Project: OSIDIAS (officially v4). What's this? A worklog?!

[craigbru]

I hit a milestone over the weekend. As of now, the interior design is 100% complete. That actually includes the front panel assembly as well. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you actually have a little free time. As before, part of the finalization process involves low resolution test prints in PLA. This ensures that all components fit together exactly as they should. While they may be quick prints, they are always dimensionally accurate. There are aspects of this design that have single mm clearances, so I had to be sure things were spot on.


Here we’ve got the inner mount assembly printed and components inserted. The case front is printed without the hex mesh to save time.

This is the LCD mount on the front of the case. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of parts interlocking perfectly on the first try. The inner mount, the case front, and the LCD mount are attached via nesting tabs. If you haven’t noticed, the overall case was designed with minimal fasteners in mind, even less that will be visible in any form.

As far as what’s next, I’ll be committing the finished interior components to MJF print. Once they arrive, I’ll have quite the task ahead of me as I tackle the card connector wiring. I can fully envision the completed core sitting on my desk in functional form while I work on the exterior. Regarding the exterior, it’s really mostly complete from a cosmetic standpoint. That said, I have one new idea I’d like to explore on the lighting side… Other than that, it’s mostly trying to work out panel fastening. Well, that and trying to come up with a functional mold for the new carbon fiber shell.

 

[craigbru]

Uh, so this just got even more real. I edited my above post, as the interior/front/rear components will be MJF and not SLS. While I wish I were capable of printing MJF or SLS on my own equipment, I just can't get the build volume I require even at the SFF level. Believe me, I've looked at the options and the cost vs. print volume just isn't quite there as of yet. That said, we'll see how well my design and test prints pay off... since I just placed a rather large order for 13 different components... No turning back now!

 

[craigbru]

While waiting for my parts to be printed, I decided to get the newest revision of the HDPLEX 400W HiFi DC-ATX converter, which arrived 2 days after ordering. I also just ordered the 400W AC-DC Ver 2.0 power supply. I received tracking info about 10 minutes later. Talk about impressive! The power supply will replace my current Dell sourced brick. I've not had any issues with my current solution, but the extra headroom will be nice going forward.

 

[craigbru]

I received an excellent bit of news today. All of my printed components were packed and shipped, well ahead of the estimate. I can't wait!

I've also been working on prepping the cage design for a mold. I've basically had to break out the 'arms' as individual parts. Then I have to figure out exactly how to create an inner core and outer clamshell that's both easy and quick to use. Once that resin is mixed, time starts ticking...

For fun, I did cost out having the cage CNC milled out of aluminum and anodized. It was right around $1200. As cool as that would be, CF is still cooler. Especially considering that once I went down the anodized aluminum route, costs would really snowball on me.

 

[Windfall]

I received an excellent bit of news today. All of my printed components were packed and shipped, well ahead of the estimate. I can't wait!

I've also been working on prepping the cage design for a mold. I've basically had to break out the 'arms' as individual parts. Then I have to figure out exactly how to create an inner core and outer clamshell that's both easy and quick to use. Once that resin is mixed, time starts ticking...

For fun, I did cost out having the cage CNC milled out of aluminum and anodized. It was right around $1200. As cool as that would be, CF is still cooler. Especially considering that once I went down the anodized aluminum route, costs would really snowball on me.

Just find a really, really nice sponsor.

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

But ... BUt ... BUT ... it has no Jeep logo on it !

 

[craigbru]

Just find a really, really nice sponsor.

Haha, anyone would be lucky to be a part of history in the making, right? Actually, it's been years since I sought out sponsorship. I prefer to build on my own terms, and uh... timeline. Lol.

But ... BUt ... BUT ... it has no Jeep logo on it !

I could change that!

 

[confusis]

Can't wait for more! I wish I had the time/money/skills to go this nutso on a build

 

[craigbru]

Can't wait for more! I wish I had the time/money/skills to go this nutso on a build

Thanks man! This project has been a long time coming (in some form or another). I guess that's how I'm justifying at least the expense part. As far as time goes, well, my time management has never been that great. It's really hard to believe it's been almost 7 years since the MPD-01 project! Once OSIDIAS is done, I'm not really sure where to go next. I really can't go smaller, at least in a practical or useful way. Ah well, that's a problem I don't need to address yet.

 

[craigbru]

My parts arrived! Sorry, no pics yet, but I'll get them added as soon as I can. I'm very happy with the quality and the look of the various components. I will say this however, after seeing final finished parts first hand, there are a few small changes I would have made to my designs. The most significant would be to have added some sort of interlocking internal tab on the front of the 'core', both above and below the card connector. I don't think it's a structural issue, but it may become a cosmetic one. The channels on top and bottom of the connector will be packed full of wiring. I can foresee those wires causing a seam gap due to outward pressure as time passes. As of yet, I'm not sure whether or not to modify and reprint. Practically, it's fine really, but the OCD side of me may not be able to let it go...

Whether or not I reprint, I do have other things to work on. I've ordered some MDPC-X sleeving, as well as some low profile PCIE connectors. I'll be trying something pretty cool with GPU connection due to the way the HDPLEX wiring is configured. I'll also start working on the card connector wiring. That in itself will take a fair bit of time.

Another update coming soon...

 

[craigbru]

As promised, here are a few pics of the interior core components. First up is the GPU side of the core. Initial test fits indicate that the design time was worth it. Shown below, the hot swap bays fit snugly in place. Not shown in place, are the card connector and PCIE extender, both of which align and fit perfectly as well. I did try and think about ease of assembly, so if you look closely you’ll see recessed pockets for M3 nuts. The long pockets on the top and bottom edge are also for alignment ‘tabs’.

.


Moving on, we’ve got the motherboard side of the core. This side is a little less complex. It was designed with future compatibility in mind. The notched recesses on the front edge and bottom are for the various wires and cables to be routed. Of course those positions could change with different motherboards, so I wanted to leave different routing choices. At the very front of this side, is the mount for the HDPLEX. With my old ITX board in place, you can see there’s just enough room for wires to be routed as needed, including the shortest 24 pin run I’ve ever had. Overall, I’ve tried to hide as much wiring as possible. Heck, even the PCIE extension will be completely hidden. I wanted a very clean look, which isn’t always easy in SFF builds.

Next, let’s take a look at the front of the case assembly. There are 3 major components here that interlock together. While certain aspects will be virtually hidden once installed, I still had my mind on attention to detail. This portion of the case holds the LCD screen, the LCD controller, the front USB and audio ports, and the male half of the card connector. The 56 pin card connector will be responsible for passing along the LCD power, RGB lighting connections, HDMI signal, 2 USB ports, and the mic and audio signals.

Lastly, here is the rear of the case. Nothing too crazy here. The power button is at the top center. I didn’t feel the need for a button on the front of the case, as I rarely shut my computer down anyway. The rear interlocks with a slot on the motherboard side of the core, as well as a locking tab on the GPU side. No other fasteners are needed to hold it in place.

Now it’s a matter of pulling all the electrical together. There is plenty of soldering to do, and almost every one of those 56 pins on the card connector will be filled. I’ll also need to shorten and sleeve all appropriate cables and wires. I do have a few more parts arriving shortly, and for some reason I felt compelled to add a new GPU to the mix. I ordered a Zotac 2070 Super ITX card that should be here tomorrow. All this should keep me plenty busy for the near future!

 

[craigbru]

The new 2070 arrived! With pretty much the same dimensions as my current 1080, it will drop right into place.

 

[craigbru]

Since a HDPlex 400w AC-DC will be used going forward, I decide to design an external 'case' for it to match. The design should allow for adequate cooling from all sides.

 

[craigbru]

Well, I already have both the HDPlex 400 HiFi DC-ATX and the 400w AC-DC, so it's really not complicating anything. I only need to extend the plug wiring (6 wires) on the AC-DC. The AC-DC is replacing my current Dell 330w power brick. The AC-DC will just be used as a more powerful external 'brick' type set up. The internal volume of this mod is less than 5.8l, so any other power supply combo wouldn't fit.

 

[confusis]

@sancho This is a one off build, not a production case If you want those, they're under Custom Projects.

@craigbru I'll buy ten.

 

[craigbru]

@sancho This is a one off build, not a production case If you want those, they're under Custom Projects.

@craigbru I'll buy ten.

Ah yes, it's most certainly a one off custom build. Nothing about this is for mass production.

@confusis Only 10? I'd need at least 11 to recoup my time and cost, haha.

 

[craigbru]

I finalized the AC-DC cage. It's now at 100% print ready.

 

[craigbru]

So, another very small update here. I received my low profile PCIE connectors, and with the help of some PCB board and more 3D printing, I've got a cool idea for a single power connector. I'll see if I can make progress on that this weekend.

 

[enricko7]

So, another very small update here. I received my low profile PCIE connectors, and with the help of some PCB board and more 3D printing, I've got a cool idea for a single power connector. I'll see if I can make progress on that this weekend.

Where did you get those connectors?! I've been looking high and low for an 8-pin and haven't found anything!

 

[craigbru]

Where did you get those connectors?! I've been looking high and low for an 8-pin and haven't found anything!

Here you go. They weren't easy to find! There are a lot of other similar options on the site as well.