Desktop Bus Board

Desktop Bus Board

I final had enough! Plugs, wires, usb etc. surprising how much things you can plug into your computer and soon you find there is no space left on your desk and it looks a mess!

So I decided to create a Desktop Bus Board,where everything "hangs" on  rather then occupying  precious desk space.

So here you goes. It looks like a lot of things, but at least they are all out of the way and on the same plane, which is a lot better then before. I can see wood on my desk now. Not much I admit, but at least it is there.

OK,things that got "hung" there:

1. Power bar x 2
2. Power supply for Monitor
3. Power supply for Computer
4. Power supply for USB CDROM
5. Power supply for eSATA Harddisk
6. Power supply for bedroom AP
7. Power supply for External USBHarddisk
8. 100M Switch  

Image all these used to occupy  the desk and thank God for zip tie and now they all hangs on the wall!

Now if I can the same thing with the other side of my desk.........

Random thoughts on My Home Network

Things I would like to have or already have:

1. Android TV for:
1. Games
2. Internet Browsing
3. youtube
4. low priority media player
2. BT downloader
3. NAS file server
1. File dump/archive
2. Media Server
4. Network Media Player
5. VM server

1. Android TV:

I really want to have something on my 42” Sharp LCD TV, it would be so awesome web surfing, reading your email etc. Purr to all these 7”/10” punny tablet. There are a couple of ways to go about this:

• Building one. I already have in my blog mentioning the Android x86 project, which I have install onto my EEEPC-701. Now this has a VGA output, which in theory could be use on the Sharp LCD TV. One would have thought VGA was pretty mature standard and it would be a simple plug and play. But reality is just that much different. I have try with success using Linux outputting onto the TV using the EEEPC, but android is a different kettle of fish! After finding a possible boot up setting, which re-direct the output onto the external VGA, but then the resolution/sync was not what I specify and guess what, the TV couldn’t sync. I have try and try, even with a normal VGA monitor and to no avail. I have try putting the problem to the net as well as the developer site. The answer is the same as I have done and it didn’t work. So I have given up for the moment.
• Buy one. That should be easy. The MK802II and Mele A1000/2000 look good. There is even dual core (?!) version, but that’s using a CPU know to have a very close architecture. I must say, the MK802II seems a good solution, although not very powerful, it will do what I want plus it is HACKable. Yes, you can run Linux on it and the Mele have all the interfaces/ports you even wanted (SATA, VGA, SDPIF, HDMI, Coax-Colour, SD and if you prepare to open the box, some GPIO and SPI/I2C). The down side it the Mele only got 512M, which is ok if you are running a headless server, but if you want any graphic, the GPU will take a large chunk of the 512M. So it all depends on what you want to do. For Android TV purpose, the MK802II looks like a better bet, with 1G RAM. They both can play some media file, but as Android support for these isn’t very good, it isn’t on the top of the list.

2. BT downloader.

I already have this running, sort of. I have a printer/usb network server (if you can call a embedded board with 48MB/400Mhz CPU running linux with network and two usb a server), similar to this:

http://dx.com/p/standalone-bittorrent-bt-client-usb-nas-ftp-samba-printer-upnp-sharing-network-lan-server-26320

Mine a different model, but I think the gut is the same. Anyway, it is now running Snake OS with transmission as BT Client:

http://code.google.com/p/snake-os/

It isn’t a bad setup, as long as you keep your expectation low, ie. don’t expect it to run too many download session and services togethers. It can even runs a mini upnp server call MiniDLNA and samba, FTP etc. but not all at once. One thing I like about it is that it runs Linux. You just have to love it! One more step for Linux in conquering the world!

3. NAS file server

Now I did have a NAS, with 2x1TB Storage, but the stupid Intel itx motherboard (with onboard celeron) just die. I haven’t/couldn’t figure out what’s wrong with it. The power light comes on and the HD spins up, but no beep/display, just nothing. Anyway, it wasn’t a very good board (only got two SATA and 100baseT) and I was think of replacing it. I did have an old AMD2 board, which at one time I was running as a VM Server with 2G RAM and 4xSATA Disk. Yes I know, very old board, but it does the job, and even runs a few VM on it. The only problem is, it is BIG, I mean full size ATX, in a really big tower case. Ok the case can house about 6-8 disk and has plenty of fan/vent/space inside. But it is big, noisy and general does not blend well with the rest of the furniture.

So what’s the solution? One solution is if I get rid of the case and have everything “nake” .
I have a  cupboard where I was suppose to put all my “server” equipment in at the sitting room. This is  where the broadband router sits  as well as the network for the house terminate. If I stripe the PC “nake” and just “place” all the component on a shelf in the cupboard, that would be ideal. The only problem is cooling; there isn’t going to be any, unless I starting cutting holes in the cupboard and I don’t think the wife going to like this much. So unless I can figure this one out, I am stick.

4. Network Media Player

This is solved or has some kind of solution. I did bought in a heat of a moment a Media Player. It does the job playing from SD, SATA HD and USB, it even as a UPNP player and does handle 1080i. Apart from it being a “close” box and properly dead end product (no hope/chance that it will even get any update/upgrade to the firmware). The GUI is a load of rubbish but then it does play all kind of media files. My alternative is the Raspberry Pi, at this moment load with RASPBMC (xmbc Raspberry Pi version), which is very good. The GUI is top notch, the only thing is that I need to control it through either the keyboard/mouse or Android or iPad/Pod XBMC remote apps., hence the kids can’t easily control it. One thing to watch out on the Raspberry Pi is that the ethernet controller can get very hot, due to a board mistake which wire it onchip 1.8v reg. with the board’s 1.8v supply. Mine get very hot, even with a memory chip heatsink on. Although all sources confirm it all within spec., but still high temperature cannot do good to longevity of any chips. The fixed mean doing major surgery to the board (cutting tracks and lifting pin), which I am not comfortable to do, unless I have another board to play with.

Update 16/10/2012:

Just heard from element 14 that a new version of Raspberry Pi board, with 512M memory compare with 256MB in the old one, same price. Most important, they fixed the 1.8v power supply problem and loads of other fixes as well. So I order one and should be on its way end of October I hope.

5. VM server

Now this would really be good, if I have:

• Space to put it
• Money to buy it

Since memory is now dirt cheap (8G DDR3 <HK$300). But then...............................