ta for that, these are the go...


Paul wrote:
> rbt wrote:
> > I am tryiing to wire up three fans.
> > I have a PS cable-adapter that has one male and 3 three female PS
> > plugs.
> > I would like to put in a switch.
> > I have another male-female PS cable bridge and a 3 pole on-off switch.
> > I dont think I should simply break the red with the switch
> >
> > Will three 12v .18a, 12v 15a &12v 3a fans burn out the switch even if
> > it is stamped with [3amp 250vac] & [20amp 125 vac]?
> >
> > In a PS cable-loom, is the Red cable 12volts and the Yellow cable 5
> > volts?.. If so I could split the fans accros the PS positives but I
> > still dont like the idea of the swict being wired directly into the
> > power loom.
> >
> > Can I fit a relay? or am i worring about nothing - it would seems a
> > relay-switch would be safer?
> > Or, with the right wiring is the swith I bought already a built-in
> > relay switch? - it has three poles
> >
> >
> >
> > SOME BACKGROUND
> >
> > I use my machine in two modes, flat-out and idle, so Iv decided to load
> > it up with fans and a on-off switch running off the standard power
> > leads.
> >
> > Ive spent some time with easy-tune5, speedfan, the 4 fan connectors on
> > my Gigabyte GAK8N-SLi & 4 odd-bod collection of cpu & ps fans.
> >
> > Ive been trying to rig them all to go quiet but cant afford a proper
> > fans & solution - so just on and off would be nice.
> >
> > tis
> >
>
> In terms of control, you should aim for a simple setup. You should have
> the "base" set of fans that are always running. You don't need any
> switch in that path. You can use a switch to activate your "extra"
> fans.
>
> (Not that I approve of this plan, as the best way to do it is just
> set the fans up to handle the situation no matter what, as if a friend
> operates your machine, they might forget to flip the switch when needed.
> One poster here, had a switch for his water cooling system,
> his girl friend used his computer, and forgot to switch on the
> water system. Fried CPU according to him.)
>
> First of all, be careful with the wire color, because the color standard
> for disk drive connectors is different than the one for three wire
> fans. So you cannot just wire "yellow to yellow", as that would be
> incorrect. You can find connector pinout information, to verify what
> you are about to do, so don't trust my figures below, but check
> them yourself to be sure.
>
> One way to figure out the wiring on the fan, is open your motherboard
> manual. The manual will label the three fan pins, which are "RPM", "+12V",
> and "Ground". The center pin (red wire) on a three pin fan header
> is +12V. The black wire is ground (so at least that color is consistent).
> The remaining yellow wire is the RPM signal. Fans come either with three
> wires or with two wires, and a two wire fan is missing the yellow RPM signal.
> A two wire fan has a red and a black wire, and red is +12V and black is
> GND.
>
> You don't need the RPM signal, and in this case, I don't see any benefit
> from hooking it up.
>
> The messy part of the job, is the connectors that are on everything.
> If the fans in question, had disk drive power connectors on the end,
> there would be less work to do. If the fans had the small three pin
> connectors on the end, you might consider picking up some Molex
> 4 pin disk drive to 3 pin fan adapter cables, as a quick and easy
> way of getting the wiring right.
>
> With the fan I have sitting in front of me, this is the wiring
> color scheme for the three pin small connector (the connector that
> would normally go to the motherboard fan header). This is the view
> looking into the end of the fan cable's three pin connector. Notice
> that the pin holes are close to the place where the orienting tab
> fits, when the fan connector is plugged into the motherboard.
>
> Fan cable 3 pin connector Molex Drive Connector
>
> +------------------------+ +12V GND GND +5V
> | | Yellow Black Black Red
> | Yellow Red Black | X X X X
> | RPM +12V GND |
> | x x x |
> | ____________________ |
> |_| |_|
>
> To run the fans, all you need is to break the yellow wire on
> the Molex disk drive extender cable, with your switch. Once you
> modify the Molex extender cable, it should only be used for
> your fan system, as switching the power off to a disk drive
> would not be a smart thing to do. You cut the Yellow wire
> on the Molex drive extender assembly (near the source end),
> so that the switch can open or close the Yellow +12V path.
>
> /
> /
> Yellow <---------* *-------->
> Black <---------------------->
> Black <---------------------->
> Red <---------------------->
>
> If you don't plan on getting Molex drive to three pin adapters
> or the like, then the wiring straight from a Molex drive cable
> to the fans would look like this. The Fan_Yellow is optional
> and a computer case fan likely doesn't have an RPM. You don't have
> to wire the RPM signal to anything. Make sure you insulate the end
> of the Fan_Yellow wire, so it doesn't contact anything. The "X"
> here means "No Connection" and "tape off the end".
>
> /
> / X----------- Fan_Yellow (RPM)
> Yellow <---------* *--------> >----------- Fan_Red (+12V)
> Black <----------------------> >----------- Fan_Black (GND)
> Black <---------------------->
> Red <---------------------->
>
> With more than one fan to be controlled by the switch, all the
> fans run in parallel. In other words, all the Fan black wires are
> joined together. All the Fan red wires are joined together. Then
> connect the clump of Fan_Red wires as in the above diagram. Connect
> the clump of Fan_Black wires as above.
>
> If you have a three position rocker switch, the positions would
> be ON-OFF-ON. There are a million different kinds of switches,
> and it is pretty hard to guess at what you've got. If the
> switch has a center row/pins and two end rows/pins, then
> the switch would look like this, logically speaking. You use
> a center pin, and one end pin, to get the switching action.
>
> Rocker switch, three position Wiper closes, center to one end.
>
> /
> |\_____/| /
> |_______| ON * * * ON
> * * *
>
> To use the rocker, you can use a center pin (common) and one
> end pin, like this. This is what it would look like, if I
> was interrupting the flow of current in the Yellow Molex wire.
>
> /
> /
> ON * * * ON
> | |
> | |
> Yellow >-----+ +----> Yellow
>
> If you are still unsure about what you are doing, remember
> that the computer works best with good cooling, and you
> can always select just enough fans to keep the computer
> cool at all times, and leave it that way. I don't modify
> my fan cooling, and all my fans run at a fixed speed.
> That way, there is no annoying ramping up and down of
> fans. The computer I'm typing this on is rather loud,
> but I assure you, it is always cool :-) And yes, I could
> make a very complicated technical scheme to control the
> fans, but I don't do it.
>
> You can buy fan controllers that fit in disk drive or
> floppy bays. This one, for example, takes fans from
> all the way off to all the way on. Some controllers
> don't have an off position. The lamps that come with
> this kit are overkill. While there are many different
> brands and models of these things, quite a few of
> them are flaky. But there is less stripping of
> wires and soldering, using a controller.
>
> VANTEC NXP-305-SL Fan & Light Controller Panel, Silver - Retail
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Custra...82E16813999903
>
> This is the controller part. Three fan control channels. One
> for lights.
>
> http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggIma...999-903-01.JPG
>
> The CCFL lamps that come with this kit are overkill.
>
> http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggIma...999-903-03.JPG
>
> Paul