64BDzer said:
so what i'm thinkin is an old box with power supply -
so that will power the drives
but i need to get from ide cable jack to usb out to the main PC
is their a simple ide to usb option or can i even butcher a pc ?
or can anyone recomend a DIY sight?
Here is an example of an adapter kit for one drive. You wouldn't need to
use the power adapter included with the kit, because you're getting
power from your ATX PSU. I expect you can find the adapter separately,
if you search long enough.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812107114
I'd experiment with one drive and one adapter first, and see if
everything works OK.
You could also just use the power adapters, and plug them all into a
power strip. Then you wouldn't need to play with the ATX supply at
all.
If you had four disk drives, you'll have four USB connectors.
You either need a hub, or a computer with four USB jacks on
the back, for that to work.
I presume you know how to turn on the ATX PSU. You need to
connect PS_ON# to an adjacent COM pin. Then, when you switch
on via the back, the power will come on immediately. If you
want finer control, you can also use a separate switch, to
connect PS_ON# to COM. The switch needs to make sustained contact,
to keep the supply running.
You could use COM and one other terminal on the following switch,
to connect PS_ON# to COM on the ATX PSU. That is less stressful,
than having to switch via the switch on the back of the
enclosure all the time. You can mount this switch somewhere on
the front of the box, and run two wires to the PS_ON# and COM.
(If you use the NO and NC terminals on the switch, that won't work.
One of the terminals used, must be the COM or common terminal.)
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062507
Paul
