So my supergun PSU just EXPLODED!! Need some advices.

[Evilmaxwar]

It blew up while connected to a CPS2... Pants nearly got pooped.

I just got this nice D&D Shadow over mystara board. This morning I connected my supergun with the board and arcade stick and all.
All works great, I play the game for a while then flick the PSU off as I need to go to work.
Everything lays as is during the day, untouched, with the power off. I come back home and in the evening I decide to have another go at the Game. A split second after I flick the switch.. POW!! Loud Zapping noise and I see a big flash inside the PSU followed by a puff of smoke.
My first tought was: OMG IS MY CPS2 FRIED!?!

I immediately disconnect power and check if something was shorting or amiss. No, the board, SuperGun, cabling, PSU and all was just sitting there with nothing misplaced.
I concluded the PC switching power supply just blew up because they apparently do that sometimes... I was convinced this was a good one. It was a Enermax 300w and never had issues with it playing other arcade games.

So I took another PSU that I knew to work in computers, an OCZ 600w and connect it. Nothing happens... I try with another PCB, nothing happens... At this point I am really scared. I think My Vogatech Supergun fried and I fear the CPS2 board might be damaged.

I decide to get a third PSU that I took off a backup computer I had.

It works... My CPS2 board seems to be OK...

But really I am still shaken from the stressful experience. The last PSU is a crappy no-name thing with a failing fan. There is no way I will use that for my arcade boards.
Certainly not after one exploded right in my face.
I need a new one, a good one. Any recommendations?

So I am asking myself several questions at this point:

1.Why did the second PSU not work on the supergun? It works on a computer. But it does not have a -5v rail. Maybe that is why? I thought that CPS2 games did not need -5v but maybe the Vogatech will not switch on without it?

2. How much power should I want in a PSU? I thought my PSU was plenty powerful for the boards I have, which are mostly older stuff. It had 30A on 5V 22A on 12V and 1A on -5v
That seems more than enough but what If I ever get more recent boards?

3. Are there any kind of surge/PSU protection on arcade boards? The Vogatech supergun has no fuse on it. While some Arcade boards have fuse. I did not see any on the CPS2. I would expect a quality board to have one. Would Adding fuses to the supergun be a useful idea?

4. Should I replace my supergun? I do not like my Vogatech much. The picture is crappy. I wanted to modify it but now I dunno... I might want to replace it, especially if something can be made safer. I started with a single cheap arcade board, but now that I am starting to have a few nice boards... Maybe not a good idea to go cheap on the peripheral hardware.
I hope I could have room for a Cab one day but that is not possible right now.
I could possibly make my own Supergun following some tutorials but If I find a good one for sale I might prefer that. I would like RGB and S-video output and if possible NeoGeo type control. Because I already built the stick for it.

So that's it. I just wanted to share the story and hopefully you guys with more Arcade stuff experience might have a few advice for me so I do not get scared shitless in the future :p

[muckyfingers]

It's always scary when a power supply burns out. Anyways for what it's worth I've been running this power supply 24/7 for about 8 months with no issues whatsoever, relatively small load, server purposes. It should last you a lifetime as an arcade PSU.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product

[blizzz]

I need a new one, a good one. Any recommendations?

Cooler Master, be quiet!, Super Flower, Sea Sonic, Corsair, Enermax. Those are the brands that should have high quality. Never use a no-name PSU.

Was your PSU still under warranty? Enermax gives 5 years warranty on some of their products. Would be interesting to know what happened to it.

[Xan]

Anything with Japanese caps, preferably. Even "reputable" brands had C(r)apXon in a lot of lower-end product lines and those have been responsible for many failures, wouldn't be surprised if this was the case here as well.

[Evilmaxwar]

I need a new one, a good one. Any recommendations?

Cooler Master, be quiet!, Super Flower, Sea Sonic, Corsair, Enermax. Those are the brands that should have high quality. Never use a no-name PSU.

Was your PSU still under warranty? Enermax gives 5 years warranty on some of their products. Would be interesting to know what happened to it.

No warranty, older than 5 years.

I am seriously considering getting a new SuperGun. My vogatek never wants to sync properly. I always have to retweak it everytime I swtich board and I still get a slightly shaky image at best.

I want a PSU with -5v and modular connector. Seems most New PSU I look at do not have -5V.
I checked at all of Cooler master Modular range and they have nothing with -5V..
The only thing I found so far is this one.

http://mail.ultraproducts.com/product_d ... ductID=510

[Ed Oscuro]

What actually went kablooey on the PSU? Obviously a part ID at this point is asking a lot, but it may still be possible to get an idea from a board picture or some guesswork.

And if you're really lucky, it could just be that some non-critical, replaceable component failed. Unfortunately recapping / trusting a dead PSU isn't going to work out for arcade boards, and I'd be loath to even attempt it without good repair connections (if you don't do it yourself), but if you could, fixing a decent PSU can save some money and keep quality items in service.

Most likely it's an outdated PSU, of course. That said, I think more modern PSUs are switching to the lower voltages seen in newer equipment, so PSUs with heavy 12V and 5V support are becoming hard to find, I'd think.

[Evilmaxwar]

What actually went kablooey on the PSU? Obviously a part ID at this point is asking a lot, but it may still be possible to get an idea from a board picture or some guesswork.

And if you're really lucky, it could just be that some non-critical, replaceable component failed. Unfortunately recapping / trusting a dead PSU isn't going to work out for arcade boards, and I'd be loath to even attempt it without good repair connections (if you don't do it yourself), but if you could, fixing a decent PSU can save some money and keep quality items in service.

Most likely it's an outdated PSU, of course. That said, I think more modern PSUs are switching to the lower voltages seen in newer equipment, so PSUs with heavy 12V and 5V support are becoming hard to find, I'd think.

I have fixed PSUs before. Recapping, replacing Field effect transistor etc.. I am not an expert but I know my way with soldering and using a multimeter and can follow instructions. I might want to try to salvage this one but I wont be using it for arcade board...

I took a look inside and could not see the burnt mark, But I think it came from one of the large transistor that is inside a densely populated area of the PCB, so hard to see. The fuse is burnt so hard the glass is black And I can see specs of molten metal on the glass.
But that is definitely not all the blew up, there was smoke coming out of the PSU.

[Evilmaxwar]

Screw this, I cant find any ATX PSU with -5V anywhere. I think I am just going to get an Arcade PSU. Kinda makes sense too.

Edit: Would that thing be considered "Safe"?
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/15A-Arcade-Switc ... 4cf793ca23

[Evilmaxwar]

The same happened to me with a CPS2 board this past month, but in my case it was an actual arcade supply that blew out, and it was a new one, so I think it might be an issue with CPS2 pcb's.

I fear there might be some truth to it.. Did you get a new PSU and the CPS2 running since?

When I tried my CPS2 again with a different PSU, a funny noise came from the PSU, at first I tought it was the fan but I am not so sure. And the PSU was very hot after only a minute.
I wont play my arcade games until I have a new proper setup and I intend to test it thoroughly with other boards before I try the CPS2 again. If I blow another PSU whit the CPS2 that would surely mean something would not it?

[blizzz]

Wait, so it doesn't work with your OCZ PSU, but works with a no-name brand. And the no-name brand gets hot? I fear there might be some security mechanism in the OCZ PSU that prevents it from working that is missing in the no-name one.

[Evilmaxwar]

Wait, so it doesn't work with your OCZ PSU, but works with a no-name brand. And the no-name brand gets hot? I fear there might be some security mechanism in the OCZ PSU that prevents it from working that is missing in the no-name one.

I thought about that but the OCZ does not want to work with any board, not just the CPS2. So if that means a problem it is not on the CPS2. Maybe it is on the Supergun? Although there is a whole lot of nothing on the supergun.
Or maybe it is because there is no -5V?

[RGB]

Nothing wrong with the CPS2. ATX PSUs are designed for computers, meaning all voltage rails are in use, especially +3.3V, whereas PCB games use only +5V and +12V (and sometimes -5V, depends on the game). In short, uneven load can lead to PSU damage.

[Evilmaxwar]

Nothing wrong with the CPS2. ATX PSUs are designed for computers, meaning all voltage rails are in use, especially +3.3V, whereas PCB games use only +5V and +12V (and sometimes -5V, depends on the game). In short, uneven load can lead to PSU damage.

Hmm, another argument for buying an Arcade PSU.
What if the -5v rail is not used? I guess arcade PSUs are designed so that this rail can be left unused?
If it is converted from another rail by mean of a linear regulator I guess It would not matter.

[ChuChu Flamingo]

Did you make sure to meter your jamma edge connector 5V is 5.0-5.10 and not anything below or higher? It would also be a good idea to check the 12v and all grounds are connected.

[Evilmaxwar]

No I did not check the voltages.
No way to adjust then easily but I was using a Computer PSU or rather good quality so I kinda relied on the assumption that everything was "ok"..
Now it is too late to check the voltage anyway. But I will be sure To check that in the future, especially with an Arcade PSU ( which is what I am aiming at now )

As well as a new supergun. I am now deciding if I should buy something ready made or build one myself. Doing some readings now.

[gray117]

.

1. No idea on the ocz power supply... like previous suggestions, perhaps there's some wierd fail safe whereby unless certain rails aren't all plugged in perhaps it cuts power supply? Never found an issue with power supplies and vogatechs before...

But yeah... just get an adjustable arcade supply and means to measure voltage.


2. Very little any power pc supply is probably more than enough ... Watt rating is only what the power supply is capable of providing; it's not like you're pumping out the full rating irregardless. Generally you might find higher wattage supplies provide a slightly smoother dc current, but that's so negligible a feature I can't see it worth considering.

3. Nope. Potential to cause issues I suppose - duty of power supply in their eyes... I suppose no need for them to imply any responsibility or failure should the fuse prevent product from operating... sucks but same goes for regular (pc) components these days... the fact that you could still connect it, or get voltage wrong, is user beware :/... There was an interesting little project here, but think it's lying fallow: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28891 ... You could probably craft your own basic one for basic power surges using a jamma fingerboard/extender...

I know it's of little comfort to those that it effects, but power supplies should not fail (and nearly always do not) in a manner that then threatens what it's connected to - but clearly it can happen... Over time it's almost inevitable a power supply will fail at some point unless maintained and, as alarming as it was, yours probably failed in a safe manner.

4. Picture as in svideo? ... rgb quality should just depend on cables used? ... Are there any pots to adjust the picture (some have them, some don't afaik)... There's other superguns out there with adjust, audio attenuation circuits, but very few with any distinct power protection, not sure about comparitive svideo quality, but would presume more or less the same - again, perhaps try with other cables/display?

You could always get in contact with someone like Jasen who's active to see if he can add/build in one for you in a supergun if you want one premade: https://www.jasenscustoms.com/home.php

[Evilmaxwar]

.

1. No idea on the ocz power supply... like previous suggestions, perhaps there's some wierd fail safe whereby unless certain rails aren't all plugged in perhaps it cuts power supply? Never found an issue with power supplies and vogatechs before...

But yeah... just get an adjustable arcade supply and means to measure voltage.


2. Very little any power pc supply is probably more than enough ... Watt rating is only what the power supply is capable of providing; it's not like you're pumping out the full rating irregardless. Generally you might find higher wattage supplies provide a slightly smoother dc current, but that's so negligible a feature I can't see it worth considering.

3. Nope. Potential to cause issues I suppose - duty of power supply in their eyes... I suppose no need for them to imply any responsibility or failure should the fuse prevent product from operating... sucks but same goes for regular (pc) components these days... the fact that you could still connect it, or get voltage wrong, is user beware :/... There was an interesting little project here, but think it's lying fallow: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28891 ... You could probably craft your own basic one for basic power surges using a jamma fingerboard/extender...

I know it's of little comfort to those that it effects, but power supplies should not fail (and nearly always do not) in a manner that then threatens what it's connected to - but clearly it can happen... Over time it's almost inevitable a power supply will fail at some point unless maintained and, as alarming as it was, yours probably failed in a safe manner.

4. Picture as in svideo? ... rgb quality should just depend on cables used? ... Are there any pots to adjust the picture (some have them, some don't afaik)... There's other superguns out there with adjust, audio attenuation circuits, but very few with any distinct power protection, not sure about comparitive svideo quality, but would presume more or less the same - again, perhaps try with other cables/display?

You could always get in contact with someone like Jasen who's active to see if he can add/build in one for you in a supergun if you want one premade: https://www.jasenscustoms.com/home.php

Great Post, thanks. Those Jamma Shields look quite nice. I think im going to bump this thread. I think you are right that normally switching PSU are designed in a way that do not damage their charge if they blow. I had a few die inside computers in the past and never had damaged boards as a result, but it can happen. And it is always sad when some retro gaming hardware dies.

4. Picture as in svideo?

My Supergun is the Vogatek Mk V, so it is the one with S-video out and Neo Geo controls.
There are pots for RGB gains.
But also two pots for Sync amp and width as well as a switch Sync-Normal Or Sync correct. The first time I connected it after I had received it, the image was all garbled and scrolling ( out of sync ). I had to mess with the settings until I finally got a "stable" image, but it is still a bit shaky, blurry and has a strong tendency to make wavy lines. It is not as sharp and nice as the S-video out of my consoles.
Then when I switch boards the output is often different and I need to retweak to have a barely acceptable picture. So yeah, not very pleased with that so far.
I am using a Sony Trinitron TV.

I would like a RGB output now. I have PVMs now and I am considering RGB-Component transcoder.

[gray117]

I had to mess with the settings until I finally got a "stable" image, but it is still a bit shaky, blurry and has a strong tendency to make wavy lines. It is not as sharp and nice as the S-video out of my consoles.
Then when I switch boards the output is often different and I need to retweak to have a barely acceptable picture. So yeah, not very pleased with that so far.

Strange, perhaps that's the way it is or slightly faulty... afraid being a spoilt euro guy I've never paid svideo too much attention but pretty sure I tried it on an earlier revision and thought it was reasonable. But yeah you'll get a better signal anyway from rgb>component. (And you shouldn't have an issue with the supergun and the rgb signal obviously - aside from the adjustment pots there's nothing to fiddle with it...)

Very common to have to adjust rgb levels, but beyond simply syncing or not (you know - either does perfectly, or doesn't at all), would not expect to then be dealing with shakey/wavey pictures unless the board had a very strange output... so would personally favour the rgb>component if stateside even if you weren't faced with quite so pronounced issues. Good luck