///***///---Feeler LuNcH-Box 500 Series---\\\***\\\

:roll:
I plan to self build a LunchBox for me.This afternoon I's with an "aluminium worker" (poor english , sorry) who said it'll be quite less expensive if I ordered several kits.(starting at ten boxes).
I do not want to make profit with these boxes...Do you think it's outlaw??
IF NOT , I'd like to know if I could find 8 of you to share fab costs.

You have to know I'm a noob , and I've not all the info I need to get them fabed next week!!!

According to that , I plan to open a discussion about the "details" of the lunchboxes...

-Internal or external psu?
-Only 500 compatible??(I saw someone havin done EDAC adjustable , mounted on rails)
-"Edac" soldered on a pcb or soldered with wires?
-I plan to use 2mm Aluminium for all the parts except front : 3mm.Are original front panels (of modules) 3mm??
-Should I fab L brackets too?(I saw original box without rails)
-Is someone able to do little series of pcb??

Thanks for your attention , more questions to come! :wink:

Any comments really appreciated!

Edit : No more name-masking...

[quote author="RedNoise"][...] MealBox [...] 005 [...] "cade"[/quote]
Please don't use name-masking, it makes searching harder than it needs to be. There used to be a thread about it but I can't seem to find it ATM; the best I can do are these posts by Gyraf. I would be surprised if small-scale production of 500-format cases would receive any attention at all, given that there are half a dozen suppliers of those as it is, including Purple and Brent Averill. It's not like you're copying their trademarked knobs.

Having said that, I'm interested to hear what you have in mind. How many slots? PCB-backplane or separate connectors?

JDB.
[I have a 500-series case on my mid/long term DIY list; was planning to go for both a 11-slot rackmount and a 4/6-slot lunchbox, both with small 2-conn PCB backplanes and external PSU. Given that the TODO list is long enough; I wouldn't mind buying a few of your cases instead if The Price Is Right]

ok , I'll stop name masking right now...I just wanted void being traced with trademark , as I do not know if I was "outlaw"...
My mind is doing a box that would be pleasant for most of DIY community , otherwise I'd have offered a finished one...So I ask here to get an average idea of "most wanted" solutions!

-It seems an 11 slots means external psu.Correct??Why not start on this base , with a 2 slot psu option...(One slot seems thick for a psu no??)
-Regardin to the price , it will be huge less than 950$ I saw on the web.I just want high quality build.
-Pcb backplane if someone is able to do "pro" pcbs , someone like Gustav or maybe black pcb like the 1176 revD(So lovely)But I read some people like the adjustable connectors (like SSLTech)
-I also mind to do pcbs to put in connectors (see Gar381 9K 500 pics...)
People : vote for your choices!!
:green: :green:

I'd be very happy to do something for the community , as I'm not electronical designer...

Hi ...Should I put this thread in the black market???
Don't hesitate to give advices...
Thanks to all of you.

interested depending on price , but i Need one !

once you are selling it: black market.
asking for design ideas it is in the right place here.

anyhow, I would include the PSU. personally I hate those separated PSUs.
backplane PCB is nice, but for sure a tougher task in mechanical engineering and research.

The first person to offer 500 series racks here as a kit would do well IMO.

I'd do:

10-slots with internal PSU, like the Purple Sweet Ten.

Front panel mounting and backplane ideal, but backplane not essential. Wiring harness for power wouldn't be too hard and I/O can be directly wired to rear panel to save on needing an accurate manufacturing process for the backplance/mounting.

It would be great to offer the L brackets that are un-drilled or punched.

Come in around $500 and it would be fantastic...as a kit.
If the mechanics are done, I imagine a PSU could be done nicely, perhaps JLM could be persuaded?

-Tom

If we're going to go to the trouble of making this would anyone be interested in adding a 24V rail? There is an "easy" way of doing it just using a longer connector with another pin (is that what you call it?) for the 24V and you 24V PCBs would have a longer connector part with the V in in the right place. To not accidentally insert your 512 in the wrong place, you could have those little plastic tabs computer motherboards have that block part of the AGP or PCI slot (I forget which one had that). Does this sound like it makes sense? It's kind of what I wanted to do with mine if I ever got to doing one.

Yeah guys!!!
Thanks for the interest!!!

-L bracket do not seem to be a problem
-I'll try to get nice pcb for the Edac(Help needed for typon)
-I'm not sure I could provide psu (I'm a f***in noob!)
-10 slots and internal Psu is my choice too
-500$ seems to be the lowered (Approximate estimation) I can do for a batch of ten kits (including Edac , engraved back and front panel)

Your posts encourage me enormously!!!
Many thanks.

Could someone tell me if original api used 3mm front panel??

Cool idea,
Remember that Rochey and Keith are selling the 500 series cases (slots) This would be a cool way to put too projects together.

Mitsos,
There are a few unused "pins" on the edge connector that could be used for the 24V.
Just do a search for 500 series schematics and you should find some pretty decent info here.

take care
Gil

valeu Gil! Didn't know that!

If its a diy rack, there is no rule that says you can't load it with a +/-24v powersupply and just put DIY projects in it that run on those voltages.

You could maybe build a little local vreg to modify existing 500 series designs, but that seems like too many steps to jump through. It would be very cool if there was backplane space for local LM317/337 vergs at specific cards, so you could mix and match standard 500 series with modified ones... just have to be careful which ones get plugged in where!! :shock:

If you do it +/-16V, you can regulate the -16 to -8v, giving you a 24v potential difference between +16 and -8 to create the 24v bias for a Neve type circuit. I believe a number of manufacturers are doing that.

-T

Hi Tom,
there I go trying to overcomplicate my life. do you mean that they stick a regulator ON the module? (not on the rack)?

As BR said , few unused pins on the connector.Wouldn't it be possible to integrate regs and all we need (to go from 16 to 24v or 24 to 16)on the Edac board??
Maybe I'm saying something very stupid!! !I'm not electronician , and it's only a few month I try do build some DIY stuff , but :
I was just thinking at the "Dr Pat" (Correct?) solution to lower 18V to 15v in the 9K project(just some diode in serie right??Maybe we could have a 24V psu , with diodes close to each Edac??(24-->16V)And no diodes to get 24 V and then put some Neve in!!!
But I've no idea how to do 16->24V "on demand" .I mean for each connector... :roll:
Not sure I was very clear!!Ahahahahahaha...I've tried! :green:

If you are only going to put DIY modules in it, designed from the ground up here, you could integrate local regs on each 500 series DIY card, to regulate the voltage down from +/-24V...

If you want to use existing 500 series modules in it, but the PSU is higher than 16v, you would need to fit regs near each modules backplane connector... so you could use lower rated modules like API gear.

I have an even better idea, why not make the internal power supply with BOTH a +/-16V rails AND +/-30V rails?

You could have a small jumper on the back plane that would set the voltage at the EDAC power pins for each module. That way it would be very easy to use existing 16v designs with higher spec'd DIY types/Neve etc.

The power supply would be a bit larger, you could maybe do an 8 pack rack if you need the PSU space. Although 10 is ideal.

-Tom

Maybe the solution would be to do a "deep" rack...Like that maybe we could have the 10 slots AND a big psu , or a double one (as you mention).
If I understood well , you meant 2 toroidals???Correct??

Just noticed this thread...

I have been working with a 500 series lunchbox for a while. I started the project in March and I have been working with it now and then. Here is the situation right now:

-mechanical drawings are almost ready
-backplane pcb is ready
-psu schematic is ready but pcb is not designed yet

RedNoise: If you want to do your own design I can keep this unpublished.

Estimate for the cost of the mechanics is about 30 euros (I asked from a local sheet metal company). I am NOT going to sell kits or anything related to this project. All I can do is to publish the drawings when they are ready.

[quote author="audiox"]RedNoise: If you want to do your own design I can keep this unpublished.
[/quote]
Hi Audiox!!!
Don't worry , you can publish!!

EDIT : I read too fast! Do not see the UNpublished

Audiox , if you published , you could make us save a lot of time.
I do not want to make money with this project.So , no worries!