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HDD Activity Mod

I

Ironsoap

n00b
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Messages
30
I'm trying to wire my case up so that when my hard drive is active, the case sort of strobes. I've drawn up this circuit, and I need to know if this would serve the purpose.

circuit.JPG
 
The way you have it drawn *could* work, depends on what kind of transistor you expect to put there.

If you use an NPN BJT it should work the way you have it drawn, however you may have too low of a voltage to drive the LEDs. You will have the Mobo output voltage minus about 0.6v for the base-emitter junction.

You could use an N - enhancement MOSFET and it shall work as well, without the assosiated voltage drop.

You should use the 5v rail and just drive the LEDs in parallel with the appropriate resistor.
 
The circuit you show won't work, the HDDA LED header on the motherboard has 2 pins, one connected to +5V through a LED resistor, the other goes 'low' on drive activity, so your rectifier diode will block things.

The basic circuit is best done with an optoisolator diode connected in place of the case activity LED (as Gideontech have done); no risk to the motherboard.

optobooster.gif


This works for PATA, not had chance to mess with SATA.
 
cpemma said:
The circuit you show won't work, the HDDA LED header on the motherboard has 2 pins, one connected to +5V through a LED resistor, the other goes 'low' on drive activity, so your rectifier diode will block things.

The basic circuit is best done with an optoisolator diode connected in place of the case activity LED (as Gideontech have done); no risk to the motherboard.

http://www.mexbro.co.uk/bit/optobooster.gif

This works for PATA, not had chance to mess with SATA.
Click to expand...
That's a very nice circuit. I'd only add one comment: if you're not driving too many LEDs, you could potentially drive them off the optoisolator itself, without the 2n2222. If you're looking to light up the whole case, however, you'll need that drive transistor
.
 
I haven't worked with optoisolators before, but shouldn't there be a resistor coming off the j1 header?
 
2uantuM said:
I haven't worked with optoisolators before, but shouldn't there be a resistor coming off the j1 header?
Click to expand...
There is, it's already fitted on all motherboards to suit the case LED normally attached to that header and also suits an optoisolator LED. ;)
the HDDA LED header on the motherboard has 2 pins, one connected to +5V through a LED resistor, the other goes 'low' on drive activity
Click to expand...
 
You need to use an opto-isolator. The HDD LED will still work on your case, and with the opto-isolator will not burden the circuitry to power that particular LED.

You know there is a product that will do just what you are looking for, and then some...
 
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