HP 'Common Slot' Power Supply Case - DPS-1200FB and Related

thingiverse

A handful of HP server power supply modules were being disposed of at work, I decided to grab them and see if I could convert them to more generic use. Turns out these HP 'Common Slot' PSU modules are one of the most popular types to modify, with plenty of information available on how to power them on and in some cases modify for higher voltage and interface with them via I2C. A quick search on Thingiverse showed that I was quite late to the party, as several designs were already available. After looking at various designs, I picked the linked remix source to base my own design on, and after several hours of work in SketchUp, I had designed the case you see here. This case can be used in two ways - I sourced the 64-pin edge connector that mates with the edge connector and glued it in place to allow swapping PSU modules in and out as required. Alternatively, you could just slot the PSU in and solder directly to the edge connector. If you do go the edge connector route, it needs a small amount trimmed off either side to fit, carefully file/sand the sides until the connector fits snugly. I used my hand plane and shooting board to carefully shave off plastic until the connector fit. Slot the power supply in place and mate with the connector, make sure that it is fully seated and glue the connector into place. A drop of thin CA on either side worked well for me, just be careful that you don't glue the power supply into the connector! To finish the PSU case off, I added a vandal-resistant switch with indicator and an LED to show AC is connected. I connected the LED to the +12v VSB 'always-on' rail on pin 37 with a current dropping resistor, the indicator LED in the switch to the main 12v rail, and the switch across pins 33 and 36 to enable the PSU output. There are two versions of the front panel, one with a ledge for sticking a Pro Micro Arduino or similar into the case for interfacing with the PSU (for fan control, accessing voltage and current readings etc), and one without the ledge to give more room for wiring the Anderson PowerPole connectors. I have also included the SketchUp designs if you'd like to make changes. Edge Connector: https://au.element14.com/amp-te-connectivity/1761469-1/card-edge-conn-dual-side-64pos/dp/1925006 Push-Button Switch: https://au.element14.com/alcoswitch-te-connectivity/av1911e312q04/vandal-resistant-sw-spst-3a-250vac/dp/2565115