RasPi MDD Project

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doug-doug the mighty's picture
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RasPi MDD Project

With the untimely demise of my beloved MDD, partway through my updrades, I am planning to reboot my project using a RasPi 4 as the main computer, housing withing the confines of the MDD case.

 

I am starting a new thread to layout my plans and help me keep track of what I plan to do.  I also welcome inputs and suggestions as I go through it.

 

Primary purpose: Build a server inside of an MDD case, utilizing as much available hardware as possible and ultimately providng file and media server acapabilities on my home network.  This server will include an instance of Plex Media Server and a yet-to-be-determined file server application.

Assets:

1. Good consition MDD case .  PSU should be good but Mobo is deemed to have failed.  If Mobo is infact okay, then the PSU is inthe process of failing.  System powers on, fans spin full speed, system fails to get past black screen of nothingness.

2. Twin 20" Cinema Displays.  One has an Apple DVI-ADC adapter.

3. Good ATI Radeon 9000 Pro card in the AGP slot.  Using some HDMI-DVI dongles may make this moot as long as I can support dual HDMI output from the Pi.

4. Two 64bit PCI Sonnet SATA cards.  These drive my external media boxes, capable of housing up to 16 drives.

5. 2x good, near identical IDE hard drives.

6. 1x good DVD +/-RW IDE drive.

doug-doug the mighty's picture
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Main Computer: Raspberry Pi 4

Main Computer: Raspberry Pi 4 (specifics not determined yet but will opt for the "best" one I can get)

Video Monitor(s): 2x 20" Cinema Displays, connectd via a an adpater sequence:

mini HDMI to HDMI dongle => HDMI to DVI (24+5) adapter => DVI to ADC adapter

External Ports:

USB, Firewire, Ethernet, Audio, and Speakers can be connected up via a really cool looking OWC dock solution.  The S/PDIF output will likely be hooked up to the defunct modem plug hole.

SATA Controller(s):

Already having the Sonnet Cards (a SoNNeT PCI-X SATA Adapter Model Tempo-X SATA 4+4, and a Sonnet Tempo-X eSATA 8 Port), I will see about using a riser to hook them up.  The one I found only supports 2 cards and is 32 bit.

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SATA Controlelr Musings

The two Sonnet SATA cards I have work perfectly.  I hate to part with them, but if I can find a USB c/USB 3 to SATA solution that makes sense, I will be happy to re-home these to someone who can put the to better use than I.

 

I keep seeing some PCI-E solutions but I do not think I can work that into my RasPi without some intermediary step...

 

I could use a Hat extender and a few SATA hats to do the trick...

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Update

Given the total cost of my project was projecting to over $700 USD, I have opted to do a modified ATX hack on the PSU while I sort out the particulars of the raspi approach versus my budget.

 

This is an interim solution but if it becomes permanent (meanin I was successful in doing what I wanted...) I will continue this project under a new banner but with the same end goal.

 

Anyways...

 

I have started things off by salvaging one of the earlier PSUs I have and cutting the wiring harness off.  I will then attache a female ATX connector to the original Mac cable.  This will allow me to feed any ATX PSU into the original wire assembly.  I will also stub off the 25V line since I have 2x Cinema displays and I need to keep those usable.  I have sourced a 25V laptop PSU that I will tap into the assembly as well.

 

Parts are arriving at my home in the next several days and I will work on this later in January as time permits.  I still need to look at the impacts of tying the two PSU's ground outputs together versus  not doing so.  I will test continuity on the circuits at the ADC port to see if the grounds do connect on the mobo or if they are isolated from the other ground lines.  The issue being that one PSU's ground may not be antoher PSU's ground despite logic saying they should be the "same".

 

I really wish I had not loaned my electronics books to my cousin...

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