Control Device Power Extender

I know it's a tedious name for it... I just don't know what to call it! Maybe you'll understand better as this guides goes along. Heheh! Now apart from the Fanbus, Cliff also pioneered the control device arena. Devices like his infamous Switch Baybus, Dual-Voltage Baybus, Rheostats Baybus, just to name a few, have all found their way into a computer enthusiast's PC. And just like the Fanbus, they too have evolved, thanks to the numerous online retailers out there, churning out their version of the devices. All of which has found their way into our systems, like the PCMods.Com Dual Voltage Baybus and the Rheobus, CaseETC's Maelstrom, FrozenCPU's 6-Ports Baybus and Natriumtech's Digital Rheobus, the UltraDM. While they all have the same basic function, they also share one feature that I personally find annoying and that is how each device has the power distribution on the same location as the other components of the unit. While this saves the amount of material required to build the device, it's a hassle having to remove the device just to swap fans or disconnect any faulty fans connected to it. Of course, this is up to personal preferences, but I'd rather have a separate power distribution unit and here's where I'll show you how to make one.

Control devices...

Terminal block connector on Dual Voltage Baybus

3-pin headers on the UltraMR/UltraDM

Terminal block connector on Rheobus

All of the devices above has two outputs for your fans, a 12V Line and a Ground. And most of it, with the exception of the FrozenCPU's 6-Ports Baybus, comes in 4-ports configuration. You'll need to converge the outputs of the 4 ports onto a single 8-pin connector/header onto the PCB so as to save space and to make it neater. All of the the parts you'll need are already outlined on the first page of this guide and I'm aiming at the same size as the Mini Fanbus that I created earlier. Again, cut off a small portion of the PCB Board to the size you desire and line up the Terminal Block and the 8-pin header on the PCB. The 8-pin header is for the 4 pairs of outputs (12V and Ground) from the control device. Secure the components onto the PCB by soldering the joints below the PCB.

Line up the components onto the PCB...

Secure them by soldering the joints...

Once again, figure out how you want to route the wires on the PCB and once you've done that, you can again use wires or the metal connectors as I've shown previously to connect the 8-pin header to the terminal block. Trying to get the wires to stay put might be a little problem so you can use masking tape to hold them in place while you solder them down.

How it's wired up....

I'm using the metal connecting wires here...

Tape 'em down!

Back of PCB.

Shouldn't take long to solder the wires down and again, use the "solder blobs" method to connect the wires to the terminal block and the 8-pin header on the PCB. The PCB unit is done and now it's time to turn your attention to the wirings from the control device. The length of the wires depends on where you wanna locate the extender fanbus in your case. As a rule, it should be long enough for you to route them nicely and hide it from being seen but not too long that it becomes another clutter problem.

Solder blobs again... :O)

Close up....

The 8-pin connector

Connect it up....

You'll first need to strip the protective cover from the ends of the wires and secure them onto the crimps for the connectors. Once you've crimped the wires, insert them into the connectors and it will lock itself onto it. Depending on they type of control device you're using, you might not have to do this step at all. For devices with screw-on type terminal block, like the Dual Voltage Baybus, Rheobus, Maelstrom and the 6-Ports Baybus, you'll just have to insert the bare wires into it and screw them on to secure. I'll be using the NatriumTech UltraMR unit, which has a 3-pin header as a power output, hence the 3-pin Connector. Connect the extender fanbus to your control device and you're done! To make things neater and more presentable, you can use cable sleevings to cover up the wires and at the same time, bundle them up into a single bunch and also use foam sheets to cover up the back of the PCB to prevent it from coming into contact with your case.

Crip the wires...

Insert them into the connector...

ALL DONE!

Foam sheet to cover back of PCB....

Sleeving to bundle up the wires...

Here's an example of where I used the power extender in my case. This is Project White Wolf which I gave you peeps a sneak peek a while ago and hope to have the article up pretty soon. :O) As you can see, all of my fan wires are connected to that tiny unit and power is supplied via the control device, in this case the UltraMR. I hope this guide has been useful to you in constructing your own unit. I also hope to see this kind of units comes standard with the control devices that's being sold out there, if not as an option.

Do give me a holler is you need further help. I'll try my best to answer your Qs! Thanks for reading, enjoy and be safe!

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