I am planning a mod and I'm looking for parts, but every power button I come across is designed to be visible, and therefore more expensive. I do not know of any electronic supply stores locally beyond Radioshack, and I'm wondering if the members of this community might know of some online retailers I could purchase them from (in the US preferably.) First, I'm looking for momentary push switches. I need four: two on the power and two on the reset switch. Second, does anyone know of a program and a device I can connect to a computer that will control a small servo? For this mod I only need it to move one servo so I'd prefer something inexpensive ( around $25 usd or less.) Third, I know I've heard of a program that makes a second mouse wheel control a computers volume. Does anyone know what this is, and if it can also be used as an input for something like a radio program on the PC? Further on this question, could it be setup to use the buttons on the mouse to turn on and off programs? Thanks for any assistance: hopefully I'll be able to get the mod started soon and provide some pics.
Welcome to bit-tech! for the first question: I'd suggest tearing apart old hardware to get a few switches. (It's generally easy to find old pc cases for cheap or free and you can salvage the switches of them, especially since you're more concerned with function over appearance. You could purchase online through mouser or digi-key, but the shipping could be as much or more than the cost of the parts (depending on what else you're getting.) Can't help with the 2nd, but suggest you There's other's here that have used servos (check the post near yours re servo jitter, for example) Third, I don't know about that program, but it might be possible with some mice and their companion software to assign functions to buttons (even the scroll.) Might also help others to help you if you added your rough location. Maybe someone here is nearby, and might be able to suggest a shop. Also, I love instructables.com... they have all sorts of crafty geeks there that might have done something (like the servo) that you would learn from. Good luck!
I've got a WindowsNT computer I was saving to figure out what to do with. I'll have to see if I can run a pc without the reset button though, I never use it (just hold the power button in a few seconds.) I've searched for things to connect servos to pcs, unfortunatlly the only thing I found was one device that cost $100 for the base board. (I msged the guy you're reffering to. ) I think this is the volume control tool, but it seems to only work with volume: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/volumouse.html I'm in Tennessee: I'm doubting I'll find anyone else in this area whos a modder. Ya, I love instructables! I check it out a couple times a week. I asked there several months ago, to no avail. Might be about time to ask again. Thanks for your response!
Welcome. You can definitely run the machine w/o a reset switch. If you are handy with circuits and electronics you could look into Ardunio - you could make your own program and hardware realatively simply with the aid of Ardunio (there are TONNES of Arduino tutorials for various projects all over the web) Another option would be the Phidgets Servo - a device that can run a Servo from your USB port. I'm not sure about other mice (i purchased 3 MX510's a few years back and haven't looked at another mouse since - lol) but my MX510 came with a logitch program that lets you assign the mouse buttons to just about any function, I cant imagine it being too much of a stretch to macro one of those functions to open an app. You may be interested in something like the Optimus Mini Three keyboard, for a simple tool to run apps easily. Here you'll find a tutorial by a man who made a volume/menu control knob for his carputer. Here you'll find Phidgets selection of USB sensors - you could build a very simple app in VB to control volume or software with these. Here is a lovely Bit-Tech guide to making your own USB control knob. For supplies I use Digi-Key, Sparkfun, McMaster Carr, and my personal favorite online electro-gizmo supplier is www.Phidgets.com.
Thanks Langer, Sorry for the delay, Christmas and overtime have kept me off the pc. The Phidgets Servo is just what I was needing, and its not too expensive to boot. Gatta see if a relative can do the programming for me though, as I don't know any myself. I'll problibly go with a 9.6x9.6 mobo on this though: the case is just deep enough for a Mini ITX (6.75 deep), but most of them don't have a 1000Mbps Ethernet connection. Although this will look a bit less authentic, it'll allow me better ventelation then a close fitting backplate and most likely be a bit cheaper for the mobo.
NP mate, that's why were here... to exchange. Out of curiosity: are you planning on making some kind of antenna rotator? IE: is the high bandwidth for streaming media, the knob for controlling/selecting it, and is the servo part of some kind of directional antenna? Or is this part of some kind of neat aesthetic mod for your rig? I'm probably WAY off base, but I can't think of many other applications that would take advantage of all these devices.
Yes, unfortunately it only has two Sata ports in it: I am planning on setting up a Raid on two drives for important info backup with a third for media files. I'm trying to avoid going back to Pata drive connections so I don't have to worry about them being valid if I upgrade in the future. Can you mirror a HD over Ethernet? If so I could setup one HD that way and mirror it from my work PC and use the other for the media. (If this is possible, please link me to a page telling how!) Just saw another problem: It's got a PCI slot, which won't work for the PCI-E card I'm going to get for the video in http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116015 (sorry I failed to mention that.) There is of course this: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2008/12/18/nvidia-ion-platform-geforce-and-atom-revie/1 but who knows when it'll be on the market. You're not too far off, except for the antenna part. I'm making a server/ Media PC for my house and want to stream tv shows I download from it and record OTA to my other computers on the network (Well, my one other computer.) The servo's function is purely for aesthetics; the unit will work fine without it, but I think it'll add a nice visual appeal. The modified mouse controls are for the knobs on the front and, while the pc will work without them, I'd love to add the buttons functionality to the unit. I'll try to start prep work for the case, even though I don't have the hardware yet.
Reset Button hey... Folks the APCI spec changed several years ago There IS NO RESET button anymore... Press and HOLD your power button for a "reset" > 30 sec... < 1min Industry standard! Search out the touch sensor projects (on Bit-Tech) nice and easy circuit to add touch sensors to power the PC Here's a build from the ol' worklog.... qProx Power DigiKey for the supplies mate! WELCOME TO BIT-TECH!
