The Problem
There is all sorts of hardware and software available to the technician to troubleshoot almost anything that might be wrong with a computer. For example, if a computer is rebooting or freezing for no apparent reason, it's common practice to suspect the RAM and run a quick and easy test. After all other possibilities are looked at, the power supply is usually the last suspect, because the available test equipment is very limited. The inexpensive pocket-size testers found in most shops don't tell you much. They don't put a real load on the power supply, and their LED's aren't accurate in determining the true voltages, which must be within very close tolerances. These testers serve to indicate that a power supply turns on, nothing else. They can't detect voltages that are out of tolerance, or voltage drops as the load changes. More expensive testers have digital readouts for accurate voltage readings, but still don't apply any loading like what a power supply experiences in real-world use.
The next option is to use a voltmeter while the computer is running, but this can be difficult in cramped cases.
Hours are often wasted for lack of any way to really test the power supply the way it should be tested. When selling refurbished computers or building systems with used parts, there's no way to really be sure that you aren't selling a system with a weak power supply.
The Solution
If a compact piece of test equipment were available to easily and very quickly run a series of effective tests on a power supply, testing power supplies would become more routine. If the tester could simulate the real world of constantly changing amperage draw (loading), the tech could run real-world tests. And if it had an oscilloscope function (for the serious technician), testing would pinpoint defects at a lab-quality level. Power supply problems would be solved quickly, and weeding out the quirky units in the parts bin would save lots of trouble down the road. The Solution is for someone to design and build just such a piece of equipment.
Greenwood Technical was established specifically to offer the Solution itself, the most versatile power supply test equipment on the market, at a reasonable price.
The GT4 © (patent pending) tells you immediately what the Standby voltage is, and if the supply's power circuits are energized. Once turned on, you can use the Load Switches to monitor each voltage line as you change the amperage draw on each of the circuits. Many shutdowns occur when a load changes, like when you pop in a CD to play, or a hard drive kicks in.
With the GWScope software package, you can turn any computer into an oscilloscope, allowing you to plug the GT4 into a sound card (using the cord provided). With this, you can visually monitor the ATX power supply as it is being tested. This lab-style feature can detect defects in the unit that might appear as "ghosts in the machine." Having the GWScope installed on a laptop makes a great service aid for field calls.
The GT4 measures 6-5/8" w, 4-1/2" h, 7" d.
Only $235.00!
The GT4 © is freshly assembled as needed to fill orders.
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or Contact us for more information before ordering.
Technical DetailsThe GT4 © uses a transistor circuit to control the power supply under test. This provides a buffered power control signal much like a motherboard TTL circuit does. Once powered up, each voltage rail of the power supply is loaded down with resistive circuits. The amount of this load can be changed with Load switches, resulting in the following ratings:
A built-in digital voltmeter allows monitoring of the voltage levels, down to two decimal points, and the provided GWScope software package allows you to install an oscilloscope function on a computer, or run it from CD, enabling any computer to serve as a dual-trace oscilloscope.
See the GT4 Online Manual for more information.
Comes with GWScope CD, patch cord, and complete manual along with Online Support.