Any electronics minds out there?

[eUphoria]

I'd really like a fan controller/system monitor - but i'd also like to build it myself. Thing is im not the biggest brain when it comes to electronics. Basically i'd like to put it in a 5.25" bay - like a CM musketeer (will prolly use an old cd rom as a chasis), use a vfd/lcd for monitoring (serial or usb interface?) and be able to control the voltage of 2 or 3 fans using either software or pots on the front of this contraption or maybe even a couple of buttons that would access a menu - sounds like pure fantasy?? Any tips would be great - i.e. where do i start with some sort of pcb etc - does maplin make some sort of kit that could form a base? Well - i'm hoping this isnt pure pie in the sky becausei reckon this could make a nice little modding project

[Butcher]

How's your electronics knowledge? Sounds like you want a microcontroller (a PIC or similar would do the job), with a couple of power transisitors as output drivers and then some front panel switches and an LCD.

[Kumagoro]

I would say buy a proper ready made one it would work out cheaper in the end.

[eUphoria]

How's your electronics knowledge? Sounds like you want a microcontroller (a PIC or similar would do the job), with a couple of power transisitors as output drivers and then some front panel switches and an LCD.

My electronics knowledge is basic I've just no idea of how to begin i.e. what can i use to integrate the lcd/vfd and a fan controller type of thing. And then how can i go about using push switches (e.g. up/down/enter) to control a display - or is this far too complex?

[eUphoria]

I would say buy a proper ready made one it would work out cheaper in the end.

I think you've missed my point - its not about buying an 'off the shelf' module - rather about a new project!

[villarule]

As a basic fan controller circuit, you would need a few resisters, a variable resister, which is what you would use to change the fan speed and a transistor. I think thats correct, its the basic circuit I used when I made a panic alarm, with the variable resister controlling the power of the buzzer.

[Kumagoro]

I think you will find that trying to do what you want, will be extremely hard for you.
what villa says isnt hard but the LCD business is something else.

If you can find something that tells you exactly what to do then you stand a
chance. If you did ever just make something like that from scratch not knowing
electronics then I would be very impressed indeed.

[villarule]

Also, you would have to buy the PCB, I doubt there are many home kits that make them, very nasty stuff that acid is.

[eUphoria]

Hmm, i reckon the fan controller part is fairly do-able with a bit of trial and error But i reckon you're right about the integration of an lcd unit, i can but try though... I guess failing that i could always cannablise a vantec fan controller or similar and make a cutsom chasis to house both that and a MO display or similar. Would be very nice to somehow integrate thier function, all these ideas!

[herulach]

A PWM fan controller is easy, a switch (12/7/5/off) one even easier. As far as an LCD goes, just get one compatible with LCDC, and use that for all your displying needs. If you dont have access to a pic programmer yourelooking at at least 50 quid there, probably more.

Try searching on bit tech for some good electronics tutorials

[Butcher]

Also, you would have to buy the PCB, I doubt there are many home kits that make them, very nasty stuff that acid is.

Can get it from maplin or similar for a few quid.

[TheAnimus]

As butcher said, PCB kit stuff can be bought from maplin with little hastle.

But why do you need it? For speed i tend to use strip board, you just break tracks, its great for rapid prototyping.

as for PIC programmers costing £50.... hell no. You can pick up kits on ebay for $10, or make one urself for a cost of about £2.50

Its very easy to make one of these, and its also a good learning exercise.

[herulach]

As butcher said, PCB kit stuff can be bought from maplin with little hastle.

But why do you need it? For speed i tend to use strip board, you just break tracks, its great for rapid prototyping.

as for PIC programmers costing £50.... hell no. You can pick up kits on ebay for $10, or make one urself for a cost of about £2.50

Its very easy to make one of these, and its also a good learning exercise.

True enough, but would it program all the stuff you need? Back when i was looking to get one i couldnt find a decent free compiler/ide either, although that may be me not looking hard enough

[TheAnimus]

well mplab is free, and its by microchip, has full dedbugging too, not sure i would call it decent thou, but it does the job.

the idea of a ponyprog, or JDM is to make for simple programming via ICSP (In Circuit Serial Programming) virtually all of the PICs support this (dsPIC's are another matter, and a talk for another day).

[jamena]

the simplest fan controller you could build would be to shove a variable resistor in line with the fan, but this creates heat (albeit only a little bit) from the resistor and is not efficient (we're not talking a lot of electricity here but it all adds up ) How you dress the resistor's dial up is up to your artistic side guess...

A PWM controller would probably be easy-ish to do, and if you can find a way to make the pc/software control signals to a timer you might make it software controlled. Same for a transistor / opamp design I guess.

LCD tend to be more complex and (often very!) expensive to build up from scratch in my searching experience.

[Butcher]

Can get a PIC programmer / prototyping board with a free PIC from maplin for 25 quid.