacitors whenever repairing a SMPS that has blown its switchmode transistor. Capacitors in the low voltage section may fail causing regulation problems. Sometimes there are slew rate limiting capacitors which feed from the primary output to the regulator controller to limit initial in-rush and overshoot. A failure of one of these may mess up regulation at the very least. For example, excess leakage may reduce the output of the main output (and as a consequence, all the others as well). Where a controller like a UC3842 is used, a failure of the capacitor on its Vcc pin may result in a aborted startup or cycling behavior as it is starved for juice each time it pulses the switchmode power transistor: (From: John Hopkins (bugs71@ptdprolog.net).) "I have encountered a bad cap (10uf 35v) on the Vcc input of a UC3842 IC in the power supply. Turn unit on, get very short burst of power supply output, then nothing. Every time the 3842 output a pulse, it ran out of VCC. Small part, big problem." In almost all cases, when in doubt parallel a known good capacitor of similar capacitance and at least equal voltage rating (except for these slew rate limiting capacitors where substitution is the only sure test). For Panasonic (and other) VCR power supplies, it is common - almost assured after a few years - that one or more the output filter capacitors commonly fail and replacing all of them, while perhaps a brute force solution, will fix a whining supply or one having bad regulation or noise. However, check the semiconductors as well before applying power. See the section: Panasonic VCR SMPS.

Bad connection/cold solder joints - as with all other mass produced power systems (including TVs and monitors), cracked or defective solder connections are very common especially around the pins of high power components like transformers, power resistors and transistors, and connectors. These are particularly common with portable equipment. Universal AC adapters for camcorders and laptop computers are often abused to the point of failure. Large components like the line filter choke and high frequency transformer are prone to crack the solder bond at their pins or even break loose from the circuit board. Symptoms: almost any kind of behavior is possible. The unit may be erratic, intermittent, or totally dead. Visually inspect the solder side of the circuit board with a bright light and magnifying glass if necessary. Gently prod or twist the circuit board with an insulating stick to see if the problem can be made to change. Note that a one-time intermittent can blow many components so inspecting for intermittents is a really good idea even you believe that all bad components have been replaced.

Regulation problems - outputs high or low. Symptoms: voltage has changed and adjustment pot if one exists has no effect or is unable to set voltage to proper value. Check components in the feedback regulator, particularly the opto-isolator and its associated circuitry. A weak opto-isolator may allow for excessive output voltage. A shorted photodiode in the opto-isolator may prevent startup. An open photodiode may lead to a runaway condition. WARNING: probe these circuits with care both because of the safety issues but also since any slip of the probe may lead to a runaway condition and catastrophic failure of the switchmode transistor and its related parts as well as damage to any attached equipment.

Note that the high frequency transformer does not make the top 10 list failure rates for these components are relatively low. You better hope so in

any case - replacements are usually only available from the original manufacturer at outrageous cost. Most other parts are readily available from places service parts distributors like MCM Electronics as well as general electronics distributors like DigiKey and Mouser. Rebuild kits are available for many common supplies used in VCRs, monitors, terminals. See the section: Repair parts sources. Also, while it is tempting to suspect any ICs or hybrid controllers since it is thought that replacements are difficult and expensive to obtain, these parts are pretty robust unless a catastrophic failure elsewhere sent current where it should not have gone. And, ICs at least, are usually readily available. General SMPS troubleshooting approach The following sections provide a set of guidelines for attacking SMPS problems. Those in the next 5 paragraphs are common to SMPS using both discrete and integrated controllers: 1. First, determine that it is not something trivial like a blown fuse due to a legitimate overload (that has since been removed). I have a SCSI peripheral box that will blow its SMPS fuse if the SCSI cable is inserted live. 2. Categorize the problem into: startup problem, catastrophic failure, incorrect outputs, or excessive ripple or noise. 3. Determine what the proper output voltages should be. Identify the main (regulated) output. 4. Disconnect the supply from the equipment it is powering if possible. This will prevent the possibility of expensive damage should the output voltages soar to stratospheric levels for some reason. If this is not possible, you will need to be extra careful - always use a Variac to bring up the input slowly and monitor the main output at all times. Note: Some SMPS designs require power to be applied instantly to provide the startup voltage to the controller. If this is the case with yours, it won't be possible to bring up the voltage slowly (unless you

power that chip separately). However, it should still be possible to run the unit somewhat reduced line voltage. CAUTION: Running any SMPS at greatly reduced line voltage will be stressful for it, especially if the output load is a significant fraction of its full load ratings. In addition, at some range of line voltage, the output regulation may not work properly and the output(s) may go much higher than expected. Use dummy loads in place of the valuable equipment if possible when doing such testing! 5. Determine an appropriate load for the outputs (if not connected to the equipment). A typical SMPS will want a minimum of 5% to 20% of full load current at least on the main output to regulate properly. Others may not need any load - it depends on the design or they may have an internal load. Here are some typical load currents:
o o

VCR - 0.2 A on +5 V and +12 V outputs. PC - 2 A on +5 V, 1 A on +12 V. A dual beam auto head light works well.

o o

Monitor - 0.2 A on +60 V to +120 V output. Typical 40 W switcher = 1 A on +5 V and +12 V.

Power Supply Failures

I have found that there are only a small handful of components that fail in switching regulator power supplies. The most common failure is the switching transistors themselves. The transistors short-circuit, causing massive amounts of current to be drawn across the transformer and blowing the fuse.

Transistor failure is often caused by bad capacitors. It is extremely common to find output filter capacitors that are swollen or leaking. Any capacitor that appears to be bad should be replaced. To prevent a recurrence of this all-to-common failure, output filter capacitors should be replaced with special "low ESR" (Equivalent Series Resistance) capacitors. These capacitors are specifically designed to handle the rigors of filtering in a switching supply. Most power supply manufacturers do not install low ESR capacitors as original equipment because they are somewhat more expensive that conventional capacitors. However, it is well worth the money to use them as replacement components as they will greatly extend the life of the power supply in the field. When I work on a power supply, I replace all the output filter capacitors with low ESR caps regardless of whether they appear to be good or bad. Since a service call costs far more than the capacitors, it's a prudent thing to do.

Diode failure is another common problem. There are quite a few diodes in a switching supply and failure of any one of them will cause the supply to blow the fuse or shut down. The most common diode failures are shorted +12 volt or -5 volt output rectifiers. Failure of these diodes will not blow the fuse. The supply simply detects the short and shuts itself down. Some of these failures may be caused by using the +12 or -5 volt outputs to power coin door lamps. The -5 volt output is not overcurrent protected in all power supplies. A shorted lamp socket may blow the diode by drawing too much current from the supply. The +12 volt

diodes may be blown if 6 volt bulbs are inadvertently used instead of 12 volt bulbs. The high-voltage input diodes may also short-circuit. This is often accompanied by shorted switching transistors and will blow the fuse.

Testing and Repair

All testing is done with the power off. Start by testing the pair of switching transistors. These will be mounted on a heatsink that helps them run cooler. Test them by using an ohmeter or a digital multimeter set to the diode test range. Check each transistor for a short between emitter and collector. Replace any transistors you find to be bad. Although some technicians claim that you should replace them both even if just one is bad, I have not found this to be necessary.

By the way, these transistors will always seem to test shorted between base and emitter when tested "in-circuit." I generally don't bother testing the base-emitter junction of the transistors. When the switching transistors fail, they always short between emitter and collector. If you're in doubt, pull the transistors out of circuit to test them. If the transistors are shorted, the fuse will have blown. Be sure to test the high-voltage diodes as well. The high-voltage diodes are usually part of a bridge rectifier, although they may be individual diodes.

Next, test the output rectifiers. There are three pairs of diodes to test.

One pair is for the -5 volt output. These will be fairly small; approximately the same size as the ubiquitous 1N4004 with which we are all familiar. The +12 volt diodes are usually somewhat larger. The two +5 volt output diodes are housed together in a "dual-diode" package that looks very much like a transistor. Like the switching transistors, this diode package is mounted on a heatsink. It will generally have the diode schematic symbols printed on it. This diode will usually not test properly in-circuit. Testing can be simplified by unsoldering it with a "solder sucker" instead of removing it completely from the printed circuit board. I have seen very few failures of the +5 volt output diodes. All diodes must be replaced with high-speed diodes or the power supply will generate excessive noise.

Follow these tests by replacing all the output capacitors with low ESR caps and fire up the power supply. The supply should be tested under load. Use a 1 ohm, 50 watt resistor or equivalent as a "dummy load", connected between the +5 volt output and ground (DC COM). This will draw 5 amps from the supply, which is adequate for test purposes. If the supply is still inoperative, the integrated circuit may be bad. Test the IC by removing it from the printed circuit board and installing it in a power supply that you know to be good. I have a spare power supply with a socket in it that I use exclusively to test integrated circuits. Just about all the supplies use the same IC; a type 494. Equivalent integrated circuits are: TL494CN, uA494, uPC494C, IR3MO2, and MB3759. The over-the-counter replacement for these is ECG1729.

Obtaining Replacement Components

One of the main arguments for tossing bad power supplies in the trash has been that the cost of the replacement components is almost equal to the cost of a new supply. That's just not true. The switching transistors are available for around $.90 each from J.C. Electronics, Inc. 1428 Broad Street Hillside, NJ 07205 (201) 705-3400 (800) 828-4560.

Capacitors can be obtained from TTI. TTI is the nations largest distributor of passive components such as resistors and capacitors. The capacitors you want to order are made by Nichicon. Order 3300 microfarad at 16 volts (part number UVX1C332M) and 1000 microfarad at 25 volts (part number UVX1E102M.) These will be suitable as replacements for output filter capacitors in virtually all makes and models of power supplies. Remember, you can always substitute a capacitor of higher voltage when replacing filter capacitors. E.G. A 1000 microfarad, 16 volt capacitor can be replaced with a 1000 microfarad, 25 volt. TTI has 20 offices nationwide. Contact them at (800) CALL TTI.

Minus 5 Volt Output Too High

Most switching regulator power supplies have three DC outputs. One is the main +5 volt DC output that powers the computer system. The others are the +12 and -5 volt outputs. These DC outputs are often used to power the sound generating system and the audio amplifier itself. When you're

testing a power supply, it's important to check all three of the outputs. This is especially true when you have a game that basically works okay but has distorted or missing audio.

When a switching regulator power supply fails, all three outputs will usually drop to zero volts (see Play Meter, June, 1989, page 107.) Sometimes, however, the output voltage may rise. If you find that the +5 VDC and +12 VDC outputs are normal but the -5 VDC output is too high (more than -6 VDC), try replacing the -5 output filter choke.

It's easy to locate the -5 volt filter choke, even without a schematic diagram. Just follow the trace on the printed circuit board back from the -5 VDC output of the power supply. You will eventually come to a component that may look something like a capacitor but will be clearly labeled "L" on the board and will generally be accompanied by the schematic symbol for a coil as well. The coil is wound on a ferrite coil and is covered with a plastic sleeve that has been heat-shrinked over it. Examine the coil. If the heat-shrinked cover has been melted or is missing entirely, the coil may be bad.

This is not a component that you can boogie down to Radio Shack for a replacement. There are a couple of options for obtaining a replacement coil. The preferred method is to take the coil off a junk power supply. Alternately, you can pull the burned wire off the ferrite core and rewind the choke yourself using the appropriate gauge wire. There aren't that many turns of wire on it that you can't rewind a new coil in five minutes.

Switching Regulator Power Supplies ("Peter Chou" Style) Output Capacitor Replacements

I have received a number of calls and letters from operators and technicians that are having trouble obtaining replacement capacitors for switching regulator power supplies. I recommend using Nichicon brand capacitors. I have been using them for almost two years and to date I have not seen a repeat capacitor failure.

Nichicon brand capacitors can be obtained from a company called TTI. They have a score of offices across the United States of America, all of which can be reached by calling (800) CALL TTI. I recommend that you order just two different capacitors for use as replacements for the output filter capacitors in the "Peter Chou" style power supply. It helps a great deal when you have the part numbers. For the +5 VDC output, use 3300 microfarad, 16 VDC capacitors. The Nichicon part number is UVX1C332M. Each power supply requires two of these.

To make ordering and stocking easier, I use the same capacitor for both the +12 VDC and the -5 VDC outputs. It's a 1000 microfarad, 25 volt capacitor. The Nichicon part number is UVX1E102M. Although some power supplies use a 2200 microfarad capacitor for the +12 VDC output, I have

found the 1000 microfarad to be perfectly satisfactory. Most power supplies use one capacitor each for the +12 VDC and -5 VDC outputs so order the same number of 1000 microfarad capacitors as you do the 3300 microfarad capacitors. When you replace the output filter capacitors, it's a good idea to change them all at once.

Switching Regulator Power Supplies ("Peter Chou" Style) Output Diode Replacements

Output diodes are a common failure item in the switching regulator power supply. I would say that around twenty-five to thirty percent of them have bad output diodes.

High Speed Diodes

There are three pairs of output diodes; one pair for each of the outputs: +5 VDC, +12 VDC, and -5 VDC. These are not ordinary diodes. They are special, high-speed, "fast-recovery" diodes. High speed diodes are made to handle the very fast switching action (around 40 thousand cycles per second) of the power supply.

I have rarely replaced the +5 volt diode assembly in a switching regulator power supply. The +12 and -5 volt output diodes are the most common failures. It is normal for these diodes to test bad when checking them "in-circuit." There is usually a low ohm resistor (normally around 100 ohms) across the output of the power supply that causes a very low

reading when checking the +12 or -5 volt output diodes. Most people unsolder and remove one end of each diode to test it but you can usually bypass this step. When these diodes fail they will generally short completely. Instead of reading around 100 ohms, you will get a reading of around zero ohms; a dead short!

Substitute Diodes

The +12 volt output diodes will usually carry an original part number like PXPR302 or FR302. These are 3 amp diodes. The -5 volt output diodes will often be type PXPR1502 or similar. Good engineering practice dictates that high speed, "fast-recovery" diodes be used in this circuit. I have found normal diodes will fail prematurely and as such are unacceptable as substitutions.

That's all there is to it. The more you work on repairing power supplies, the easier it gets. When you consider that many power supply repairs are effected with the replacement of a single diode, you can see that they are anything but disposable!