786soul Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I'm currently working on setting up a server with mild issues of heat (homebuilt beaty). I've wired up a fan to run off one usb port but since I will be using the server without a screen, it is mostly a remote-desktop machine. I would like to have the ability to enable and disable THAT SPECIFIC USB PORT at a time at which I choose, whether enabling a scheduled item or running a batch script. Any ideas on how to do this? Thanks. (WinXP PRO- Don't hate I need the simplicity in moments of crisis) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparda Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I think you will need some kind of controller for this. I am under the impression that USB ports always have power (the exception to this might be if the USB controller is disabled in the BIOS). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Netshroud Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I dont think you can enable or disable a specific port, but you would need to disable or enable the entire controller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
786soul Posted October 6, 2009 Author Share Posted October 6, 2009 Just out of curiousity, how hard would it be to make a controller board that would plug in through USB allowing me to turn the fan on/off? Any simple ways? I'm adept at soldering and the like but more about what I'd need to get to make it work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deveant Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 USB controllers are rather hard to make with little to no experience, but there is an easier way, wire the fan to power from the 5v USB line, but then run a transister of the parrallel port. You will then be able to activate the pin on the parrallel and make the fan turn on / off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
786soul Posted October 6, 2009 Author Share Posted October 6, 2009 USB controllers are rather hard to make with little to no experience, but there is an easier way, wire the fan to power from the 5v USB line, but then run a transister of the parrallel port. You will then be able to activate the pin on the parrallel and make the fan turn on / off. Unfortunately no parallel output ports on the computer its being set up for :(. I've used parallel before and I considered it but after realizing there wasn't a parallel port, I was SOL :P. Are arduino boards something to consider? I've heard about them but know little to nothing about controllers :(. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deveant Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 there an option, but for the amount of programming / soldiering / price need to install one just to handle a fan, it isnt quite worth it. Have you checked on the motherboard for parrallel connection? Another viable option would be a simple circute using a thermal resister, so the fans will be off untill the temp hits a certant point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
786soul Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 there an option, but for the amount of programming / soldiering / price need to install one just to handle a fan, it isnt quite worth it. Have you checked on the motherboard for parrallel connection? Another viable option would be a simple circute using a thermal resister, so the fans will be off untill the temp hits a certant point. Yeah there's no parallel port. I've used parallel before but this computer doesn't have it. What's that highly non-worth it option? I might be willing to give it a try :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deveant Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 actualy if your willing to spend some money, then you might wanna look into a USB->Serial adaptor, then all you need to do is connect the fan onto the RTS line, send out the Request to Send (RTS) and the fan will turn on aslong as the RTS is active. From here its not to difficult to write a short C programming to allow for TCP/IP to activate the RTS, or even port it to PHP to have a web GUI for fan controll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digip Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Um, plug the fan in and it turns on, right? Are we talking windows here or linux? If windows, then just go into device manager, under "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" DISABLE the usb ports, fan should turn off. then enable when needed, fan should turn on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deveant Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Um, plug the fan in and it turns on, right? Are we talking windows here or linux? If windows, then just go into device manager, under "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" DISABLE the usb ports, fan should turn off. then enable when needed, fan should turn on. Thats will disable the hub from access to windows, not kill the 5volt line, well doesnt on my system anyway, portable HDD still has power, just no data transfer to windows Vista Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
786soul Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 Here's a crazy idea :P Is it possible to wire this from the line out port for sound? When I want the fan on, I play a sound. Stop the sound and the fan is off? Could it work like this as current is flowing providing sound to a speaker however instead of a speaker it will be a fan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deveant Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 haha! yes... thats actualy possibly, as seen with many rave hacks, you can wire an LED into the sound port and get a flashing light with the base of the music, if you were to create a solid sound on repeat, buy a male 3mm phone jack, and just measure the voltage, if its substansual (0.25v will do). Take the 5v line from the USB port and wire it to the Base line of a Transistor. Wire the Audio positive lead into the Emitter of the Transistor, then lastly wire the positive (depending on which way you want the fan to spin) lead from the fan into the Collector line of the Transistor. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Transistor2.svg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Cooper Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 If your machine has a serial port on it then you could make a simple microcontroller that takes it's power from the usb port and passes this to the fan when requested. It shouldn't be too hard a project, just check the microcontroller that you use will run at 5v to keep things simple in the design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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