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Transient Response Tests
Advanced Transient Response Tests
For details on our transient response testing, please click here.
In these tests, we monitor the response of the PSU in two different scenarios. First, a transient load (10A at +12V, 5A at 5V, 5A at 3.3V and 0.5A at 5VSB) is applied to the PSU for 200ms while the PSU is working at 20 percent load. In the second scenario, the PSU is hit by the same transient load while operating at 50 percent load. In both tests, we use our oscilloscope to measure the voltage drops caused by the transient load. The voltages should remain within the ATX specification's regulation limits.
These tests are crucial since they simulate the transient loads a PSU is likely to handle (such as booting a RAID array or an instant 100-percent load of CPU/GPUs). We call these tests "Advanced Transient Response Tests," and they are designed to be difficult to master, especially for a PSU with a capacity below 500W.
Advanced Transient Response 20 Percent
| Voltage | Before | After | Change | Pass/Fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12V | 12.229V | 12.056V | 1.41% | Pass |
| 5V | 5.109V | 4.935V | 3.41% | Pass |
| 3.3V | 3.350V | 3.231V | 3.55% | Pass |
| 5VSB | 5.082V | 5.018V | 1.26% | Pass |
Advanced Transient Response 50 Percent
| Voltage | Before | After | Change | Pass/Fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12V | 12.169V | 11.957V | 1.74% | Pass |
| 5V | 5.087V | 4.923V | 3.22% | Pass |
| 3.3V | 3.315V | 3.161V | 4.65% | Pass |
| 5VSB | 5.034V | 4.987V | 0.93% | Pass |
All rails registered larger-than-usual deviations, but in the end they all managed to pass the tests. The worst performer was the 5V rail, which went out of three percent.
Below are the oscilloscope screenshots we took during Advanced Transient Response Testing.
Transient Response At 20-Percent Load
Transient Response At 50-Percent Load
Turn-On Transient Tests
In the next set of tests, we measure the PSU's response in simpler transient load scenarios—during the PSU's power-on phase.
For the first measurement, we turn the PSU off, dial the maximum current the 5VSB can output, and then switch on the PSU. In the second test, we dial the maximum load the +12V rail can handle and start the PSU while it's in standby mode. In the last test, while the PSU is completely switched off (we cut off power or switch the PSU off by flipping the on/off switch), we dial the maximum load the +12V rail can handle before switching the PSU on from the loader and restoring power. The ATX specification states that recorded spikes on all rails should not exceed 10 percent of their nominal values (+10 percent for 12V is 13.2V and 5.5V for 5V).
We didn't notice any voltage overshoots or spikes during the turn-on tests, so everything went fine here.
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