Electrical – Identifying unknown transformer from a computer PSU

transformer

I was recently using an old 375 watt PSU as a benchtop power supply and managed to break it trying to disable the short circuit/overvoltage/undervoltage protection. Meh. Anyway, naturally I took it apart and started desoldering the components. I pulled a transformer out that was mounted to the board with screws with 3 wires coming out and being soldered to the board elsewhere. The transformer had a sticker on it that reads on 2 lines "37-C6371104 ROHS HP OK/0706 SC REV.B" I did a quick google for the hyphenated number but didn't come up with anything. It was taped up with yellow tape and under the first layer was some thin copper foil wrapped around in a single layer, under that was the coils and iron core. There are 3 wires, blue, black, and white. It looks like the blue and white wire goes to one of the coils and the black wire goes to the other, which confuses me. I'm trying to identify the rating of it and I'm nervous to just hook it up to 120VAC and use a multimeter. If anyone could help me figure it out, that'd be awesome. I can take a picture of it if that would help.

Hopefully someone can shed some light and thanks in advance!

Best Answer

Based on your description, chances are that it is a filter inductor to keep the high frequency switching noise from backing up into the power mains. Of course each winding has at least TWO ends, so there is a fourth "wire" somewhere. Perhaps one of the pins that was soldered to the PC board?

Like virtually ALL switch-mode power-supplies (SMPS) the transformers and inductors are FULL CUSTOM parts designed and manufactured specifically for THAT model of power supply. You will not find any information on the inductors because they were never sold on the general market. They were OEM custom parts.

ABSOLUTELY NOT RECOMMENDED to connect this to the power mains until you understand A LOT MORE about what it is and how it works.