I didn't do this hack — yet — but it is pretty darned clever.
Swedish hacker Anders Lundberg modified an LED alarm clock to hold an array of LED's that would fit into the punched holes in the front of a G5 Powermac’s grille. The holes just happen to be the perfect size to hold standard-issue LEDs. Just think; there are enough holes there that you could even do a scrolling message bar with the thing. I wonder if there would be a way to syncronize the thing with the G5's clock?
There are lots of pictures, but unfortunately all the instructions are in Swedish. If anybody can translate it to good ole US English — or find a Babelfish knockoff that can do it — please post.
http://www.systransoft.com/index.html
Put the URL in there and select Swedish to English.
Cheers,
The Czar
How do you think they powered that thing? Run a power cord out a PCI slot? Oterwise, awsome hack! If i had a G5 i would so do that!
What power requirements does it have? My bet is they probably pulled power from one of the drive connectors.
TOM
The how-to pics don't seem to cover how he powered the thing. A cord running out a PCI slot seems a little low-tech for this guy. He was able to figure out how to mod the LED, so I would think he'd be able to get rid of the low-voltage transformer in the thing and use a 12V feed from the power supply.
There is now an English translation of the walkthrough on the site!
TOM
w00t! English Translation!!!
still doesn't tell us how he powered the dammed thing tho. It just tells us he didn't use the G5's power supply. So, im guessing, power cord running out the back?
From the data sheet of the chip in the clock it uses the frequency of the AC supple as a timer. So its needs a mains supply.
oh. How un-geek.
Don't wury I sent him an idear of a way ot make an ac current out of the +7v supplye in the G5
Actually it's very geek. While the voltage of the power grid can vary up and down all over the map, the frequency DOES NOT CHANGE, EVER!
Very very bad things would happen if it did. It's a dencently reliable reference clock.