Project TZ-87 *A mini-ITX inspired stealth mod. The DLT Drive was originally used with a Digital Equipment Corporation Alpha 3000 server. I've since retired the Alpha and it's VAX cousin after years of faithful service. I'm thinking of modding the micro VAX into an end table for the living room (sshh, wife doesn't know about that one yet Goal: Take a DEC TZ-87 DLT Drive and insert a fully functional PC to be used as a firewall/router/DHCP/DNS/VPN server. It must look completely stock. The lights and buttons on the front panel should operate to control PC functions. <pictures> </pictures> Notes: I gutted the original DEC PS (12V/2A) and transplanted a POWMAX 200W supply from a Micro-ATX case. The PS had to have the 4pin 12V connector for the P4 SBC I used. The board fit almost perfect with only having to relocate the mounting holes and bending over the heatsinks. After wiring it up to the mains power, I tested it out with shorting the pins on the ATX connector and tested a fan. However, I found out with "shocking" force, that I had a short from Line to ground (not line to neutral). As my house is quite old and not up to code (grounds not connected), it did not blow the breaker and when I touched the chassis, I got thrown to the floor....lesson learned: use the multi-meter to check for shorts before plugging it in to mains power. I found the short, repaired it, retested using latex rubber gloves . The PS worked with no ill results of the short, although my shoulder is still sore from landing on it. DLT Drive front panel: I wired up the compress light with a 330 ohm resistor to use for the power LED. The Density Override button is the power button. On the other side, the Unload button is now the reset button. The Tape in Use light is the Hard Drive Indicator. In hindsight, since there is no tape loaded, the Operate Handle light should of been used as the power indicator. But after epoxying the front panel to the handle mechanism, there is no way I can get to the solder points of the LED. Spec's of the SBC: Here I posted an ad in the For Sale forums a couple of weeks ago for two of these boards. I got quick responses....both fell through. I sold one on E-Bay for $86 US and after that, I decided to keep the other one for this project because I only got about 1/4 of what it cost new. I'm using a P4 1.6 Williamette and 512MB Kingston Value RAM PC2700 (2.5 CAS). There is a Seagate Baracuda IV 40GB ATA/100 hard drive mounted to the bottom of the case under the SBC. I used some small rubber strips to dampen the noise because it was rather loud after mounting directly to the chasis. Everything in the case is metal and it all connects together...not friendly to resonance and accoustics. The rear panel: I epoxied in the LAN bracket to a mounting plate I made. One Ethernet port is 10/100 and the other is 10/100/1000. Perfect for a router without using the PCI slot. The fan is an Antec 92MM rip from a dead PS. I wired it 7V for sound consideration. Still moves a considerable amount of air, but is almost dead quiet. Using an external USB CD-ROM to do the OS installs, and then I use a 128MB USB pen drive for drivers etc in place of a floppy. Temperatures: 6 hours in the bios produced, CPU 40c, Case 46c. The PS is extremely warm, but not to the point you can't leave your hand on it. Of all the components, this is the one I'm watching the most. I've completed the basic mod, and achieved most of the goals for this project. However I'm not to happy with way the DLT drive faceplate looks after I epoxied it into place. Suggestions? I'm thinking of using the Dremel cutting wheel and carefully remove the epoxy about 1/4 inch back. The faceplate is epoxied to the front panel in the interior, so I don't think the extra epoxy I used around the gaps is necessary. I'm also started this log, because I don't think this will stay stock for long, I may paint and light up this thing eventually. All questions/comments welcome. Cheers!
How do you intend to mount it to the table? Are you replacing a drawer with it or simply hiding it under it…. Or nieithr? Neverthless, it is very well done
Nice mod! However, I'm sad you had gut the DLT drive for this. I have a TZ-88 (DLT4) connected up to my machine right now, and I woulda bought the TZ-87's drive from you. Nice mod reguardless. What did that P4 single board mobo run you?
that's true stealthing. can you take a picture of it next to a 12 ounce can for better scale? i'm having difficulty visualizing it.
No under table mount, just sits on my desk, I may move it over onto my fileserver. The TZ-87 was riddled by write errors, so it met the dremel. TZ-89 Baby!!! In DEC blue to match an AlphaStation 400. Didn't have a pop can, how about a 17" lcd and Logitech 2200 speakers and some #10 Envelopes. The dimensions of the case are: 5 5/8" H x 9 1/8" W x 13" D --- OR ---- 142.875mm H x 231.775mm W x 330.2mm Thanks for the comments so far.
The SBC board was originally ~$400 US in March '03. And it differs from the i845G chipset because it adds USB 2.0 and Gigabit LAN. It can take up to a 3.06/533 P4.
thanks for showing the scale. i had imagined it much smaller, but seeing the heatsink threw off my visual dimensioning. looks really good. <OT>i noticed you referred to the 12 ounce can as a pop can. and i thought to myself "he's gotta be awesome and from the midwest" and sure enough, i was right. pop forever. down with soda.</OT>
lol, me = Dr. Pepper fanatic, it's very strange that I don't have any full one's or empties for that matter.
No AGP, but it was a company expense for an embedded PC project. When the project wrapped up, I got to take home the extra's. Everything I used was spare parts at no cost to me. Small Update: Ran Sisoft in burn-in mode for 10 loops, the PS was literally stinking hot. I guess that's why no one passively cools 'em. So to combat the heat, I ripped a CPU fan from a stock AMD heatsink and tie wrapped it next to the PS so it blows across the length. Going to run another 10 loops and see if that helps. I'm not too happy with the noise however. On the shopping list will be a 92mm aluminum thermal controlled fan or one with speed control to replace the antec exhaust and a 40mm or 50mm fan that's a little less noisey.
