Hi - I saw this article: http://slashdot.org/articles/03/09/21/1836207.shtml?tid=137&tid=159&tid=186&tid=198 and it got me thinking - I mean I've seen people who interfaced AVRs, PICs and various other uCs to IDE hard drives - and certainly you can add usb and ethernet connectivity to any of these uCs - so how hard and expensive would it be to create a hard drive enclosure like this? I know a simple 8 bit uC like a avr or pic would be way underpowered for the job - but surely there would be a way to do this? Say - maybe have ethernet, firewire, and usb 2.0 connectivity? Seems like it could be done pretty cheaply - and a whole lot cheaper than the file server from that /. article (that one actually has a mini atx board in it) What do you think? Could this be done?
Yes, thought it'd be slow as hell (or a floppy, you choose). For ethernet: there are chips out there that add network connectivity to microcontrollers For USB: there are chips out there that hide the complex USB stuff behind a RS232-connection. Expensive? The only components you'll have to buy is a microcontroller (max $20 or so), a ethernet-module ($15?) or a USB-module ($30-$40) and maybe something for the harddisk? I don't know how they make the µC interface with it but it shouldn't be too expensive. So all in all you'll be off with under a $75. Maybe not exactly what you wanted, as you have IDE-to-USB2 enclosures for $60... Good idea though, I might experiment with trying to create a fileserver...
I guess what you want is network attached storage. Short of looking on eBay for some, you could just put together a little server using a 486 and Linux or FreeBSD. Can't get much cheaper than that, 486s are basically free so you only pay for the storage. They can use 100Mb network cards for speed and if you want disk performance use RAID. The only limitation you might find is that anything older than ATA133 doesn't usually support drives over 120GB (but you can have lots of them). Personally, if I did that I'd want gigabit ethernet though MoJo
I want a very custom fileserver that I can carry around with me. I was thinking I'd use a 2.5" laptop drive - and then put the controller board right on top of it - and it would end up being incredibly small. I'm not looking for a computer - not even a teeny computer - not even a SBC.
Just buy a portable MP3 player with a HD. Most use USB and look like a normal mass storage device to the computer. You can usually put any kind of file on them, not just MP3s. As a bonus, you get a nice MP3 player too! MoJo
Dunno where you shop mate, but you are being royally ripped off! I picked up a 10GB model for £80. They are even less without a HD. Laptop HDs are expensive, but you could always just get one of those £20 USB2.0 to IDE boxes and put a 3.5" drive in. For $300 you are looking at an iPod, really nice but expensive... MoJo
I guess I only look at good mp3 players... The ones that don't weigh over 5 pounds. Anyways - that won't work for me - so its pointless to discuss it imo. How many mp3 players have usb 2.0, firewire, and ethernet? I know the soniclblue karma (costs just a *bit* over £80) has ethernet - and I think it has either usb 2.0 or firewire - but it still isn't what I'm looking for. I need something completely customizeable.
Archos Jukebox thingy has USB 2.0 and cost £80 for a 10GB version. If that isn't much good, try looking at the minature PC cards you can get. It's been a year since I looked, but you used to be able to get 350MHz (soldered on) units with IDE, ethernet, USB and even VGA. They were the size of a 2.5" HD, so were perfect for putting back to back with and encasing in a little box. The only downside is that they need a reasonable power supply (read chunky plug-in DC converter), but basically they are a standard PC and can even run Windows. Sadly I don't have a link... MoJO
