Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

You need one more...you're one gigabit NIC away from a tie.

Twin port card needed.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

Had a genius moment over lunch... and another upgrade:

https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/eVCOeNDj





Changes:

• Added 4 pin header J2 for accessing the Tachometer signals from the other 4 fans.
• Converted all power connections to fill zones to maximise current carrying capacity

This will likely be the last update to the board design before the next order.

Look good?

---

RAM came in today... works great. Yay. Now to nip this fan controller mess in the bud...

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

Look what I found:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Silicom-PXG4...MAAOSwB-1Ypiht

Deal or trouble?

Edit- Nah. Reading online that they have lame BSD support, which makes me less than confident about long term linux support. I'm seeing dual port intel cards around $15, so if I ever need one, I can get one. I don't need more than 3gig, so I'll pass for now.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

Oh Sh!t!!!

I was about to order those from OSH park, and then realized I never test fitted my components into the faulty boards that came in today. Doh!

Turns out everything fits but I had the molex pinout backwards... Respun the boards:

https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/hfD47kWG






And then got sticker shock and decided to try out allpcb.com. They're direct out of China/Hong Kong, and while the board quality is less (not gold like the OSH park ones, these are lead solder plated), I get 5 (or according to some, more since they have a habit of tossing in spares) for less than the cost of 3 and shorter lead time (since I went with DHL). $5 (boards) + $24 (DHL) + $1.25 (Paypal fee, if I wasn't chickensh!t with my CC number that fee would have gone away) is cheaper than the $36 OSH park wanted. Don't get me wrong, OSH part is a great company, but funds are somewhat tight and I'm pinching pennies where I can.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

It helps if one remembers the solder mask...

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

Got minecraft working on the server... Port forwarded. I won't post my IP but if anybody who I "know" on the forum wants it, PM or email me.

Only bummer is that it isn't liking my existing minecraft worlds I copied over (swapped level name in server.properties, crashes when I start the server). Whoops?

Still, yay minecraft... the server will probably mainly be for showing off my handiwork rather than actual SMP/PVP play.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

TYAN SUCKS!!!!

The damn PWM apparently was an afterthought (only on later revision boards, which is what I have) and thanks the the bios not taking an upgrade, I doubt it ever will work.

So, I've decided to scrap that board and instead get one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272396459503

Yeah, $22 shipped. Supermicro or die!

It has PWM ports out the ass, but due to the fan system I'll still need to use my controller board (unless I wanted to rewire the entire fan harness to the case, ugh).

So, that's another POS tyan for ya. I'll run it until this other board comes in.

[Topcat]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

Not bad! I'm not, nor have ever been a fan of Tyan.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

Look what I scored:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Silicom-PXG4...r/172667795492

Offered $10 a pop for 3 cards, automatically accepted (makes up for all the annoying auto-declines we come across?).

Now what do do with cards #2 and 3... I was going to upgrade my main rig, but the motherboard layout combined with my USB3 and GPU cards doesn't allow it. Hmm...

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

PWM boards came in. I have pics for later.

Good news: it works when bench tested. No PWM= full blast, Grounded PWM= fan stalled.

Bad news: on a board with known working PWM, it doesn't throttle at all. I've tried grounding the ground pin on the PWM in connector, swapping D1 for two 2.7K resistors in series, and different fans. The PWM fan that normally goes on the PWM port does throttle (and still does after testing), so what the heck?

I'll confirm that it's an NPN/N channel signal and not a PNP signal. If so, well shit!

edit: This shows it as PNP: http://www.analog.com/en/analog-dial...fan-speed.html. Time to grab a PWM fan and probe it...

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

Probed a PMW fan, it's N channel Alright... grounding the PWM input dropped fan speed.

Well... I might want to post this over on EEVBLOG as I'm stumped here.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

Still not operational, but here's some pics:

First, the 5 boards that I ordered:



If you count, there are 6 boards. However, the top one is a defect they tossed in for free (if you missed it, the right edge is cut wrong). I like that, as that board is still usable and for the first unit, I correctly expected it to be bodge and hack city.

Compared to run #1 (OSH park):



The quality is comparable, dare I say better. No via tabs to knock off and file down... sure, it isn't gold plated, but I don't need gold plated for this. $29 for 5 (or 6 in this case) vs $36 for 3... You make the call.


Everything but mosfets and heatsinks installed:



Whoops on the diode and resistor footprints... to be fair I intended to get 1/8W resistors and fat fingered the order.

All built up:







Now if it only ran...

[diif]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

Look what I scored:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Silicom-PXG4...r/172667795492

Offered $10 a pop for 3 cards, automatically accepted (makes up for all the annoying auto-declines we come across?).

Now what do do with cards #2 and 3... I was going to upgrade my main rig, but the motherboard layout combined with my USB3 and GPU cards doesn't allow it. Hmm...

4 port gigabit bypass adapter. Hmmmmmm

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

4 port gigabit bypass adapter. Hmmmmmm

Bypass adapter? Oh shit. *toilet flushing sound*

That said, I've since read of people hacking them: https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...ds-4175461679/

But crap, I should have followed my gut and noticed that relays = not a regular NIC.


edit- Supposedly I can configure it to run normally at startup: http://www.silicom-usa.com/pr/eol/pxg4bpi/

[diif]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

Bypass adapter? Oh shit. *toilet flushing sound*

That said, I've since read of people hacking them: https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...ds-4175461679/

But crap, I should have followed my gut and noticed that relays = not a regular NIC.


edit- Supposedly I can configure it to run normally at startup: http://www.silicom-usa.com/pr/eol/pxg4bpi/

They do seem to however be sold as regular NICs so you should be able to return.
They just didn't look right to me so I investigated further.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

They do seem to however be sold as regular NICs so you should be able to return.
They just didn't look right to me so I investigated further.

As cheap as I got them I might see if this configurable "normal mode" option actually works. Hell it might be an option ROM setting... if so, then might be a win. $30 isn't worth crying over (at least compared to the fan controller fiasco).

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

Fan controller update:

Been discussing it over here:

http://www.eevblog.com/forum/project...roller-issues/

There are two issues with the existing design:

1. Since the ground side is switched, the PWM signal likely isn't clean
2. Many non-PWM fans don't respond to PWM direct drive very well.

So, I chose to redesign it like a SMPS secondary, as that's effectively what PWM control is. Somebody over on EEVblog suggested an emitter follower, but I wasn't keen on that (mainly due to a max output of only 11V, not 12V)

Schematics and renderings of the new PCB artwork are attached. I'll breadboard it this time before I order more boards. Lesson Learned.

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

Mobo came in. Pics will come later... and a few roadblocks I've had manuever around:

• It uses a different I/O shield; the spacing is different. Sadly despite all the SM stuff I own I do not have a spare one. Derp.
• The case's power light and power/reset are run through a microcontroller. When powering up, it latches the power switch output (seems to be open collector, not an unpolarized relay connection) latches on until the power light input comes on. Get the light backwards, and it doesn't post. Thanks for overcomplicating things...
• The board has no SATA, and I almost drove an hour to fetch my startech dual IDE to SATA adapter before realizing I probably gave it away to Hondaman in an old HP rig I traded to him. Won't be able to boot until a fresh one comes in

On the plus side, the PWM works... but I only get one setting. Out of date BIOS?

Also, the bypass cards don't have an option rom... ... might work as a dual NIC at least?

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

(originally posted in the wrong thread)

Fan controller update:

My math was bunk, so I had to redesign the secondary (schematic attached):






Also the board grew as did the screw pattern. Finally I axed the solder mask on the back side's current-dense areas to optimize things (I'll manually flow solder with my iron for the desired effect).

Now it's using large 120uH inductors and physically smaller 1000uf Panasonic FR's (highest ripple current rated 1000uf 8mm 16V caps I can get on digikey; if I need to go back to 10mm I probably can make it fit).

How does it look?

[ratdude747]

Re: Ratdude's 3U Server Shenanigans

One more PCB refresh, moved diodes D2 and D4 (and by extension, C1) due to a heatsink clearance miscalculation.