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Sdashiki

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 11, 2005
3,529
11
Behind the lens
No idea if this is even worth posting in MR, or if Im in the right subtopic, but everyone here is always been good to me when Ive got odd hardware or software questions, figure its worth a shot here.

Im trying to build a simple PCB circuit which inserts itself into a 20-pin ATX connector on a motherboard. I do not want to use an ATX wire harness to cut down on space.

picoPSU-120-big3.jpg

As you can see in this image of the PICOPSU, the PSU itself has a female ATX connector soldered to the PCB (the yellow tips). Yet I can not for the life of me find this yellow tipped piece for my own PCB projects.

Ive been able to find the male end for putting onto a PCB so you can insert something like the PICO into your board, but what if I wanted to insert the board into the ATX motherboard connection?

Maybe the name escapes me or the type of connector...but I am pretty sure what I need is a female 20 pin PCB connector.

And I am doing this to eliminate the need for long bulky 20 wire ATX connectors, so that is not a suggestion I can use.

Anyone heard of such a thing? The PICO uses it, so it does exist!
 

truehybridx

macrumors member
Dec 6, 2010
86
0

Sdashiki

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 11, 2005
3,529
11
Behind the lens
I thought that might be the case. Finding parts on any electronics website is very difficult until you nail it and save the part #.

In this case, I dont even know what to call it. Most people dont use even male/female in the naming sometimes.
 

denniscote

macrumors newbie
Jul 19, 2011
19
1
You might want to look at this part, http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0460102411_PCB_RECEPTACLES.xml, which is a 24 pin receptacle.

It is a Molex Mini Fit series connector that should mate with the Molex (or compatible) header on an ATX motherboard. Strangely Molex seem to jump from 18 to 24 pins for many of these connectors.

This site, http://www.pcbheaven.com/wikipages/PC_Power_Connectors/, has links to other Molex connecter data for the standard ATX power connectors. You can browse around the molex site for other variants of these connectors.

HTH
 

Sdashiki

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 11, 2005
3,529
11
Behind the lens
Its like the part doesnt exist in the PCB pin form.

It only exists as the plug you put wires into. The plug is easy enough to find, id like one with pins sticking out for soldering to a PCB like this:
T2NHXHXkNMXXXXXXXX_%21%2124869223__03612_zoom.jpg

but this is a male anyway, but those pins sticking out with a female end would be the part.
 

Sdashiki

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 11, 2005
3,529
11
Behind the lens
What I think Ill have to do is just get an ATX 20 pin cord, it has the female end.

Yank all the wires from it and insert pins like the image above has on the male connector for PCB use. Then ill have what I need i think?

Where can i buy just straight pins like that?
 

Sdashiki

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 11, 2005
3,529
11
Behind the lens
Alright finishing up my board and had to make sure Im getting the connections right. So Im going to the source: the PICOPSU itself.

But Im having problems with my DMM.

Ive got it set to read Voltages 0.00 and when I shove the black probe into what should be pin 7 (common)
ATX-Main-Power-Header-Pinout.jpg
And red probe into pin 10 it reads 12v
And red probe into pin 9 it reads 5v
And red probe into any other pin does...nothing?!

Ive tried a few combinations, even ignoring the pinout diagram, and cant seem to get anything else to read. WTF am i doing wrong?!

EDIT: ok I guess I was dumb enough to believe it would work without something to tell it to "turn on", I have to short the PWON pin 14 to common.

Doesnt matter as 12v tells me pin 10 which tells me my PCB is laid out correctly so far.
 
Last edited:
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