Case Mod - In Progress Project: PrometheusCU - Update #54 - May 28 2010 - Video Teaser

Holy crap... you have some serious material on this one, simply astounding, and that CF must have cost a fortune... I'm really looking forward to an update.

 

It's just before the CF and the rest cost more than the hardware itself Subb'd

/Frido

 

Hey guys, thanks for the kind responses and concerns.

Despite my hopes of coming back to a mailbox full of goodies, the only items that have arrived in my absence are the WiFi antennas, the 100x 3mm LEDs and the 100x LED mounts. I'll post some images of these later tonight.

Still en-route are:
30x 1"diameter x 3/4"tall copper rings.
Female serial plug
12xBlinkM RGB LEDs
Arduino Control Board
12x8oz cans of Krylon Premium Metallics Copper Brilliance Spray Paint
CoolerMaster Aquagate (for the PICO unit)
2.40mm Radiator
Copper Hex Screws
1250ft of custom designed and manufactured 18AWG ribbon wire
Mips RAM-Freezer 4 memory water block.

Yet to be shipped AquaCopmuter products:
aquaero 4.00 USB Fan-Controller
multiswitch USB 1.41
aquastream XT Temperatursensor 70 cm
Rotary elbow adapter G1/4
2x aquagraFX for GTX 280 (G200) G1/4
Durchflusssensor (FlowSensor) G1/4


I haven't yet had a chance to meet up with my machinist to see how the precision cut aluminum prototypes are coming. I've not yet even begun to manufacture anything in copper plate... this will be the last step. I want to make everything from aluminum first to ensure that all the fits are perfect; however my machinist has informed me that he has cut out several aluminum parts and that they are looking good.

Due to the hectic schedules of myself, my machinist, and my financial adviser (who wants me dead, I'm sure) coupled with MASSIVE shipping delays; I'm back to sitting around waiting for stuff to arrive.

Until I get my prototype aluminum pieces I cant start the lighting or wiring because I wont know the exact placing.

 

Lots of good stuff heading your way.

 

All this hassle will definitely be worth it in the end, dude.

 

A small overdue update for you all.

Unfortunately my hands are still very much tied, due to many delays (mostly shipping), so progress has been minimal.

I have complete a number of little things this week however:
1- I have completed the lighting design.
2- I've modified and uploaded my verison of pfSense to my Alix board, so it's working nicely now.
3- I think I've completed my arduino lighting software, but I haven't yet got my arduino controller delivered so I don't know if it works as planned just yet.
4- I began designing my front end software that will control my watercooling and run on the from 7" touch screen.
5- I've also ordered a new keyboard, I love my apple slim keyboard but I was unable to find black key replacements for it so I've ordered the bluetooth version.
It looks to me that the new macbooks and the slim bluetooth keyboard use the same keys at least I hope so because new replacement keys were about $2.50 a piece, so I ordered a complete set of black keys for the keyboard. I'll then make new copper housing for it to replace the stock apple aluminum. In theory this should make for a very sexy black/copper keyboard.



Some of the items that have arrived in the mail since my last posting:
Some of my lighting accessories:


The 3mm LED housings that I will paint to look Copper Plated:


White 3mm LEDs:


Resistors that will let me run the LEDs from a 12volt source:


And an assembly overview of what the LED holders look like:


I also got my Laptop WIFI antennas, I will be using 2x antennas for each of the antenna outputs on the WiFi card.


Lastly, my 40.2mm radiator has arrived, so once the aquagate gets here I'll be able to assemble my Pico-ITX watercooling system.
This thing is so bloody tiny, sorry for the bad picture, but keep in mind it's only 40mm wide... too cool.

I used the mill and a frighteningly precarious claming technique to mill down the Pico's heat sink further



I decided to take some pics of my workshop, it's very dirty and the equipment is tired, but it all does the job well enough:

dropsaw

lathe

mill... strongarm style

enerpac press, and sandblaster

surface grinder


I forgot to take pics of the drillpress, but I assume you all know what those look like.

Here's the golden tool - 2.5axis router table



I decided to make an homage to Canadian modding out of some spare carbon panel I had laying around.


If the stars are aligned and my supplies arrive this week, expect HUGE progress over the next little while.

Thanks for reading, and tune in soon.

 

Sweet workmanship. You got PM.....

 

Eek, those keys are super expensive. What would Cheapskate say to that?

 

Can't wait to see how that keyboard turns out. I'm looking forward to seeing how the water cooled PICO goes down. Nice workshop.

 

@TinyTomLogan - Thanks man, I responded to your query.

@yeknom - Aye, that they were but when I get my mind set on something there is no stopping it. I'm assuming, by his name, that Cheapskate would slap me.

@The boy 4rm oz - Thanks again for your support, assuming the aquagate that xtreme0915 of the SliZone forums arrive this week the Pico should be the first part to be finished.

In case anyone is still a bit confused as to my plans for the Pico I'll outline it below:

The 40.2mm radiator will be cooled by 2 of the cool air intake 40mm fans mounted in the front panel/drivebay.
The stock Pico-ITX heatsink has had a flat spot milled into it to allow me to afix the CoolerMaster Aquagate pump/block to it.
I asked xtreme0915 to send me some pics of the aquagates pump/waterblock, hopefully this will fill in the blanks:

 

Can anyone feel anything but love for this project?

I truly went through the whole frikkin log... And was very happy to see that the copperplate was surface-treated!
This is gonna be a thing of beauty! Well... it already is!

And though you didn't do the cnc-machining yourself, it's great to see your ideas come to life! You truly exel at designing!
This is soooo subscribed!

 

I really really love the LEDs can't wait to see them in action

 

@Angel OD - I'm not doing my own CNC stuff, my Machinist comes to my shop to help me ensure that the parts turn out perfect. As well as using his own equipment for some of the more complex parts. Thanks a lot for the kind words as well.

@ComputerKing - Thanks man. The LEDs arrived today! Tune in soon to see them in action.

Another parts update:

My parcel from SparkFun arrived this morning. As did my box from AquaComputer, only I won't be able to pick it up from the post office until later this evening.

So-far we have:
The BlinkM RGB LEDs


The Arduino control board




The Female serial plug that will allow me to convert the USB>Serial adapter from Male to Female.


I'll have my AquaComputer stuff tonight, so tune in then.

Thanks for reading.

 

Whowawuwa, nice goodies!+

 

@BlackWhizz - And they only get better:



Again many many thanks to my sponsor AquaComputer for generously providing the following:

For those of you who aren't aware of the power of the AquaComputer components. here is a small demonstration video showing the power of the AquaComputer system (aquaero display, aquastream pump, multiswitch, tubemeter water level sensor, aquasuite software).

Here you will find AquaCopmuter's explanation of the AquaComputer automated "monitoring" hardware.


Aquaero 4.00:




AquaComputer 90degree swivel elbows:


AquaComputer Flow Sensor:



Multiswitch 1.41:



And the center pieces of the system... PrometheusCU Edition G200 waterblocks. Aquacomputer was generous enough to build two of these fore this project. (Note that the Prometheus text appears 'burnt' in the images but this doesn't show up to the naked eye)







More assembly to come soon.

Thanks for reading!

 

Those blocks are hawt.

 

Those blocks are beautiful.
Great work so far.

Whats the multiswitch for?

 

Looking really good mate.

 

Wow. This is one of those projects you can't help but look forward too. Great work!

 

WOW is it..
Custom GPU blocks from the good folks at aqua-computer... VERY-VERY cool..
Be sure and drill-out that AC flow sensor my friend.. They are very restrictive..