Sponsored by: ZyXEL sponsor with a GS-108B Dremel sponsor with a Dremel 4000 Lamptron sponsor with power and reset switches, and a few other useful things. Phenoptix sponsor with red 3mm LEDs! Komplett.no sponsor with Corsair H50, Silverstone SST-SOD01, Arctic Silver ArtiClean, Arctic Silver Alumina and Fractal Design EFS Fan Accessory! Thank you very much for sponsoring my project! I started up this project a few months ago, but there is still a lot left to do, so I thought i would be appropriate to start a worklog hare at this forum too. The main goal of this project is to create a computer case out of MDF, and later use it as a server or guest computer. Here's the first draft of the unfinished 3D-modell. The grey box under the motherboard tray is a gigabit switch that will be usefull at LAN-partiese etc. And here are some pictures that shows the work I did earlier: The vertical separator was a bit too large, så I had to resize it to make it fit inside the frame. And then I had to drill a few holes for the screws... I've milled the outer edges of the case, and sanded a bit. There are a few screws located at the rear end of the case, so I'm not going to mill that part of the case yet... What do you think about the result so far? List of things left to do - [X] Make feet out of MDF - [X] Attach the vertical separator - [X] Make or buy a mount for harddrives - [X] Purchase fans - [X] Purchase power/reset-button - [X] Drill holes for the fans - [X] Drill holes for cable management - [X] Paint the case and the motherboard tray - [X] Milling the edges of the case Hope you like the project! - ToB1
Thanks! At the moment I'm working on a sketch that will be more accurate than the last one I did of the case.
Yeah, I think it will be useful at LAN parties etc. If somebody got an idea for the design of the case, I would be grateful to hear about it!
Hello, It's very easy to pop a switch open, and solder a molex on its power input, if it's 12V. Someone more knowledgeable than me might be able to help, if it ain't 12V. Then you can power it from the inside of the case. Best regards.
I've allready thought about that, but thank you anyway I think the easiest way will be to solder a molex-cable onto the power cable that came with the switch, but of cours then I'll have a 12V cable going out of the case.
The thing I don't like if I power the switch through the computer's PSU is that if I turn of the computer everyone else will lose their connection But what if I connect the switch to the PSU inside of the switch, and then use the normal power cable to ensure that the switch will stay turned on? Then the power from the PSU will be connected to the power from the power cable in parallell, wouldn't that work out just fine?
Thanks! Thank you! I'm hoping to get something done during the weekend, but at the moment I'm consentrated on the sketch of the build, and it's almost finished What do you think about powering the switch like this? And here's a sketch of the feet I'll make for this build... KingCake, thank you for the great sketch you did for me
I really think so, cause then I'll have a set of pretty unique feets for this build And I don't think aluminum feets will fit the design of this case as good as "homemade" feets out of MDF
Your 'in & out' power idea would only work in an ideal world where there was world peace and every electronic part does exactly what it says on the box. As it is now, there is no world peace, and there is a good chance the external 12Vdc is closer to 14Vdc, and will want to start 'charging' your PSU (who has a fairly granted and stable 12V line). PSU's don't really like to be charged. More important, if the external 12Vdc is not plugged in an outlet yet, it has near to ZERO resistance (a transformer is a solenoid around an iron core, remember) and will short out your PSU. Not something you want to do to your computer. Same for the other way around (pc shut down and external 12Vdc plugged in) the easiest way to stop that is putting a few diodes in the way hope this helps a bit.
Thanks! I see you point, and understand what you mean. But could you please help me to find some diodes that will be appropriate for the situation?
you want a so called rectifier diode. the only thing about them is that you'll lose 1.4 volt over those diodes (2 times 0.7V) i don't really think this is an issue, but be sure to test. check your wall plugged power suply. your diodes should be able to handle the maximum current it can provide. edit: on a second note, i think you need a circuit a little more complicated than that, just because of the conducting properties of the solenoid. but that is only true if there is no bridge rectifier build in... i hope you follow. if not: find yourself a multimeter and measure the resistance over the (non plugged in!) external power supply. in both directions. do the same with your (also non plugged in=) PSU and post your results.
I would just have a simple switch for the power. No voltage drop, no finding diodes. Quick switching between PSUs like that shouldn't really drop the switch offline, as it has its own capacitor inside.
Interesting! Then I'll have to remember to turn on the switch every time I'm switching between power from the outlet and power from the PSU, but I don't think that will be a big problem. Thanks for helping me out here, guys!
