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What do you think about converting pc power supply to bench power supply? Is it ok for amateur use?

Edit: I thought it has some current limiting mechanism, but I see it doesn't. It's big problem in my case. I only need few hundreds miliamps on every voltage level. Can this problem be solved by some external current limiting circuit?

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    \$\begingroup\$ Lots of hits on the web for this sort of project. You might have to fool the supply into thinking it connected to a motherboard, which means it is always drawing some current. \$\endgroup\$
    – user65586
    Commented Nov 20, 2015 at 2:00
  • \$\begingroup\$ Current limited how? Do you only need to draw 100mA or it should prevent it from drawing more than 100mA? \$\endgroup\$
    – Passerby
    Commented Nov 20, 2015 at 2:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ Well, it should interrupt current above a certain amount (100mA for example). So if load try to draw more than 100mA it will act as fuse. \$\endgroup\$
    – hari
    Commented Nov 20, 2015 at 3:04
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    \$\begingroup\$ I have to say this question of yours is rather unclear in its first part. There are various conversions out there... from simply drilling (pointless if you ask me) holes in it to put some connectors (why can't you do this instead?) to actually changing the feedback loop so it becomes a high-powered variable supply, within certain [voltage] limits. Which of these do you have in mind by "converting"? \$\endgroup\$
    – got trolled too much this week
    Commented Nov 20, 2015 at 3:30
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    \$\begingroup\$ Put fuses in each line. Quick, easy, cheap (initially!), reliable, and infuriating enough to keep you careful. \$\endgroup\$
    – user16324
    Commented Nov 20, 2015 at 11:14

3 Answers 3

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ATX PSUs make great power supplies. They have a lot of power that is reasonably stable.

While not a variable voltage nor current limited, they have a wide range of voltages and you can just get 24V out of them (+12V to -12V)

Sparkfun has a small kit that has the ATX connector and a breakout board. This is completely optional but might be good for a beginner.

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One major drawback of using a PC power supply in this application is that they are effectively unprotected against short circuits. A typical PC power supply will happily drive hundreds of amps into a short circuit — more than enough to destroy anything on your breadboard. A good lab power supply, on the other hand, will allow you to set a current limit appropriate to your circuit and have the power supply shut itself off if that limit is reached, protecting you (and your project!) from errors.

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A typical ATX power supply is a fairly well regulated supply with well known performance standards, and a high current sourcing capacity. Aside from the need for a dummy load for proper regulation, there is no problem in using it as a general purpose supply.

Of course, it lacks any professional bench supply features, like current limiting, variable voltage, or experimenters safety features. But as long as you don't do something stupid you will be fine.

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