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DIY: “Clean” Power Supply for PIWIS Coding

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Old 01-25-2021, 10:12 PM
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DIY: “Clean” Power Supply for PIWIS Coding

I need to give you the background before getting to the DIY so please bear with me...

Many of us now have a PIWIS 2 or PIWIS 3. I “assembled” my PIWIS 2 last year. I downloaded the software on-line (for free!) and then bought a clone Samtec interface from China. The program runs using VMWare on my old MacBook Pro. Windows XP is the operating system so everything is a bit clunky and slow but it works well enough and is perfect for my occasional diagnostic and coding needs! Best of all, my total build cost was crazy cheap! In fact, I sold my Durametric Pro cable after putting together the PIWIS because the PIWIS is a much more powerful tool!

My primarily motivation to get a PIWIS was to lower my car through the air suspension. I was initially looking at lowering using a module ($$$) or using links. I had read that lowering could be done with a PIWIS but there was very little DIY information on-line on how to do this. I have now figured out how to do this and will do up a “DIY Lowering with PIWIS” for the community once I get a chance.

When I first started using my PIWIS I got a low voltage warning even though my battery was fully charged (had been sitting for days on a Porsche Charge-o-mat Pro) and I had my 10A battery charger connected during my PIWIS session. A forum member on Rennlist with extensive PIWIS knowledge posted about the need for “clean” power while using the PIWIS. This ideas of “clean” power intrigued me. This lead me down a “rabbit hole”...

I came across this Porsche After Sales Technical Bulletin confirming the need to use a battery charger with a fixed voltage between 13.5V - 14.5V while ECU programming on modern Porsche vehicles. Porsche recommended using a battery charger capable of putting out a minimum current of 90A to maintain this stable voltage. Few of us have chargers that can produce a STEADY 90A (not a one time boost charge).

Attachment 534510

So...VOLTAGE needs to stay constant (stable) while ECU coding. To accomplish this, amperage needs to fluctuate to maintain constant voltage. So, using a conventional battery charger that puts out constant amperage doesn’t fit the bill.

I then looked into commercially available power supply units (PSU) that supply constant voltage (i.e. “clean” power). The Schumacher INC100 fits the bill but is crazy expensive! I thought about buying one but, in the end, couldn’t justify the cost for my occasional DIY use.

Then I stumbled across a forum post on BoostAddict that described how to make your own PSU using a computer sever power supply. I went ahead and made my own and it works AMAZINGLY! I’ve used it for hours and the voltage remains rock solid stable with no fluctuation. I guess this shouldn’t be a surprise as it is designed to power computer systems. It is quiet, portable, doesn’t overheat, and it cost me $55 (CDN) all in!

FYI...I did not come up with this PSU build. I’m solely passing along the knowledge I gained as I chased the rabbit down the hole!

Disclaimer: Do this at your own risk and don't mix up the polarity!

So here are the steps:

WHAT YOU NEED:

Delta Electronics DPS-750EB (Rev A) server (switching) power supply. Mine has the DC-2173 daughter board. I bought mine off eBay for $25 + shipping:



This power supply also comes with other daughter boards but this DIY works with the DC-2173.


Booster cables. I bought 2-gauge cables for $20 from here:
https://www.princessauto.com/en/2-pk-15-ft-2-gauge-12-ft-10-gauge-booster-cables/product/PA0008942971




1K ohm resistor. Took from my son’s Arduino set. Looks like this:




Soldering iron and solder.

Mini voltmeter (optional). I bought mine off eBay for about $3 from here:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Mini-DC2-5-30V-LED-Panel-Volt-Voltage-Meter-3-Digital-Display-Voltmeter-2-Wires/312086476374?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid =p2057872.m2749.l2649


BUILD STEPS:
1. Solder a bridge between pins 70 and 69. Then solder a jumper wire from these connected pins to ground. This will power on the PSU.
2. Solder the 1K ohm resistor between pin 63 and ground. This allows you to adjust the voltage on the PSU (we'll get to that later) into the range we want for coding (~14V).




3. Open these 6 Phillips screws to open the top of the PSU.





4. Find the DC-2173 daughter board. On the backside of the daughter board (i.e. facing inwards) find the two 3-pronged wire connectors and use a small flathead screwdriver to release them. Identify the area I've circled and solder a bridge between the 2 marked circuits. This allow you to override the over voltage protector (OVP) so that we can turn up the voltage of the PSU from 12V (designed to power a computer) to 14.6V (what we want for coding). NOTE: this OVP override procedure is specific to the DC-2173. If you have a PSU with another daughter board search on-line to find out how to do this step).



Here are the two 3-pronged connectors that need to be released. Slide a small flathead on top of them to release the clips.


Look here to find the circuits that need to be bridged with solder.


Solder a bridge between these two circuits. I used a magnifying glass to do this step as it's SMALL!

Solder done!


5. Find this set screw (called the voltage pot) on the "outside" of the DC-2173 daughter board. This allow you to adjust the voltage output of the PSU. When you are looking straight at the DC-2173 daughter board, turning the set screw on the voltage pot clockwise decreases the voltage and counterclockwise increases the voltage.




6. Reconnect the two 3-pronged wire connectors (I forgot to do this initially and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't work!). Close up the top of the PSU.

7. Cut the booster cables (give yourself sufficient length) and solder the exposed cables to the positive and negative terminals. I split the wires into a “U” and soldered onto the top and bottom of the terminals.
8. I then soldered a mini voltmeter to the positive and negative terminals to see how much power the PSU was putting out.






9. Wrap the exposed connections with electrical tape.




10. DONE!!




When working with your PIWIS, connect the positive and negative alligator clamps of your new PSU to the battery posts in the engine bay (don't need to connect directly to the battery terminals in the hatch/boot). Plug your PSU into an electrical outlet. The PSU puts out 14.6 volts and when connected to the car the voltage drops to about 14.1V under load. It will maintain this stable "clean" voltage for hours! You can confirm this stable voltage by observing the voltmeter in your instrument cluster. My car voltage stayed fixed at 14.1 for hours while I was using my PIWIS! This is pretty much were we want the voltage for ECU coding!

I attached the mini voltmeter to the PSU case using sticky felt (used for furniture legs) and then velcro tape onto the back of the voltmeter sticking to this felt.

This PSU is an amazing little tool! You now never need to worry about bricking your car's ECU because of a voltage drop while coding!

If this information helped you or you found this thread interesting please consider leaving some +rep points!
 

Last edited by GT3 Chuck; 09-28-2023 at 10:31 PM.
  #2  
Old 01-25-2021, 10:22 PM
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Attachment showing the Porsche After Sales Technical Bulletin confirming the need to use a battery charger didn't seem to work. I'm trying to attach it here. Hopefully it works.

 
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Old 01-26-2021, 08:09 AM
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Thank you for sharing this vkb123!
 
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Old 01-26-2021, 05:55 PM
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Fantastic! thanks for sharing, going to have to make up one of these!
 
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Old 01-28-2021, 09:06 PM
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Originally Posted by cbwinters01
Thank you for sharing this vkb123!
Enjoy sharing this knowledge but making DIY‘s takes time and time is my most precious commodity! Kudos to all those who invest the time to share.
 
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Old 01-28-2021, 10:56 PM
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Just ordered a supply from ebay $22 shipped
 
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Old 01-28-2021, 11:08 PM
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Originally Posted by DogWood
Just ordered a supply from ebay $22 shipped
Awesome! You won’t be disappointed! It works amazingly well! Let me know if you run into any problems while building.
 
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Old 02-03-2021, 12:46 PM
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got my supply, order the same revision as yours, and it has the same daughter card
already have a extra set of jumper cables, so time to start fabing , thanks again for the right up
 
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Old 04-18-2021, 03:42 PM
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Are you concerned about overcharging the battery while the power supply is putting out 14 volts?
 
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Old 04-18-2021, 04:23 PM
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Originally Posted by riden
Are you concerned about overcharging the battery while the power supply is putting out 14 volts?
No not at all. The PIWIS draws a lot of power to offset the charge. Without the PSU you will get a low voltage error and risk bricking your ECU if you’re coding for too long. With the PSU you can take your time when working.
 
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Old 01-06-2022, 08:14 AM
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Awesome writeup vkb123!

I'm on the fence with DIY or one of the commercially available options to avoid soldering. Those are very high current connections, so good soldering technique is a must. For those interested, these are the three ready to go options I'm seeing recommended.
https://cbradiospronto.com/product/pmax100hd-power-supply
$190+shipping (~$20) and requires a set of jumper cables cut in half

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323269407237
$280 with free shipping and includes jumper cable attachments

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0756NVGHV/?coliid=I1N93M5Z3F9VM0&colid=SIWN5Z6WZDT8&psc=1&re f_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0756NVGHV/?coliid=I1N93M5Z3F9VM0&colid=SIWN5Z6WZDT8&psc=1&re f_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
$531 with Prime free shipping - The most commonly recommended all in one unit.

 

Last edited by GT3 Chuck; 09-28-2023 at 10:40 PM.
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Old 01-06-2022, 09:55 AM
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Thanks for the kudos! I looked at the same 3 power supply units that you found too! Almost convinced myself to buy the Schumacher INC100 until I stumbled across this DIY on how to make your own using the a computer server PSU.

My PSU is an amazingly (and cheap) tool! Allows you to work on your car without worrying about a voltage drop. The soldering is finicky but a fine soldering iron with a magnifying glass is all that you need. I used this:

https://www.princessauto.com/en/third-hand-with-4x-magnifying-glass/product/PA0008670937

I know that @DogWood and @ciaka have built this PSU from my DIY as well so maybe they can chime in.

Good luck and tell us what you decide to do!
 

Last edited by GT3 Chuck; 09-28-2023 at 10:41 PM.
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Old 01-06-2022, 07:16 PM
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Hi vkb, might I suggest that you add a disclaimer to the OP suggesting use of a very high power soldering iron? Your example joints look extremely cold, with no wetting and a lot of solder just painted on top. Joints like that are going to have really high resistance and get dangerously hot. It takes a really big iron to solder cables that big, the mass and thermal conductivity of the copper cable itself makes it basically impossible to properly wet out cables of that size with an iron under 100W minimum.
 
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Old 01-06-2022, 07:34 PM
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Not sure if link such as these are allowed. If you don't want to DIY and muck around inside a server power supply (I've done it, it works fine, but not everyone has the tools and confidence to do it correctly), switching power supplies are cheap from China these days.

Here's a 600W 13.8v unit for $35 for example:

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mrMFJJO

Or you can get a 1kW unit for about $60.

Just giving some options.

And before someone says that Chinese power is dirty and is going to fry your ECU, no - it's not. No, I wouldn't hook it direct to the ECM and expect it to be a lab grade PSU to diagnose waveforms. But if you attach it to the vehicle battery it will act as a big sink to smooth it out and everything will be just fine.
 

Last edited by GT3 Chuck; 09-28-2023 at 10:42 PM.
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Old 01-07-2022, 12:06 AM
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Thanks for this info and welcome to the forum! Must admit that I didn’t know the complexities of soldering as you’ve outlined. Glad now that I had the foresight to add this warning in my original post a year ago:

Disclaimer: Do this at your own risk and don't mix up the polarity!

Nonetheless, I haven’t had any issues with my PSU as built. Maintains constant voltage, quiet, and doesn’t overheat. Admittedly, I use it infrequently so maybe not the best choice for someone (like a shop) using their diagnostic tool on a daily basis.
 


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