Is there an issue with the 80W 12V DC power converter?
Is there an issue with the 80W 12V DC power converter?
I own a mini-ITX case with a 12V DC input and an 80 W converter board. When I link it to my mini-ITX motherboard and connect the external power, the red LED on the converter alternates between a long flash and a brief pulse, but the PC fails to boot. I’m certain it’s not the motherboard, since it works properly with a reliable ATX PSU. Could you suggest what might be wrong? I’ve never used this setup before, so it hasn’t been functioning before. I looked up the documentation, but the only model listed is LST-DC-ATX. There’s also a large space and a V2.1 label under LST-DC-ATX, followed by a date stamped 20160928 (possibly September 28, 2016). I purchased the case in 2017, so I don’t expect any support or compatibility updates for that specific board. The external power brick is from Seasonic, and I haven’t used it except once before trying to assemble this build. It shows a green LED that stays on even when plugged into the wall. Another hint: if I connect the external power brick directly to the converter but not to my mini-ITX board, the red LED doesn’t activate. This suggests the converter isn’t detecting the correct input voltage.
I thought it might be the PSU PCB that was defective, but I'm looking forward to your update. Just curious, what's the cost of the PSU setting? I'd have checked a more dependable option just to ensure durability.
I have a mini-ITX case with a 12V DC input and an 80 W converter board. I'm not sure about the product link, but could you share images of the internal PSU and the power brick details? Also, what device are you planning to run using this adapter or brick?
The board and power brick look similar, though slightly different, and I haven't found a matching model number on the board.
The power brick is a Seasonic SSA-0601HE-12
https://seasonic.com/pub/media/pdf/indus...SERIES.pdf
ASRock J5040-ITX mini-ITX board:
https://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/J5040-ITX/index.us.asp
The CPU has a power rating of just 10 W. I've connected a USB mouse, keyboard, and HDMI, and even used only one DIMM in a setup that worked with a standard ATX PSU.
If you're curious, here's the case.
MITXPC MX500-USB 2.0 Industrial Fanless Mini-ITX Case w/ Wall Mount Bracket
The MITXPC MX500 supports Mini-ITX form factor motherboards. The enclosure is designed to fit an optional 120W powerboard or a 80W powerboard. The enclosure features a variety of mounting options such as wall mounting brackets, or an optional VESA Bracket for 100mm and 75mm patterns. The MX500...
mitxpc.com
It shouldn't be relevant to the issue. I made sure the boards were properly fastened to the standoffs and that there wasn't anything which could be shorting them on the underside (extra standoffs, stray screws, etc.).
Do you have any experience with a PICO style PSU? Could you retrieve another power brick from a Dell (Alienware) line? For troubleshooting purposes, please check if it’s possible to move everything onto a board without the case, just in case the PSU's PCB is causing issues...
I placed an order for a MX-0608F to swap this board in. It’s possible the board never functioned properly. I’ll update the discussion once it arrives.
I had a small chance of understanding the flashing pattern, but it looks like the board might be faulty.
Thanks for your attention.
I thought it might be the PSU PCB that was defective, but I'm looking forward to your update. Just curious, what's the cost of the PSU setting? I'd have checked a more dependable option just to ensure durability.
The replacement DC-DC converter board cost me $31 on eBay with shipping. For future needs, I think a Pico PSU or a mini-ITX board would be my best choices. There might be some mini-ITX boards with 19 V barrel connectors built in, but the one I’m considering doesn’t have that feature. Regarding DC-DC converter alternatives, the standalone board seemed more suitable because it includes cables for additional peripherals. I also think a smaller converter like the Pico-PSU might not perform as well as a larger one, even if they’re both designed similarly. The Seasonic power brick is available around $30 as well. I’m hoping my current unit performs well and that the ones I own are of similar quality. The specifications look acceptable at least.
The Morex MX-0608F has arrived and is functioning excellently with the same Seasonic power brick. I conducted some stress tests using stress-ng on Ubuntu 22.04 for roughly 30 minutes, along with four full passes of Memtest. Based on these results, I have two possibilities regarding the original converter board. It could be faulty. The issue might stem from the DC barrel connector not being installed directly on the board itself, suggesting it was likely intended for a 19V input.
Each converter board comes with its own barrel receptacle and cable. They both use the identical 2-pin connector for connection to the DC converter board (referenced below). Assuming they were meant to be interchangeable, I used the one already installed in the case. Surprisingly, it turned out the polarity of their internal connector is reversed!
I confirmed that the new lead didn’t connect properly with the old converter board, which triggered the same fault-protection mechanism in the power brick. This implies the discrepancy likely lies in design. It highlights the importance of verifying all assumptions. Fortunately, the power brick featured a short-circuit protection feature that likely saved both the converter board and the motherboard.
The fact that both converter boards match in size and mounting holes makes me wonder if there’s a standard for this setup or if it’s simply a common practice among manufacturers. I’ve noticed a few other mini-ITX cases that appear to support the same board configuration.