631 capability questions

[gdmaddog]

Since my work on my gaming system's 634 LCD is now on hold as I await an update to Everest (allowing more accurate sensor data to be published to the LCD than SpeedFan currently does), my computer bug bit again and had me gathering spares, buying up friend's hand me downs, raiding the trash piles at work for parts and buying a new case, TV tuner card and Media Center Edition OS/remote for a scratch-built Home Theater PC. (My first ever ground-up build!)

Finished the assembly and softwaring in a few days, and while the case I have does indeed come with a nice display, I immediately missed the controll afforded by coding my own displays with CC2.

Since I only have one open 3.5" slot in the OrigenAE x11 case, hidden behind a metal panel, the 631 looks like the way I'll head. As crazed as it sounds, I'm literally adding an LCD for the sake of having one!


Here's my thought/questions: the case has 3 80mm fans and an additional 92mm fan on a large vapor-based CPU cooling tower. All the case fans will be upgraded to speed controlled (the 92mm already is), and I was hoping with a SCAD, the 631's buttons could be used to adjust 2 things:

1) Could the first column be to increase or decrease *all three* of the case fan speeds, ganged together? If so, could one be set to a different speed, simply increased/decreased at the same time, on the same scale as the button is pressed?

2) Could the second column be then used to increase and decrease the CPU fan's *idle speed only*, and could I then use CC2 or some other 3rd party software to automate increasing that fan's speed as core CPU temp rises?


Displaying data was easy, but I'd like to be confident I can make this interactive in a useful fashon before purchase. (not that it will stop me! )

Crystalfontz LCD Blog

Looking for additional LCD resources? Check out our LCD blog for the latest developments in LCD technology.

 

[CF Mark]

1) Could the first column be to increase or decrease *all three* of the case fan speeds, ganged together? If so, could one be set to a different speed, simply increased/decreased at the same time, on the same scale as the button is pressed?

2) Could the second column be then used to increase and decrease the CPU fan's *idle speed only*, and could I then use CC2 or some other 3rd party software to automate increasing that fan's speed as core CPU temp rises?

I think i understand what you want from the above, and if i do understand it correctly, all of the above can be done.

Itll take some manual tinkering with the INI files to get the button events working correctly, but we can help you with that.

 

[jc634]

jdgordon wrote a screen file to manually increase/decrease fan speed with the buttons. Just set the SCAB for manual control and go for it. You will have to search a little for that thread, tho.

Again, using the SCAB, hook your CPU fan into a seaparate header and use the Auto fan control option on the SCAB. You will need some temp probe(s) to use this feature, tho.

Jim

 

[gdmaddog]

Sounds great! I'll be sure to place an order when I'm ready to tear the unit down again and drop in the speed-control enabled fans.

As far as probes are concerned, I was hoping I could use some third party software to monitor the existing MB and CPU probes as sources for automating the speed increases as needs increase (MB for case fans, CPU for CPU fan).

If not, I assume there are some thermal probes I can install to monitor the CPU and case temps and feed back to the SCAB?



EDIT: In rereading the above, a new question arises- can the keys be used to manually change the way the automated events occur? the above seems to me to be suggest I would only be able to controll them as a full-manual option -OR- full-auto.

My initial thought was to use them as a means to override the automated settings, much the same way one can adjust the house temperatures on a digital thermostat with an override mode. since I didnt percieve a way to re-enable an automatic setting, and since I also realized the thermal needs could exceed a manual setting, my hope was that I could instead use the buttons to introduce a new minimum speed, efectively emulating an override by forcing the fan speeds to increase, but with the added benifit of the safety of an automatic system which would increase the speeds beyond the manual set minimum, should things heat up.

Perhaps a cheat would be to set up 4-10 seperate automatic temp/speed curves, and emulate the functionality I'm looking for by using the buttons to switch between them, switching to and from curves with a 1.8k RPM for <=40C lowest point to a curve with a 2.5k RPM for <=45C, but both would maintain increasing RPMs should system temps climb to greater than that number. I'll have to look at the SCAB and related doccuments again.


A last question, and one which has less usability importance and more estetic value- could the buttons on the 631 be programmed to change functions? For example, in this system, the backlight would not be desirable at all times, as a Home Theater set up, the glow could be distracting. Is it possible to write an "idle" mode for the 631, lights off, set to "wake" at the touch of any button to a second setup with backlight, lit buttons, and the above fan controll functions assigned to the buttons. If so, is it possible to have the 631 then go "idle" again, returning to a dimmed state with the buttons functioning to switch modes again, after a period of inactivity?

Thanks again for the advice, keep up the good work guys! I know my questions can get crazy, hope you understand them all! Truly enjoyed the last project, and look forward to working this one out as well!

 

[gdmaddog]

In re-reading the SCAB manual, I've come upon another potential issue- how does the SCAB perform under system Standby? As though the system has lost communication with the module (ie, 100% fanspeed)?

I may need to rethink this a little based on behavior under standby, simply because as an HTPC, it will likely spend most of its time on standby, running full power only a few hours a day at best.

 

[CF Mark]

The motherboards own sensors cannot be used to control the fan connected to the 631.
External sensors (ie, those connected to the 631) are a lot more relaible anyway.

The keys can be used to change the settings of the auto fan control.
Although when doing this, the fan curve that you use will have to be limited to two points.

The buttons can change function depending on what screen you are viewing.
So you can have the first two buttons to scroll the screens, and the second two buttons to change values.

CC2 does have a "user idle" backlight dimming option.

Under PC standby, all fans are turned off as the PC's PSU stops supplying 12V.

 

[gdmaddog]

Thanks once again for fielding questions spawned by my enthusiasim/ignorance, I have a much clearer image of the limitations and advantages of using this to controll the system.

By 2 points, do you mean like a switch with 2 positions? ie: <50C = 2k RPM, >50C = 3k RPM, or would the system extraoplate between them, raising the speed as the temp increases?

 

[CF Mark]

Sorry, i was wrong when i said it did that.
CC2 did that before i introduced the configurable response curve system:

Why do you want to change the levels during automatic control?
If setup correctly, there should be no need for doing so?