A Lighting Mod Unlike Any You've Seen

[GrendelsLeftNut]

Recently wrapped up a lighting mod I'd been working on for a while and thought I'd share the results. The case is a CM HAF 932 Advanced.

Still images wouldn't show it sufficiently. Two videos of this mod are on Youtube -- a 2-minute version and a longer 7 minute version.

It's just a lighting mod but odds are good you'll find it unique.

Link to the shortie is also available via image below.

Comments -- positive and negative -- are welcomed.

All the best,
Grendel's Left Nut



To view it on YouTube:

[jdbnsn]

Very cool effect, do you have a worklog? We'd love to see how you put it together.

[SXRguyinMA]

Indeed, and welcome to TBCS!

[msmrx57]

Very nice indeed.

[TLHarrell]

There's two ways to do that. Simple way: use a transistor off the audio feed to switch the LEDs on and off. Less simple way: feed the LEDs PWM signal generated via an Arduino based off the audio feed. Due to the stroboscopic effect on the fan, I'm assuming it's PWM. Not difficult for somebody with some programming skill (unlike me), but a very nice effect. Well thought out. Not overdone. I like the simple, clean mods.

[GrendelsLeftNut]

Originally Posted by TLHarrell

There's two ways to do that. Simple way: use a transistor off the audio feed to switch the LEDs on and off. Less simple way: feed the LEDs PWM signal generated via an Arduino

Thanks, TLH. I went the simple route with this and used two TIP31c transistors wire-wrapped to pins 5, 7, and 9 of the HDaudio header. A microcontroller in front would have been overkill. Plus, there's always the issue of a microcontroller always needing to be powered up looking for a signal. These transistors just sit there, unpowered, waiting for a nudge.

The transistors look for a couple volts on the audio line. When that threshold voltage is reached, they complete a 12 volt circuit to the LEDs. They act like a light switch -- if the incoming voltage exceeds their threshold voltage, they're ON. If it's less than the threshold, they're OFF. An audio signal is between 0 and 5.6 volts, the TIP31c's threshold voltage is 2.6v's, I believe.

I regret I didn't document this mod with photos. The TIP31 circuit is very well known though and instruction for building it can be found all over the web. I placed a link to a very simplified Instructables version in the longer video on Youtube.

The more critical part of this was the shape of the acrylic in order to get an even lighting spread at the corners -- that took a while to work out.

Thanks to everyone for the comments -- glad y'all liked it!

[Modeler'sBrand]

The light effect on that rear fan is nuts!

[SchaibleTech]

I love this. Very nice.

[Twigsoffury]

rectifier and the output from anything that uses a 1/8th headphone jack?

least that's my way i'm doing it, although mines color changing RGBY with a rheostat instead of a solid transistor so it's adjustable in strength = ) and i'm using capacitors to delay the lighting in a particular section, so it "grows" instead of simultaneously coming on and going off, (they also fade off instead of instantly flashing off)

Pretty much the same exact deal as my color changing hard drive lighting gauge, but on a bigger scale with a couple more doo-dads added in for fun.