Desktop / Server power supply for Sheevplug hack?

[pubcrawler]

Has anyone hacked their Sheeva or other derived models to be powered from a standard desktop power supply or a server style power supply? Looking for something simple but reliable to do this.   Was thinking of using the standard drive power molex connector to facilitate this.

A standard desktop 400w power supply has probably on average 25A of 5V power or enough to run 8 plugs.

Interested in using a desktop power supply instead since we would like to get a few plugs put in a rack style enclosure.

Ideas?

[guidol]

Was thinking of using the standard drive power molex connector to facilitate this.
A standard desktop 400w power supply has probably on average 25A of 5V power or enough to run 8 plugs.
Interested in using a desktop power supply instead since we would like to get a few plugs put in a rack style enclosure.

using a ATX-PowerSupply should be no problem.
For Sheeva-/GuruPlug you could use the red(+5V) and black(-) cable
and for the Dockstar you could use the yellow(+12V) and the black(-) cable.
I think you know that - but here is the pinout
for drives : http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/chap3_078972927X/elementLinks/03fig13.jpg
and for the ATX-Connector: http://www.meadow.net/Images/z_mbconatxmain.gif

You could use a standard ATX-Case and put every sheeva in a 5.25" Drive-bay with it conectors to the
front panel of the drive bay.

[pubcrawler]

Thank you so much guidol.

That's exactly the information I was looking for.  Hopefully, others benefit from this knowledge also.

Seems like quite a simple hack anyone can do!

[guidol]

Thank you so much guidol.
Seems like quite a simple hack anyone can do!

For the dockstar the power could be inserted via the external plug, but for the
sheeva you have to open the sheeva and remove the power supply and connect the
power to the red/black cables which are on the motherboard (coming from the powersupply).

And if you use the ATX-Power-Supply without a case, then you have to connect the green cable (Pin 14)
for a short time to ground (black) to switch on the power supply.

[markus]

This is a very cool idea, I have several 3U rackmount server cases that have 8 HDD bays.  The bays could be moded to hold a plug computer and pull power from the drive bay.  8 hot plugable servers with triple redundant power supplys and lots of room for other stuff (HDD's etc) in 3U of rack space.  Brilliant!

[andebkr]

Yeah, it indeed is. That something that has to be from the minds of a person who a good knowledge about it. I think that it there is much I could learn from here and some very good information on the power supply. I never had this perception of thinking on this issue.