Htpc (no name)

[mgfb]

HI all.
Wonderfull site you have going on here. Just came across it and signed up straight away.

Thought i would share my latest (and first major) project.

I have been wanting to put a full size atx system into a piece of AV eguipment for years.
Untill my Harmon/kardon receiver took its own life a few weeks ago :dead: i have never been able to find a case big enough to take everything.
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/2680/dsc0071.jpg (http://img3.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0071.jpg)


The guts have been stripped and have already fitted a matrix orbital vfd (anyone got any help on driving it. Can get basic info displayed using LCDC)
The volume dial has been fitted with the scroll wheel encoder from a mouse backed up with volumouse (cracking piece of software) http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/volumouse.html
Undicided what to do with the three knobs under it. Either leave them as rotary to control fan speed etc, or turn them into a push button wired onto the old mouse buttons to work along side the main dial to give extra features.

The two power switches on the left. The top hard switch will be going to the psu to allow full isolation from mains. The lower soft button know illuminates blue and controls power and reset.
Head phones and video in/outs i'm gonnna keep the same.
In ir receiver is going in the window for an mce remote.

What about Drives??
To keep a clean front end i'm planning on installing two drives(1 dvdrw and one blu-ray) along with a multi card reader in a seperate case (an old tuner or dvd player) that will sit on top connected by usb to give it a Hi Fi seperate look as it will ultimatly be going in my AV stack.

And know i need help.
Any ideas what else i can do with the front end? Got a stack of buttons and nothing for them to do.
How can i remove the lettering above the buttons without scratching/melting the plastic?
Can anyone recomend a good mobo with lots of on board internal usb headers. Dont really want to feed cables out to go back in.
I am trying to keep a good log of photos which i will try and post shortly.
Looking forward to hearing your comments.

Matt

[SXRguyinMA]

looks neat, cant wait to see more progress and pics. I'd like to build an htpc one day :up:

[FuzzyPlushroom]

I'm liking the idea of a separate unit for optical drives and the card reader - maybe a DVD/VCR combo with one behind each door, or stacking two slim drives behind one side, even...

No matter how you pull this off, it's gonna be cool.

[nevermind1534]

I like the ASUS P5Q Pro and it has a fair amount of USB headers. I've used it in all of my builds with Core 2 processors.

[mgfb]

I like the ASUS P5Q Pro and it has a fair amount of USB headers. I've used it in all of my builds with Core 2 processors.

Looks promising. love asus boards.

[mgfb]

A couple more pic's
wish i had taken photo's from the start. Currently lcd, volume and power switches fitted.

Stripped out

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/4577/dsc0076.jpg (http://img291.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0076.jpg)

Rotart encoder removed from mouse board and piggy backed onto the original amp unit (tried to use the original but no dice) using a steel splined shaft and a pot of epoxy. Would take some internal photos but this aint never coming a part. fly leads back to the mouse board (still hanging in free air).

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/7201/dsc0093ig0.jpg (http://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0093ig0.jpg)

The remains of the mouse. might make use of the switches along with the rotary dial to control screen brightness etc. not sure yet

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/1838/dsc0095vc8.jpg (http://img9.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0095vc8.jpg)

Soft power and reset switch. managed to use the oringinal pcb just a normal mobo header lead soldered across the momentary switch and a blue led fitted underneath. Will cut through the pcb tracers later.

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/5227/dsc0097pp0.jpg (http://img26.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0097pp0.jpg)

Back of matrix orbital unit. mounted behind window on a machine profiled glass board

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/2886/dsc0094ac0.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0094ac0.jpg)

Couple of snaps of the display powered up. will need some masking work to cut down surround glow.

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/5385/dsc0080sm8.jpg (http://img26.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0080sm8.jpg)

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/9130/dsc0082jv9.jpg (http://img22.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0082jv9.jpg)

Thats all for now.

[DonT-FeaR]

wow nice start ... keeping it original nice work mate

[mgfb]

Look's as though the MOD GOD ain't to happy with me today. Had a succsesful afternoon mocking a rear panel.

It came to fitting the mobo. I'll just grab my dremel
After lining up one there was already a hole in perfect place for the custom height stand offs i made. Sweet say's i.

Well no it happend to be the mount point for the stock amp feet. So now got to relocate them.

Then every other mount position ended up, either over a vent slot or a formed part of the base.

Wouldn't normally be an issue, but can i find my dremel? NO :evil:

And why is it when you drill a hole, 20 min later it's somehow moved 2mm to the left. It was fine before i went to get a coffee.
Still. Soon sort that out with the dremel....

Damn it

[DonT-FeaR]

... bad luck mate...

[mgfb]

Been an interestin few days.

Lucky blag, has come in the form of a mini atx board with a P4 2.8 proc.
Kinda different from what i was planning on but its got sata and more than enough internal usb headers. plus it was free.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/3193/dsc0098se0.jpg (http://img16.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0098se0.jpg)

So time to make a mock-up of thee back panel using an old case and the rear end of the amp.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9178/dsc0101zx5.jpg (http://img19.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0101zx5.jpg)
Doner parts

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/5607/dsc0102fb6.jpg (http://img18.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0102fb6.jpg)
Cut out and trim off unwanted steel

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/704/dsc0103re7.jpg (http://img25.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0103re7.jpg)

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/4167/dsc0104lf2.jpg (http://img11.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0104lf2.jpg)

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/415/dsc0112xa8.jpg (http://img5.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0112xa8.jpg)

Fitted back on chassis. This whole back panel will be fully remade nearer the end of the project.

My original plan was to use a 1U psu. But have since decieded it would be way more fun to completly strip a standard psu and mount it up the side.

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/6514/dsc0115he9.jpg (http://img27.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0115he9.jpg)

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/4066/dsc0113el2.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0113el2.jpg)
Motherboard in.

Next job is to totally rewire the psu and find some where to mountthe HDD.

[DonT-FeaR]

looks sweet nice work man...

[billygoat333]

looking good :)

[Luke122]

I really like this build! The HK chassis will work great for this project, I'm looking forward to more updates! :D

[dak1b]

looooks gooood. creative idea!

[mgfb]

Well that was an interesting week. Was slow progress on the case.
Highlight of the week came on friday when i was made redundant ( i applied for it) which means a lovely big check (still waiting for it to clear :down:) to go and spend on new shiney things. Down side is i've lost access to my machine shop. rubbish. Looks like that mock rear panel will hace to do for the time being.

We continue....

Got to work on rewiring the main atx and p4 looms. lots tidier still more to do

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3684/dsc0203c.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0203c.jpg)

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/1781/dsc0205w.jpg (http://img7.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0205w.jpg)

Been playing with the idea of fitting an led in the volume dial.
But as it turns in either direction without stops i cannot simply hardwire it in.
so i turned up a couple of brass rings

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/9698/dsc0192.jpg (http://img22.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0192.jpg)

These sit inside the dial and will contact against some sort of brush or finger strip attached to the case to complete the circuit

I have made a few cut outs so the rings sit down flush

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2529/dsc0196x.jpg (http://img5.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0196x.jpg)

A bit of an opticle illusion in the photo but the rings sit concentric to each other within 0.05 of a mm (about 1/20 of inch (i think))

Have maybe foung a suitable doner for the opticle case. doesnt tie in to well with the HK case but is a sweet match with my Digital amp
Also i can only really fit one opticle drive with out destroying the front plate. We'll see.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/9202/dsc0207u.jpg (http://img8.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0207u.jpg)

Laid my hands on this little bad boy.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/6382/dsc0127eu0.jpg (http://img5.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0127eu0.jpg)

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/2097/dsc0124ds6.jpg (http://img25.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0124ds6.jpg)

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/3621/dsc0123qe8.jpg (http://img12.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0123qe8.jpg)

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2121/dsc0120ak1.jpg (http://img14.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0120ak1.jpg)

Ideas on a post card as to what to do with it.

Well thats it for now. Start new job on monday. will try and make some sort of an effort between now and then to do something..

[DonT-FeaR]

looking good man nice work