powersupply "supermod" question....

If ever there was a stupid question, here it is:

Keep in mind that this is a peltier type question....


Is it at all possible to "supermod" a -regular PC- powersupply so that the 12V and 3.3V rails are one, and give off 15.3V????

Of course this would have to include -for not knowing the proper term- capacitors or resistors or whatever to stop the 3.3V from going back into 12V or vice versa??


------------------------Seperate question----------------------

What about making it so you can combine two seperate (different makes, models, wattages...etc) powersupplys so they are one?




If this is possible, COOL! if it has done, where can i go about looking how to do this?

It's not possible. To get 15V you'll have to either tweak the +12V part of the PSU, modify the PSU, add a 15V regulator to an output, or buy a whole 15V PSU.

Tweaking the PSU for 15V may require more than just adjustng a pot but also altering the overvoltage protection.

www.qrp4u.de/docs/en/powersupply/ shows how to modify an ATX PSU to put out 13.8V from its +12V, and I would expect a 15V mod to be similar. But any surgery like this can be very dangerous because of all the high voltage inside the PSU, and it requires knowledge of electronics, especially since your supply will probably be very different from the one in the article.

The safest way to get 15V is by either buying a 15V PSU (electronics dealers sometimes have surplus ones very cheap -- www.jameco.com, www.bgmicro.com, etc.) or by connecting a 15V switching regulator to one of the voltage rails. You may be able to get a free sample regulator from www.ti.com, and they have some the size of a fun-size Kit-Kat bar that can put out as much as 150W, but I don't know if any go up to 15V.