Help needed to convert A500 PSU for CD32!

[StevenJGore]

Hi,

I've just got my hands on a 60W A500 PSU which I'm trying to convert for use with my CD32 with SX32 Pro, hard disk, and floppy drive, which are putting a strain on the standard 17W CD32 PSU.

I've opened up both PSU's to swap the whole length of the power cables (to make it neater). I've stripped back the wire and have the following:

CD32: Brown Red Yellow Black
A500: Brown Red Yellow Black White
In both cases, the red and black wires are thicker.

Can I just do a simple Brown>Brown, Red>Red, Yellow>Yellow, Black>Black with terminal blocks, and does it matter about there being no White (or equivalent) going to the CD32?

I've found pin-out guides on the web, but they don't describe the colours of cables.

Any help appreciated!

Thanks,
Steve.

[Jope]

Ok. Stop.

Get a multimeter / continuity tester.

Check what wire goes to what pin on the connector and note it down.

Verify the pinouts on the net against your notes.

Now you have what colour is what voltage.

[StevenJGore]

Get a multimeter / continuity tester.

I don't have one, but I've got a screwdriver which lights up when it touches live wires, if that will do?!!

Check what wire goes to what pin on the connector and note it down.

Already tried this, but there's a huge block of glue around the connector inside the plastic coating, and it's not possible to see which wire goes to which pin.

[Jope]

StevenJGore wrote:

Get a multimeter / continuity tester.

I don't have one, but I've got a screwdriver which lights up when it touches live wires, if that will do?!!

I'm afraid not, as the wires aren't live.

Check what wire goes to what pin on the connector and note it down.

Already tried this, but there's a huge block of glue around the connector inside the plastic coating, and it's not possible to see which wire goes to which pin.

This is where the continuity tester comes in handy. You don't need to brutalize the connector as you just touch one probe to one of the pins of the connector and then try the other probe onto the wires in turn.

Go and get a cheap multimeter, you'll almost certainly be needing it again in the future, even if only for the continuity checking function.

[StevenJGore]

This is where the continuity tester comes in handy. You don't need to brutalize the connector as you just touch one probe to one of the pins of the connector and then try the other probe onto the wires in turn.

Doh! I can't believe I didn't think of that! All I need to do is take a torch apart to break the circuit, temporarily attach two wires with the torch switched on, and I have a homemade continuity detector! I should then be able to work out which wire is which using the pin-out diagrams on the net.

Cheers!   :-)