Custom Cable testing

dazzyboy10 · 22 Jan 2019 at 10:44

Looking for some advice on new custom cables I've just made.

I have been watching tutorials via Singularity Computers on YouTube on how to make custom cables and have just completed a 24 pin atx cable.

i'm wanting to know the best way for me to test this cable before putting it into my system and risking blowing everything up.

I have an old test bench, mobo and cpu but no spare psu.

Would it be worth me buying a cheap psu for this type of task or is there another way for me to test it.

Cheers guys

Zefan · 22 Jan 2019 at 10:53

You sound like the sort of person that might have a multimeter handy, if so a pinout diagram and a continuity test between the corresponding pins is all you should need in my opinion.

It's probably worth looking for any with unusually high resistance compared to the rest, and also worth doing a one to all test, where you check for continuity between one pin on one end and check all pins on the other end before moving to the next one. Doing both these things will prove you have sound connections and haven't managed to short one pin to another.

dazzyboy10 · 22 Jan 2019 at 11:03

Zefan said:
You sound like the sort of person that might have a multimeter handy, if so a pinout diagram and a continuity test between the corresponding pins is all you should need in my opinion.

It's probably worth looking for any with unusually high resistance compared to the rest, and also worth doing a one to all test, where you check for continuity between one pin on one end and check all pins on the other end before moving to the next one. Doing both these things will prove you have sound connections and haven't managed to short one pin to another.

Thanks for your response Zefan.

I have hundreds of tools for various different reasons, but not a multimeter

Think I'll order one for delivery tomorrow.

When you say continuity test, do you mean say checking pin 1 on the 24 pin connector end to pin 1 on the 14 pin connector?

Dave Burton · 22 Jan 2019 at 11:33

You could try something like the below, quite inexpensive and way less than a decent multimeter would cost (apologies to the Mods if this is against the rules, not sure if you sell these??)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071WTP...t=&hvlocphy=9046782&hvtargid=pla-563601251666

If the link is against the rules, then just google search for ATX PSU tester, and you'll get what you need

Failing that, a simple continuity test should suffice.

DB.

dazzyboy10 · 23 Jan 2019 at 14:34

Thanks for the replies. I actually bought both of those items and am hoping to test them out tomorrow to see what happens

dazzyboy10 · 23 Jan 2019 at 21:07

Just managed to test the cable and after an initial output of 13.7 on the -12v rail and realising the corresponding pin wasn't fully inserted I know have the following results:

https://imgur.com/a/hPFGaRO

Seems ok to me