Opus 90w Power Action

EBoundEE · 03-04-2004, 09:13 PM

My carputer has been dormant in the last few months (mainly due to sub-zero winter conditions here in Minnesota

), so I decided to start the project up again. This last fall I purchased the Opus 90 watt power supply for use on my carputer. Specs:

Asus K7M (Slot A)
AMD Athlon 850MHz (Slot A)
256mb PC133 SDRAM
Radeon 9200SE 64 mb (AGP)
Onboard sound and a PCI NIC

The only problem I was running into last fall though, was that it didn't seem to be supplying enough power for the setup. I was using the Opus PSU to power the computer AND a pyramid 7in TFT LCD. The problems I ran into were the computer and monitor would startup fine and I'd have a few minutes of use before the computer would just restart. It wouldn't just shut off or anything, it'd just plain restart. I figured this was because it didn't have enough power, and then winter came along and now here we are.

The question I have is, if I find another way to power the LCD, will the computer have enough juice from the 90w opus? Or does the LCD not suck enough power as it is to worry about it?

bosstone74 · 03-05-2004, 01:16 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by EBoundEE

My carputer has been dormant in the last few months (mainly due to sub-zero winter conditions here in Minnesota

), so I decided to start the project up again. This last fall I purchased the Opus 90 watt power supply for use on my carputer. Specs:

Asus K7M (Slot A)
AMD Athlon 850MHz (Slot A)
256mb PC133 SDRAM
Radeon 9200SE 64 mb (AGP)
Onboard sound and a PCI NIC

The only problem I was running into last fall though, was that it didn't seem to be supplying enough power for the setup. I was using the Opus PSU to power the computer AND a pyramid 7in TFT LCD. The problems I ran into were the computer and monitor would startup fine and I'd have a few minutes of use before the computer would just restart. It wouldn't just shut off or anything, it'd just plain restart. I figured this was because it didn't have enough power, and then winter came along and now here we are.

The question I have is, if I find another way to power the LCD, will the computer have enough juice from the 90w opus? Or does the LCD not suck enough power as it is to worry about it?

Finding another way to power the LCD would probably help!

Cherub211 · 03-05-2004, 02:09 PM

That computer and processor is sucking up 95% of that power supply. The LCD MAY be taking up 5watts.

none · 03-05-2004, 06:17 PM

How do you have it wired to the battery? Although the symptoms you describe do not sound like a lack of power.

And on an unrelated note, have you looked into the Opus 90w manufacturing defects and made sure that yours has been repaired? It could fry your motherboard if it is an early revision.

EBoundEE · 03-05-2004, 06:26 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by none

How do you have it wired to the battery? Although the symptoms you describe do not sound like a lack of power.

And on an unrelated note, have you looked into the Opus 90w manufacturing defects and made sure that yours has been repaired? It could fry your motherboard if it is an early revision.

I have it wired using a sub wiring kit, same exact wires it says to use in the manual. I read what was wrong with the other 90w PSUs and didn't seem to have that problem. I know that the system I'm using hogs a lot of power (because it's older) but it's the computer I'm using. Like I said though it just has random restarts, run fine for a while but then will just restart.

bosstone74 · 03-05-2004, 06:33 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by EBoundEE

I have it wired using a sub wiring kit, same exact wires it says to use in the manual. I read what was wrong with the other 90w PSUs and didn't seem to have that problem. I know that the system I'm using hogs a lot of power (because it's older) but it's the computer I'm using. Like I said though it just has random restarts, run fine for a while but then will just restart.

I had a similar problem with the opus 150, I used the connectors, that came with the kit and would have random restarts. I thought there was something wrong with the PS, so before sending it back it in I double checked all connections, and found out that it was a bad connection to the 12v ignition line, so I just ended up twisting the wires and soldering them instead and then taping them...I think those connectors anr bullet connectors or cuplers...I dont know what they are called...but I don't think they are very strong!

none · 03-05-2004, 06:36 PM

It's not that old, shouldn't be a hog really at all. Do you have an AC adapter and a long extension cord you could power the LCD from to test? If your system didn't have enough power it would never get through bootup, there would be no randomness.

I would be absolutely certain about the Opus not being defective, as the consequences are severe. If you bought it last fall, it most likely is.

EBoundEE · 03-08-2004, 05:21 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by none

It's not that old, shouldn't be a hog really at all. Do you have an AC adapter and a long extension cord you could power the LCD from to test? If your system didn't have enough power it would never get through bootup, there would be no randomness.

I would be absolutely certain about the Opus not being defective, as the consequences are severe. If you bought it last fall, it most likely is.

Most likely IS bad or ISN'T? I'm thinking you're saying isn't

But yeah, thanks for the info, I was thinking maybe it'd restart because of not enough power or something like that.

Also bosstone, when you say you soldered the wires what do you mean? At this moment I have the ignition line running from my battery (with a circle thingy, don't know the name, but it's not just wrapped around the battery) and then I just soldered the wire of the cable, to the wire coming out of the opus PSU (the three wire deal that plugs in to the PSU). Also to test it would I just get a voltage meter and check the wire? Pardon all my electronic illiteracy.

none · 03-08-2004, 08:37 PM

Most likely IS bad, if you got it last fall. I'm not the clearest writer sometimes.

The defect seems to show up unexpectedly, in units that were working fine before.

EBoundEE · 03-08-2004, 09:22 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by none

Most likely IS bad, if you got it last fall. I'm not the clearest writer sometimes.

The defect seems to show up unexpectedly, in units that were working fine before.

What defect were you talking about, the same defect I have right now, of it restarting randomly?

none · 03-09-2004, 12:05 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by EBoundEE

What defect were you talking about, the same defect I have right now, of it restarting randomly?

No, it is a defect that puts 12 volts on the 5 volt rail or something like that, destroying motherboards. It appears suddenly on PSUs that were working normally before. All early Opus 90 watt units had the defect, it is fixed by adding a resistor.

EBoundEE · 03-10-2004, 07:01 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by none

No, it is a defect that puts 12 volts on the 5 volt rail or something like that, destroying motherboards. It appears suddenly on PSUs that were working normally before. All early Opus 90 watt units had the defect, it is fixed by adding a resistor.

I think I had mine after that incident, but I'm not for certain, I remember hearing about it before I purchased mine. But would that lead to the problems I'm having with the restarts?

none · 03-10-2004, 10:11 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by EBoundEE

I think I had mine after that incident, but I'm not for certain, I remember hearing about it before I purchased mine. But would that lead to the problems I'm having with the restarts?

No, it wouldn't. My best guess at this point for your problem, if it is power related, would be a flaky connector similar to bosstone's.