The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (BEYOND COOL BUT PIC HEAVY)

[ratdude747]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

Is the usage of three voltmeters and five ammeters intentional? Or did somebody botch an order?

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

Is the usage of three voltmeters and five ammeters intentional? Or did somebody botch an order?

Intentional.... 3 rails will be monitored for voltage; 2 of which also have an ammeter. One rail will be broken into 3 branches with an ammeter on each branch, but voltage will be monitored before the split. A few other rails will be monitored with simple indicator lights; as these aren't heavily used / higher current draw rails....for example; -12v, -5v, and +5v standby....

[TechGeek]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

Is this going to be a homebuilt power supply/load tester?

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

^
I think you guessed that a few pages back....good guess, but still no. I do have a PSU load tester plan in mind for later, but it is not part of this unit.

I'm at a point of pondering now, I have to figure out what & how to arrange a few things.....so some test fitting to help this along...

Fastened into place temporarily.



Black 7U front panel sitting in place. Nice flush fit!!





Leading edge, plate covers up the screws (why they needed to be in place, it added ~2mm height.



Inside view of upper portion, only low voltages present. Lots of cavity for wiring & a few other things....



Some various voltage indicator lamps....just LED's with current limiter resistors internally for use with various voltages.



A 12v and a 6v side by side. The 6v is only being fed 5v. No lessening in light intensity; and light intensity the same as the 12v. I also have these in red.





The box of 'things' is shrinking....but plenty of buttons, switches, and other sordid gadgets remain!





hmmm...what are these goofy things for?!?



Next is to see what resistance variable resistor I need to slow these fans down a little. At 12v, they're obnoxiously loud, and move a LOT of air! There will be situations where that kind of air flow may be needed, so I want them to be controllable....but 5v won't even start them. This is where a ~50yr old resistor subber (aka "decade box") comes in super handy; especially this one, it's made for higher wattage testing; sporting 20w internal wirewounds. The happy place seemed to be 10 ohms; which yielded a forward voltage of 7.8v. At this speed, they still moved a lot of air, but were significantly quieter.





Next is a potential mount point for an internal display. Out of the way yet still viewable. Of course this is a mockup only, I wouldn't even dream of mounting the pedestal to the fan cage that way....just wanted to get an idea of locale & view.





...yea, bizarre looking thing, isn't it!! All Ratdude's fault!



Still a ways to go.....but I do see an end to this device coming sooner than later!

[momaka]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

I think you guessed that a few pages back....good guess, but still no. I do have a PSU load tester plan in mind for later, but it is not part of this unit.

So if it's not going to be a PSU load tester.... hmmm... I don't really see what else you'd need all of those gauges for. I'm pretty sure it won't be some kind of a "coin miner", as you don't seem to be the type of person to go for that stuff. And besides, who watches individual currents on miner machines? Yeah, that's definitely not IT. Perhaps some kind of motherboard testing bench? But even then... I just don't quite see it for that either.

IDK, I guess I'll just sit back and see. Would make for a fun surprise anyways.

This is where a ~50yr old resistor subber (aka "decade box") comes in super handy; especially this one, it's made for higher wattage testing; sporting 20w internal wirewounds. The happy place seemed to be 10 ohms; which yielded a forward voltage of 7.8v. At this speed, they still moved a lot of air, but were significantly quieter.

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1643502127

Now that's one heckuva old useful piece of equipment!

...yea, bizarre looking thing, isn't it!! All Ratdude's fault!

Looks heavy.

The 1 7/8" hole saw & arbor showed up today....talk about timing, one came from New York, the other from California....ordered within minutes of eachother, got here in the same delivery from the courier!

UPS/USPS playing restaurant servers? You know, always deliver food for everyone at the same time.

I'm glad I spent the few bucks extra, the Lenox brand was sworn by from many guys for longevity. The cheap ones most say are good for 2 or 3 holes through steel and they're shot.....I need to cut 8 at least (will be more later)...

Yes, for some tools, it just pays back to spend a little more and have a quality tool.

I borrowed my uncles hole saw set this summer (while visiting family) for a couple of projects, including drilling holes for ports in these cheap Philips speakers.

It's one of those ultra-cheap hole saws that doesn't come with solid round hole saws, but rather just c-shaped saws that you clamp onto a cast aluminum chuck. Since the hole saws are made of literally just bent band saw blade material, you can imagine how good the precision of the holes are.

But anyways, that wasn't the issue there. His hole saw did OK for the speakers, as the particle board wasn't too thick or extra-strong. However, I also needed to drill a round hole in some PVC window sills. These had thin PVC material on the top and bottom, but very thick high-density foam in between. The foam ended up heating the hole saw quite a bit and I couldn't control that, because the only drill I had there was an ancient Black & Decker with a full metal body - easily 35-40+ years old. No speed adjustments or anything fancy like that (though it was reversible, surprisingly.) Just as I thought I had drilled through the second of the PVC pieces and... *bang* - shattered the cast aluminum chuck. Then again, I'm surprised it lasted even though that. The cast aluminum chuck was literally less than 1/16" (1.5 mm) thickness - i.e. very thin and fragile. Not straight aluminum either - some kind of a hard (and brittle) aluminum alloy.

So yeah, I ended up totaling my uncle's hole saw... which made me feel really bad, because I hate borrowing something (anything!) and then returning it in worse shape than it was... or in this case, completely broken. Wanted to buy him a better new one, but he just came by one day to borrow a wrench set and inevitably saw his broken hole saw. I wanted to pay him, but he said it doesn't matter, because these were really cheap anyways. The next day, he already had bought a new one - the same kind.
Ugh, I hate extremely cheap tools like that. Won't be borrowing this one for sure. Maybe will just buy him a new (and better) set anyways when I go visit again.

At home, I just have a cheap hole saw set from Harbor Freight. But even that's miles better! Also have some Dewalt drill bits that are close to 20 years old now and still haven't dulled too much after considerable use over the years. In contrast, someone gave me these cheap drill bits that would literally shatter after 5-10 holes, even if they didn't get overheated. Made of soft & brittle steel - imagine that!

this will give me the night to sleep on it and verify placement in my mind and recheck all my measurements tomorrow!

Heh, you're not a fan of the measure once, cut twice... or until it fits? (that would be my dad - he hates using a ruler or tape measure. OR WRITING DOWN NUMBERS. )

Not bad if I do say so myself!! I didn't ruin it!!

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

Perhaps some kind of motherboard testing bench? But even then... I just don't quite see it for that either.

DING DING DING, you just won the Christmas Turkey!!

This particular device in the rack is an extremely overkilled motherboard testing & burn-in station. It was fun watching everyone over-think it though....

IDK, I guess I'll just sit back and see. Would make for a fun surprise anyways.

Well, you ended the mystery for this part of the contraption!!

As for why all the gauges and things that would be deemed by most as un-needed.... Honestly, it was done for the fun of the design & build! ...and super-cool to observe in action! I did test this in rough prior, it was interesting to see what different system loads result in current draws, especially PCIe versus the ATX +12v 4-pin and 8-pin rails; on a variety of different system cores & loads. Was it silly overkill? Absolutely. Was it a blast to make? Absolutely. I still do a lot of motherboard testing.... Yes, I know...I can test one open face flat on a table like everyone else......but this is far more interesting!!!

Now that's one heckuva old useful piece of equipment!

Funny enough, this thing goes back to my TV service center days in the 90's. It was useful then, it's useful now. I've had this thing close to 30 years.

Looks heavy.

It's not terrible....but I wouldn't want to pack it around a lot....and it's not done yet. Those heavy duty slides won't have any trouble with it though.

Yes, for some tools, it just pays back to spend a little more and have a quality tool.

Yes, that was definitely the case here.

I borrowed my uncles hole saw set this summer (while visiting family) for a couple of projects, including drilling holes for ports in these cheap Philips speakers.

Kind of off-topic, but that's something I've always wanted to do; make some nice hardwood speaker enclosures to match the woodwork in a room for a home audio system. I've done it plenty for cars....but never made custom enclosures for a home system..... It's actually in development in my mind....

So yeah, I ended up totaling my uncle's hole saw... which made me feel really bad, because I hate borrowing something (anything!) and then returning it in worse shape than it was... or in this case, completely broken. Wanted to buy him a better new one, but he just came by one day to borrow a wrench set and inevitably saw his broken hole saw.

I would have had to replace them too....borrow and breaking....lol... I borrowed a friend's harbor freight electric disc grinder years ago....and burned up the motor.... I bought a new Makita, finished the job (was almost done when I fried his), and then gave him back the makita and his old fried one. He laughed and said throw the old one in the trash and just keep the makita, I hardly ever use it....if I need it I'll call.... I was like...umm, ok...I still have it, this has been ~20yrs ago....he's never needed it.

At home, I just have a cheap hole saw set from Harbor Freight. But even that's miles better! Also have some Dewalt drill bits that are close to 20 years old now and still haven't dulled too much after considerable use over the years. In contrast, someone gave me these cheap drill bits that would literally shatter after 5-10 holes, even if they didn't get overheated. Made of soft & brittle steel - imagine that!

100%. When it comes to bits, I don't cheap out. Nothing pisses me off more than to have a project at a dead standstill because a fugging bit broke on me.....

Heh, you're not a fan of the measure once, cut twice... or until it fits? (that would be my dad - he hates using a ruler or tape measure. OR WRITING DOWN NUMBERS. )

Anotehr 100% correct! I've written everything on the metal with a sharpie. If something needs to be altered, a microfiber + rubbing alcohol the marker comes right off.... I've had to plan this carefully, I only get one shot at the control panel; atleast using the original materal. I'd rather not have to buy stock and create a bunch more work & expense if I don't have to. Between what I sold off from the original machines versus what I bought (the gauges & lights & switches), I have ~$100 in this. I don't bill myself for my time....but if I did, it would be high-class callgirl prices for as much fun as I'm having with this.

The schematic for wiring this whole thing in the enclosure has been drawn out on a 'smartboard' from an EDU drop-off, which is nothing more than just a whiteboard. I've erased the whole thing and started over several times already. The real internal harnesswork will be made from a scrap Nissan Z32 cabin harness. Awesome quality wire in long lengths, and this harness is probably 1.5" in diameter packed with ~18ga wire, all of different color combinations; great for schematic drawings and of course tracing. I won't run out of wire and the development won't be as excruciating than it would be if they were all the same colors. Wiring this thing in its permanent state could be a little involved....

To add further complications (more fun) to this beast; keep THIS THING in mind with one of the SBC's (maybe yours), along with other machines that are in this rack. If I can devise a clean & functional interface for it that wouldn't be inhibiting/counter-productive, that would be some ultra cool points + awesome function in the form of power distribution & central control center.

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

To add further complications (more fun) to this beast; keep THIS THING in mind with one of the SBC's (maybe yours), along with other machines that are in this rack. If I can devise a clean & functional interface for it that wouldn't be inhibiting/counter-productive, that would be some ultra cool points + awesome function in the form of power distribution & central control center.

Yea, there's some potential here! A boot off a Win2k machine using one of the 8" touchscreens (glad I bought the whole lot that guy had).

This is from Firefox 3.6.28 in full screen mode, logged in as an admin.





Logged in as a user.



Zoom set to make it fat-finger friendly.



More as this develops.

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

Ok, I've taken this one about as far as I can given the hardware & software limitations. This testbed was made from the original SBC in the Sencore thing-a-ma-bob.... It consists of a 233MMX and 256mb RAM. For the touchscreen to work, USB is required; which the SBC had.....but obviously I can't run NT on it, so I had to run Win2k for USB support + networkability + stability.

USB header mapped & pinned to a generic rear case slot header.



POST....



Installing Windows.





Overview.... I tossed a Fastrak 2300 in there with a modern SATA HDD for performance reasons.



Rear shot....Yes Momaka, that is the Matrox Millennium 1 we laughed at...and yes, this is the backplane that came with your SBC. Perfect for this chore.





The interface through Firefox 3.6.28. I tried FF12, the last version supported by Win2k, but it was just functional agony on this system core.



...and the synopsis of this one, it was a successful failure. It would run & control the switching relays as I want, but there were a lot of short-comings with this setup. For one, it's just slow & clumsy. It takes a good 2 minutes to boot and become ready. The biggest shortcoming is I want it to be controllable through the touchscreen only, no KB/MS. Versions of firefox this old can't be told to start in fullscreen mode with switches or commands, thus it can only be done by hitting 'F11' after booting & loading the program....I researched this till my eyes fell out.... This function didn't become available until Quantum, aka 'kiosk mode'...which rules out any software config that this can run and have this function on this antique. The next is no ACPI control (soft on/off), which of course created problems for proper shutdowns & restarts, I don't want to leave the PC running all the time.

While I could make this work, I have another alpha test setup I will work on tomorrow that I believe will remedy all this. The revised setup I'll be using had me worried was I'd be overkilling/wasting a lot of CPU power; seemingly how simple the task at hand was...but the further I refined how I wanted it to work I realized that it won't be!

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

Ok, so I did test config # 2 yesterday......but not without issues! The issue that arose was neither the fault of the SBC, the control software or the OS.......but here we go!

This is a SBC I got from Momaka a while back with a Pentium4 processor in it. I swapped out the CPU for a C2Q Q6700 @ 2.66/1066, the fastest it can accept, with 4gb RAM.



Installing Win7 x64 on this testbed.





I got everything working pretty darn right & nicely...and this is where things went kablewie! The Samsung SSD I had installed onto simply died for no apparent reason....

....so swapped out for a spinning 300gb Velociraptor for testing purposes....and had to do the install all over again!!



...but here we are!! Waterfox 3.2.6, the last release of WF gen 3. Anything Gen4+ requires SSE 4.2, which this CPU doesn't support, nor does anything it's doing even need....so updates turned off. This is kiosk mode with everything set & sized.



The overview....



The synopsis of this test was far better. Even with the slow spinner, it boots from button push to ready kiosk interface in about ~30 seconds on this spinner. In permanent state, I will go back to a SSD. ACPI works as intended, soft off powers down correctly. Power on, loads to kiosk mode & control screen. The control screen is in default mode right now, it'll get set the way I want when this thing gets completed & deployed...such as enabling/disabling used/unused ports and naming them, etc...but this test was completely successful! Windows 7 had an embedded driver for the touchscreen that was far more friendly than the driver from the manufacturer....

I still have one last config I want to tinker with using a 1U server I have....but I really don't see it topping this...so I may not either. This can be put back into the aluminum SBC case that it came in, and located inside the rack in a discrete place; not consuming any of the 'U' spaces (especially in the front where spacing is more critical).

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

Just something else I'm kicking around, using a 15" monitor and the remaining section of the lid I cut.... I only get one shot at this, so I'm exploring all possibilities with the lid before doing anything permanent.....





I'll have to check interior clearances with a test subject in it to make sure nothing will hit....but being a 4U unit, I think it'll be fine.



...yea...

[momaka]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

DING DING DING, you just won the Christmas Turkey!!

Yay!

This particular device in the rack is an extremely overkilled motherboard testing & burn-in station. It was fun watching everyone over-think it though....

Well, once you mentioned what voltages those panel meters would be used for, it just had to be this (as PSU tester was already suggested and not it.)

As for why all the gauges and things that would be deemed by most as un-needed.... Honestly, it was done for the fun of the design & build! ...and super-cool to observe in action! I did test this in rough prior, it was interesting to see what different system loads result in current draws, especially PCIe versus the ATX +12v 4-pin and 8-pin rails; on a variety of different system cores & loads. Was it silly overkill? Absolutely. Was it a blast to make? Absolutely. I still do a lot of motherboard testing.... Yes, I know...I can test one open face flat on a table like everyone else......but this is far more interesting!!!

Awesome!
This is indeed really cool that you can watch all of the rail currents.
Would be interesting when you're posting about a motherboard and can tell us what currents it draws on each rail.

Funny enough, this thing goes back to my TV service center days in the 90's. It was useful then, it's useful now. I've had this thing close to 30 years.

Like I said... good tools pay for themselves. <-this coming from a cheap guy himself.

Kind of off-topic, but that's something I've always wanted to do; make some nice hardwood speaker enclosures to match the woodwork in a room for a home audio system. I've done it plenty for cars....but never made custom enclosures for a home system..... It's actually in development in my mind....

Well, if you've done it for car audio, I'm sure you know what you're doing already. It's essentially the same thing... but just has to look a little more pretty (or not? - If you are like me. )

I borrowed a friend's harbor freight electric disc grinder years ago....and burned up the motor.... I bought a new Makita, finished the job (was almost done when I fried his), and then gave him back the makita and his old fried one. He laughed and said throw the old one in the trash and just keep the makita, I hardly ever use it....if I need it I'll call.... I was like...umm, ok...I still have it, this has been ~20yrs ago....he's never needed it.

I guess he just had it to say he had that tool - i.e. better to have it and not need it type of situation.
HFT tool with a burned motor? - seen plenty of reviews on their cheap tools with that.

100%. When it comes to bits, I don't cheap out. Nothing pisses me off more than to have a project at a dead standstill because a fugging bit broke on me.....

Or worse - when the bit snaps and gets stuck into the object your drilling into!
Or the worst: snaps and causes the drill to slip unexpectedly, hitting your hand/fingers with the spinning broken drill bit. Ask me how I know that one. I can still see the scar on the middle finger on my right hand. Ironic, as that's what I should have waved off at them when sending these bits to the trash. Of course, me being me, I still have a few of them left. But I no longer drill without clamping down and keeping my hands the heck away - even if it's a large object. Those cheapass bits literally explode into a million pieces when they see a tiny bit of pressure.

The real internal harnesswork will be made from a scrap Nissan Z32 cabin harness. Awesome quality wire in long lengths, and this harness is probably 1.5" in diameter packed with ~18ga wire, all of different color combinations; great for schematic drawings and of course tracing.

Goes to show how much useful stuff there can be in just one scrap "object" - in this case, a car.

This is a SBC I got from Momaka a while back with a Pentium4 processor in it. I swapped out the CPU for a C2Q Q6700 @ 2.66/1066, the fastest it can accept, with 4gb RAM.

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...1&d=1646174299

...

I still have one last config I want to tinker with using a 1U server I have....but I really don't see it topping this...so I may not either. This can be put back into the aluminum SBC case that it came in, and located inside the rack in a discrete place; not consuming any of the 'U' spaces (especially in the front where spacing is more critical).

Hey, I'm glad to see it's being of some use to you.
Much better than sitting here with the rest of the hoard.

Speaking of which... now that we know about a few of the functions of Pat, I gotta check what I have in some of my last few salvaged boxes from the last place I worked. I recall several custom PCBs with fuse blocks, serial connections, and other gizmos. Probably nothing to get excited about, but I'll check them out and try to snap a few shots if anything looks interesting or might be of possible relevance to your build.

...but here we are!! Waterfox 3.2.6, the last release of WF gen 3. Anything Gen4+ requires SSE 4.2, which this CPU doesn't support, nor does anything it's doing even need....so updates turned off. This is kiosk mode with everything set & sized.

Curious question: why Waterfox and not regular Firefox Quantum? The latter runs on just about anything with SSE2 (or was it SSE3?) and Windows 7 or higher.

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

YWell, once you mentioned what voltages those panel meters would be used for, it just had to be this (as PSU tester was already suggested and not it.)

Ratdude knew what it was, he was here last summer and he saw some of the finer points (this whole thing is his fault anyway); that darn rack tower! .....but I knew with the clues given it was a matter of time before you or Techgeek figured it out.

Awesome!
This is indeed really cool that you can watch all of the rail currents.
Would be interesting when you're posting about a motherboard and can tell us what currents it draws on each rail.

I certainly will!! Especially if doing stress testing & benchmarking, those create some hefty loads!! Burn-in stuff creates loads, but usually not to the extremes..the burn-in things I tested would create some draw, but seems aimed more at consistency versus brute force.

Like I said... good tools pay for themselves. <-this coming from a cheap guy himself.

...and the part I forgot to mention, it was ~20+ years old when I acquired it in the early 90's.

Well, if you've done it for car audio, I'm sure you know what you're doing already. It's essentially the same thing... but just has to look a little more pretty (or not? - If you are like me. )

Yes, it must be even nicer looking. Car enclosures I built looked fabulous and very cleanly made; custom sizes, molded to fit, etc....but car audio enclosures were always made from MDF or particle board and covered in carpet or vinyl/fake leather, usually to match the upholstery of a nicer car. This did hide a bit of 'slop' and occasionally goofs. For a home, it has to match stained woodwork...there's a lot less room for error and made from hardwoods! It is on my list....some day when I'm not busy.....

Or worse - when the bit snaps and gets stuck into the object your drilling into!

Yes, I've done that.

Or the worst: snaps and causes the drill to slip unexpectedly, hitting your hand/fingers with the spinning broken drill bit. Ask me how I know that one. I can still see the scar on the middle finger on my right hand. Ironic, as that's what I should have waved off at them when sending these bits to the trash.

If it didn't need stitches, it didn't count!!

Hey, I'm glad to see it's being of some use to you.
Much better than sitting here with the rest of the hoard.

The only thing being considered is possibly the enclosure. The innards will get used. It may get transferred into a 4U rackmount unit, that way the power distribution/control (yea, I'm sure you figured out that what this is going to be doing) is in one self-contained unit rather than 2 or more...

Speaking of which... now that we know about a few of the functions of Pat, I gotta check what I have in some of my last few salvaged boxes from the last place I worked. I recall several custom PCBs with fuse blocks, serial connections, and other gizmos. Probably nothing to get excited about, but I'll check them out and try to snap a few shots if anything looks interesting or might be of possible relevance to your build.

Yea, please do if you can. I can always use terminal blocks and ports....and any kind of weird gizmos!

Curious question: why Waterfox and not regular Firefox Quantum? The latter runs on just about anything with SSE2 (or was it SSE3?) and Windows 7 or higher.

I think it's just because I'm used to it. I'm sure any modern (or even elderly) browser would run this.... For it to run in kiosk mode though, it requires FF/WF quantum or newer....and that was what? FF57 IIRC?

*************************************************

Ok, just a little tinkering today.... In the process of working on the control center, I realized how unpleasing on my aging eyes this 8" screen is. It's fine for the controller; zoom and very little information being on the screen makes it just fine.....but other stuff, not so much....so time to experiment....

This is a 15" Hansol monitor I stripped out of its casing long ago; originally for this project....and it got set aside....I brought it back out....

Removed the shielded backing. Nice old monitor with thick steel internal frame unlike the junk of today.



I'm sure you already saw the marks for holes....but if not, closer look:



One of those pedistals attached. I'm sure you're wondering why I didn't just use a vesa bracket....well, I didn't have one....and when I looked, most I found were just too big & clumsy for what I need.





This is why. If you've been paying attention, I'm sure you've figured out that the lid will be reused...I just cut it in half. I will fabricate hinges on the AFT edge to the unit so it'll simply lift open. The monitor will be close to the pivot point, so I wanted it as clutter-free back there. It will clear with either display.

The smaller display.....yea, this one looks a little better and is a tad more streamline.....



...but like some ladies will tell you; size matters!!



Just a peek inside with something in it. If you were wondering what those standoffs with the thumbscrew heads on them were for; here's the answer:

Quick install fasteners. Depending on the form factor of the board, 2 or 3 is all that's needed....jsut enough to keep it from moving around and of course provide a solid ground to the chassis.

Plenty of clearances.





The quick install screws. When in operation, I want this tool-less and quick. It takes a matter of seconds to plop a board on the mounting platform and snug it with a couple fasteners.





...and that's all for today. Things are still in planning for the top section, nothing has been done permanent yet.....I only get one shot at its permanent state without having to do a bunch of refabrication....and I hate do-overs!! ...so this is being planned carefully and all possible options explored...

[TechGeek]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

I know that I'll have to, but I almost can't wait to see how this'll turn out!

[lti]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

Well, if you've done it for car audio, I'm sure you know what you're doing already. It's essentially the same thing... but just has to look a little more pretty (or not? - If you are like me. )

Or me

When I made enclosures for computer speakers many years ago, I ended up giving them a light coat of spray polyurethane, but I used pretty low-grade plywood and left the edges rough.

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

The replacement SSD came some 10 days ago....I've just been busy with other things.... This is a massive huge 32gb....more than plenty for this....and it cost maybe $6...





As mentioned earlier in the thread, I was likely going to re-house this system, as making this aluminum case fit someplace in a rack tower was proving more difficult than anticipated....while I like challenges, I also like simplicity and efficiency....Taking this cockamamie build into consideration, some may find that hard to beleive; the time waster this entire project has been.....but here we are.

This is a rack case that Ratdude picked up at his local goodwill store; under the impression is was an AT form factor server case; new-old-stock.... Of course I said yes when he asked if I wanted it.....I have an AT system that would have been perfect for it.....





...but not so fast...looks can be deceiving!!







When looking over mounting an AT board, I was like WTF...why so many hard-mounted standoffs?! I'm going to have to mod a lot of shit to make an AT motherboard fit this.....so hmmm...come to find out, it's not intended for an AT motherboard, this is intended to hold a variety of different PICMG SBC backplanes for industrial applications....well guess what.... The SBC backplane I have is a PICMG, and will fit this.

Yea!!







The beauty of this is, it solves the weird PSU issue from the aluminum case, this one can take any standard AT or ATX unit. Fabulous!!

The rack ears are missing of course....but I can either fabricate some or install it on a shelf......

This will be a far better solution...I've had this thing sitting in my store room carefully packed on a shelf for years....

[ratdude747]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

This is a rack case that Ratdude picked up at his local goodwill store; under the impression is was an AT form factor server case; new-old-stock.... Of course I said yes when he asked if I wanted it.....I have an AT system that would have been perfect for it.....


When looking over mounting an AT board, I was like WTF...why so many hard-mounted standoffs?! I'm going to have to mod a lot of shit to make an AT motherboard fit this.....so hmmm...come to find out, it's not intended for an AT motherboard, this is intended to hold a variety of different PICMG SBC backplanes for industrial applications....well guess what.... The SBC backplane I have is a PICMG, and will fit this.

You also have a bigger backplane that I gave you with the two racks?

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

You also have a bigger backplane that I gave you with the two racks?

Yea, I have it still. That one can only handle an AT PSU....wouldn't be effective for this; as I need soft on/off abilities....

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

...and here goes the PICMG SBC housing... I made a booboo with it early on that was so idiotic I can't even bring myself to mention it.... I didn't ruin anything nor was it a deal breaker or anything....but this will teach me to work on anything like this early in the morning before I've had coffee!!

Anyway..... Fitting the backplane.



It came apart nicely. Easy chassis to work in.





I have to remove the AT PSU, brand new at that....as I need ATX....so I had to get to the switch up front.



Removed.





The power switch AC dongle cut out of a broken/junk AT PSU with 2 of the 4 wires removed (I only need 2)....yea, I have a plan for this.



This PSU is that 500w eVGA that I picked up somewhere....I don't even remember where now..... It works fine....but I don't entrust any of my gear to a PSU full of teapo caps!





Recapped and a little splicing done with that AT power connector dongle. I spliced it inline with the soft-on. This way I can still shut it off from up front using a mechanical switch if ever needed. The PSU has an AC cutoff on the back....but when installed in the rack, it won't be easy to get to, if accessible at all.



The spade connectors that will attach to the switch.



...and ready to roll!!



Perfect fit.





SBC installed and case internals completed.







OS reloaded on the replacement SSD and ready to roll!



This part of the project is complete and ready to configure & deploy when the rest is ready.



Another battle won, but the war is far from over!

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

Was a busy day for Pat....although I'm not sure the name is befitting anymore since 'what "it" is', is out....but here we go!

I dismantled an old VGA switch box to simplify a minor complication.....







Drilled a pilot hole in the ceiling of the lower section through the floor of the upper section.





The former card slots from the lower section will also play a part in this one.



I had to use the hole saw and cut a hole in the mounting plate for the rotary switch, there's ~3/8" spacing under it....



Crumbs....I had to remove the tray to get the crumbs with a vacuum....couldn't leave 'em there, Momaka would have a meltdown!!



Pilot hole drilled out and the locking tab hole drilled.





Switch installed.





The VGA ports mounted on the former back plates of a single out ATI rage and the dual was from a bad Matroc G450.



Now what was all this madness about? Simple, I have two different angle VGA plugs for connecting various configs to the display. Space is a little tight on the back end of this. I had to come up with a way to easily be able to connect cabling for convenience and for longevity (not constantly bending & twisting cables).

This is a perfect cable for motherboards that have onboard GPU's. It also clears with a DVI adapter as well.



This cable; which has the VGA connector at a 45, but has the cable exiting the molded plug the other way, allowing use of a add-on GPU with easy access & minimal maneuvering/bending.





With DVI adapter:





Now that this is complete, the fun really starts! The top control panel is now completed! Everything has been test fitted and pondered long enough....it's time to start poking some holes!!





Pilot holes drilled....this was very nerve racking for some reason....but each one was spot-on, none of the holes resulted in the bit drifting or dancing away from center when drilling...thanks to going slow and good sharp DeWalt bits.



The correct sizes drilled out.





Deburred.





Saddle up!!



Not bad!!





Now for the other side!! Every time I looked at the lines, it looked crooked....I now understand why the old shop teachers always told you to never eyeball it, but trust your measurements!!



Pilots drilled.



Now drilled to correct size.



Deburred & hour meter measured & drawn.



Masked off.



Cut out.





Damn I'm good!!



Filed the edges smooth and shazam!!



Fits like a glove!!



I'm so glad this portion is done, I've been dreading it....there was zero room for mistakes and thankfully I didn't make any!!



Next task is either the lid or the front panel, I haven't decided yet. FWIW, I cleaned my workroom last week and was about to put this back under the bench when I stopped myself....if I put it back under there it would sit for months again....I put it on the center island table, so I'll have to see it every day....and work on it more! I want to see this thing operational!!

[Topcat]

Re: The (now the death of) Dolby DP600 Build (OK, this one is BEYOND COOL)

At it again today. I decided to do the lid first, mainly because I already know in my head how I want it to work. The front panel I still have a little design work to do and didn't want to start cutting on it until I'm sure....but the upside of the front panel, if I screw it up, I can replace it....it's just a 7U metal plate, it can be bought all day long. The lid, I get one shot at....and here we go!!

The hinge I bought at lowes...and where it will reside.





Measured & marked off.



Masked off.



I fastened it to the sawhorse to insure stability.....



.....and cut.... This one was even far more nerve racking than any other of the cuts. There's zero slop tolerance; if out, it won't open/close right or fit at all....and my metal working tools are limited; IE, this was done freehand with a pneumatic die grinder....and it was a very small/narrow piece...

I've still got it, baby!!







Edges cleaned up and test fitted.



The strip I cut is the same width as the lip under it, a key piece of the puzzle here.



Here's why: One reason was if the lid were attached directly to the lip, there would have been a ~1/8" step. It would have probably still worked given the range of swing of the hinge, but it would have looked like poo; not sitting completely flush.



Another reason was the overlap to the lip on the sides with rat nuts underneath. The two outboard fasteners (outer lip), I'll be using the original holes/rat nuts and original fasteners. The ones that are to reside under the hinge will not be used due to clearance issues AND require a bunch of hackery of the hinge itself in order to fit....so I abandoned the original holes and simply redrilled the strip & lip in the correct placement on the lip and orientation of the holes on the hinge.



Drilled out....Im sure this makes more sense now. The lip, along with the strip, and the hinge are now all as one. There's maybe 1/32" of allowable play for this to fit right.



...and I got it on the first try.





Now for the lid itself....



...and done, this went easier than I thought...



Opens & closes and lines up spot-on.









Here's what will be mounted on the top side of the lid. It's not permanent yet, but you get the idea.



Been a good weekend for progress on this thing.