The chart only shows the wires that leave the enclosure. starts and ends its run inside the PSU's enclosure), you probably don't need or want to change it. If a wire is completely internal to the PSU (i.e. wires that exit the PSU and end in connectors). Remember, you should probably only be messing with the wires that would be accessible without opening the PSU's case (i.e. Your PSU may not have all of the wires on the chart, depending on the age and output of your unit. Thankfully, the colors are (typically) standardized as shown in the chart. Upon opening a PSU, you will find that it is a jubilee of wires in the worst way possible. This nuance is why it makes sense to talk about having multiple +12V rails in some PSUs. In the context of ATX PSUs though, "rail" refers to each output that has a separate group of current-regulating circuits. And you get to build a box! Birdseye maple and dovetails, anyone? One piece of vocabulary before we continue: A "rail" generally refers to a PSU's output of a particular voltage. With binding posts.) It also gives you more room to add functionality. (Did you see that pretty power supply box in the photo? it's now a paperweight. Method B is more work, but allows you to easily swap out the PSU when you burn it out doing something dumb. wire them to ATX and Molex connectors and plug your creation in to an unmodified PSU. Build a box with the requisite binding posts, switches, LEDs, etc. and attach the wires appropriately (See the photos for my version of this method). Open the PSU cut the connectors off the wires drill holes in the existing housing insert binding posts, switches, etc. So, you want to hack an ATX PSU, but you don't really know where to start? There are basically two common hacks. By using this information, you are agreeing that I am not responsible for any of your actions or their results, even if I totally am. You should clearly not trust anything that I have written. I am not a licensed electrician, professor of physics, PhD engineer, or any other remotely-credible title. Everything in this Instructable is correct to the best of my knowledge, but please use your own good judgement. If you're not afraid of electricity, then there's a good chance that you don't understand it and should do more research before messing with it. "Step 1" ~ Some background information and suggestions for projects "Step 2" ~ A list of standard wire-colors and functions in an ATX PSU "Step 3" ~ A chart of wire-associations on ATX connectors "Step 4" ~ A chart of wire-associations on other connectors (molex, floppy, PCI-e power, etc.) "Step 5" ~ Tips, tricks, warnings, anomalies, and conspiracy theories "Step 6" ~ Sources & further reading Requisite Disclaimer: Electricity is scary (where fear is equal to voltage x amperage / ). If you want a greater depth of information, see Step 6. This is meant as a reference guide and so I've tried to avoid extensive explanations. This isn't so much an Instructable as it is an Informable. My objective here is to give you all the information that you might need in order to hack an ATX PSU to meet your needs. We like to improve on what already exists and fit the product to our needs. My observation is that most makers, hackers, and mad scientists don't follow instructions very well. There are tons of Instructables on how to hack a discarded ATX (computer) power supply unit (PSU) into a lab bench power supply.
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