Responsible for maintaining legacy equipment with ageing, obsolete power supplies that are potentially unreliable?
Ever since Alesandro Volta produced the first steady DC voltage from a chemical battery in 1800, Engineers have been finding new and innovative ways to produce a steady and reliable DC voltage for Electronics and Industry.
With the rationalisation of the power supply industry, many sector-leading firms from the past like Farnell Instruments, Gould Advance and Advance Power have disappeared. Replacements for obsolete power supplies are not always available and even datasheets may no longer exist. Advance Product Services (APS) have Design Engineers from Farnell Gould Advance and Advance, so if you are stuck with a problem or are looking for obsolete datasheets, connect with me and drop me a message. I will look through the archives for you and do my best to help!
If you have faulty obsolete power supplies right now, your first option is to repair them. If you have the appropriate knowledge, experience and soak test equipment, you could undertake this in house. Understanding the circuits and the importance of component specifications can be a specialist job. If you are unsure, I’d recommend you obtain help from a specialist PSU repair house like APS. We totally understand your problems and even offer a premium EXPRESS service for those just can’t wait repairs!
If it’s not broken, DO fix it!
Even if it is not broken now, it might be worth considering refurbishing the most likely to fail components in your obsolete power supply. Commonly in switch-mode power supplies, this would be electrolytic capacitors, opto-couplers, potentiometers and fans. Not always an easy process to perform, some components may be difficult to source and don’t forget soak testing afterwards. Refurbishment can be a great way of reducing the risk of unsafe or expensive down-time in the oil, gas & water sector, defence & aerospace, transport, industrial/manufacturing or power generation. APS has developed specialist refurbishment techniques and they keep a stock of obsolete components if you need a little help! All backed up with long warranties on work performed for added peace of mind.
If you are looking for a replacement then it’s not just as simple as matching size and shape, you have to consider exact electrical specification, control signals, product approvals, potential liabilities and equipment certification. For safety, consideration must be given to over current protection and the rating of the wiring that the PSU is powering or you may inadvertently have created a fire risk or the potential of further failures.
Finally, you may be able to source a fit, form, and function identical replacement. APS manufacture ranges of replacement units for many obsolete Farnell, Gould and Advance PSUs that may save you a lot of time, money and potential heartache!