Problem with new DSATX

**jbradshw** · 03-27-2008, 12:35 PM

So I just got the DSATX in last night and I hooked up to up to my new carPC (haven't installed it yet). It's a MSI Fuzzy RS690T. Right now I'm just bench testing it and to install everything before it goes into the car. I connected it to this power supply:

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamps/2423.html

From what the DSATX manual says, that should be enough to power it. I'm using 12 gauge wire.

Anyways, I connect the DSATX to the motherboard (20-pin and 4-pin headers, power switch (verifying polarity), no other load off the DSATX), put the DSATX in dumb PS mode and turn it on. The DSATX LED comes on solid, CPU fan spins for about 1-2 seconds, then it stops spinning and the DSATX LED goes completely out.

Next, I decided to plug in a fan on the DSATX fan header. Turned it on again and the DSATX fan spins up fully and during the 1-2 seconds its speed slows down and speeds up erratically and then it dies just like the CPU fan.

I then rotated P2 fully CCW and tried the same thing with the same results.

I can only think of 2 possible causes:

1) The AC-DC PS I'm using isn't putting out enough for the DSATX which would surprise me based on its specs.
2) The DSATX Is at fault.

Help please.

**RipplingHurst** · 03-27-2008, 03:21 PM

Try changing the polarity on the cable that goes to the power switch on the motherboard. This is exactly what would happen if you inverted the polarity on the cable that goes on the power the motherboard, at least that was what happened to me also (and my motherboard does not requires negative polarity, it's a standard mATX).

If the AC-DC PS was not putting enough juice, the DSATX would blink 5 times (overload): that was what happened when I had a 16 gauge for testing purposes and I plugged in a DVD-ROM. With a 12 gauge in my bench, same PS, everthing worked wonderfully.

**jbradshw** · 03-27-2008, 03:25 PM

I'll give it a shot, but I made sure to match the ground pins together on the DSATX and the power switch header. I thought if you had them swapped then it would screw up the motherboard when you tried to power it on.

**RipplingHurst** · 03-27-2008, 03:29 PM

I wouldn't worry about damaging the motherboard. It's just the connection for a power button, if you have no HD's attached, you can play with any regular power button however you wish.

**jbradshw** · 03-27-2008, 03:31 PM

Alrighty. I'll try it tonight when I get home from work. I think I'll also pick up a spare ATX PS and a power switch so I can at least make sure this motherboard works alright.

**jbradshw** · 03-27-2008, 10:38 PM

So I swapped the polarity of the power switch cable and now when I turn on the power supply I get nothing - even the DSATX LED doesn't light up and the DSATX fan doesn't spin. Swapping it back goes back to my original problem.

**jbradshw** · 03-27-2008, 11:39 PM

Interesting note: For kicks I unplugged the 4-pin power connector from the DSATX (leaving the 20-pin one connected), kicked the power back on and everything powered on and stayed on - my only indication though is the fans spinning. Of course I couldn't POST or anything but I didn't know if this would help at all in troubleshooting.

**jbradshw** · 03-28-2008, 09:43 AM

And I did confirm my setup does work fine with a regular PC (250w) power supply (was worried that could have been a problem).

Right now I'm speculating (and hoping) that my bench PS just isn't giving it enough juice - even though it's rated to do so. I'm gonna try connecting this up to my car and see what happens.

**jbradshw** · 03-30-2008, 03:03 PM

So it appears this is a DSATX problem. I installed my system into the car and I'm getting the exact same issue. Is there some other setting that might be causing this??

**jbradshw** · 03-30-2008, 03:34 PM

OK I got it going. It looks like it may have been a polarity issue like you said earlier RipplingHurst. When I swapped it before, I didn't have it plugged into the G pins so that's why I said it didn't make a difference.

However, one little issue that's popped up since it's now working. When I turn off ACC, the DSATX immediately removes power from the PC, no shutdown or anything, but I'm currently troubleshooting that so we'll see where that leads.