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Quick test and a look inside a generic Hangell 60V 5A power supply

This is not a deep dive video with full reverse engineering. That would be very time consuming and be hampered by much of the functionality being in software. Instead it's a modular look inside the unit to see what sort of separation there is, and the separate sections of the power supply. It is important to select the correct voltage rating on the slide switch at the back of the power supply, to set it for a 120V or 240V supply. Connecting it to 220-240V while set for 120V will damage the unit. The unit has three terminals on the front. Negative, Positive and Earth/Ground. Because this is a high frequency switching power supply, I strongly recommend bridging the negative connection to the earth connection, as it will prevent the capacitively coupled leakage through the compact transformer from causing issues with sensitive components. This style of power supply is rated 300W, although I don't recommend using it at full current for long periods of time. You can get 120V/3A, 60V/5A and 30V/10A units. I chose 60V as it is sometimes useful for testing higher voltage LED panels. A 30V power supply is ample for most workshops. There are two overcurrent modes available. Standard, where the unit limits the output to the set current - and the voltage drops to match (Constant Current mode), and protective mode where overcurrent will instantly shut the output off and sound a warning. The unit is notable for using a TL494 switchmode control chip that is found in many traditional switching supplies. It has a separate power supply for the control circuitry and USB outputs. The control power is managed by a DK124 chip. I'm not a huge fan of the USB sockets being fed from the control circuitry power supply. It poses a risk of interfering with the operation of the control circuitry if high-current or noisy USB loads are plugged in. If you want to explore these units then here's a link to the item on AliExpress (not a sponsor). This is an affiliate link, but that will not affect the price you pay. https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4beSEit The typical cost of power supplies like this is around £60, which is actually very affordable for lab equipment. For something that is known to comply with local standards you can get power supplies from prominent electronics distributors in your country. In the UK an example of that would be CPC. https://cpc.farnell.com/c/test-equipment/bench-power-supplies-sources-loads The cost will be higher, but you are getting a power supply with safety approval and a warranty. If you enjoy my videos, supporting the channel on Patreon helps keep it independent of YouTube's quirks, avoids intrusive mid-video adverts, gives early access, bonus footage and regular quiet Patreon live streams. https://www.patreon.com/bigclive Alternatively, for a single coffee contribution you can use PayPal:- https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/bigclive #ElectronicsCreators