FIXING THE STUBBORN SWITCHER, PART II
Last time we got the
preliminaries out of the way. This month
I'll try and give some concrete suggestions on getting that stubborn switcher
back up and running.
First of all, open
the thing up and make a really close physical inspection. You're looking for carbonized parts, blown
circuit board traces (which can range from traces completely blown away from
the board to hairline cracks that are almost invisible),
signs of excessive heat, tiny cracks in solder pads surrounding component
leads, cold solder joints, and signs of cooking and corrosion. Be sure to look closely at power resistors for signs of cookage. Be extra
vigilant around the following: electrolytic
capacitors (signs of outgassing and outright
leakage, bulges in the can or perished rubber seals around the positive leads);
power transistors (carbon traces,
broken leads, carbonizing of insulating washers and holes punched through
insulating washers; and input and output
connections (look for heat fatigue: cold solder joints, corroded connector
pins, and hairline cracks in solder connections). Use your nose as well as your eyes. Trouble is much more likely to be found in
areas that get warm in normal use--the high current areas of the supply, for
instance.
If you can't find
physical evidence, it's time to start thinking about the circuit and how it's
supposed to work. Let's examine what the
power supply is and is not doing:
1)
"It's
dead, Jim!" No output voltage,
no input current. Obviously you should look
for blown fuses, on either the input or output side. Is voltage getting to the input filter
cap? If not, look at the input rectifier
bridge and components in that area.
Usually the switching transistor stage consists of one or more power MOSFETs. Look on the
gate terminal. Are pulses getting to the
MOSFETs? If
yes, then the power transistors may be cooked.
If no, get back to the power supply controller. If it's not generating pulses, it may be dead
or it may be shut down, internally or externally (time to check out those data
sheets), or it may be that its "supervisory power supply" is not
working. You should be so lucky!
2)
"Call the
fire department." Very high input current, low or no
output. Well, here you're likely looking
for a short in the input or output loop.
A current-limited variable voltage supply instead of the regular input
connection can be handy here. And
disconnect the load from the output.
When you run up the input voltage, does the input current rush up right away, or only after you've gotten close to the nominal input
level? If right away, look for shorted
parts in the input loop; if the troubles start only once the controller wakes
up and starts pulsing the power transistors, the
problem is likely on the output side.
Have a good look at those power MOSFETs, and
don't forget the spike suppressing diodes that surround them. Or shorts in the output loop elsewhere--if
there's an overvoltage crowbar, you should check to
see if it's acting prematurely. If the
crowbar circuit is controlled by a zener diode, be
especially suspicious. If the trouble's
in the load, try running the supply with minimum input voltage/current and
feeling parts in the load for hot spots.
Careful! Even if there's no high
voltage, the hot parts can remove skin from your fingertips in a most
distressing and painful manner!
3)
"Darn
thing works until a load is connected." A very common
problem. The supply appears to work properly (input and output voltages in the
right neighbourhood), but the supply cannot provide
its specified load current. Look for one
of two faults: either the protective circuitry is shutting down the controller
too soon (overcurrent sensors tripping too easily),
or the output filter capacitor has dried out and gone partially open. The few inches of wire between the power
supply and the load may represent enough inductance at the switcher's operating
frequency to prevent proper operation--location of that output filter cap,
close to the power supply, may be crucial for the proper operation of the
supply.
With a little
patience and perseverance, even the most recalcitrant switcher can be brought
to bay. Happy hunting!