PassMark Inline PSU Tester Review

Name: PassMark Inline PSU Tester
Brand: PassMark

crmaris

on Jan 22nd, 2020,

in Power Supplies.

Manufacturer: PassMark

(43 Comments) »

Introduction

You need to figure out whether the power supply or something else is the root of all the problems your system faces? If you need to perform an extended test, a plain multimeter won't cut it. A scope is also required to take timing and ripple readings, and such tools are not affordable. On top of that, you need to have the necessary basic knowledge to operate them, and taking timing and ripple measurements is not that simple since you need to follow specific procedures. Thankfully, for those of you who can afford it, PassMark offers a PSU tester with many interesting features in that regard.

The PassMark PSU tester supports five operating modes:

Inline mode
Inline mode & monitoring
Standalone mode
Standalone mode & monitoring
Multiple testers combined

Briefly, with this small gizmo, you can check the voltage levels on the rails, record the minimum and maximum voltage and current on each rail, check the power in each rail, your PSU's total power output, ripple on the main voltage rails, timings, as well as the slew rate on the main rails during power-up, the turn-on slope of the main voltage rails, and the DC power sequencing. The good thing is that you can connect this PSU tester to a PC and use the provided software to make things easier.

For me, the most important thing is to find out whether this tool provides accurate readings or not, so I will compare it with a fully automated and calibrated Chroma station. I don't expect to get the same readings since the Chroma station costs a ton more, but I don't want to see high deviations, either.

Technical Specification
CPU	ARM Cortex M4
Memory	32 KB RAM, 128K flash
User Interface	1.8" TFT LCD 128 x 64 pixels + membrane keypad
Standards	ATX12V
Connectors	24-Pin In, 8-Pin CPU In, 6-Pin PCIe In, SATA In, 24-Pin Out, 8-Pin CPU Out, 6-Pin PCIe Out, SATA Out
Internal load	Internal load (1 W) on +12 V1, +12 V2, 5 V and 3.3 V voltage rails. Active only when the PSU tester is in standalone mode (disable in Inline mode)
Measurement	Voltages: +12 V1, +12 V2 (12 V CPU), 5 V DC, 3.3 V, +5VSB, -12V, +12 V PCIe Currents: +12 V1, +12 V2 (12 V CPU), 5 V, 3.3 V, +5VSB, +12 V PCIe, +12 V SATA, 5 V SATA. 3.3 V SATA Ripple: +12 V1, +12 V2 (12 V CPU), 5 V, 3.3 V Timings: Power-on Time (T1), Rise Time (T2), PWR_OK delay (T3) and Power-down Warning (T6) Minimum slew rate and ramp up: Check smooth and continuous ramp up of +12 V1, +12 V2 (12 V CPU), 5 V, 3.3 V Power Sequencing: Check +12 V and 5 V against 3.3 V during power up to ensure they are equal to or greater than the +3.3 V
Maximum Inline Current	+12 V1: 25 A +12 V2 (12V CPU): 50 A 5V: 30 A 3.3V: 30 A 5VSB: 8 A +12 V PCIe: 30 A +12 V SATA: 5.5 A 5 V SATA: 5.5 A 3.3 V SATA: 5.5 A
Operational Voltage	5 V via USB port or the 5 V on the 24-Pin connector
Operational Current	200 mA
Measurement Error (A)	±2%
Measurement Error (V)	±0.5%
Case	High impact ABS plastic
Size	225 mm x 85 mm x 30 mm (8.8 x 3.3 x 1.2")
Weight	240 g (8.4 oz)
Safety Protections	Over voltage protection +12 V: protected up to 22 V 5 V: protected up to 10 V 3.3 V: protected up to 6.5 V)
Storage Temperature	-30 °C to + 80 °C
Usage Temperature	0 °C to + 40 °C
Part Number	PM123
RoHS (lead free)	Yes