These pins inside the socket can be used when you have a matching cable and HP PDU in your server rack. Keywords to look it up are HP Intelligent PDU, Power Line Communication (PLC) and Power Discovery Services (PDS). This basically provides some "smart" features like localisation/identification services and maps power usage across your data center down to the per server level (instead of per PDU / per rack) and offers some more features that follow along the same line.
Most site i have seen with these don’t use them, instead they get similar data via the iRMC, especially where they have more than one brand of server in their racks.
they only need a single link to make them come on - if you fit a pot you can increase the voltage to 13.5v and they make a good battery charger and psu for ham radio
@@stewartrv My 460W model ran at 12.25v and the inbuilt pot only adjusted up to 12.5v. I added a 43k Ohm resistor from ground to one of the legs of the screw, and got 13.8 - 14.2v. Problem is then under load it switched off, so must have a max limit of 13.8v (now the lowest setting). It works fine now, but it was on the cusp of tripping and the screw is a bit sensitive. So I'd prefer a lower resistor value to ensure it always runs (e.g 13.4 - 13.8v). The quiet PSU fan also got a bit louder. I use it for a Xiegu G90 ham radio (20W RF, RX 0.6A, TX 2-5A) and hear it'll run full power at
These are most modern PSUs with 12V only and 12VSB = Standby. This is now comming in for normal PCs as well. The first motherboards are in stock. Modern PCs and servers are no longer in need fpr 5V and 3,3V. You only get a lot of losses on the cables with this smal voltages. You have a few different stages in it. 1. APFC 2. primary switching 3. active rectification in the secondary by MOSFETs. This allows a verry high efficiency most likly 80+ Titanium (96%) or even higher. This is the reason why you can cool 1200W with one smal fan.
Machine halls being clean rooms.... ha. I wish. Edit: some google fu tells me the pins are Power Line Communication - not something I've ever heard of in a server environment. "This feature enables each server to communicate identification, location, and power-related data to the Intelligent Power Distribution Unit in the rack which can then be shared with HP Insight Control to manage power usage and efficiency in the data center" Sounds like they're trying to get a bite of APC business.
The server rooms I worked in were clinically clean and needed to be. Apart from servers for local Government we had the servers for UK Post Office which had so many fans they sounded like jet airplanes taking off when they were all powered up. Any dust in the rooms would very quickly have found a home inside them but they were clean when opened.
been using a pair of the 1200W units for years in series with each other for 24V as a supply for charging lipo batteries in parallel. flipping overkill but has worked great!
Those PSUs have a way of reporting parameters (voltage, current, temperature, ...) via some sort of serial bus, usually I2C or SMBUS. Those square 40pin chips with sticker in PSU are probably PIC or Atmega micros used for that purpose. Those boards you have don't utilize that functionality, but if you can find protocol details you can make Arduino or PIC based monitoring panel for the PSUs.
@@blackz06 PMBus ... the specs are available for the current (and older) versions... www.pmbus.org/Specifications/CurrentSpecifications pmbus.org/Specifications/OlderSpecifications If you orient the edge connector on the PSU so that the large power connectors are on the right and the group of small data connectors are on the left, as you look into the back of the PSU ... ... the I2C PMBus pins are the two rightmost small connectors (facing downwards) The wikipedia page on "Power Management Bus" mentions various chips and firmwares that implement the spec and provide for graphical interfaces... although, being I2C you could write your own using an appropriate microcontroller such as Arduino, Atmel, PIC, etc. Usually these server PSUs give a LOT of power conditioning information, temperature, fan-speed, 100% fan-test, current limits, etc. I don't know about HP, but my Dell ones also provide Input and Output Voltage and Amps - which is great for monitoring efficiency, impending failure and line condition. The slot also provides an always on, low current, supply for powering a management IC... it will even power a raspberry PI very nicely if driven through a 12v-to-USB power regulator. So, you could browse into your power supply from anywhere in the word and monitor it or turn it on/off. Have fun : D
The PSUs usually have a better efficiency when used closer to their max load. When used at lower loads their efficiency goes down. I think that's why the 1200W model gets hotter than the lower wattage models.
Your phone video recording doesn't remove background noise (like you suggested in the last video) but instead has an *AGC* (automatic gain control) that "levels" the sound out over time. When the audio is low it cranks up the gain and we hear the miner fans and when you start talking close to the phone it reduces the gain to maintain a more constant audio level (and to prevent clipping). Thus the fans appear to get quieter while you are talking. During a phone conversation however your phone can use other techniques to reduce background noise such as reducing to the voice's bandwidth, etc. (generally you don't want your video recordings to do this). Though this can make your voice sound weird on a phone call.
Hi Julian - Last year I made a DIY 3D Printer using a HP Server power supply - Works perfect with the AMPS output. Just a simple resistor to fake the on/off internal switch.
Don't plug in the AC *until after* the DC output is connected! You noted the reason for the locking clip (removal) at the start. It is there so you don't remove the PS while the AC is plugged in. Notice how you were turning the DC connector back and forth trying to get it on and it is possible to short things out there or with a wedding ring, etc. That's a lot of current to be shorting out. Those power supplies are designed to go straight (not at an angle) into the server and its connector. Remember what happened a couple videos ago when you weren't thinking and shorted out that wire on your 12V battery? Well this likely would be worse and wouldn't stop (like a battery drains). Even if the PS survived, connectors would be damaged and it would likely give you a heart attack from the bang! 8-P
Nice, HP DL380 PSU's. I work in a DataCenter and we get through about 8 to 10 of these per week. We do have 1,200 physical servers though. We run the cold isles at 25c, which means the hot isles are about 55c. Consequently the PSU's dont last very long. But its cheaper replacing those rather than paying the horrific air-con bill if the DC was running at 20c.
The "Main Detection port" is used to control the board with external power. It fits a "floppy connector" from a ATX PSU. When the ATX PSU is turned on, it will start this board as well.
Thanks Heine. I just connected a PP3 9v battery to that connector and it turned on the PSU. So I can switch it on and off without using that click switch (with its annoying bistable action). Cheers :)
If anyone is thinking about using two in series to give 24 volts, the 0 volt rail is connected to ground, so the unit doing the 12 -24 part will need to be modified so that its 0 volt rail is not connected to ground. Without this modification you will short all of the amps from the 0 - 12 unit to ground via the 12 - 24 unit !
The 100 Amp supply may be running less efficiently because you are only using a small percentage of its capacity. As you know, these units are generally most efficient at around 50% utilization.
I didn't freeze frame and pick off the model numbers, but this family of supplies come in different efficiency ratings. The lowest are 80+gold level. You are right that the efficiency peaks at 50% utilization.
@@davidwillmore That's interesting. Given that servers run continuously for years on end, and given the amount of money that server farms end up paying for electricity and for air conditioning to get rid of excess heat, I would have guessed that spending a few bucks extra for higher efficiency would always be a no-brainer...
@@ats89117 It is, but the supplies Julian is talking about are the ones being removed from service, so they are the older and less efficient ones. If we looked at the ones in service, I would expect them to be more efficient then the ones we are seeing surplus. Keep in mind that, at these efficiencies, the power saved going from one grade to the next is very little. I.e. going from 92 to 94 doesn't save much power as there is very little being wasted.
I got one of those from the guys who came to change out the servers, it's the 800W version. It just got up and stopped working one day (i don't pull more than 6A) and mysteriously started working a month later.
100A at 12V. Wowsers, that's a MIG welder haha. Really not efficient but completely understand why it is what it is. Love your concept of using the miners as heaters though to the inefficiencies are actually useful. I guess that technically makes the miners and power supplies effectively 100% efficient (assuming ideal PF, which it probably is for a decent PSU?)
Great video and tour of these brilliantly engineered and cheap PSUs! I did notice that when you powered down the ant miners, I could hear a loud knocking on your front door and it sounded like the phone was ringing off the hook? I'm wondering if the neighbours are getting fed up with a modular TARDIS in your back garden, especially with the LEDs varying in brightness due to fluctuations in power draw lol!
Thanks, it is nice, as a conventional PC builder/user, to get a glimpse of server stuff. I wonder how the efficiency of those PSUs compares to ATX PC PSUs... (just can't be bothered to google it right now, heh)
Hey Julian, why don't you try your hand at a passive heating system for your shop? I've seen people take tubing, put it in a box and paint it all black. The sun heats up the air extremely fast and creates a breeze since the air is expanding. At most you would need is a 12v fan.
@@JulianIlett Seattle is pretty notorious for gloomy weather but people are building these "pop can heaters" for small studios/shops. It would be curious to see how effective it would be in your climate. love the videos still!
I use server power supplies to power cordless tools which have dead or missing batteries. Regulated 12V is plenty for an 18V drill. The current is quite high under full load. 50 A is common.
@@whitcwa I disagree, a higher voltage of course means it can draw more power and even a small lipo can have ratings at 30C or higher, basically meaning a 2Ah battery can deliver up to 60A, so it goes without saying that a slightly bigger 3Ah+ battery at 50C is going to be able to provide a lot more than 50A, but sure a cord is always going to last longer than any battery.
I once used an old motorbike battery to power an 18v nicad Dewalt drill, so when I got my PSU just to test it I popped the crocodile clips straight on the copper strip and it worked fine. It ran slow of course. In comparison I tried a Dell laptop PSU and it tripped, unless pressing the trigger gently (and only for a second I think).
What I'm really interested to know is what the earning rate per kwh is? I know it won't break even but I would be curious to know if it's good enough "cash back" to make it cheaper than gas heating.
After a few days of tests, I reckon they return about 20% of the electricity cost. Not a bad 'cash back'. Also they produce a very dry heat - ideal for the shed. But the noise - OMG the noise.
@@JulianIlett Any thoughts on thermostatic control and quieter fans? If the devices have thermometers in built you might be able to get much of it as a software patch.
They are thermostatically controlled - the fans change speed periodically - they also run slower on colder days. It's also possible to lower the ASIC clock speed - less heat is produced and the fans run proportionately slower. But I need around 2kW to keep the shed warm - that's both Antminers running flat out.
@@JulianIlett You could build a small shed or lean to beside your main shed and use the fans to pump the heat through some ducting. Lots of insulation to keep the heat in and noise out and your golden. Just a thought
Flex PCB transformers are a very common technique nowadays in modular PSUs. I believe the technology was developed by TDK for their Vega customisable PSUs.
the soft start requires a 1K resistor across 2 of the pins (one has 3.3v and the other reads 0V but it's not ground), unlike the ATX power supplies that just need 1 wired pulled down to ground.
Most server PSU's are packed so tight there is no room for a trimmer pot, and also packed so tight it is almost impossible to locate the feedback. Good luck!
@@TheEmbeddedHobbyist Hmm, mine had laser trimmed printed carbon resistors. If the overvoltage protection is detected from the feedback/sense, sticking your own pot there could be a solution, as long as nothing gets ran out of spec.
@@rich1051414 The one I have i converted to 13.8V to power radio's. Found the voltage control pot and added a fixed resistor to the board to allow it to addjust higher. could not get to 13.8V as it cut at 13.7V, so left it set to 13.6V close enough. With no circuit dia, i did not want to poke around too much to try and get the extra 0.2V. But i expect these are designed to be very effecient at 12V and pushing them away could drop it and cause excessive heat.
@@TheEmbeddedHobbyist On my 460w PSU I added 43k and got 13.8 - 14.2v, but found under load it'd trip above 13.8v. It runs my Xiegu G90 fine but I'd prefer a lower value as it's so close to tripping, and the screw is finnicky. One time it didn't power up. I read on QRZ someone had e.g a 100W icom but needs to run a battery or capacitors inline, as theirs can't handle the sudden bursts on TX.
Not a good idea. You are loosing money on them (big time). You can look up his miners, and see what others earn with them here: www.asicminervalue.com/
@@deslomeslager that is relative. If his power comes from solar it is "free" (besides cost of panel and battery buffer) + it is a heater in winter . Sure you won't make money . But my thought is not about that i would like a video on the more electronic side and power consuption side of this miners
@@ixi12Vl It's a pretty good idea if you're using it as a heater, but otherwise even for "free" it's a bad idea because using the electricity you generate rather than grid power is roughly 10x more efficient than using it to make money.
The servers these PSUs are meant for have a dedicated remote control system integrated, called Integrated LighsOut, or ILO. You can completely shut down the server and still have full remote control ability, so if you need to enter the BIOS or RAID card for thousands of miles away you can do it.
So, just to double-check, you said the fan in 460W and 1200W units operates in semi-passive mode? Like, does it only spin up at higher loads and stop completely at light ones? I'm actually looking for a server PSU with this exact behaviour for a project.
@@JulianIlett Yeah, otherwise it doesn't make sense that the 1200W one needs less cooling than 750W one. Thanks for the info anyway, I'll go buy one right now! They're so ridiculously cheap!
@@JulianIlett Just an update: I've bought a 750W and a 1200W model. 1200W one is just like yours, while for 750W I went with a fancier 80+ Titanium one (HSTNS-PL34). They behave exactly like you described: 1200W is semi-passive, 750W runs the fan all the time, even when off (it's actually really quiet though!). I guess the explanation could be that the 750W one is manufactured by LITE-ON, while 1200W is from Delta Electronics. If I were you, I wouldn't mess with the potentiometers - they probably set various important things like output voltage, protection thresholds, etc., and very unlikely - the fan curve). Instead, I'd try interfacing the PSU via I2C/PMBUS. You can normally use this to set fan speed to anything that is above the PSU's internal target.
Julian, good video, BUT. Why are you promoting the plugging in of boards with the power supply effectively powered up ready to start with the PCB switch. The lever is fitted so that the mains has to be removed before the power supply is pulled from rack and the PCB. You are not using them in the rack they are designed for, but must still follow the connection/disconnection procedure to preserve the power supply's reliability and soft start control. Sorry mate, but that lever is very important, and if the PCB switch was ON when you tried to connect and reconnect the tight fitting of the PCB with mains plugged in, I would not be happy, especially if the PCB was loaded up.
Hello, Julian, and many thanks for the video! I'm a "PC guy" and rather new to mining. So after my 5th 850W ATC PSU I decided to start buying those cheaper HP server PSUs. Mine was quiet, as opposed to what I saw/heard on the web, but it heated a lot so I got a good PC fan there and thought that was it. TODAY it decided to go nuclear and ramped up into Full Vaccuum Cleaner Mode.... It's in the other room where I actually LIVE, so that level of noise is untolerable. Do you have a video showing how to tweak those pots? Anything involving "soldering" is above my paygrade (yes, sort of a flaw in character, but then again I'm a very good art photographer, so ...) but tweaking stuff is easy. Otherwise I'll sell it with a bit of profit as I have more cables and a better 16 output connector, about the same one as you got there. Thanks!
So are we saying the project needed is a remote controlled ‘finger’ to press the button to switch on the devices? ... sounds like a fun addition to your remote sensing setup ... perhaps using a solenoid ? Look at Tim Hunkin’s machines for some inspiration perhaps??
Do you have the fan pinout for the 750W model? It has a little non-standard Molex PicoBlade connector on it. I have the right connector, but I don't want to trial-and-error the pinout.
Some day very soon, all electrical heaters will be computers or server farms in the form factor of an electrical heater. Thermostat calls for heat, hundreds of embedded CPUs will go on-line and start offering services. As a byproduct, hundreds or a thousand watts of heat will be produced. At the end of the month, the heating bill might be NEGATIVE $XX as a consequence of the computational services offered, or coins mined. ...Eventually, at least during winter, computer cycles will likely become free. And you'll be back to paying for heat.
What about using the SPDIF and connecting it to the SPDIF on the Graphics card preferably a ASUSTEK EN9500GT to get the audio through the HDMI connection.
Is there any way to quiet them down? What are the fan dimensions for the HP 1200w and would it be possible to replace the stock fan with a noctua one!? Thanks in advance.
Yep, me too! I guess they are cooled by driven fans in situ, or something. They are fine with low power though as i just use them as converted project power supplies. Very good quality and cheap for that use....around $5 i paid! Even my 1200w version only cost $20 & free shipping from Amazon.
Hello i have a project that will use server power supplies for PC or home brew PC but i don't know where to get the edge connector from. as for that AC connector i am taking a guess its for coms to a UPS but not seen it.
On sunny days, I have connected a miner to my 240W solar panel (through the PowerOak unit). But it will only run at the minimum clock speed so around $0.01 is all it earns.
I plan to run two of the PD11 units in parallel by bridging pin 34 and the GND and 12V pads on both PSUs and modding them to achieve 13.8V with 130A. Having seen your video with these breakout boards I purchased one with the physical switch and the PCIE power ports, but the other breakout board I purchased only has wire screw down ports 12 GND and 12 12V. My question is do you believe that connecting them together would be supported by the breakout board? I know it works if you physically wire it this way. Just unsure if the breakout board will feed the power from the 2nd unit back to the main one and make the full amps available at the other PCIE power slots. Does that make sense? Based it off the second half of this video th-cam.com/video/yy__P_VLxT4/w-d-xo.html
@@JulianIlett i went with nicehash as it will oayout in bitcoin that tends to change often so can gain alot more money when it claimes the thing i like most about my old miner is when the miner paied for its power use in winter all that free heat
Hey Julian, do you have a link to the bigclive video on how to build and wire that supercomputer red LED flickering display at the top of the screen? I would really like to build one of those. Thank you very much!
quetal amigo cera que me podes ayudar como activar fuente conmutada minero whatspower p222b para usarlo como fuente para reotilisarlo con un amplificador porque no activan lo de 14v me podes ayudar
@@steverpcb I need something automatic that will start charging when I plug it in the mains These power supplies can deliver serious amps and I need around 30amps to fast charge my lifepo4
I'm not quite sure, but you should be able to adjust a pot somewhere to increase the output voltage ,, have a look a 'fred in the shed' on YT he has adjusted PCU's to 13.8v DC to run ham radios !! ?
Are crypto miners really worth it after you factor in the power you spend running them. Over a year how much are you profiting, if any? Also cryptocurrency prices could easily fall overnight once too many do it thus making this pointless.
These particular ones are worthless because crypto is so hard to mine now that a miner from a few years ago will loose money hand over fist (I think Julian has a video showing how much money they actually make, he made about 0.001 cents in his test) On the other hand he is using them as heaters so he would be using that power to heat the shed anyway. On the other other hand a £20 toaster would heat the shed too and be much cheaper than all these ebay parts. He clearly just does it because its interesting.
Oh goodness (being polite) - the noise is too much! At least use a mic directly on your mouth to avoid picking up their sound? Please? 2:40 Thank you!!!
![F.HERO Ft. JSPKK x ลำไย ไหทองคำ x M-PEE - ไม่สนิทบิดหมด (Thai Riders Anthem) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kPJZ0UihBfk/mqdefault.jpg)
These pins inside the socket can be used when you have a matching cable and HP PDU in your server rack. Keywords to look it up are HP Intelligent PDU, Power Line Communication (PLC) and Power Discovery Services (PDS). This basically provides some "smart" features like localisation/identification services and maps power usage across your data center down to the per server level (instead of per PDU / per rack) and offers some more features that follow along the same line.
Thanks for that :)
Most site i have seen with these don’t use them, instead they get similar data via the iRMC, especially where they have more than one brand of server in their racks.
they only need a single link to make them come on - if you fit a pot you can increase the voltage to 13.5v and they make a good battery charger and psu for ham radio
What Pot is needed and where is it connected? Can you link any info pls?
@@stewartrv My 460W model ran at 12.25v and the inbuilt pot only adjusted up to 12.5v. I added a 43k Ohm resistor from ground to one of the legs of the screw, and got 13.8 - 14.2v. Problem is then under load it switched off, so must have a max limit of 13.8v (now the lowest setting). It works fine now, but it was on the cusp of tripping and the screw is a bit sensitive. So I'd prefer a lower resistor value to ensure it always runs (e.g 13.4 - 13.8v). The quiet PSU fan also got a bit louder.
I use it for a Xiegu G90 ham radio (20W RF, RX 0.6A, TX 2-5A) and hear it'll run full power at
These are most modern PSUs with 12V only and 12VSB = Standby. This is now comming in for normal PCs as well. The first motherboards are in stock. Modern PCs and servers are no longer in need fpr 5V and 3,3V. You only get a lot of losses on the cables with this smal voltages. You have a few different stages in it. 1. APFC 2. primary switching 3. active rectification in the secondary by MOSFETs. This allows a verry high efficiency most likly 80+ Titanium (96%) or even higher. This is the reason why you can cool 1200W with one smal fan.
The “Main Detection Port” is for triggering the power supply by linking it up to an ATX power supply using the floppy connector.
Machine halls being clean rooms.... ha. I wish.
Edit: some google fu tells me the pins are Power Line Communication - not something I've ever heard of in a server environment.
"This feature enables each server
to communicate identification, location, and power-related data to the Intelligent Power Distribution Unit in the rack which can then be shared with HP Insight Control to manage power usage and efficiency in the data center"
Sounds like they're trying to get a bite of APC business.
Server rooms are normally the polar opposite of clean rooms; I suspect the 'refurbishment' process for the power supply is blowing the dust out.
The server rooms I worked in were clinically clean and needed to be. Apart from servers for local Government we had the servers for UK Post Office which had so many fans they sounded like jet airplanes taking off when they were all powered up. Any dust in the rooms would very quickly have found a home inside them but they were clean when opened.
The miners are too noisy lol picks down lads
been using a pair of the 1200W units for years in series with each other for 24V as a supply for charging lipo batteries in parallel. flipping overkill but has worked great!
solar powered or you like to pay the power generators that much,
maybe have shares in that company ?
@@jyvben1520 no on both
how are they noise wise? is tolerable to sit near them for hours? thank you
Those PSUs have a way of reporting parameters (voltage, current, temperature, ...) via some sort of serial bus, usually I2C or SMBUS. Those square 40pin chips with sticker in PSU are probably PIC or Atmega micros used for that purpose. Those boards you have don't utilize that functionality, but if you can find protocol details you can make Arduino or PIC based monitoring panel for the PSUs.
Interesting. Makes me wanna research it some.
@@blackz06 PMBus ... the specs are available for the current (and older) versions...
www.pmbus.org/Specifications/CurrentSpecifications
pmbus.org/Specifications/OlderSpecifications
If you orient the edge connector on the PSU so that the large power connectors are on the right and the group of small data connectors are on the left, as you look into the back of the PSU ...
... the I2C PMBus pins are the two rightmost small connectors (facing downwards)
The wikipedia page on "Power Management Bus" mentions various chips and firmwares that implement the spec and provide for graphical interfaces... although, being I2C you could write your own using an appropriate microcontroller such as Arduino, Atmel, PIC, etc.
Usually these server PSUs give a LOT of power conditioning information, temperature, fan-speed, 100% fan-test, current limits, etc. I don't know about HP, but my Dell ones also provide Input and Output Voltage and Amps - which is great for monitoring efficiency, impending failure and line condition.
The slot also provides an always on, low current, supply for powering a management IC... it will even power a raspberry PI very nicely if driven through a 12v-to-USB power regulator. So, you could browse into your power supply from anywhere in the word and monitor it or turn it on/off.
Have fun : D
@@garychap8384 Wow, thanks for the info!
The PSUs usually have a better efficiency when used closer to their max load. When used at lower loads their efficiency goes down. I think that's why the 1200W model gets hotter than the lower wattage models.
On mine , it's adjustable from about 12.2v to a max of 12.5v, so after isolating the outputs, I put them in series, for 25vdc! At 38amps!
Same volts on mine, I added a 43k resistor (between a pot leg and ground) and got 13.8 - 14.2v. A bit too much as it trips above 13.8v under load.
Your phone video recording doesn't remove background noise (like you suggested in the last video) but instead has an *AGC* (automatic gain control) that "levels" the sound out over time. When the audio is low it cranks up the gain and we hear the miner fans and when you start talking close to the phone it reduces the gain to maintain a more constant audio level (and to prevent clipping). Thus the fans appear to get quieter while you are talking. During a phone conversation however your phone can use other techniques to reduce background noise such as reducing to the voice's bandwidth, etc. (generally you don't want your video recordings to do this). Though this can make your voice sound weird on a phone call.
Hi Julian - Last year I made a DIY 3D Printer using a HP Server power supply - Works perfect with the AMPS output. Just a simple resistor to fake the on/off internal switch.
Don't plug in the AC *until after* the DC output is connected! You noted the reason for the locking clip (removal) at the start. It is there so you don't remove the PS while the AC is plugged in. Notice how you were turning the DC connector back and forth trying to get it on and it is possible to short things out there or with a wedding ring, etc. That's a lot of current to be shorting out. Those power supplies are designed to go straight (not at an angle) into the server and its connector.
Remember what happened a couple videos ago when you weren't thinking and shorted out that wire on your 12V battery? Well this likely would be worse and wouldn't stop (like a battery drains). Even if the PS survived, connectors would be damaged and it would likely give you a heart attack from the bang! 8-P
I know - I did it just to annoy the OCD brigade.
Nice, HP DL380 PSU's. I work in a DataCenter and we get through about 8 to 10 of these per week. We do have 1,200 physical servers though. We run the cold isles at 25c, which means the hot isles are about 55c. Consequently the PSU's dont last very long. But its cheaper replacing those rather than paying the horrific air-con bill if the DC was running at 20c.
The "Main Detection port" is used to control the board with external power. It fits a "floppy connector" from a ATX PSU. When the ATX PSU is turned on, it will start this board as well.
Thanks Heine. I just connected a PP3 9v battery to that connector and it turned on the PSU. So I can switch it on and off without using that click switch (with its annoying bistable action). Cheers :)
@@JulianIlett You can just connect pin 37 (always on 12v) to the right pin of the "main detection port" (12V).
If anyone is thinking about using two in series to give 24 volts, the 0 volt rail is connected to ground, so the unit doing the 12 -24 part will need to be modified so that its 0 volt rail is not connected to ground. Without this modification you will short all of the amps from the 0 - 12 unit to ground via the 12 - 24 unit !
You can remove them from the server while powered as the purple tab denotes the device as being hot swappable. 😎
I've not come across those breakout boards before, I've always soldered directly to the edge connectors on those PSUs
The 100 Amp supply may be running less efficiently because you are only using a small percentage of its capacity. As you know, these units are generally most efficient at around 50% utilization.
I didn't freeze frame and pick off the model numbers, but this family of supplies come in different efficiency ratings. The lowest are 80+gold level. You are right that the efficiency peaks at 50% utilization.
@@davidwillmore That's interesting. Given that servers run continuously for years on end, and given the amount of money that server farms end up paying for electricity and for air conditioning to get rid of excess heat, I would have guessed that spending a few bucks extra for higher efficiency would always be a no-brainer...
@@ats89117 It is, but the supplies Julian is talking about are the ones being removed from service, so they are the older and less efficient ones. If we looked at the ones in service, I would expect them to be more efficient then the ones we are seeing surplus. Keep in mind that, at these efficiencies, the power saved going from one grade to the next is very little. I.e. going from 92 to 94 doesn't save much power as there is very little being wasted.
I got one of those from the guys who came to change out the servers, it's the 800W version. It just got up and stopped working one day (i don't pull more than 6A) and mysteriously started working a month later.
100A at 12V. Wowsers, that's a MIG welder haha. Really not efficient but completely understand why it is what it is. Love your concept of using the miners as heaters though to the inefficiencies are actually useful. I guess that technically makes the miners and power supplies effectively 100% efficient (assuming ideal PF, which it probably is for a decent PSU?)
1) Begin watching Julian Ilett video
2) Pause video
3) Spend $50 on eBay (on another 750w HP PS, my 2nd)
4) Continue watching Julian Ilett video...
$50! Prices must have gone through the roof!
@@mikewillis1592 Shipping:GBP 25.99
Ouch. I bought my 460w used for £9 (including £3 delivery in the UK).
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!!
Stay safe and have fun,
Joe
I used an HP PSU to run a bunch of Peltier pads years back but I soldered connections and had to solder on a fan too
You are making me nervous with that metal screwdriver poking inside the power supply- did you discharge the caps ?
remember there is rectified mains in there and designed for very high power, one touch might be the last :(
If I do start twiddling the fan pot (with the PSU powered up), I'll use my ceramic screwdrivers.
Great video and tour of these brilliantly engineered and cheap PSUs! I did notice that when you powered down the ant miners, I could hear a loud knocking on your front door and it sounded like the phone was ringing off the hook? I'm wondering if the neighbours are getting fed up with a modular TARDIS in your back garden, especially with the LEDs varying in brightness due to fluctuations in power draw lol!
I got two of the 750w a few weeks ago for future projects.
I was almost going to leave due to the sound. 2:30 for those that want to avoid the noise.
Maybe your next project is to soundproof the miners?
I have some of these, I also have a few 2450watt power supplies also, 200 amps at 12v that's a good amount of current!
Thanks, it is nice, as a conventional PC builder/user, to get a glimpse of server stuff. I wonder how the efficiency of those PSUs compares to ATX PC PSUs... (just can't be bothered to google it right now, heh)
The lowest grade of server power supply is an 80+silver. Most are gold and a smaller fraction are platinum or titanium.
Hey Julian, why don't you try your hand at a passive heating system for your shop? I've seen people take tubing, put it in a box and paint it all black. The sun heats up the air extremely fast and creates a breeze since the air is expanding. At most you would need is a 12v fan.
That wouldn't work in winter - there's no sun :)
@@JulianIlett Seattle is pretty notorious for gloomy weather but people are building these "pop can heaters" for small studios/shops. It would be curious to see how effective it would be in your climate. love the videos still!
I use server power supplies to power cordless tools which have dead or missing batteries. Regulated 12V is plenty for an 18V drill. The current is quite high under full load. 50 A is common.
Interesting use case but why not just hack in a 4s or 5s lipo? A small pack only costs about $10-15.
@@vgamesx1 Sometimes corded is better. A small cheap pack isn't going to work nearly as well.
@@whitcwa I disagree, a higher voltage of course means it can draw more power and even a small lipo can have ratings at 30C or higher, basically meaning a 2Ah battery can deliver up to 60A, so it goes without saying that a slightly bigger 3Ah+ battery at 50C is going to be able to provide a lot more than 50A, but sure a cord is always going to last longer than any battery.
I once used an old motorbike battery to power an 18v nicad Dewalt drill, so when I got my PSU just to test it I popped the crocodile clips straight on the copper strip and it worked fine. It ran slow of course. In comparison I tried a Dell laptop PSU and it tripped, unless pressing the trigger gently (and only for a second I think).
@@dazednconfused31337 Yeah, a laptop supply isn't nearly enough. You need a 500W or better supply to avoid triggering the over current shutdown.
What I'm really interested to know is what the earning rate per kwh is? I know it won't break even but I would be curious to know if it's good enough "cash back" to make it cheaper than gas heating.
After a few days of tests, I reckon they return about 20% of the electricity cost. Not a bad 'cash back'. Also they produce a very dry heat - ideal for the shed. But the noise - OMG the noise.
@@JulianIlett Any thoughts on thermostatic control and quieter fans? If the devices have thermometers in built you might be able to get much of it as a software patch.
They are thermostatically controlled - the fans change speed periodically - they also run slower on colder days. It's also possible to lower the ASIC clock speed - less heat is produced and the fans run proportionately slower. But I need around 2kW to keep the shed warm - that's both Antminers running flat out.
@@JulianIlett You could build a small shed or lean to beside your main shed and use the fans to pump the heat through some ducting. Lots of insulation to keep the heat in and noise out and your golden. Just a thought
Flex PCB transformers are a very common technique nowadays in modular PSUs. I believe the technology was developed by TDK for their Vega customisable PSUs.
the soft start requires a 1K resistor across 2 of the pins (one has 3.3v and the other reads 0V but it's not ground), unlike the ATX power supplies that just need 1 wired pulled down to ground.
The large transformer-looking device is the switching transformer, and the pcb trace is for current measurement (i assume).
is there a link to youtube is there a link to the hp 460w dps-00F device model no.,?
i want to make 14.4v modified
that HF pcb transformer used mosfets to rectify the AC for max efficiency and to save on space
Are they configured as synchronous rectifiers or 'ideal diodes'?
@@cambridgemart2075 synchronous rectifiers
18:40 is likely a planar transformer. Easy customise the stack up to add/remove windings or turns, effectively, as I understand it.
hi what happened to your diesel air heater and do you make any money from the miners
It broke. No, the miners make a loss :)
@@JulianIlett what exactly was the purpose of the miners again? besides making a racket in the shed
@@Space_Reptile heat! 😂
Use one these to power my R/C battery charger
That's one of the many uses I have for them
Same here. But i also use a 48v power supply from wireless tower surplus since you can't get max watt from high power charger with 12v psu
Thanks for the vid, do you have a video on making these HP PSU's variable output voltage, or at least raise their voltages a little higher?
Theres 240a units for like 20 bucks each on ebay.. 2880w or the 2900w versions. They run on 220-240v Id like to make one variable V+..
Most server PSU's are packed so tight there is no room for a trimmer pot, and also packed so tight it is almost impossible to locate the feedback. Good luck!
@@rich1051414 they have trimmer pots but the range is not very wide. and most will overvoltage tripout before about 13.8V.
@@TheEmbeddedHobbyist Hmm, mine had laser trimmed printed carbon resistors. If the overvoltage protection is detected from the feedback/sense, sticking your own pot there could be a solution, as long as nothing gets ran out of spec.
@@rich1051414 The one I have i converted to 13.8V to power radio's. Found the voltage control pot and added a fixed resistor to the board to allow it to addjust higher. could not get to 13.8V as it cut at 13.7V, so left it set to 13.6V close enough. With no circuit dia, i did not want to poke around too much to try and get the extra 0.2V. But i expect these are designed to be very effecient at 12V and pushing them away could drop it and cause excessive heat.
@@TheEmbeddedHobbyist On my 460w PSU I added 43k and got 13.8 - 14.2v, but found under load it'd trip above 13.8v. It runs my Xiegu G90 fine but I'd prefer a lower value as it's so close to tripping, and the screw is finnicky. One time it didn't power up.
I read on QRZ someone had e.g a 100W icom but needs to run a battery or capacitors inline, as theirs can't handle the sudden bursts on TX.
you might like to take a look at the hp c7000 psu's they are 2250w at 180A
Weird how there are no Fujitsu PSU breakout boards I can find. If there were I have loads of Fujitsu server PSUs
Use the signal from the light show as a feedback.
"It looks great. Little full. Lots of amps." 🎄
Can you do a video about the power consumption and cashback from the miners?
Not a good idea. You are loosing money on them (big time). You can look up his miners, and see what others earn with them here: www.asicminervalue.com/
@@deslomeslager that is relative. If his power comes from solar it is "free" (besides cost of panel and battery buffer) + it is a heater in winter . Sure you won't make money . But my thought is not about that i would like a video on the more electronic side and power consuption side of this miners
@@ixi12Vl It's a pretty good idea if you're using it as a heater, but otherwise even for "free" it's a bad idea because using the electricity you generate rather than grid power is roughly 10x more efficient than using it to make money.
I noticed a 12 VSB 2.5 Amp max rating on that psu. What does the VSB mean? is that Voltage Standby?
Yes it s for standby
The servers these PSUs are meant for have a dedicated remote control system integrated, called Integrated LighsOut, or ILO. You can completely shut down the server and still have full remote control ability, so if you need to enter the BIOS or RAID card for thousands of miles away you can do it.
I guess I could use the standby 12V to power my remote control receiver :)
@@JulianIlett Yes you could, the PSU will always supply the 12V as long as it has mains
The connectors on the Miner boards are AMP MiniFit Jr
15:30 that SQF10 is indeed a thermal fusible resistor. Made in Japan is looks like.
So, just to double-check, you said the fan in 460W and 1200W units operates in semi-passive mode? Like, does it only spin up at higher loads and stop completely at light ones? I'm actually looking for a server PSU with this exact behaviour for a project.
Yes - and I'm pretty sure the 750W unit should do the same (it's probably badly adjusted).
@@JulianIlett Yeah, otherwise it doesn't make sense that the 1200W one needs less cooling than 750W one. Thanks for the info anyway, I'll go buy one right now! They're so ridiculously cheap!
@@JulianIlett Just an update: I've bought a 750W and a 1200W model. 1200W one is just like yours, while for 750W I went with a fancier 80+ Titanium one (HSTNS-PL34). They behave exactly like you described: 1200W is semi-passive, 750W runs the fan all the time, even when off (it's actually really quiet though!). I guess the explanation could be that the 750W one is manufactured by LITE-ON, while 1200W is from Delta Electronics. If I were you, I wouldn't mess with the potentiometers - they probably set various important things like output voltage, protection thresholds, etc., and very unlikely - the fan curve). Instead, I'd try interfacing the PSU via I2C/PMBUS. You can normally use this to set fan speed to anything that is above the PSU's internal target.
I can't stand these miners anymore. Please no more x)
Julian, good video, BUT.
Why are you promoting the plugging in of boards with the power supply effectively powered up ready to start with the PCB switch.
The lever is fitted so that the mains has to be removed before the power supply is pulled from rack and the PCB.
You are not using them in the rack they are designed for, but must still follow the connection/disconnection procedure to preserve the power supply's reliability and soft start control.
Sorry mate, but that lever is very important, and if the PCB switch was ON when you tried to connect and reconnect the tight fitting of the PCB with mains plugged in, I would not be happy, especially if the PCB was loaded up.
Hello, Julian, and many thanks for the video! I'm a "PC guy" and rather new to mining. So after my 5th 850W ATC PSU I decided to start buying those cheaper HP server PSUs. Mine was quiet, as opposed to what I saw/heard on the web, but it heated a lot so I got a good PC fan there and thought that was it.
TODAY it decided to go nuclear and ramped up into Full Vaccuum Cleaner Mode.... It's in the other room where I actually LIVE, so that level of noise is untolerable. Do you have a video showing how to tweak those pots? Anything involving "soldering" is above my paygrade (yes, sort of a flaw in character, but then again I'm a very good art photographer, so ...) but tweaking stuff is easy.
Otherwise I'll sell it with a bit of profit as I have more cables and a better 16 output connector, about the same one as you got there.
Thanks!
So are we saying the project needed is a remote controlled ‘finger’ to press the button to switch on the devices? ... sounds like a fun addition to your remote sensing setup ... perhaps using a solenoid ? Look at Tim Hunkin’s machines for some inspiration perhaps??
Well, I suppose a relay is a sort of robotic arm - it just has very limited movement :)
I have (4) 1200w ones I got from work for free in trying to sum all 4 together.
Would like to see how much those power splitting boards heat up when you are passing a lot of current through them...
Warm to the touch
That weird pcb inductor thing is for active power correction.
How can i modify a PL11 for 13.8 or 14.0v if it s possible?
Do you have the fan pinout for the 750W model? It has a little non-standard Molex PicoBlade connector on it. I have the right connector, but I don't want to trial-and-error the pinout.
I've got one of these that was a PSU for a mining rig
You making any money with those antminers?
He says elsewhere he gets about 20% of electricity cost, so certainly no moneymaker, but better than 0% return off a resistive heater...
the fan is running when is no under load on the 1200w power suplly?
one of mine blew up under 20A load for no reason the fan was working so it cant be that so iv not gone with the 1200w version no more
Some day very soon, all electrical heaters will be computers or server farms in the form factor of an electrical heater. Thermostat calls for heat, hundreds of embedded CPUs will go on-line and start offering services. As a byproduct, hundreds or a thousand watts of heat will be produced. At the end of the month, the heating bill might be NEGATIVE $XX as a consequence of the computational services offered, or coins mined. ...Eventually, at least during winter, computer cycles will likely become free. And you'll be back to paying for heat.
What about using the SPDIF and connecting it to the SPDIF on the Graphics card preferably a ASUSTEK EN9500GT to get the audio through the HDMI connection.
Is there any way to quiet them down?
What are the fan dimensions for the HP 1200w and would it be possible to replace the stock fan with a noctua one!?
Thanks in advance.
Question: If I need to feed 56V from My EGO battery to this power supply instead of AC 120V what should I change in the power supply?
When buying the PSU's make sure it has a built in fan. Made the stupid mistake the first time.
Who would remove the fan from these PSUs?
@@JulianIlett wasn't removed, just made the mistake of assuming that all of them have a built-in fans, but apparently some models don't. (dps-460bb b)
Yep, me too! I guess they are cooled by driven fans in situ, or something. They are fine with low power though as i just use them as converted project power supplies. Very good quality and cheap for that use....around $5 i paid! Even my 1200w version only cost $20 & free shipping from Amazon.
Hello i have a project that will use server power supplies for PC or home brew PC but i don't know where to get the edge connector from. as for that AC connector i am taking a guess its for coms to a UPS but not seen it.
Julian, how come you don't use solar/batteries to run some of your miners?
On sunny days, I have connected a miner to my 240W solar panel (through the PowerOak unit). But it will only run at the minimum clock speed so around $0.01 is
all it earns.
I see.
What is the fan size?
Can I connect these HP power supplies in series or in parallel?
Why don’t you just feed the miners with 12v directly from your solar batteries?
Because voltage regulation is a thing
Ryan Malin I suppose the miners might not like 13.8v on a sunny day... Some big linear regulators might be silent and kept the shed warm?!
It doesn't add up. On a dull day, my 240W solar panel delivers about 20W. The shed needs more like 2kW to keep it warm.
Are they louder than stanard atx unit?
*pokes the inside of a 1200w PSU with a metal screwdriver that has no rubber coat*
Yikes.
I plan to run two of the PD11 units in parallel by bridging pin 34 and the GND and 12V pads on both PSUs and modding them to achieve 13.8V with 130A. Having seen your video with these breakout boards I purchased one with the physical switch and the PCIE power ports, but the other breakout board I purchased only has wire screw down ports 12 GND and 12 12V. My question is do you believe that connecting them together would be supported by the breakout board? I know it works if you physically wire it this way. Just unsure if the breakout board will feed the power from the 2nd unit back to the main one and make the full amps available at the other PCIE power slots. Does that make sense? Based it off the second half of this video th-cam.com/video/yy__P_VLxT4/w-d-xo.html
how noisy are these 12V supplies?
The blue connector IMHO is a UPS port that plugs in to the UPS for that PSU.
i would see if you can use nicehash with the miners
I use Prohashing :)
@@JulianIlett i went with nicehash as it will oayout in bitcoin that tends to change often so can gain alot more money when it claimes the thing i like most about my old miner is when the miner paied for its power use in winter all that free heat
Hey Julian, do you have a link to the bigclive video on how to build and wire that supercomputer red LED flickering display at the top of the screen? I would really like to build one of those. Thank you very much!
He just did a video about that recently!
@@SouthSideChiTown th-cam.com/video/MNV5zf9Ll4Q/w-d-xo.html
@@douro20 Yeah, I'm sure he did but I can't find it. Have a link to it?
@@douro20 thank you.
check out NVidia RTX Voice for filtering out the background noise.
How much btc are you up to?
800 Satoshis
Ant miners need water cooling, would have many advantages for heating and quieter
Can bit coin miners be repurposed to crack passwords?
I've not looked into that :)
What? 0:58 I can t hear you over the noisy miners.
It’d be pretty rude to not use all the amps. Just saying. 😏
what is an ant miner?
Its the stage of the food chain before ant eater
@@jasonmonk7336 True, but you're a very naughty boy! Lol!
What is that backside led wall? Show us that too
Go back 3 videos :)
@@JulianIlett ok
He has shown it in previous videos, it is based on one of Big Clive's Gallium boards.
quetal amigo cera que me podes ayudar como activar fuente conmutada
minero whatspower p222b para usarlo como fuente para reotilisarlo con un amplificador porque no activan lo de 14v
me podes ayudar
Will it be possible to raise the voltage to 14.6v?
I'm wondering if I can charge 4s lifepo4 battery
Use a normal r/c lipo / life charger that runs on 12 volts and power that from one of them.
@@steverpcb I need something automatic that will start charging when I plug it in the mains
These power supplies can deliver serious amps and I need around 30amps to fast charge my lifepo4
@@marbesky 4s needs balancing so just putting 14.6 across it is not an option.
@@steverpcb I have an active balancer installed and a 60a bms with top balance I just need high current (30amps) to charge fast
I'm not quite sure, but you should be able to adjust a pot somewhere to increase the output voltage ,, have a look a 'fred in the shed' on YT he has adjusted PCU's to 13.8v DC to run ham radios !! ?
that background noise is terrible :|
Think yourself lucky you only had 27 minutes of it :)
Are crypto miners really worth it after you factor in the power you spend running them. Over a year how much are you profiting, if any? Also cryptocurrency prices could easily fall overnight once too many do it thus making this pointless.
These particular ones are worthless because crypto is so hard to mine now that a miner from a few years ago will loose money hand over fist (I think Julian has a video showing how much money they actually make, he made about 0.001 cents in his test)
On the other hand he is using them as heaters so he would be using that power to heat the shed anyway.
On the other other hand a £20 toaster would heat the shed too and be much cheaper than all these ebay parts. He clearly just does it because its interesting.
Bloody noise again. Bye!
Bye.
@@JulianIlett I'll still keep dropping by, just hope you'll get better sound, soon. Always good vids.
12 volt server power spply
Oh goodness (being polite) - the noise is too much! At least use a mic directly on your mouth to avoid picking up their sound? Please? 2:40 Thank you!!!
Hence the fan heater - I'll use it in future videos.
you know nvidia have a product that can eliminate the noise of your ant miners
Insulation Warehouse have one too :)
ant miner
server psus make your ears bleed