Falcon030 dead after Centuriontech CT60/CT60PSU incident - investigation begins

[Maximilian]

The main problem is the design, you should never have mains and low voltage together this close.
It is very bad design, and this is exactly what you would expect to happen...

Having a better quality switch does not solve the issue.

[exxos]

The main problem is the design, you should never have mains and low voltage together this close.
It is very bad design, and this is exactly what you would expect to happen...

Having a better quality switch does not solve the issue.

100% agree.

[redpixel]

I'm usually a big Centuriontech fan, but seems like this design might have been a bit flawed... However I think it's unfair to accuse him of using "cheap Chinese" switches/power modules, in my experience he always uses quality parts. I have the 2025 version of CT60PSU, but I haven't used it much. The switch he used on mine is a DPDT Alco A203 (manufactured in Japan), rated for 250 V AC. Hard to find much more data about it though. I think it's the same as TE part 2267079-5 (https://www.te.com/en/product-2267079-5.html), which has a dielectric strength of 1000 Vrms,min. The AC/DC power bricks are from CUI Inc (USA).

I agree that it's risky to route mains and a 3.3 V logic-level signal through the same switch though, and it would've been nice if he'd have put an optocoupler or something in-between. It's a bit worrying that the PSU used in the blown-up computer which is on its way to you exxos seems to have been the 2025 version. Will be interesting to hear your findings!

[kohli79]

Sorry, I’m a bit confused at the moment. The power supply was fine on my end and was included in the parcel. Pavel checked it and didn’t find any faults. All voltages were correct. It was down to that rather poor-quality switch. There’s also a new PSU version from 2025. I still have the previous model.
I’m curious to see what happens once the parcel with the Falcon arrives, and what the real problem was.

That psu looks like onof those cheap China ones?

The problem seems to be "flashover" mains voltage on the mains switch to the CT60 mode select wire.

OK, I see.

No, that power supply doesn’t look like a cheap Chinese product. It strikes me as high quality. According to Centuriontech, it’s a well-known European brand. At least that’s the case with my version. I’m not sure about the current one.

The link shows the current model.
https://centuriontech.eu/product/ct60psu/

[exxos]

No, that power supply doesn’t look like a cheap Chinese product. It strikes me as high quality. According to Centuriontech, it’s a well-known European brand. At least that’s the case with my version. I’m not sure about the current one.

Fair point, and worth clarifying, I wasn't implying it is a cheap Chinese one either way, more asking the question based on images posted. I've seen modules that look identical to Meanwell but aren't, which is exactly why checking for an actual brand marking matters, and even then it comes down to where it was actually sourced from, since fake branded ones do the rounds too.

What I'm really trying to understand is the timeline. Three revisions in, something clearly changed along the way, and I don't know what the original module in the first design actually was or where it came from. If it turns out to be unbranded, no-name, that would ring alarm bells for me, I wouldn't use something like that to power an expensive Falcon. So that's the clarification I'm after, not an accusation, just trying to understand what's actually been used across these PSU designs.