"Official" replacement PSUs - anyone had one?

[c128]

Availability of replacement PSUs seems to have been pushed back from the start to the end of the month on NewIT's order page:

https://www.newit.co.uk/shop/proddetail.php?prod=SheevaPlugPSU
http://www.newit.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,489.0.html

As I guess they're waiting on Globalscale, has anyone actually had a replacement PSU direct from Globalscale yet?

I'm now nudging closer towards 2 months of a non-functioning fileserver due to a PSU failure, and as I don't want to void my warranty in any way I've been waiting on the official "under warranty" solution rather than looking at alternatives 

[joosty]

I decided not to wait and connect my old NSLU2 PSU, working fine. I did void my warranty I guess, if there was still any left after one year of ownership, but for $99 I prefer that instead of waiting with a dead plug....

[c128]

I decided not to wait and connect my old NSLU2 PSU, working fine. I did void my warranty I guess, if there was still any left after one year of ownership, but for $99 I prefer that instead of waiting with a dead plug....

Yeah, I might have done the same had I not had a 2 year warranty (I have 2 old NSLU2's too ).
As it stands though, I'm waiting for the replacement under warranty, but I'm wondering whether they exist at all "in the wild" yet (even from Globalscale).

[naugtur]

Repairs in my PSU costed me less than 1EUR. Still gets hot, but now I know I have to watch out

[Heryro]

I thought warranty was only 30 days, am I wrong?

[c128]

I thought warranty was only 30 days, am I wrong?

It is if you bought it from a supplier in the UK  (or , if you live outside of Europe, I guess).

Actually, I just received my official PSU today.  The original was in a metal box that clipped together, whereas this has a black plastic "card" covering just the underneath and two sides.  Probably better for cooling, but doesn't look very...ehh...robust.

More worried about it just working properly though as I've been missing my plug - now to give it a go...

[c128]

So, my official replacement PSU doesn't look quite like the one in the photo's here:

http://www.newit.co.uk/assets/files/SheevaPlug-How%20to%20replace%20PSU.pdf

Rather it looks like the attached image.

The above instructions are good - basically you push the "naked" PSU down into the case on its silicon pad and then clip the black cover over the top.
It is a bit fiddling getting the power connector to snap back into the hole in the case, as mentioned in the info.

Seems to up and running OK at the moment .

[hungarianhc]

I JUST finished installing my new "official" replacement PSU from globalscale. The old one looked like it had had a meltdown.... The new one was tough to install. Some of the parts in different spots than on the original one so it was hard to get it to fit in the case properly. I had to bend some things around and actually cut a bit of the metal away. Anyhow, I'm doing a fresh install on it right now, and it's booting just fine off the USB drive. We'll see how long it lasts...

[c128]

The new one was tough to install. Some of the parts in different spots than on the original one so it was hard to get it to fit in the case properly. I had to bend some things around and actually cut a bit of the metal away.

Bit confused by your comment here - is your replacement for a standard Sheevaplug?  If so, i can't see what metal there is to cut away?  As I understand it (and this is how I installed it) the original PSU was in a metal case, but the replacement doesn't use this; you push the replacement into the space where the original PSU (metal case and all) sat, and then clip the black plastic cover over the top - so the cover is the new PSU's replacement for the old PSU's metal case.  When I did this everything fitting pretty well as it should do, the only fiddly bit was getting the power inlet Telefunken socket to clip back into the case (and the installation instructions explain how to do this).

[superpat]

Hi,

What is making me VERY nervous is the fact that GlobalScale appear to have changed the design of the new version 2 power supply to a version 2A

If you look at the picture provided by c128 (above) you will see that it differs slightly from the pictures in the GlobalScale pdf instruction sheet  put out a  few weeks ago.

The  thing that worries me is that the new new version 2a power supply appears to have a generic, cheap 85 deg C  aluminium electrolytic capacitor in the mains rectified reservoir position, whereas the picture in the pdf instruction sheet appears to depict a capacitor with a lot more lettering and numbers on it. Unfortunately  the writing on the cap is not clear enough to read for positive confirmation.  I am guessing that capacitor may have been a better quality 105 deg C cap and even maybe a low ESR type that will stand up to the application

The 400V 33ufd  CapXon  shown in the picture of the power supply delivered as the replacement to C128,  has NO additional markings. If it doesn't state 105 deg C then it is not, If it doesn't say low ESR then it is not.  It does not have any type markings to indicate a quality product.  In that position in that application it will DIE sooner than later.

I think someone has done a cost saving exercise on the new replacement power supplies and replaced what may have been a promising  long lived  power supply with one that may be no better than the original!

Here is a quote from the CapXon website, there is very little on the website about ESR and even this note is very vague, no real numbers:-

***********

ALUMINUM CAPACITORS

 When you use aluminum electrolytic capacitors, remember the following.
polarity

    * Regular electrolytic Capacitor has polarity.
    * Reverse voltage causes short circuit breakage of the capacitor or leakage of electrolyte. Where the polarity in a circuit sometimes reversed or unknown, a bi-polar capacitor should be used.

 
Overvoltage

    * Do not apply overvoltage continuously.
    * When overvoltage is applied to the capacitor, leakage current increase drastically.
    * Applied working voltage to capacitors should not exceed the rated working voltage of capacitor.

 
Operating temperature and life

    * Do not use the capacitor over the max operating temperature.
    * Life time of the capacitor depends on the temperature.
    * Generally, life time is doubled by decreasing each temperature 10℃.Generally, life time is doubled by decreasing each temperature 10℃.
    * Use temperature as low as possible.

 
Vent

    * It is recommended at least 3mm of space around

**********


Remember I measured the temperature on the body of the failing cap in the original power supply in my Sheevaplug at over 70 deg C after an hour of use.

regards

Patrick

[c128]

mmm...very interesting that Pat, thanks, and a bit worrying of course  .

I currently have two Sheevaplug's, once of which the PSU "popped" in, and so resulted in the replacement above, the other one currently seems to be OK.  I had been debating just buying the revised PSU for the second plug anyway (rather than waiting for it to fail and doing so under warranty).  Now I'm not so sure.

What would be interesting to know is if everyone that has received an official replacement PSU has actually received one the same as mine, suggesting a change in spec for the final replacement product, or whether there are various versions floating about and being distributed now, which might suggest I've just been unlucky and that there more robust replacements actively available.

[superpat]

@c128

I have received a suggestion that the power supply you received as a replacement for your Sheevaplug may in fact be a Guruplug power supply.

If it is, then that raises an interesting question:-  are all Guruplug supplies fitted with a low grade 85 deg C mains filter / reservoir capacitor, and will  Guruplug's power supply fail prematurely ala the Sheevaplug, bearing in mind the Guruplug appears to run at even higher temperatures?

Another question is whether there is any way of positively identifying what  replacement power supply your received, are there any part numbers on it?

As I wrote the above another question crossed my mind,  What certification have GlobalScale done on the Sheevaplug with the new power supply. I do not believe that the original CE or UL or FCC qualifications would stand if the complete power supply is redesigned and replaced?

I have purchased a Open-rd Ultimate, imagine my chagrin, having just read of a complaint in the Open-Rd forum that the Open-RD components  are running at elevated temperatures, looking inside my Open-rd, I find there is NO heatsinking of the CPU, memory or ethernet chips!:-

Hi

Just wonder to know if it is normal that the Open-RD board  becomes
very hot around the DDR2-SDRAM memory chips.
The memory chips are the hottest area, around 44/46 degrees Celsius,

The Open-RD Client in the enclosure become very hot soon.
Both the boards I have here (1 base and 1 client) return such
temperature (taken with an IR thermometer)

Thanks

I despair that the design engineers at Global Scale / einfochips have been given a primary design goal of cost reductions, instead of product quality and  longevity!

regards

Patrick

[c128]

Another question is whether there is any way of positively identifying what  replacement power supply your received, are there any part numbers on it?

mmm...yeah, there are some numbers on the PCB, but I can see they aren't all visible in the photo.
This particular Sheevaplug is now back up in my loft (nice and hot up there when it's warm outside  ) running my fileserver - I'll pull it apart again this weekend and see if I can get all the details of it and I'll respond here.
Thanks for all the info/input, by the way.

...bit worrying all of this .  Would be very useful to know what others have received and if they could compare to my photo on this thread.

[guidol]

Would be very useful to know what others have received and if they could compare to my photo on this thread.

via NewIT.co.uk I received the same Power-Supply-type like your one
(my old one was already a bit blown but does work):
http://lehwalder.wordpress.com/2010/08/22/new-power-supply-from-newit-for-my-sheevaplug/

[Andy]

I received the same replacement as guidol and c128. Unfortunately the plug still does not work.

With a voltmeter I should be able to check whether the new power supply works, shouldn't I?