I have recently come across a couple of OGR forum posts about using computer power supply with ATX Benchtop Power breakout board for DC supply of 3.3, 5, and 12 volts to various train layout accessories. Had an old PC so removed its 460w power supply. Found/bought an ATX breakout board on Amazon. Also found/bought couple of volt-ammeters on Amazon. Today I assembled a proof-of-concept on my workbench and all appears to work as expected. Photo below shows simple benchtop wiring of ATX power supply, ATX breakout board, and one of the digital volt-ammeters. In photo, I'm wired to the +12v breakout board outlet and my little digital volt-ammeter meter shows 12v and 0.05 amps ... small current about what I expected for the three 12v light strip LEDs illuminated in middle right side of photo -- roof taken off of one of my small scale buildings. I've also attached two wiring diagrams for connecting the digital volt-ammeter; they are identical except in different presentations by different authors. Author and hyperlink info below each image. I offer these photos and diagrams for other OGRers who, like me, are dabbling in electrical circuitry and could use some hand-holding.
Anyway, in addition to just documenting what I did, I'd also like to ask others who have incorporated ATX power supplies with breakout boards and possibly voltage/current meters into their train layouts to offer photos/diagrams of their wiring manifolds for single or multiple accessory buses. I am currently thinking of:
- including a separate digital volt/ammeter for 3.3v, 5v, and 12v breakout board outlets to monitor each output channel ... inexpensive so why not.
- having separate 3.3v, 5v, and 12v buses circulating under my layout to power accessories with those respective DC voltages although I don't know what load would use 3.3v at the moment.
- coming off of the 5v breakout board outlet with a large diode to drop the voltage to ~4.5v DC for 4.5v accessories (e.g. Menards). So, there will be a 5v and a ~4.5v bus coming off of the 5v breakout board outlet. OGR forum member John H is helping me on getting the large diode ... thx John.
- I expect there will be ample power for a single bus for each voltage, but perhaps having multiple 12v or 4.5v or 5v buses would be helpful in power management of different accessory populations? Thoughts?
- currently thinking of mounting the ATX power supply, breakout board, digital volt/ammeters, and connecting terminal strips for the various layout 3.3, 4.5, 5, and 12v buses all on a board or custom box for protection/compactness/efficiency of locating/re-locating around layout. Thoughts?
- Ground: I have couple of AC ground buses going around my layout for AC power grounds to my track and Ross switches ... all hooked up to my Z4000 transformer grounds. Should I keep the DC power supply ground buses for my DC accessories separate from the ground buses coming out of my Z4000? The ATX power supply has a grounded power plug connected to house 120v power outlet. The Z4000s do not.
So, please show me (and others) what you've done on you own layouts. Would also like to see any separate setups you've done just for your workshop workbench power supply use.
Thanks in advance.
Tom