It dawned on me a little while ago that the casings from SMPSU's could be re-used as project boxes if they can be opened without damage,i.e. screws or undamaged clips.
This mainly applies to the larger ones of course, the plug top ones are more often than not ultrasonically welded and also not a very useful shape unless you're making or repackaging a PSU.
Anyway, I ordered myself one of those component analysers from ebay (china) and it arrived yesterday,the board is a slightly odd size and I couldn't find a suitable box in my box of boxes to build it into. I checked my 'project drawer' and the first thing that jumped out was an ex-HP printer PSU box. I'd gutted it long ago and it seemed to fit the bill.
The top of it has a sort of design cast into it and a nice clear area for the LCD, thick enough for a Bulgin PP3 battery box, just the job.
The screen that came with the tester was rubbish, really poor quality and had a terrible viewing angle of about 1 degree so I swapped that for a better one.
By the time I'd finished cutting, filing, drilling and hacking my way through the plastic I couldn't be bothered to extend the switch off the PCB so simply used a nylon bolt, with alocking nut on the back and the head filed nice and flat to protrude into the case and contact the switch. The switch already had a mushroom head attached and I cut a plastic collar then glued this on, this stops the nylon bolt skidding sideways and also keeps the exterior button head 'flat' against the case. 
The hole for the IEC socket has been filled with a plastic plate which just slots in, cut with scissors from an antistatic component box destined for the bin.
The overall result isn't really professional, but it does the job and keeps the whole thing safe.
I will upload some photos.
Dave
https://sites.google.com/site/davegsm82/projects/radioputer - A BC5441 Turned into a Media Centre PC.
Hi Dave
I have ordered one of the Chinese component testers so I could take it's display for my function generator. I'm tending towards upgrading the display now I've read your post. What display did you use for your upgrade?
Eddie
Hi Eddie,
The display is a Generic HD47780 type, 2x16 (2 rows, 16 characters per row).
I just used one I had laying around in a Junk box, nothing special really. I use them in my Pic projects, although usually I use 4x20's.
The original IS usable, but it's dull and the viewing angle is terrible (like an old digital watch with a dead battery), in hindsight it probably would have been fine but quite annoying. Adjusting the contrast pot does help a little.
Cheers, Dave.
https://sites.google.com/site/davegsm82/projects/radioputer - A BC5441 Turned into a Media Centre PC.
Hi Dave
I think a couple of things confused me originally, the replacements LCDs' all seem to have 16 pins and my display only had 14 pins of which D0 -D3 were clearly not being used on my function generator.
But when I took a closer look at your picture I saw you just ignored those anyway, it was then I realised the extra two pins must be for the back illumination. I have a two part article from Practical Electronics back in the 90's on how to use LCD's which explains you can use the data lines as a single 8 bit byte or as two 4 bit nibbles so that explains D0 - D3 not being used. Obvious when you know. 
Anyway I bought one to play with and it's all working fine.
Cheers
Eddie
Hi Eddie,
I see your confusion now, yes, half of the byte isn't used. This is to reduce the pin count for experimental micros, pic's have 8-bit wide ports, 4 data lines and 3 control lines (R/W, E, RS) fit well in this.
The extra 2 pins are for illumination, usually an LED, sometimes an electroluminescent panel.
Dave.
https://sites.google.com/site/davegsm82/projects/radioputer - A BC5441 Turned into a Media Centre PC.
My component tester arrived and as Dave mentioned the display is horrid. However, apart from it's spelling mistakes, the component tester part is quite handy.
I was given a faulty xbox psu a couple of years ago and I never did get it fixed so I recycled the case for this project.I would imagine there are plenty of these floating around as along with the red ring of death it was a big problem at the time. Peeling the label off the back of the case revealed a strip which was just right for fitting the LCD display that I purchased cheaply off ebay.
The display is bigger than the average but ideal for my ageing eyes.
I haven't quite decided on the battery arrangement yet but there is plenty of room in the case. Unlike Dave I have fitted a pair of wires in parallel with the single tactile switch so I can fit my own push switch.
There is a small red LED that comes on for the duration of the component test and as this is no longer visible I decided to remove it and use the connections to drive the new LED display back light.That was a mistake, it didn't work and the component tester doesn't like working without the LED. I didn't bother to find out why I just put it back; I don't really need the back light anyway.
Overall a good suggestion from Dave and a tenner well spent.
Eddie
I used the case off a DELL inspiron 7500 battery pack for my PIC based LC tester kit.
PCB plus PP3 fits perfect and the top (or maybe bottom!) was easy to cut for the LCD display.
Valvekits - That's a really good display! looks about 2X the sixe of the stock one? (also looks to be an STN rather than the cheapo quater-twist that comes with it)
Michael - Not familiar with that pack, could you upload some photo's?
Dave.
https://sites.google.com/site/davegsm82/projects/radioputer - A BC5441 Turned into a Media Centre PC.
I just went with a PP3 in the end as the standby current is miniscule.
After an evening testing components I think it's not bad at all, especially as I only bought it for it's display originally.
I liked the display so much that I purchased a couple more.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221455790647? ... 1439.l2649
Eddie
