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Teardown & Component Analysis
Before proceeding with this page we strongly encourage you to a look at our PSUs 101 article, which provides valuable information about PSUs and their operation, allowing you to better understand the components we're about to discuss. Our main tools for disassembling PSUs are a Thermaltronics soldering and rework station and a Hakko FR-300 desoldering gun. Finally, for the identification of tiny parts we use an Andonstar HDMI digital microscope.
| General Data | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer (OEM) | CWT |
| Primary Side | |
| Transient Filter | 6x Y caps, 2x X caps, 2x CM chokes, 1x MOV, 1x CM02X |
| Inrush Protection | NTC Thermistor & Relay |
| Bridge Rectifier(s) | 2x Vishay LVB2560 (600V, 25A @ 105°C) |
| APFC MOSFETs | 2x Toshiba TK25A60X (600V, 25A @ 150°C, 0.105Ω) |
| APFC Boost Diode | 2x CREE C3D06060A (600V, 6A @ 154°C) |
| Hold-up Cap(s) | 2x Nippon Chemi-Con (400V, 470uF, 2000h @ 105°C, KMR) |
| Main Switchers | 4x B21N60EF |
| Driver ICs | 2x Texas Instruments UCC21520 |
| APFC Controller | Texas Instruments UCD3138A (31.25 MHz, 32-bit ARM7TDMI-S Processor, 32KB Flash, 4KB RAM, 3x Feedback loop control, 14-bit DAC, up to 2 MHz switching frequency) |
| LLC Resonant Controller | Champion CM6901T6X |
| Topology | Primary side: Interleaved PFC, Full-Bridge & LLC Resonant Controller Secondary side: Synchronous Rectification & DC-DC converters |
| Secondary Side | |
| +12V MOSFETs | 8x Infineon BSC014N06NS (60V, 100A @ 100°C, 1.45mΩ) |
| 5V & 3.3V | DC-DC Converters: 2x UBIQ QM3016D (30V, 68A @ 100°C, 4mΩ) 2x UBIQ QM3006D (30V, 57A @ 100°C, 5.5mΩ) PWM Controller: 1x Anpec APW7159C |
| Filtering Capacitors | Electrolytics: Nippon Chemi-Con (1-5,000 @ 105°C, KZE), Nippon Chemi-Con (4-10,000 @ 105°C, KY) Polymers: Su'scon, APAQ, Elite |
| Supervisor IC | Weltrend WT7518 (OCP, PG, SCP) & Weltrend WT751002 (OVP, UVP, PG) & LM358 |
| Fan Model | Enermax ED142512H-FA (140mm, 12V, 0.46A, Twister Bearing) |
| 5VSB Circuit | |
| Rectifiers | ISD04N65A (650V, 4A, 2.5Ohm), SPN5003 (N-Channel Enhancement Mode FET), & PS1045L SBR |
| Driver IC | Texas Instruments UCC27324 |
| PWM Controller | On-Bright OB5282CP |
The platform Enermax uses shares many similarities with Thermaltake's Toughpower Grand RGB 1200W Platinum. Actually, it looks like a less advanced version, since instead of an MCU for controlling the resonant controller and +12V FETs, the EPF1200EWT uses an analog IC, Champion's famous CM6901X, found in a majority of high-efficiency analog platforms nowadays.
Other key differences include weaker boost diodes in Enermax's APFC converter, different main switching FETs, another cooling fan, an additional supervisor IC, and no CapXon polymer caps (something we didn't like in the Thermaltake unit). The platform's layout is also slightly different. Channel Well Technology seems to offer variations of its platforms to better address customer needs and hit specific production costs.
Not every part of the EPF1200EWT's platform is analog, though. Or, put differently, it is semi-digital. The APFC converter is controlled by an MCU in an effort to increase performance and minimize energy losses. These types of hybrid platforms are the intermediate step until manufacturers proceed with fully digital designs, where all major circuits are controlled by MCUs.
The following video footage shows the EPF1200EWT’s internals.
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