Ah, yes, blinkenlights ...
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Boffemmyer IV" <john_boffemmyer_iv_at_boff-net.dhs.org>
To: "Classic Comp" <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2002 9:36 AM
Subject: looking for ideas...
> Ok, I know this is a bit off-topic, but I was looking for any ideas as to
> make a 3.5" or 5.25" drive bay LED array for my SCSI that I have running.
Do you mean activity indicators for each drive? There's normally a tap on the
drive that will drive an indicator LED.
> Something that will allow for both SCSI controller LED's and then 3 or 4
> LED's for HDD activity. Also, wondering if anyone knew how to make an LED
> that shows Ethernet connectivity and activity to interact with a standard
> ATX board and an old AMD PCNet II PCI Ethernet card.
Doesn't your hub have an activity indicator? If you want all the activity
indicators at a single location, i.e. on a panel, you simply put a
phototransistor against each one, using some temporary adhesive to hold it in
place, and route the emitter to ground, and the collector to the cathode of
the LED on your panel, with the anode connected to a resistor to Vcc. Where
you get the Vcc is up to you, of course. Each time one of the activity LED's
anywhere lights up, it turns on the photo transistor, which turns on the LED
on your panel. You'll have lots of fun routing the wires, but once it's in
place, it should do what you want. If you drill a panel for your LED's, paint
it white, then print your legends on a piece of mylar, you can generate a nice
panel by contact printing the mylar onto a sheet of film, which you then
develop. Now you have a black film with clear lettering over a white
background, which shows your LED's and the accompanying legends quite nicely,
and looks VERY professional if you are neat and clean about your work.
> The whole reason I am interested in doing this is that now that I am
> running more than one machine tucked under my desk, I'd like to be able to
> see if something is wrong without having to open the damned thing or going
> desk diving for a failed NIC. Yes, it sounds lazy, but the idea of a front
Why would you think you've got a failed NIC? How would the "heartbeat" help
determine that? I've had only one fail in about 20 years. They're not that
fragile. If you want blinkenlights, you certainly should have them, but I
doubt it will provide much value in detecting a failed NIC.
> panel diagnostic isn't so bad and could also be used for other machines,
> correct? Besides, lots of blinky lights always impress company when people
> or clientele come over, grin. So again, any ideas?
> -John Boffemmyer IV
>
> ----------------------------------------
> Founder, Lead Writer, Tech Analyst
> and Web Designer Boff-Net Technologies
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Received on Sat Apr 13 2002 - 11:24:40 BST