CCFL Case Mod Failure (Fire!)

[Krankshaft]

So I was looking for a cheap CCFL inverter to test CCFLs I can hook up the input to my variable Mastech bench supply. While on my search today I ran across this.

http://www.casemodgod.com/Articles/c...erter_rant.htm

The damage a failing CCFL inverter did to some guys case.

Of course the guy is an idiot raising alarm where it isn't due and probably has no clue what an inverter really is or why it failed. Or that the monitor he viewed to write that message is backlit by CCFLs yet it still hasn't exploded in a fiery hellstorm .

But in any case it got me thinking about these cheap Chinese inverters I'm willing to bet the reason it flared up is because of a lack of protection circuitry. Short circuit protection, over current protection, etc that all good inverters (on LCD monitors for example) have.

Looking at these inverter boards they remind me of the gutless wonder power supplies just enough for them to function but nothing to stop them from blowing up in case of a failure on the output.

Are there any decent 12V powered CCFL inverters out there that have protection out of the box?

[lucky13]

I kept the guts from a cracked LCD monitor (p/s, main board & buttons) to use for testing lamps.

[KeriJane]

Hello.

I found stuff like this on eBay while looking for something else....

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Electron...mrsZ1QQ_fsubZ9

Do you think it might be better than those little blue box things?

I didn't see a fuse in the burnt one.


Have Fun,
Keri

[Krankshaft]

Great find thanks!!!

Those look just what I'm looking for I'm going to order some and datasheet the ICs. They look to be well designed and should be protected if they're mean't as LCD monitor replacements.

Indeed stay away from those "blue and black box jobs".

I was buying them to test CCFLs and occasionally (as the word test implies) some bad ones. I'd rather not have the inverter blow up in my face to tell me that the CCFL was bad .

[momaka]

If you look at the last picture of that article, you can also see that the power supply is a Real PC Power Silence... aka a Leadman unit . Jonnyguru reviews one in the Bargain Basement Roundup here.
Leadman PSU + cheap chinese inverter... A light show guranteed! But as you might expect, that light won't be comming from the CCFLs .

[japlytic]

Such a CCFL inverter should have at least three things: low-ESR electrolytics, a fuse (with mention earlier), and a supply separation diode, so that the electrolytics in the CCFL inverter are not being subjected to excessive ripple current.