Curiosity killed my clock oscillator :)

You've probably killed the oscillator. These units are spec'd pretty tightly... Although I've seen units that have an upper Vcc limit of 4.5V, most 3.3V chips are rated at 3.6V max. Even if you have the 4.5V max version, you've still exceeded the Vcc by a good amount. Replace the oscillator with the proper version.

Out of curiosity, why are you using an oscillator module instead of a crystal? A crystal would be cheaper and wouldn't have this worry.....just saying. :-)

I'm just using it b/c that's what was on some of my old schematics. I'm not worried about power comsumption or anything - I've got 15A available from my power supply, and I'm only using ~600mA. I did order a crystal to replace the oscillator though, so my problems should clear up, I hope. Thanks for the info guys.

Aaron

Running a power supply at such a small percentage of it's design power is pretty inefficient. You can run something like that more efficiently with just a 5V SMPS designed for cell phone or other 5V power sources, have a smaller footprint, and use the PC power supply for something more demanding to boot!

At my office, we've accumulated a number of 5V, 12V, and 5V/12V switchers from various devices which either died or got used with POE instead, and they're incredibly handy for small electronics projects. They're never as close to 5V or 12V as you get from a PC power supply, but still within the specs of all 5V or 12V gear I've seen... say, within a quarter volt.

steve

I'll second that.

Too often we see people asking about how to use a "computer power supply" as a bench supply, and then they have to load it down because they have no need for the high current the supply outputs.

Most of the computer supplies I've brought home after finding them waiting for the garbage truck have been scrapped, I pull out boards (and strip off the parts) and then use the cases for project boxes. At the very least, they make great boxes for analog power supplies, using transformers I've pulled out of some other piece of electronic junk.

The beginner doesn't even realize that there is a world of switching supplies out there that aren't "computer power supplies". I've gotten surplus switchers that are far more appropriate for average use, since they are smaller and put out more reasonable current levels.

And yes, other scrap electronics is a good source of lower current switching supplies. VCRs increasingly have switching supplies, though they tend to be part of the main circuit board (so it's less easy to extract the power supply). Inkjet printers are a great source of lower current switching supplies, not only are they lower current but they tend to be built as a separate board and may even be in their own casing. Plus, you can get all the inkjet printers you could possibly want, just waiting for the garbage trucks.

When I needed a 24v supply to run a laptop, I took apart the first inkjet printer I put my hands on, and there was a nice 24v supply of the needed current capacity. Just when I was about to build up an analog supply.

Michael

Hmm. I'll check out some of the junk printers, vcr's, etc. that I've got lying around. I really didn't notice any problem with using the supply I've got. I'm gonna be adding several relays to control some

Aaron

The supply is actually from an elderly Mac that I scrapped out years ago. I used it simply because it's ultra-compact, but still fairly high output.

Aaron

I'm happy as a clam since I finally got a power supply that puts out 5V with a nice constant current up to 3A. It's a Delmot HY1803D, 0-18VDC at

When things die around here they get checked to see if they can be easily repaired. If not they get harvested.

Thus speaks a fellow 'lectroni-geek :)

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