Acorn Computers

BBC Microcomputer A / B or Master

Power Supply Upgrade

Instructions

BBC PSU Upgrade v1.2 © Stephen Storr 2019 Page 1

Table of Contents

Contents of kit .......................................................................................................................2

Tools required .......................................................................................................................2
1. Existing Power Supply Removal ....................................................................................3
Printed Circuit Board removal ...................................................................................................... 3
2. Instructions....................................................................................................................3
3. Mains Power connection ...............................................................................................4
4. Earth Wire connection ...................................................................................................4
5. Circuit board and low voltage cable harness (BBC Model A/B) .....................................5
6. Circuit board and low voltage cable harness (BBC Master)...........................................8
7. Mounting the power supply in the Master ....................................................................9

Contents of kit
1 off Meanwell PT-65A power supply circuit board
1 off 12v/5v Cable harness (Red, Black, Yellow, Purple wires)
1 off 230v connector cable (Brown / Blue wires)
1 off new Mains power lead with molded 13A plug
1 off mains cable grommet
1 off Earth stud link cable
2 off 3d printed PCB/case brackets (BBC Master only)
4 off stand M3 pillars (BBC A/B only)
4 off M3 screws
4 off M3 nyloc washers (BBC A/B Only)
1 off set of instructions
4 off cable-ties / Ty-wraps

Tools required
3.5mm drill bit
Hand drill
Posi drive screwdriver
Small adjustable spanner or socket for m3 nut
Side cutters
Long-nosed or combination pliers

BBC PSU Upgrade v1.2 © Stephen Storr 2019 Page 2

 1. Existing Power Supply Removal
Turn off the BBC Micro and unplug it.
Turn the machine over so the base of the machine is facing up
Remove the four screws on the BBC Micro marked 'FIX'.
Remove the three small screws for the power supply.
Hold the case firm and turn the machine back over so the keyboard is facing up.
Carefully lift the top part of the case away from the main unit.
Dis-connect the three black, three red and one purple connector that connect the Power
Supply to the main PCB.
Lift out the Power Supply Unit from the main case.
Set the main case aside.

Printed Circuit Board removal

Unscrew the “earth” connectors on the front and rear of the PSU with screwdriver and
pliers. Set the screw, washer and nut safely aside.
Cut the small ty-wrap holding the small wiring loom the frame of the PSU.
Pull the red and black wires from the bottom of the main switch. Noting their location for
re-connection.
Carefully, with pliers, squeeze the lugs of the multi- connector and poke back through its
hole toward the PCB.
Slide out the PCB from the PSU chassis.

2. Instructions

** Once powered low voltage 230v AC is present and is

dangerous – Please follow instructions carefully and double
check polarity of all cabling before switching on this Power
Supply. If you are unsure, please seek guidance from a
competent electrical or electronics specialist before
proceeding **

BBC PSU Upgrade v1.2 © Stephen Storr 2019 Page 3

 3. Mains Power connection
Take the mains power cable and, using the cable grommet, clamp it around the mains cable
very near where the mains cable is stripped
Insert the loose end of the mains cable through the mains cable hole of the power supply
metal case.
Squeeze the grommet very tightly and push into the hole in the case.
NOTE. This is a very tight fit. It does squeeze into the hole with enough pressure and
perseverance.

Connect the Live and Neutral wires to the double pole switch as pictured above,

Take the 230v connector cable (Brown/Blue short connecting wires) and connect to the
double pole switch as pictured.

This should live a white 3 pin connector hanging in mid air

4. Earth Wire connection

The earth wire from the mains lead along with the separate single earth wire can be
connected to the earth stud on the meta chassis.

Make sure this connection is clean and tight.

BBC PSU Upgrade v1.2 © Stephen Storr 2019 Page 4

 5. Circuit board and low voltage cable harness (BBC Model A/B)
(If you have a BBC Master please jump to section 6)

Position the new circuit board on the existing power supply case as pictured above.

Leave room for 2 of the spacers to pass through the cases vents and onto the circuit board.

Once the circuit board is in position mark the holes for the spacers on the left-hand side as
shown above.

Using a drill and 3.5mm bit make 2 holes that will accommodate the M3 size screw threads.
Clean up the outside case where the drill has passed through.

Using 4 off M3 screws and 4 off stand-offs / mounting pillars and nyloc washers, attach the
PCB to the case.

BBC PSU Upgrade v1.2 © Stephen Storr 2019 Page 5

Connect the 6-way harness connector to the PCB.

Pass the Auxiliary connector through the existing hole of the case.

Note. You may find it helpful to bend the metal case slightly, so you can fit the above
connector. Again, it is tight, but it does fit. Carefully bend the plate back into position.

You can now cable tie / ty-wrap the harness to the chassis. This prevents unnecessary
movement and accidental disconnection of the harness when fitting back into your
machine.

BBC PSU Upgrade v1.2 © Stephen Storr 2019 Page 6

Once the low voltage harness has been connected you can now fit the white 3 pin mains
connector to the PCB, taking care of polarity.

Connect the single earth cable to the lug on the PCB

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 6. Circuit board and low voltage cable harness (BBC Master)

Take the new circuit board and, using M3 screws and nuts, fit the 3D printed brackets as
pictured above.

Connect the 3-way power connector to the circuit board, noting the orientation i.e. live,
brown wire should be closest to the onboard fuse.

Connect the 6-way connector of the low voltage cable harness to the circuit board as shown
above.

Pass the Auxiliary connector through the existing hole of the case.

Note. You may find it helpful to bend the metal case slightly, so you can fit the above
connector. Again, it is tight, but it does fit.

BBC PSU Upgrade v1.2 © Stephen Storr 2019 Page 8

Carefully bend the plate back into position.

Once the external power connector is in place you can place the power supply down
into the case and align the screw holes with the bracket. Be careful to fold the
excess wires out of the way so they don’t prevent the power supply board from fitting
correctly. Once aligned simply screw the board in place using the original 4 screws
from the case.

7. Mounting the power supply in the Master

To mount the power supply back into the Master simply place it back in its original
location and wire it up as per the original supply. Make sure the ground, 5V and -5V
connectors are in the correct place.

Once connected it is a good idea to check the power output of the new supply by
measuring the 5V power output (this must be done while the power supply is under
load). If the power output is not 5Vs you can simply adjust the output level using the
potentiometer on the power supply board. This can be accessed (at an angle)
through the left screw hole on the top of the power supply case (which originally
screwed into the heat sink of the old supply).

BBC PSU Upgrade v1.2 © Stephen Storr 2019 Page 9

NOTES

BBC PSU Upgrade v1.2 © Stephen Storr 2019 Page 10