Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Thursday, May 01, 2014
Upgrading an OLD System with a NEW SSDrive
A few days ago I purchased my first SSDrive, that drive was delivered yesterday morning and chosen was the 120GB Kingston SSDNow V300. It is a solid state Hard Disk Drive replacement as my old drive was showing its age, much like me. According to the marketing material SSDNow V300's leading feature promises "faster data throughput." Hey, who am I to disagree indeed SSDNow certainly does deliver on that promise. Following is my impression of the new hardware, for what it's worth, a User-review.
Kingston Technology ~ home
FYI:
The KIT contained all the necessary connections, a USB External Drive Enclosure to help clone a notebook and came bundled with a lite version of Acronis True Image HD (video) cloning software on bootable CD. Thus resizing the new drives partitions, making it bootable then copying the data off my old drive was done automatically, resulting setup was easy as pie. I was expecting a more involved setup procedure but to my surprise, I was up and running in less than an hour. For the advanced or power users, options for an SSD customization and configuration are available. Although a number of functions such as incremental backups were disabled in the "lite" version I soon discovered the software's limitations was never an issue.
However, all was not perfect in the Happy Land of w00d. According to many reviewers, the drives tested with somewhat of an average speed although selling for a good or a better than average price. I paid $99CAD before taxes and shipping were added. Apparently, all V300s were optimized for price over speed and were given a lower than average MTBF therefore, I think compromises should and can be expected.
Additionally, Kingston and their V300s managed to draw a little controversy when they quietly switched to slower NAND (memory) after many review sites had given the early drives a number of favorable reviews. This news came to light when early purchasers were reporting (via the forums) lower performance than reported by the reviewers. For the details on this story, "Update to Kingston SSDNow V300: A Switch to Slower Micron NAND".
With the 120GB V300 being my first SSDrive and given a recent Graphics Card (ZOTAC Geforce GTX 760 review) or GPU upgrade my 'Toaster' has never been faster. They were not kidding when they say "an SSDrive upgrade is the best bang for your buck".
My old hard disk served me well over the years although it was long overdue for replacement. The drive was a 10-year-old 35Gb IDE HDD which ironically was installed because two modern at the time 100GB SATA drives prematurely and unceremoniously gave up their lives within a few weeks of purchase. Therefore with my new SSDrive not only did I get a boost in data throughput but I also gained additional storage with the peace of mind that only comes with brand new hardware.
When talking about the old drive I think I should mention the difference in noise levels between the two drives. Obviously, the new V300 produces absolutely zero noise whereas my old 35Gb is a little screamer. In the defense of old boy it ran flawlessly for many years and is still running as a second drive but it is showing its age with excessive noise, it's loud!
In my opinion, the prices of SSDrives are starting to look very attractive therefore the time was right for me to buy. With that said as far as the V300s are concerned if one is a power user and if it is raw power and speed one needs (say for gaming or video editing) then I would look at buying something faster. Again, if cost or low cost is your priority then given the low prices of the V300s I think would make them a very good choice for anyone who is building a low budget system.
In closing the gains I saw were indeed impressive if only because my Toaster was so damn-darned-old-and-slow any upgrade that could guarantee an increase in system speed would be readily apparent. Nevertheless, the "best bang for my buck" for a system speed boost I hit on the top two with the new SSDrive and faster Graphics Card! Next on my hit-list would be a new motherboard, improved memory with a blazingly-fast-kick-arse CPU ...
However, all was not perfect in the Happy Land of w00d. According to many reviewers, the drives tested with somewhat of an average speed although selling for a good or a better than average price. I paid $99CAD before taxes and shipping were added. Apparently, all V300s were optimized for price over speed and were given a lower than average MTBF therefore, I think compromises should and can be expected.
Additionally, Kingston and their V300s managed to draw a little controversy when they quietly switched to slower NAND (memory) after many review sites had given the early drives a number of favorable reviews. This news came to light when early purchasers were reporting (via the forums) lower performance than reported by the reviewers. For the details on this story, "Update to Kingston SSDNow V300: A Switch to Slower Micron NAND".
My Toaster has Never Been Faster
 |
| ZOTAC Geforce GTX 760 Review |
My old hard disk served me well over the years although it was long overdue for replacement. The drive was a 10-year-old 35Gb IDE HDD which ironically was installed because two modern at the time 100GB SATA drives prematurely and unceremoniously gave up their lives within a few weeks of purchase. Therefore with my new SSDrive not only did I get a boost in data throughput but I also gained additional storage with the peace of mind that only comes with brand new hardware.
When talking about the old drive I think I should mention the difference in noise levels between the two drives. Obviously, the new V300 produces absolutely zero noise whereas my old 35Gb is a little screamer. In the defense of old boy it ran flawlessly for many years and is still running as a second drive but it is showing its age with excessive noise, it's loud!
Would I Recommend Kingston's SSDNow V300?
In my opinion, the prices of SSDrives are starting to look very attractive therefore the time was right for me to buy. With that said as far as the V300s are concerned if one is a power user and if it is raw power and speed one needs (say for gaming or video editing) then I would look at buying something faster. Again, if cost or low cost is your priority then given the low prices of the V300s I think would make them a very good choice for anyone who is building a low budget system.
Yes, I am more than happy with my choice.
In closing the gains I saw were indeed impressive if only because my Toaster was so damn-darned-old-and-slow any upgrade that could guarantee an increase in system speed would be readily apparent. Nevertheless, the "best bang for my buck" for a system speed boost I hit on the top two with the new SSDrive and faster Graphics Card! Next on my hit-list would be a new motherboard, improved memory with a blazingly-fast-kick-arse CPU ...
Kingston Technology ~ home
SSD vs HDD: Must be taken with the proverbial "grain of salt" ... of course actual mileage will vary.
- SSDNow V300 product page
- SSD vs HDD
- Installing the Hardware
- Transferring DATA
- SSDs In Use
FYI:
- Five Inexpensive Upgrades To Boost a PC's performance:
"Beyond the RAM, probably the biggest thing you can do to speed up any older system is to switch out the old HDD for a new super fast SSD" - Memory upgrade, how to make your PC faster:
"Upgrading your RAM can help performance, but it depends on your machine" - CPU/GPU Overclocking: "Google is your friend"
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Digital Caliper Battery Modification
The inspiration for this modification came from Digital Caliper Battery Hack by Robert C at Sparkfun Electronics. My motivation for doing the mod follows came from Caliper (WiKi) who showed me a very convincing reason why my particular caliper was prematurely draining it's battery.
QUOTE: Many Chinese-made digital calipers are inexpensive and perform reasonably well. One point worth noting is battery current when they are turned off. Many calipers do not stop drawing power when the switch is in the off position; they shut down the display but continue drawing nearly as much current. The current may be as much as 20 microamperes, which is much higher than many brands. Caliper (WiKi).
Given the issues outlined above with many Chinese-made digital calipers, I also went with this modification because I'm certainly cheap and hate the whole concept of throw-away-one-use batteries as the technological improvements of rechargeable batteries has come far I just don't see any reason or need for throw-away batteries as we move forward into the future.
QUOTE: Many Chinese-made digital calipers are inexpensive and perform reasonably well. One point worth noting is battery current when they are turned off. Many calipers do not stop drawing power when the switch is in the off position; they shut down the display but continue drawing nearly as much current. The current may be as much as 20 microamperes, which is much higher than many brands. Caliper (WiKi).
Given the issues outlined above with many Chinese-made digital calipers, I also went with this modification because I'm certainly cheap and hate the whole concept of throw-away-one-use batteries as the technological improvements of rechargeable batteries has come far I just don't see any reason or need for throw-away batteries as we move forward into the future.
The battery I used certainly has more capacity but more importantly I used a battery that was rechargeable but also had a very low self-discharge (WiKi) rate. This assured I will never need to buy any more batteries at least for a very long time to come. Also, it is important any rechargeable battery you consider must have a very low self-discharge rate. See my page, LSD-NiMH Rechargeable Batteries or Google "Low self-discharge rechargeable NiMh batteries" for more information and some choices as to specific brands.
The modification I implemented didn't take too long to complete and would be relatively easy to repeat for anyone who has some basic electronics or would know his or her "positive" from "negative" and their soldering skill would also be assumed. I would bet given the following photos would be all one needs in order to complete their modification. However, if more information is required I have provided additional linkages throughout this post.
FYI: It's been suggested this modification was somewhat "overkill" and realistically I would tend to agree. Therefore as it was also suggested at Sparkfun I pass on an alternative option that is simpler and it certainly requires NO electrical and/or soldering skill but will indeed assure long or longer battery life. Simply remove the calipers button type battery when not in use or in storage.
The modification:
FYI: It's been suggested this modification was somewhat "overkill" and realistically I would tend to agree. Therefore as it was also suggested at Sparkfun I pass on an alternative option that is simpler and it certainly requires NO electrical and/or soldering skill but will indeed assure long or longer battery life. Simply remove the calipers button type battery when not in use or in storage.
The modification:
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| Low Self Discharge (LSD) Double-A (AA) - 1.2v - 800mAh - NiMH - SONY CycleEnergy Rechargeable Battery |
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| You've heard of Fuzzy Dice well I have me a Fuzzy Battery. To aid a quick removal I attach the battery to the Calipers back-side with Velcro. |
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| Do'h, before using or photographing (I didn't) best not forget to reset your Caliper to ZERO! |
After disconnecting, the battery stores away quite nice and neat in the storage case
FIN
Additional Information:
- The Original Thought: The Inspiration... Digital Caliper Battery Hack by RobertC at Sparkfun.com
... Reading the comments for alternate ideas and solutions - Choosing your battery:
... LSD-NiMH Rechargeable Batteries - at w00ds Photo Muse, The Muse
... LSD-NiMH Rechargeable Batteries (WiKi) - Digital Calipers (WiKi)
- Capacitive Sensors - Additional reading by L. K. Baxter [PDF]
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
DIY: Power Supply
I modified the following Power Supply Unit (PSU) to use with a 12vdc RC Battery Charger. If you have an old computer (PC) PSU collecting dust or your thinking of tossing one into the trash then consider this alternative. Rather than spending an arm and a leg for what they want for those specifically made for the 12vdc RC Battery Chargers this modification might be the sweet deal your looking for, it certainly was for myself.
A modified PSU as such would also make a pretty good Electronics Lab or Bench Power Supply. To illustrate, I also use the +5vdc output to power my RC Helicopters RX, Servos and GYRO to effectively bypass powering the motor during it's mechanical setup. This eliminates the risk of the heli accidentally powering up the motor during the setup procedure. Normally we would mechanically or electrically disengage the motor or use a separate battery pack to bypass the ESC when setting up our helicopters. And occasionally I have used this PSU to power many of my smaller electronic projects but these are only a few examples as to possible uses. Not to be condescending but the only limit would be our imagination.
Gotcha: The best PSU for this type of modification would be a high AMP or highest AMP PC power supply we can find. This is because some of the really old ones just don't have enough juice or amperage to power more than one charger if any. Alternately if we don't have a suitable PSU kicking around you might canvas family or friends to see if they have anything worth using. However for reasonable prices a good if not the best source of used equipment therefor high amperage power supplies would be from sites such as eBay or Craigslist.
WARNING: I was working on a device with the potential to KILL!
I can't be any more serious as a typical PC Power Supply uses 120vac or 240vac for power input. Please, this article shouldn't be considered complete instructions on how to build or modify a PSU therefor I have been deliberately vague with it's content. Do your homework, research carefully and use your own best judgement before tackling a job of this nature. A little common sense can go along way, first and foremost be sure of your abilities then be sure of your wiring (double, triple check) and don't touch anything you shouldn't while the power is on!
A modified PSU as such would also make a pretty good Electronics Lab or Bench Power Supply. To illustrate, I also use the +5vdc output to power my RC Helicopters RX, Servos and GYRO to effectively bypass powering the motor during it's mechanical setup. This eliminates the risk of the heli accidentally powering up the motor during the setup procedure. Normally we would mechanically or electrically disengage the motor or use a separate battery pack to bypass the ESC when setting up our helicopters. And occasionally I have used this PSU to power many of my smaller electronic projects but these are only a few examples as to possible uses. Not to be condescending but the only limit would be our imagination.
Gotcha: The best PSU for this type of modification would be a high AMP or highest AMP PC power supply we can find. This is because some of the really old ones just don't have enough juice or amperage to power more than one charger if any. Alternately if we don't have a suitable PSU kicking around you might canvas family or friends to see if they have anything worth using. However for reasonable prices a good if not the best source of used equipment therefor high amperage power supplies would be from sites such as eBay or Craigslist.
WARNING: I was working on a device with the potential to KILL!
I can't be any more serious as a typical PC Power Supply uses 120vac or 240vac for power input. Please, this article shouldn't be considered complete instructions on how to build or modify a PSU therefor I have been deliberately vague with it's content. Do your homework, research carefully and use your own best judgement before tackling a job of this nature. A little common sense can go along way, first and foremost be sure of your abilities then be sure of your wiring (double, triple check) and don't touch anything you shouldn't while the power is on!
Recycle, Reduce and Reuse
My modified PSU supports 35 AMP per rail w/ connections for +12v (Yellow) +5v (Red) and Ground (Black). Available for my use are three separate +12vdc power rails however as shown in the images I'm only using one +12vdc output along with one +5vdc output. The red LED indicates 'Power-on' with the blue LED to indicate 'Stand-by' power and the Toggle Switch powers the unit on/off.
Built using the following diagram
I didn't add the three fuses shown in the diagram because this PSU is protected with it's own set of fuses from the manufacture. But I would recommend you consider adding the fuses regardless as it's probably good engineering. Put simply the additional fuses adds another level of security and piece of mind.
Note: Within the image notice the colours of the wire connections correspond to the colours of the pinouts. Also the 10Ώ 10w Resistor as shown is very important because PC Power Supplies generally don't like operating without a constant load to stabilize their voltage output.
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| Click image to zoom in |
Build one for yourself?
Rather than rewrite the book I would suggest looking to Google (see links) as I did for information and inspiration. Found with a simple search would be enough information along with a number of well written (and not so many) tutorials on how to build your own Bench Power Supply. The only real difficulty is finding a suitable high amperage PC Power Supply for your project.
- DIY Power Supply - Google Search
- DIY Power Supply - Google Images
- e.g. How to convert Server Power Supplies from RCGroups.com
- ... Yours ...
In closing if anyone decides to take on a project like the one outlined within this article be sure to come back and share your creation ...
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