If only someone would market a really ugly fan controller with decent features... Agreed. I like my t-bal so far, but it does need software to configure. Been there . ...might go back, actually. This time I'm going to use it to control the environment in my closet (NAS, Router, Modem, etc.). Mostly...

#1 is as good as any, and certainly the best to fabricate. Keep in mind that thickness and type of material makes a difference, particularly for fins that large. Think of the fin as a pipe for the heat. If you use a small pipe, the heat will have trouble getting to the outermost surfaces. Gut feel s...

I think shape is more important than size. In a smaller case of the same layout, the 'heat pockets' will only get smaller. That in turn will decrease their thermal mass and ability to conduct; the machine will be hotter. Before you start switching cases, consider spending time with a manilla folder,...

Remember this ? Well, I just can't let it die. Today I found an article from intersil about how to use their parts to send video over cat5. It looks like I can sample most of the parts, so I'm thinking I might be able to build one (or three) of these things. The trick is keyboard and mouse. The vide...

My ears were burning so I thought I'd check in. It sounds like you've got all the info you need from cpemma's post. The only difference in my design was using a p-fet to switch the fan. That way i could put a big 'ol resistor across the fet to have the fan switch to low speed (instead of off) and no...

scalar, cool stuff. The attraction of Cat5 to me is that it is already run through the house and can serve multiple functions as things evolve (phone, ethernet, ethernet phone, phony ethernet, etc.)

It's worth a shot. The size of the spike changes with fan & voltage (and, thus, fan speed), however. You may find that the 'spike threshold' needs to vary with fan voltage. In that case you may need to run the dividers on the same branch as the fan.

Try it. Let us know how it works out.

I agree with going used. 1GHz is way more than you need unless you are running database apps or somesuch. Plus you've already got all the stuff that wears out; there's no risk. You could probably get started for less than $100. I took some quick snaps of the NAS-esque machine hanging from my ceiling...

I have two fans in my closet system that run at 12V.

They're 24V fans

nevermind the OS stuff, here is the current image of choice. Thanks to explodingdog.com

just from memory, it's something like this http://home.austin.rr.com/segerstrom/fwf/tach.jpg J1 is fan, J2 is PC R1 is a current shunt, C1 shifts the level up to something the comparitor can deal with (nominally set by R4 & 5). R2 & the pot R3 set the tach threshold. If you've got a scope, start wit...

If they were ethernet I imagine they would cost even more. With Cat5 you do get 4 UTPs, that helps. I think the gonzo settings you mention require 2 cables as well. It's kinda lame that they decode the analog signal only to recode it again. It seems more elegant to me to have a graphics card that sp...

Holy smoke. In this case I almost wish I had not searched the forums first. But, here goes: I already have a PC in my office closet (along with the cable modem & router). Cat5 runs all over the house, including to a hub on the desk that goes to my wife's PC, the printer, and any other gizmo that I n...

rather than mess with bolting stuff onto your display, why not replace the books holding your monitor with a PC? And, if the black box on the bottom shelf is a sub, getting a smaller pc won't help that much.

but who am i to rain on your ambition?

The ATX spec requires a minimum load for a supply to run, and it's not trivial--something like 2A on the 5V line, something else for +3.3 and +12. Look it up at formfactors.org. In the 'black box' I made to use a power supply for bench use I put resistive loads (and the corresponding fan) to make su...

Page 77 says there's a system setup category that "Sets the fan to full speed or a lower, noise reduction speed." Have you tried it? Page 18 shows the power supply has "Pin 21 — Thermal fan-speed control (TFSC) is a power-supply input signal used to control power-supply fan speed in special applicat...

Almost as easy as making up answers!

I see a few problems with this proposed standard. The first is that the fan becomes more expensive. I'll bet most of the cost will be in the wire; the new style just reshuffles the components in existing fans. Fan mfgr's blew it when they didn't put the header on their part and forced someone else ...

Anyone fan-nerdy enough to read about the new 4-wire fan (no, not the big clunky molex variety) standard? Intel is behind this one, too. a taste of the future . The bottom line is they seperate PWM from tach, so the PWM frequency can be much (1000x) higher while still getting good tach signals. Also...

Shorting the green (PWR_ON) wire with a black (GND) wire on the ATX header will force the power supply to try and turn itself on. A paper clip does the job nicely. If the supply is unplugged the caps will drain to safe levels quickly. This, to me, is a better bet than the push-the-button-over-and-ov...

Most, if not all, of the information you're after is already in the forums. Read the 'sticky' threads in the areas you care about (e.g. power supplies, fans & control) and you'll learn a lot. From there a few good searches will get you a lot more. Once you have a handle on the information that's out...

I was waiting for the part where you shove an allen wrench in the chuck of the drill and crank it around as a generator.

I'd like to see someone show up at the airport with an Antec ARIA under one hand and a car battery under the other.

Neat idea. We use 'built in' transformers for home low-voltage lighting installations all the time (halogen bulbs are typically 12V). http://electronictransformer.com/cgi-bin/app.cgi?pg=store for example. Here's the rub: the lower the voltage the higher the losses in the line. That's why power is di...

if they could do that do bowling balls, then they wouldn't need the fan on the end of the ball-return thing. maybe the next big thing will be a mouse with a TEC and cooling fins. When you hold down both mouse buttons the scroll wheel adjusts the temperature. i kid, only. i admire all the folks out t...

yuck. i'd vote to tap power off the wall-wart for the cable modem.

I ordered samples of the MM74C906 from fairchild, should be able to whip up a ~150 Hz ( = 4500 RPM) generator without much trouble once they show up. Two resistors and a cap should do it. But, then, by the time the parts have shown up I will loose interest and the thread will die. Whatever... //edit...

I ended up getting a case. Mini-tower, 300W supply, $10 after rebate from Fry's! I'm certain that I got what I paid for. The thing must be made of 20ga steel. I think if I punched it my hand would go though. The good news is I was able to mount a 2nd drive (noisy old 2.5", but spun down most of the ...

Would it be possible to make a small oscilator to fool the motherboard sensor? I'm sure a simple 555 ic application would do the job. I was just thinking that. If you don't care what speed gets reported, just make something to fake it out. I'd lean toward using an open-collector inverter package wi...

My hope in building controllers is that people would take advantage of the relatively simple set of commands (sent via serial port) and develop their own top layer stuff. Over time and iterations it could develop into something really neat. Didn't happen. At all. I wonder if the guys don't want to g...

Nope, I hadn't seen that -- but the text in that first link is a little confusing and appears to suggest that the CPU can be cooled passively! The PDF says that CPU HS fans are still required. That's probably related to their requirement(?) that the duct be seperated from the CPU by 1/2" or more. I...