• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Dashcat2 Build

Wiregeek said:
BMI is a bunch of horseshit. The data involved has little or no relationship with the real world.
Click to expand...

Horseshit or not, it's used to qualify for massive health and life insurance discounts in my case. Though they are flexible based on blood test results (cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides). Worth it. Cuts my premiums in half.
 
MisterDNA said:
Horseshit or not, it's used to qualify for massive health and life insurance discounts in my case. Though they are flexible based on blood test results (cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides). Worth it. Cuts my premiums in half.
Click to expand...
^ this

I don't want you to take this the wrong way, and I certainly don't mean for you to take offense to what I'm about to say.

Perhaps I'm a little juvenile in my thought process, but last night I could not sleep. I lay there in bed, my mind racing as usual, waiting to exhaust every thought that came across my mind. Eventually I started thinking about your worklog, and all the updates that you've put into it.

It occurred to me last night, right before I fell asleep, that perhaps your wife chose to leave when she did because she knew how much that project meant to you. Not in a cynical way, but in a "better for the both of us", kind of way. She didn't want to force you to leave once you had just finished creating this wonderful supercomputer of yours. She wanted to stop you before that point so it wouldn't hurt so much. This is probably wishful thinking but I thought I'd throw that out there none the less.

Again, I hope that doesn't sound offending or insulting, I didn't mean for it to sound that way.
 
Okay, back in black. I'm feeling a lot better about my situation now. I'm really starting to believe it's for the best after meeting two really cool girls in another department at work. Granted, one's married, the other has a boyfriend and I'd never date anyone I work with, but they are proof that women who are a better match for me exist and are actually quite plentiful.

Moving right along.

Part of my project was an upgrade of my laptop. I'm a huge Lenovo fan and my upgrade to a ThinkPad W500 is going to last a while so I need to do a bit of modding to get what I want out of it.

I might have already mentioned the project meant to implant one of those PC receivers for Xbox 360 controllers inside a PC Card. That failed. Power sequencing for the 3.3V to 5V step-up converter was wrong and there was no space for a microcontroller to fix it. The USB to Cardbus bridge was being flaky anyway.

My original plan before the PC card was to implant the card inside the machine, sucking power from one of the USB ports and tying into the USB lines on the WWAN socket and using one of the WWAN antennas (I don't intend to have a WWAN card ever). I think I'll be going with that solution.

So here's some info I already have:

A Hirose u.FL jack, often seen on wifi cards, can be added to empty pads on the PCB of the receiver. The tiny chip inductor that connects the internal antenna will need to be moved to connect to the center electrode of the u.FL jack.


I took my W500 apart to see if I could access the proper wires and contacts and this proved true. To test the receiver with the WWAN antenna, I left the machine mostly apart, plugged the receiver into USB like normal and checked distance. The factory antenna is supposedly good for 30 feet. I walked to the end of the trailer house to where I could barely even see the controller test in Windows 7 and I still got a perfect signal. A distance of about 40 feet.

Probing for the LED pads, I found that two test points correspond to the LED electrodes. TP6 is the Cathode while TP18 is the Anode with a forward voltage of about 2VDC across the LED when on.

As for power, TP8 is USBPWR+ while TP9 is USBPWR-.

As for USB signal, TP14 corresponds to green wire D+ while TP13 corresponds to white wire D-.
 
The receiver implant is done. I found a way to hook the OFF position of the wireless power switch to the sync button of the receiver. I blip the switch and watch for the blinking LED under my keyboard. I was going to hook the WWAN indicator LED to the receiver, but it's active when pulled to ground and I would have had to add circuitry I didn't have on hand.

Works like a charm and with the final install, I have a reliable range of over 100 feet. That's one hell of an antenna. I could hook that laptop to a jumbotron 100 feet away and play.
 
I love a good stuffing-hardware-into-a-laptop hack..


I'm a ps3 controller user by preference, but the non-bluetooth wireless is always nice.
 
Update: She cheated on me. My child told on her and she confirmed it.

My best friend for the past eight years with my best friend from high school.

That's it. I'm taking a break.
 
I smelled that from the comments you posted. I didn't want to say anything but was 80% sure that happened.

I am truly sorry. Good luck!
 
Sorry to hear, its tough. Dont blame yourself for that one, its too late for that. Just remember from here out its about your kid. So even if you have to suck up a lot of pride its worth it for them. (I know I grew up in that "kid" shoe.
you ever need to talk or hang out I am only 40 min south, I could use an excuse to for a trip toe cache valley
 
I'm sure I will pick it up again, but without inspiration, my heart just isn't in it. By the time I am ready to continue, the compute gear will likely be entirely useless and have to be replaced. Barring the miraculous arrival of a soulmate, it's going to be quite some time.

I have some prospects, but I'm not about to jinx them by jumping in way too fast before I've even recovered. One, in particular, is just... amazing (the same word was the subject of my first message to her). There is no other way to describe her. Assuming there's potential there, I'd never forgive myself if I screwed that up. For now, I wait.

At any rate, the judge hasn't signed the papers and that could take months. I want to finish this strong and have 100% fidelity to my credit. I will accept no less from a future mate so this is a really solid example of my honor code in action, practicing what I preach.
 
MisterDNA said:
At any rate, the judge hasn't signed the papers and that could take months. I want to finish this strong and have 100% fidelity to my credit. I will accept no less from a future mate so this is a really solid example of my honor code in action, practicing what I preach.
Click to expand...

It may be wise then at this point to lock this thread or no longer use this thread as an open topic about the recent turn of events. No need to have insinuations be interpreted as anything incriminating. I hope the best works out in the favor you hope for. I hope that you become inspired again. Good luck to you sir.
 
xjmtx said:
It may be wise then at this point to lock this thread or no longer use this thread as an open topic about the recent turn of events. No need to have insinuations be interpreted as anything incriminating. I hope the best works out in the favor you hope for. I hope that you become inspired again. Good luck to you sir.
Click to expand...

To lock the thread would make me look suspicious. I do, however, believe the recent tangent has run its course. Any updates regarding that side of things will be limited.

I'll continue posting related side-projects (like the controller receiver implant) and notable stops along the way (like the Gyudon) here, though.

And when my inspiration comes back, I'm sure I'll mention that, too.
 
just looking out for your best interests is all. i don't advise the thread locking for the reason you feel as well, however i did feel that i should say something because it seemed like the [H]orde was more interested in the drama rather than the dremel
 
xjmtx said:
just looking out for your best interests is all. i don't advise the thread locking for the reason you feel as well, however i did feel that i should say something because it seemed like the [H]orde was more interested in the drama rather than the dremel
Click to expand...

That needs to be on a T-shirt: "Less drama, more Dremel"
 
My motivation is coming back. It's all thanks to that wonderful girl, regardless what happens between she and I.

And I'm starting Lovenote Digital once the divorce is final.

Sometimes you have to fight yourself to know yourself.
 
good to hear youre getting your groove back. :D dont rush into anything, but also dont let something good pass you by. best of luck in life and in modding! (is there really a difference?)
 
good to hear youre getting your groove back. dont rush into anything, but also dont let something good pass you by. best of luck in life and in modding! (is there really a difference?)
Click to expand...

Well, yes. I don't get to use the Dremel or the tin snips nearly enough in life.

now where'd my boss go...
 
Worthy update: Got word yesterday that I'm officially single again.

So many options. Now I enter the holding pattern for a while to avoid doing anything stupid.
 
Good news everyone! /Professor

Needs:
Moar pics
Update/rehash of current state
Future plans
Visio document of layout
 
Motivation is back!

It happened as I was rehashing old memories, trying to trace back why I'm so attracted to women with glasses. Mental shorthand ensued thusly:

Hyperfocus Go:
---
In 2000 I worked at Autoliv ASP in Brigham City. There was this temp girl there, I think her name was Stephanie. I had this impression of her as being a total sweetheart. She had an amazing smile. One day I'm eating lunch when Stephanie walks in, dressed in fake leather pants, a curve-hugging Papa Roach t-shirt, her glasses and her amazing smile. Dressed for a concert. Her understated beauty has stuck with me like glue ever since.

Just now I found myself mentally reviewing all this with knowledge I've gained since then. Her first day, this girl was confused about how the cafeteria line worked and was talking with me about it. She was actually flirting with me and I was too socially inept to know it and though I liked her immediately I said nothing because I was too into a rather plain girl I still had the unrequited crush hots for from high school. Dammit.

F--k me with a motherboard... this was the piece to the puzzle. This is what I'm supposed to seek. She was one in a million. After running the math the other day with a coworker, there are like 23.5 women just in Cache Valley who fit the one in a million code. How many are married already? How many are about to be? For that matter, how many are about to be divorced? How many exist within a 100 mile radius? How many aren't here yet because they haven't started college in the area yet?

Once in a lifetime events are only once-in-a-lifetime when left to occur naturally. Fly your flag, work your ass off, wear your heart on your sleeve, be true to yourself, interact and seek your peak. With that, you _WILL_ have another chance.

I remember googling "dashcat2" to see how far down the results list my project would appear if I wanted to give someone a way to find the build quickly online. To my surprise, I've achieved a small measure of fame by having been mentioned on a couple of different sites. Fame for hardware, but not the stuff it was built to do.

I'm going to bust my ass. I'm going to fly my flag. I'm going to find another Stephanie if it kills me.

In the name of Creation: LAUNCH!
 
The 8/3 SOOW cable I mentioned way early in the thread was still in place at the house side of the circuit so I threaded the cable through the conduit that was originally laid for the main link and, what do you know, it was long enough.

It's not a 60A link, but the cable is rated for 40A. That's enough power for a temporary installation like this, easy. I'm running dedicated 15A breakers just for the render farm, which only pulls a max of 10A per rail.

I'm going to get the loadcenter powered this weekend for sure.
 
I'm so glad to hear you've found motivation to work on this again. I hope things continue to go well with you.
 
Peek a boo!

That cable was just barely long enough (and by that I mean long enough to give the proper slack required by code).
IMG_2260s.jpg


Close-up shot of the breakers:
The Common Trip 15A breaker is for the cluster.
The two 20A breakers are meant to separate power outlets on either side of the shop.
The single pole 15A breakers are meant for lights (including outdoor halogen floods) on one and heat/cooling on the other.
The breakers add up to 50A of load, but there's just no way in hell I'll ever reach that. I doubt I'll ever go beyond 30A for more than a minute at a time.
IMG_2261s.jpg
 
A little music for reading my thread if you want to feel my mood as I think about how glad I am to have taken time to heal instead of seeking a rebound relationship and ending up breaking some girl's heart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt5ti2-bLzM

Insulation removed:
IMG_2262s.jpg


Box mounted, Romex pulled
IMG_2263s.jpg


Connected to loadcenter
IMG_2264s.jpg


Outlets installed
IMG_2265s.jpg


Close shot of the outlets
IMG_2267s.jpg


One of two ground links
IMG_2268s.jpg


The other ground link with currently unused third ground rod at top of frame. That was meant to be an RF ground for an antenna I won't be installing.
IMG_2269s.jpg


Solid soft-drawn 6AWG copper ground wire spool
IMG_2270s.jpg


Loadcenter with initial wiring complete. Notice the ground links.
IMG_2271s.jpg


House loadcenter breaker is on
IMG_2273s.jpg


Live wires. Great voltage.
IMG_2275s.jpg


Reading across hot poles. Better voltage due to better connection
IMG_2276s.jpg


One outlet
IMG_2277s.jpg


Other outlet
IMG_2279s.jpg


Directly off of breaker
IMG_2282s.jpg
 
Moving the Dashcat2 (I'm revoking the name change to Domino)

Messy floor
IMG_2283s.jpg


Dashcat2 lurking
IMG_2284s.jpg


Clean
IMG_2285s.jpg


Alive with temporary data cables in place
IMG_2287s.jpg


Nighttime Blinkenlight constellation - I've always liked that overly bright blue LED
IMG_2292s.jpg


Voltage under load. Thick wires are sweet.
IMG_2297s.jpg


The real me, looking almost as scruffy as I ever look, giving some shoutouts. Locals may recognize me.
IMG_2298s.jpg


Thank you all.
 
Loved the update and the song too for that matter! I'm glad you chose to keep the original name, I think it sounds a lot nicer than Domino.

So what's the next step for the build?


p.s. Thanks for the shout-out, I feel honored! :cool: :D
 
Last edited:
Glad to see this is back on track mate. From my experience, girls dig badass computers, especially when you let them you use it, so pull this bad boy out and get ready to beat them off with a stick.
 
It's totally awesome to see you doing better!! Thanks for the shout-out LOL. I simply LOVE your work!!
 
I'm honored to be on your list out shout-outs. Your project has really roared back to life!

Random question I have, don't think it's been discussed. What are you planning on doing to combat moisture? I assume insulation/vapor barrier are planned, but anything else?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top