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div
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Post subject:
 Posted: Mar 23, 2007 - 05:09 PM
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Site Admin
Joined: Feb 26, 2004
Posts: 353
Location: California
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Thanks for the compliments. It was a fun little project. My son is using it now as I type this. It's a little screamer, runs real fast.
I accually did think about it rotating but the rotating bit would play havock on the wires so it was out real quick. I still have to work out a CD/DVD rom. I spent about 25 bucks on the whole project (the lights 14 and the fan 7) since I had all the extra parts. I'd hate to spend 70 bucks just to get a rom in it. I've been using my usb pen drive when I need to load a game for my son or something. I use nero to create an image of the disc, load it on the drive then put the pen drive in the microwave and mount the image with daemon tools (a virtual cd/dvd drive). Works fine but takes time.
Anyways, thanks again. |
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Insex
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Post subject:
Posted: Mar 23, 2007 - 03:41 PM
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Addict
Joined: Mar 05, 2004
Posts: 241
Location: California
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| You have definitely got the coolest computer on the net, Div. Any way you can make the inside dish rotate while it's on? lol, just kidding. Good work Div. |
_________________
Practice makes permanent.
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div
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Post subject: Almost done!!!
Posted: Mar 05, 2007 - 08:50 PM
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Joined: Feb 26, 2004
Posts: 353
Location: California
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OK, the latest pictures. And it's running sweet. Athlon XP2000, 1 gig of DDR-PC2700 ram, 80 gig hard drive, and the on-board Savage DDR 32 meg video. For some reason the nVidia Ti4200 video card wouldn't work. Not sure if it's the slot or the card. Anyways, on with the pictures.....
The first is of the unit closed and running with cold cathode red lights inside, one on top and one under the mobo plate. (the clock is working, by the way) note: the real thing looks much clearer than the images. The camera has trouble with the metal screen on the glass from the microwave. Honest, it looks sweet!
The next is the another shot of the front from a slightly different angle.
Next is inside so you can see the PCI slot fan and the light tube on the top. You can also see tthe switch for the lights in the far left PCI opening in the back. Below it is the power switch. They will get relocated in the final version.
Last but not least, a closer look at the light under the mobo plate. You can see the transformer that powers the lights.
Once I get the CD/DVDrom worked out (location etc.) I'll clean up the wires and switches etc. For now it looks <b>GREAT!!!</b> |
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div
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Post subject: Some new pictures.
Posted: Mar 04, 2007 - 05:45 PM
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Site Admin
Joined: Feb 26, 2004
Posts: 353
Location: California
Status: Offline
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OK, the latest update. I found some spacers for the mobo plate. They look nice and clean.
You can also see the port in the side for the power connections to come through, and the hard drive cable etc. Here is a better picture.
Next is a shot of the hard drive bay installed. It fit's pretty damn tight, but it should be fine. You can also see the fuse holder for the power to the front panel. All the numbers and clock etc. work fine.
Now on to the good stuff. The next image is the hard drive installed.
And last but not least, the motherboard installed. I have a temporary power switch in the back bottom left of the box. If you look close, you can see it in a pci opening. The cable wouldn't reach where I wanted the temp switch. The switch location will have to be worked out.
Now I have no floppy, and no cd/dvdrom installed and I'm working on getting it to boot. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I may have to trade out some parts to get it fired up. I only spent about 10 minutes switching memory and video card. I will play some more and I WILL get it to boot up and run right, you can count on that! |
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div
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Post subject:
Posted: Feb 28, 2007 - 07:07 PM
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Site Admin
Joined: Feb 26, 2004
Posts: 353
Location: California
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OK, the latest update. Pictures coming soon. I have installed a hard drive bay behind the power supply. It's between the front panel and the PS and it's standing up. It has room for two drives. Cool, thats out of the way.
The next thing was getting the front panel to work. Luckily this microwave came with a wiring diagram in a stickum envelope inside the case. After allot of tracing and backtracking the wiring I took out, I came to the conclusion that to use the start button to turn the PC on would require a relay. The PC switch is the kind that when you push it it makes the connection and stays connected until you push it again. The switches on the front panel of the microwave are not like that. It has relays to turn the microwave on, but they are set to work with the cooking time you select. So, to use the front panel, I would have to select a time and press start, and the PC would turn off when the time ran out. Thats no good! Also, it has saftey switches, so if you opened the door, it would shut off the PC.
Soooo, what I have done, is put a temporary switch in the back (from a pc case) and wired the front panel with power. The front panel will work in every respect, just not do anything. You can set a cook time and start it and it will just count down. It also has the clock that will work and all the beeps etc will function as normal. You will just have to turn the PC on from the switch in the back of the microwave.
I have also wired the front panel into the powersupply, so there will only need to be one cord. In the future, if I can figure a way to connect a relay to the front panel, I will have the start button turn on the PC, but for now, I can live with a switch in the back. Once I find the right relay, I should be able to keep the front panel working as a normal microwave (as it does now) and splice into the start button to connect to the relay and turn on the PC.
ok, thats enough for now until I get pictures. |
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mang
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Post subject:
Posted: Feb 27, 2007 - 10:48 PM
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Joined: Mar 05, 2004
Posts: 110
Location: Cali
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Div, I like the idea about the laptop CDROM drive mounted in the "basement" of the chasis. I'll dig around and see if I have a laptop cdrom...there may be one in my garage.
I responded via email about the cpu. Let me know if you can use the mobo and it's yours. Anything else you might need for this project? I'm trying to get rid of stuff. |
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div
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Post subject:
Posted: Feb 26, 2007 - 06:42 AM
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Site Admin
Joined: Feb 26, 2004
Posts: 353
Location: California
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No dangerous parts inside. There is a capacitor that can hold some high voltage, but if you short it out to discharge it, your safe. The rest is jsut a transformer and a magnitrode (microwave generator) which is a couple of magnets and some coilled wire, no big deal.
Thanks for the cudo's. I'll be getting more done each day and posting the milestones. Keep checking and see the progress. |
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Insex
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Post subject:
Posted: Feb 26, 2007 - 12:26 AM
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Joined: Mar 05, 2004
Posts: 241
Location: California
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That's a really cool job you did Div! How did you take apart the microwave? Aren't there dangerous radioactive parts inside that could hurt you?
I would also go with what mang said. You don't want someone to literally cook your PC, lol. |
_________________
Practice makes permanent.
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div
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Post subject:
Posted: Feb 25, 2007 - 05:44 PM
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Site Admin
Joined: Feb 26, 2004
Posts: 353
Location: California
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Yeah, I've seen the drive mounted on the ceiling on another microwave pc mod, but I was hoping for a cleaner look inside the box. I may have to just stick it there anyways. Also I still have the original microwave interior light that I could tint red or use a filter to make the light inside red. I was already thinking of that.
I was thinking of a laptop cd/dvd drive in that bottom area below the cooking box opening. You would still have to open the door to change disc's but it would be more out of the way. Too bad I don't have a laptop drive, or I would be doing it now. Anyways. It's all in the works as progress continues.
As far as a CPU, I should have two extra. A athlon xp2000 and a duron 750.
I have only found one xp2000, the one I plan to use, and I haven't seen the 750 since I took it out about a year ago. So what is this for? Did your system die? If it's important enough, I may be persuaded to break out a search party and find one. Let me know what your plans are, cuz they are nice to have around (as the microwave project shows) LOL. |
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mang
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Post subject:
Posted: Feb 25, 2007 - 05:11 PM
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Joined: Mar 05, 2004
Posts: 110
Location: Cali
Status: Offline
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What's cookin, Div? Hahah, nice box. Needs red lights inside blazing through the glass. Hey mount the optical drives on the inside ceiling...just pop the door to change disks. Any chance you can get the buttons to control things or get a temp readout?
Don't throw any wild parties or a drunk friend may lay a slice of pizza across your motherboard to heat it. 
Div, do you have a spare socket A CPU laying around? I'll drive down the street and pay your for it...or I might have a computer part you need.
Let me know, thanks.
-Rob |
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div
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Post subject: Microwave PC
Posted: Feb 23, 2007 - 08:03 PM
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Site Admin
Joined: Feb 26, 2004
Posts: 353
Location: California
Status: Offline
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OK, I came across a microwave that was small enough and yet big enough to be used for a microwave/pc mod. After looking it over and checking my surplus parts, I decided to go ahead. I have a MSI km2m combo motherboard, a Athlon xp2000 processor and a Maxdor 40 gig hard drive. I'm in limbo about a cd/dvdrom as I only have one extra, and am having a little trouble finding a nice place to install it. I also have a couple of old video cards and sound cards to round out the project.
The fist image is of the front, to give you an idea what I'm starting with. 
The next image is the side, where I removed all the microwave stuff and installed the power supply.
Another shot of the power supply installed in the side area behind the front control panel. If you look close behind where the wires come out of the power supply, you can see where I cut the microwave guide off which gives an access hole into the cooking box for the wires to pass through to the motherboard.
And finally the back, where I cut out for the cord and switch for the power supply. Also, you can see where I started cutting the back of the cooking box for the back of the motherboard.
Now don't think that it's an old dirty piece of crap. It's accually in mint condition. It has dirt etc. on it in these pictures from the cutting. I have cut an old case up to get the flat plate that the motherboard mounts on and also the rear pannel of the case where the mouse and keyboard, video card, sound card etc. come out and connect. The rear panel will be mounted in the hole I'm cutting in the back of the cooking box.
Update:.........
OK a few more pictures. Remember it looks dirty because of all the cutting dust and dirt, but the unit cleans up like new.
On to the pics. The first one is the rear of the microwave with the back of the cooking box cut out with the back panel installed to recieve the motherboard.
The next is the inside view with the mobo mounting panel and rear panel installed. I have a piece of wood supporting the mobo panel until I get some spacers cut.
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