Got a pic of it?
That sounds awful big to be in the -5v path... Most -5v power supplies are around .5 to 1.0 amps of current and are done with small, separate high speed switching diodes and not a big 3 legged one.
Also, are you sure it is shorted? High speed diodes can read low in one direction and pretty dang low in the other. Also, the 2 outside legs will be hooked to the transformer so they will appear to be shorted in circuit. To truly get a good reading you should take it out of the circuit.
RJ
Thanks for the reply.
Yes, I have a pic, but I don't think we need it now.
I may have mis-traced the circuit path thru a coil containing several different wires wrapped around a toroidal core. Let me back up, and re-group...
The PS worked fine until I did a bone-headed thing and trusted a pinout I found online without verifying it on the schematic (My fault. Lesson learned.) As a result, the -5V line was shorted directly to ground. When I powered it on, the 5A breaker on the PS tripped... but not after an unhealthy buzzing and a little pop & flash inside the PS. I unplugged the PCB, found the mistake in wiring, and powered on the switcher (alone) again: same result. Something had shorted in it.
So I thought I'd traced the -5 line to the subject component, but I may have been mistaken.
In any case, I took it out of circuit, and it tests as follows:
Forward bias: ~0.3V (both outsides legs to center leg)
Reverse bias: out of range (both to center)
That seems good to me.
Also, I thought I'd be able to use the PS w/o the -5V line with this diode module out of circuit. So I put it back together and... same result: trips its breaker. So my problem must be elsewhere in there. Back to the drawing board...