Old power supplies without front terminals -- Best way to front-mount terminals? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2014, 07:34:03 pm
content: I see a lot of big, old rack mount (triple height) power supplies that only have outputs on the rear. I saw one for sale that looks to have been retrofitted (they looked non-factory) terminals on the front. If I got one of these supplies I'd want a nice looking solution that's safe, covered and where I don't have to make any permanent mods to the power supply. If anyone has done this can you share your design? Can anyone recommend some good terminals and cabling? I am thinking that a separate enclosure would be good. Extend all the rear connectors to a single enclosure. Bad idea? Why?

author: babysitter
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2014, 07:43:56 pm
content: Well, I once got a Gossen Konstanter with all connectors except mains (which had its own socket) on a backside PCB edge connector, the front only had a hole for overcurrent setting and alarm LEDs.Removed the front panel, drilled two holes for 4mm jacks, two for potentiometer coarse/fine and a filed a rectangular hole for a LCD panel meter. Soldered a owls nest of wires from the front panel to the backside connector, keeping clear of mains circuits.If you have got something like a HP6632B, there are already places for front terminals in the panel, only with the front membrane covering it. Datasheets of connectors tell you if they are the right choice for such a thing.

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2014, 08:11:36 pm
content: Quote from: babysitter on February 18, 2014, 07:43:56 pmOkay maybe I will modify the original. I'd rather not. I don't recall the model numbers. There are lots of them. Datasheets are good, just thought some here might have already gone down this road.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2014, 08:28:43 pm
content: You could get a short piece of speaker cable with front posts in heat-shrink tubing. Personally I prefer drilling a hole in the front. This is my most recent project with added front posts. Dual because the PSU can deliver 50A which exceeds the rating of a single front post and a load on/off switch:

author: gxti
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2014, 11:53:47 pm
content: Most power supplies will have thinner "sense" wires that meet the "force" wires only right at the terminals. If you move the connectors to the front, make sure those wires stay separate in order to avoid any voltage drop internally.

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2014, 06:37:02 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on February 18, 2014, 08:28:43 pmNice job you've done. I really like the idea of repurposing equipment. I think I really want to create a separate external enclosure so I can expose all the terminals on the back in one place. Do you not use any of the other terminals on the back of your PS? As another poster mentioned, the datasheets will tell me how many terminal points to use. I guess those posts rated to 25A?