Designed a PWM fan controllers for noisy computers etc. Uses the excellent Microchip TC648 fan speed controller chip at its heart. Just select four resistors and you're good to go. PCB to come...
#Microchip #Electronics #PWM #TC648 #SpeedControl #FanController #MotorControl
[11/02/2020]
PC Fan Controller Works on Most Operating Systems
#computerhacks #computer #controller #cooling #desktop #fan #fancontroller #nas #network #networkattachedstorage #pc #sata #usb #hackaday
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Domesticating Old Server Hardware In The Age Of Shortages
Our own [Dave Rowntree] started running into bottlenecks when doing paid work involving simulations of undisclosed kind, and resolved to get a separate computer for that. Looking for budget-friendly high-performance computers is a disappointing task nowadays, thus, it was time for a ten-year-old HP Proliant 380-g6 to come out of Dave's storage rack. This Proliant server is a piece of impressive hardware designed to run 24/7, with a dual CPU option, eighteen RAM slots, and hardware RAID for HDDs; old enough that replacement and upgrade parts are cheap, but new enough that it's a suitable workhorse for [Dave]'s needs!
After justifying some peculiar choices like using dual low-power GPUs, only populating twelve out of eighteen RAM slots, and picking Windows over Linux, [Dave] describes some hardware mods needed to make this server serve well. First, a proprietary hardware RAID controller backup battery had to be replaced with a regular NiMH battery pack. A bigger problem was that the server was unusually loud. Turns out, the dual GPUs confused the board management controller too much. Someone wrote a modded firmware to fix this issue, but that firmware had a brick risk [Dave] didn't want to take. End result? [Dave] designed and modded an Arduino-powered PWM controller into the server, complete with watchdog functionality - to keep the overheating scenario risks low. Explanations and code for all of that can be found in the blog post, well worth a read for the insights alone.
If you need a piece of powerful hardware next to your desk and got graced with an used server, this write-up will teach you about the kinds of problems to look out for. We don't often cover server hacks - the typical servers we see in hacker online spaces are full of Raspberry Pi boards, and it's refreshing to see actual server hardware get a new lease on life. This server won't ever need a KVM crash-cart, but if you decide to run yours headless, might as well build a crash-cart out of a dead laptop while you're at it. And if you decide that running an old server would cost more money in electricity bills than buying new hardware, fair - but don't forget to repurpose it's PSUs before recycling the rest!
#computerhacks #fancontroller #homeserver #hp #proliant #rackmount #rackmountserver
The default for any control project here in 2019 was to reach for a microcontroller. Such are their low cost and ubiquity that they can be used to replicate what might once have needed some extra circuitry, with the minimum of parts. But here we are at the end of 2021, and of course microcontrollers are hard to come by in a semiconductor shortage. [Hesam Moshiri] has a project that takes us back to a simpler time, a temperature controlled fan the way they used to be made, without a microcontroller in sight.
Old hands will no doubt guess where this design is heading, there is an LM35 temperature sensor producing a voltage proportional to its temperature, and half of an LM358 which forms a comparator against a static voltage from a divider. The LM358's output drives a MOSFET which in turn switches on or off the fan motor. This type of circuit used to be the daily fare of simple control electronics in the days when a microcontroller represented a significant expense, and it's still a handy circuit to be reminded of.
Have you forgotten sensors such as the LM35 in a world of on-board sensors? Time to refresh your sensing memory.
Custom Soldering Fume Fan Doesn’t Skimp on Features
Prolific maker [sjm4306] tells us the first iteration of his soldering fan was little more than some cardboard, electrical tape, and a hacked up USB cable. But as we all know, these little projects have a way of evolving over time. Fast forward to today, and his custom fan is a well-polished piece of kit that anyone with a soldering iron would be proud to have on their workbench.
Cardboard has given way to a 3D printed enclosure that holds the fan, electronics, a pair of 18650 cells, and a easily replaceable filter. Between the marbled filament, debossed logo, properly countersunk screw holes, and rounded corners, it's really hard to overstate how good this case looks. We've shamefully produced enough boxy 3D printed enclosures to know that adding all those little details takes time, but the end result really speaks for itself.
Fan internals, with a look at the custom PCB.
The user interface running on the OLED is also an exceptionally nice touch. Sure the fan doesn't need a graphical display, and [sjm4306] could have saved a lot of time and effort by using a turn-key speed controller, but the push-button configuration complete with graphical indications of fan speed and battery life really give the final product a highly professional feel.
In the video below, [sjm4306] reveals that while the finished product might look great, there were a few bumps in the road. Issues with clearance inside the case made him rethink how things would be wired and mounted, leading to a far more cramped arrangement than he'd anticipated. Part of the problem was that he designed the case first and tried to integrate the electronics later, rather than the other way around; a common pitfall you'd be wise to watch out for.
It's been proven that, without some external input, solder smoke is going to go right in your face. Whether or not you need to do something this complex is naturally up for debate, but if you want to keep all that nasty stuff out of your lungs, you'd do well to outfit your workbench with some kind of fan.
#toolhacks #3dprintedenclosure #fancontroller #fumeextractor #oleddisplay #solderfumeextractor
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