Modding My voltbus - 4 position fan controller with 7 seg voltage readout

Ok, first a little background.... I did created this 'monster' about 2 years ago but never got around to posting pics for it. (yeah i'm lazy) I started this project really to learn some stuff about electronics and to have a little fun. It ended up taking me so much longer then I had hoped its not even funny. Many of the problems I ran into was because i was trying to cram the entire thing into one 5 1/4 drive bay. Finding componets that fit in the thing took forever and caused many a heartache.

I wanted to make a 'fanbus' that was different and interesting. I decided I wanted one that displayed the voltage that was actually going to each fan in a digital readout. What I ended up with is a fanbus that uses a basic LM317 voltage regulator to adjust the fan speed and a digital display using 7segment displays and a 7107 analog to digital converter. I think the result is what I was going for.

Let me just say that this thing took WAAAAAAAYYYY longer to build then I even dreamed. Much of which was because I was a total electronics n00b when I started it. Trying to fit it in the drive bay was a nightmare too. Becuse of space limitations, I had to use really small 7segment displays that were a pain to use and also quite spendy.

Ok, enough already get on with the pics....


Here are some pics of the circuit board that I designed and made myself.





Here is is after components are added..



Here is the board with the friggin tiny-pain-in-the-ass-to-solder displays.





The drive bay 'case'....





Without the displays hooked up yet....



With displays hooked up...



finished





It was actually really hard to get a picture of how this thing really looks. There was a real problem with glare on the front from the flash. Its hard to see the display readout in the pics but it looks great IRL. Also, I know it looks like there are a billion wires all over but it fits quite nice actually. (yes it did feel like i soldered a billion wires).

Each channel has a switch that can be in one of 3 positions: Off, full 12v and variable with the regulator. Also each one has a bicolor LED that indicates which position the switch is in.

I will try to get a picture up of the unit in the case as I haven't taken any pics of that (did I mention i was lazy?)

I an going to start a new case soon as this computer is a few years old now and will be doing a much simpler version of this for my new project, I have more room in this case. It will have just 1 channel in each bay but will have more 'eye candy'. I will post that case in the projects section as soon as I get anything done as I and just planning now.

Anyhow.... thanks for looking at my little 'diversion'.

Oh.... and guess what.... It works.

EDIT: Electronics wizards: I am no super genuis when it comes to electronics, although I learned a lot doing this over the time it took me to complete.... I may have done something realy stoopid and not even have know it, so be gentle.

 

/me walks into a corner to start crying cause me wants 1 of those kick ass baby's would you make me 1? if so how much would i have to pay ya for parts and such?

 

This thing is awesome... if it fit in a 5-1/4" bay, I'd buy it in a second

 

WOAH!!! Thats alot of wires.

 

It does fit in a 5 1/4 drive bay. The pictures make it look more busy then it really is for some reason. I'll post a pic when I can get one.... maybe tomorrow.

 

so when are you gonna start selling them

 

Unfortunatly, it would never be time or cost effective to ever try it. Its just way to hard to solder them tiny displays. Plus it would cost more then anyone would ever really be willing to spend. The stoopid displays were like $2.50-$3.00 each. And there are 16 of them. And with them being so small they had a 2mm lead spacing. I shudder at the thought of soldering them bastages again.

 

link to buy them ? and were can i get some of those boards you designed and what are the exact Parts used? "transistors,resistors" all that plz

 

dead pics

 

Son of a.....

Welp, I tried out photobucket.com like some people here have suggested and it seems like that site is currently unreachable. So I have moved the pics for the time being.... will see how this goes. Figures as soon as I post this it stops working.

 

How about a schematic and parts list? This is a sweet project. The only thing that would make it better is for the plexi/perspex face plate to have been tinted so that you couldn't see the LED displays until they were lit.

Otherwise

 

Ya I dig, but they really arn't that noticable at all really, the flash in the pictures makes it show up more then it usually does.

 

Hat's off to you man, that is truly a work of art. For that alone I'd nominate you for the hall of fame! WOW

 

you know that is really really quite cool.well done

 

please post schematics, that is awesome. oh, fyi, you can get 7-segment displays with .3" characters from allelectronics for $0.40 if you get 10 or more. its all about sourcing your parts. so how bout them diagrams?

 

drools and blinks in awe
plezzzzzz have chemitcs and parts list up soon plezzzzzzzz

 

Maybe you can now but 3 years ago when I was starting this thing you couldn't. I have used allelectronics before. The only .3" displays I saw anywhere were at digikey. I will see what I can do about a schimatic but it won't be until tonight after work some time at the earliest. Thanks for the comments fellas.

 

Very impressive MrSalty, looks better than a great deal of the "factory" products of its kind.

Great stuff

 

For anyone interested, the a/d converter chips are ICL7107CPL which run around 3bux US. You may be able to find them cheaper. Here is a linkie to the data sheet.....

http://www.intersil.com/data/fn/fn3082.pdf

The data sheet also covers the ICL7106CPL which does the same thing but uses a LCD instead of 7segment displays.

 

Good work. The front panel looks very well made also.

I'd personally have eliminated the mass of wires with some display drivers on the back of the display circuit board, but since you're not using any custom devices there wasn't really any other way you could have done it.