How to test the PSU in a Dell PowerEdge T-20?

[ncarty97]

I have a problem where my server occasionally turns off, usually late at night. I'm wondering if its a power supply issue as I can't find anything in the software (WSE 2012r2) to indicate that a process is telling it to shut down.

So, I bought a PSU tester (Amazon.com: HDE 20+4 Pin LCD Power Supply Tester for ATX, ITX, BTX, PCI-E, SATA, HDD: Computers & Accessories) HDR 20+4

The PSU only has an 8-pin and 4-pin connector coming out of it. So I plugged those both in, but I can't get the power supply itself to turn on without it being connected to the motherboard! Quite the catch-22. Any suggestions?

 

[Peanuthead]

Good question. It's a proprietary power supply. It may be easier to purchase the MB adapter cable and use/test with a regular PS.

 

[pricklypunter]

Usually the thin green wire is grounded to switch on an ATX type supply, you could probably jumper it to get the supply running. I don't know if the remainder of the wiring is proprietary or uses a standard pinout, I would check that first before plugging it into your tester or you may fry it if you have the polarity reversed anywhere. Also, you might find that the supply will need a minimum load on it before it will regulate properly, the tester will present that to the supply if the wiring is compatible, if not you'll need to make up some sort of adapter cable or use some resistors and a multimeter