Using a PC PSU for your Atari

[Rybags]

Does anyone here use a PC power supply for their Atari?

 

I'm thinking of doing so (just for the computer).

 

Either an old AT style (have a few spares, and might put it inside some type of enclosure.

 

Or, a nice little slimline ATX one (although it's only a 100 Watter, but should be heaps for a 130XE).

 

Also, can the 1050 be modded to run on one too, or does the drive mech use some non-standard setup?

[MEtalGuy66]

Does anyone here use a PC power supply for their Atari?

 

I'm thinking of doing so (just for the computer).

 

Either an old AT style (have a few spares, and might put it inside some type of enclosure.

 

Or, a nice little slimline ATX one (although it's only a 100 Watter, but should be heaps for a 130XE).

 

Also, can the 1050 be modded to run on one too, or does the drive mech use some non-standard setup?

 

Yeah you can use the 5v side of a PC psu to run an 800XL no prob.

 

It is also technically feasible to run a 1050 off of the 5v and 12v signals on a PC PSU, but the problem your gonna have is that the 1050 controller board has its own internal voltage regulators and rectification circuits. Youd have to remove/disable all that stuff on the board, and then you could wire in the 5v and 12v supply wires to run it. Basically, it could be done, but its a big hassle, and its not gonna look pretty.

 

What would be alot easier is to add a second 5v regulator to the 1050 board, and have a wire exiting the back of the drive , over to the 800XL's power connector. This way, you'd be powering the 800XL off of the 1050, and only need a single AC "plug-in" for the whole system.

[Beetle]

You can easily use the 1050 on a PC-PSU. You don't even have to remove the PSU-stuff on the 1050.

Just put the +5V on TP13 (testpoint, little pins on the 1050-pcb), 0V on TP15 and +12V on TP14.

The power does not enter the 1050-psu stuff backwards, the drive stays completely cool.

 

If you wire the 5V from your PC-PSU over the original powerswitch of the 1050 (cut the traces) you can

switch your 1050 on/off as before. The 12V is only needed for the motors. You can undo the mod easily.

 

I have put out the big "spoiler" and the big condensators, too. The rest i left in.

 

Runs fine!

 

 

Regards

Beetle

 

PS: Remember that PC-PSU require a minimum load on the 5V line. I put a 12v/25W halogen bulb

inside of the PSU for this. Dont use it without load - it may fail or blow out 20V on the 12V line or whatever.

[MEtalGuy66]

You can easily use the 1050 on a PC-PSU. You don't even have to remove the PSU-stuff on the 1050.

Just put the +5V on TP13 (testpoint, little pins on the 1050-pcb), 0V on TP15 and +12V on TP14.

The power does not enter the 1050-psu stuff backwards, the drive stays completely cool.

 

If you wire the 5V from your PC-PSU over the original powerswitch of the 1050 (cut the traces) you can

switch your 1050 on/off as before. The 12V is only needed for the motors. You can undo the mod easily.

 

I have put out the big "spoiler" and the big condensators, too. The rest i left in.

 

Runs fine!

 

 

Regards

Beetle

 

PS: Remember that PC-PSU require a minimum load on the 5V line. I put a 12v/25W halogen bulb

inside of the PSU for this. Dont use it without load - it may fail or blow out 20V on the 12V line or whatever.

 

Heh. Well, I wouldnt reccomend that. You can try it at your own risk. I did exactly that with a 1050 one time because it had a bad regulator and I didint have the parts to fix it, and I needed it because I was in the middle of a big coding project.

 

It worked fine for a few hours, and then one of the big caps inside it blew and made a mess all over the board.

 

Possibly my diodes were bad as well, but Im just sayin, all 1050s are approaching 20 years old ore more...