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Modding PC104, tiny systems..

Discussion in 'Modding' started by xX~EXCELSIOR~Xx, 18 Jun 2004.

  1. xX~EXCELSIOR~Xx

    xX~EXCELSIOR~Xx What's a Dremel?

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    Hey guys

    Basically I have a few questions, I posted this on another board but they're not mod savy enough I guess :( No responses, I'm betting people here might have a good idea.


    Anyone seen those single board computers, more specifically one of those PC/104 modules that look like a tiny hand sized PCB, old proc mounted on it, and have a ton of pins going out?

    I was wondering what'd it take to be able to use one of those as a PC? It'd be awesome for mods :burn:

    I mean, I never see any actual ports on them except gold connector pins.. stuff I'm talking about is pc/104 modules like this:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=42899&item=3821058628&rd=1

    they say things like "Ruis windows, has ps2" etc, but I can't see a ps2 port.. anyone got anymore information?

    Also you know those Single bloard computers that you plug into a backplate? these are the comps:
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20328&item=5704410016&rd=1

    and the packplate will look like:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1244&item=3487240347&rd=1

    Well anyways I have a few questions...

    1. is the backplate only to supply power then?

    Will they run without the backplate if you find a way to supply power otehrwise?

    Also, will these run as independant rigs in the backplate itself? they usually have lan keyboard etc, can they all be used seperately plugged into teh backplate?
     
  2. Cabe

    Cabe What's a Dremel?

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    there usually on headers, like older style AT board. As for the backplane PC's most of the time you replace the host systems PSU (and HD/CD-roms etc....) and plug that directly to it. It then uses the physical PCI bus of the host system to provide PCI expansion. Although this is by no means an established standard. All the ones I have come accross can be operated without a host though.
     
  3. xX~EXCELSIOR~Xx

    xX~EXCELSIOR~Xx What's a Dremel?

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    All right well how do you power them to run independently if they're the ones that look like they go in a PCI slot?

    -Excelsior

    ALSO:
    How do you get the ps2 slots etc that will fit into those headers?
     
  4. khendar

    khendar What's a Dremel?

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    I have heard of application boards...which fit inside a 5.25" bay and actually have decent hardware on them eg P4's..They would be a better solution because it sounds like these things are specialised.
     
  5. Cabe

    Cabe What's a Dremel?

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    the PCI style ones take thier power directly from the PSU generally they are ATX and you have to upgrade the PSU of the host machine, the existing motherboard for the host machine is completely dead, it only serves as a box and for the PCI slots present on the motherboard. everything else is plugged directly onto the upgrade card.

    the backplane you posted is also for ISA, not PCI, it will be of no use to you.

    I think your confusing these PCI upgrade cards with "blade's"

    as for the headers, usually they come with the pc104 module at time of perchase, if you dont get any, then you could get the pin-outs for the board and make them yourself.

    If you are contemplating what I think your contemplating my suggestion would be to use miniITX motherboards.

    somethign like this may be better suited to the task of a "blade server"
    http://www.whiningdog.net/Reviews/PCs/Motherboards/20040425-InsightP4-ITX/index.php
     
  6. xX~EXCELSIOR~Xx

    xX~EXCELSIOR~Xx What's a Dremel?

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    Got an AIM/MSN I can talk to you on?

    Basically I saw things like those with PCI and ISA Slots, and I saw A PCI backpane much like the ISA one I posted.

    The link to the thing you posted is nice, however extremely freaking expensive :)

    $200 is way too much, as many of those pc104 modules are dirt cheap online, and I don't want "awesome processing power"

    I basically want a nice small mobo about the size or just a bit bigger than the one you posted, WITHOUT any pci slots that take up room, I wanna find one cheap :(

    The PCI backpane thing is just cause they look like nice small comps, I was thinking about possibly a folding farm with them, or just using them as independent tiny computers :)

    -Excelsior
     
  7. Cabe

    Cabe What's a Dremel?

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    ahh then you want to look at the miniITX boards that have integrated VIA processors

    http://www.mini-box.com/products.htm

    it really does depend on what you need it for, those VIA's are pretty mundane in thier processing power, I wouldnt want to game from them, but they have enough poke to play divx's and such.

    (you got PM's btw)
     
  8. khendar

    khendar What's a Dremel?

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  9. Cabe

    Cabe What's a Dremel?

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    aye, they would do the job, but because thy are considered "industrial PC's" you will be extorted outta your hard earned cash. At least the ITX stuff is "PC" gear, and as such is only midly extortionate.
     
  10. khendar

    khendar What's a Dremel?

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  11. xX~EXCELSIOR~Xx

    xX~EXCELSIOR~Xx What's a Dremel?

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    What did the link have to do with anything though..? o_O

    -Excelsior
     
  12. khendar

    khendar What's a Dremel?

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    Did you read it ? The machine was one put together by a local computer company, They built it with a high end pc (for its time) in the usual location, and in the 5.25" bays they added two of those application boards I mentioned. One was a 350MHz something and the other was a 2.4GHz P4.

    its just an example of what you can do with those things
     

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