FEATURED Building PWM Controller for 4 wires PWM fan

Silver_Pharaoh said:

That looks awesome!

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thanks
I try the modular approach on that splitter.
so whenever I don't need to use the pwm control, i can pull the small cable out and less cables clutter achieved

Arkade said:

Now what i think is interesting, that should be noted to users who built the 2-98% version and then suffered a face desk. The 2 555's i used where TLC CMOS type and i connected the first one via Bings booster design, then the second one via inverter. Suddenly, my PWM controller went from being a 2-98% to being a 0-100% controller. My Sanace when connected to it, went to 0 % rpm, and also could hit 100% rpm. Same with my TFC1212DE, My bitphenix's, my TA500DC's.

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Arkade, did you use the TLC on the timer circuit on your 2-98% circuit, or just as the booster and inverter?

I just managed to try the TLC555 as a booster on my 0-100% controller.
yeah. it's being awesome, my 9SG could manage to run slow as 450rpm without any weird noise.
something I can only achieved with the philips NE555 and SE555 (note the "S") from a brand I can't recognize

so could you do me a favor by give it a try on your 9SG (if you have the time, of course) so I can assure it's not just a dream

That looks amazing!

The caps are probably overkill, but that's OK with me. I like overkill.

Invain, i can confirm, using the TLC's on my NE556 timer 2-98% controller, than using TLC's as boosters/inverters(or even replacing the NE chip with the TLC) dramatically kills the noise and allows me to almost see 0-100% controls.

Bobnova said:

That looks amazing!

The caps are probably overkill, but that's OK with me. I like overkill.

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thanks, Bob.

to be honest, was thought to add accessories for the splitter when I drew the pcb.
so there come those caps

Arkade said:

Invain, i can confirm, using the TLC's on my NE556 timer 2-98% controller, than using TLC's as boosters/inverters(or even replacing the NE chip with the TLC) dramatically kills the noise and allows me to almost see 0-100% controls.

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that's super cool, thanks for confirming this
now, I can rest in peace...
I mean sleep, it's getting midnight here

Arkade said:

Invain, i can confirm, using the TLC's on my NE556 timer 2-98% controller, than using TLC's as boosters/inverters(or even replacing the NE chip with the TLC) dramatically kills the noise and allows me to almost see 0-100% controls.

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hi Arkade,
how's things going over there?

I've done a pots bank and redesigned my 2-98% controller:





I'm itchy to solder the IST board that I picked up today and see if the TLC would help the 2-98% with the 9SG.
I really love the simplicity of the 2-98% over anything else

That looks real nice with the red PCB

Silver_Pharaoh said:

That looks real nice with the red PCB

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thanks

the height of that red one's something that I really like.
it's only 9mm tall including the sticky pad (if I held my ruler straight).

it doest look pretty at all when I first started the project

View attachment 153805

but then I realized than I can squeeze it more, so I can place it literally anywhere inside my case.

though the full 0-100 is performing better when dealing with those high speed runners.
the 2-98 is more than enough to heandle the sub 2.5k fans, but it's wayyy better than the "bonus" included by the mobo's cpu fan header (I hate that "sudden woosh", BTW).
considering the pc's fans were never meant to be halt at even 0%, we can omit the kick start (I'm sorry, bing. but I save that feature on the 0-100, though )
and the result, is a super compact unit

This is from a friends tread, but I thought it work well here too.

[quote name="DaveLT"
Some mobos have barely enough PWM output for 3 or 4 PWM fans[/quote]

That's easy, let the weak PWM signal control a strong 5 volt input with an Amplifier circuit.

View attachment 154095

A headlight SSR (solid state relay) from a car has the same function and should also work well. It being solid state, it should be reactive enough. This set-up will control more than 10 fans.

View attachment 154094

This SSR is for the PWM signal only; fan power (12 volts & ground) will need to be taken from the power supply on the same Molex that the 5 volts comes from. Each Molex will handle up to 8 AMPS or 96 watts of fans.
This is the color code for the Molex connector on the power supply.
• +5vdc is red,
• +12vdc is yellow,
• Ground is black

thanks, Luke...
we used to apply this style of booster to amplify the PWM signal.

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...ires-PWM-fan?p=6483224&viewfull=1#post6483224

two were required actually, since one will invert the pwm signal (which found to be very handy to handle an inverted fans).

it really nice to have more options available,
much appreciated for sharing it here

inVain said:

thanks, Luke...
we used to apply this style of booster to amplify the PWM signal.

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...ires-PWM-fan?p=6483224&viewfull=1#post6483224

two were required actually, since one will invert the pwm signal (which found to be very handy to handle an inverted fans).

it really nice to have more options available,
much appreciated for sharing it here

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I re-draw this for clarity. I would use a 10 or 20 amp SSR, 100 amps is a little over the deep end.
Car headlight SSR cost like $5, and are easy to find on the web and in any auto parts store.
I think Walmart even has them.

View attachment 154110

I'm taking a more realistic look at the circuit, and I can see some problems. The relay applies the PWM signal to ground through a Diode to fire the trigger, where as an amplifier circuit uses the PWM signal in the transistor's base as a trigger. The relay's method does put a lot more of a load on the trigger. I'm also not sure the wave cycle time is fast enough. This is not a good set up, do not try it. Put a logic level MOSFETs amplifier circuit in to the SSR's place, and you will have a good setup.

Luke Cool said:

I'm taking a more realistic look at the circuit, and I can see some problems. The relay shorts the PWM signal to ground to fire the trigger, where as an amplifier circuit uses the PWM signal in the transistor's base as a trigger. The relay's method does put a lot more of a load on the trigger. This is not a good set up, do not try it. Put a logic level MOSFETs amplifier circuit in to the SSR's place, and you will have a good setup.

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thank you very much, Luke...

TBH, the only sole reason why I keep digging the PWM controller is because I'm really curious with how the Sanyo 9SG behave.
unlike many Delta /Nidec that I have dealt with, this 9SG got something more like the "electrical noise" issue.
I've boosted my last 2-98% version (the red one) with another single 555 (from TI) and I'm quite sure that it have been fixed.
I'm still curious how it will behave if I use another 555 from another manufacturer, since on my previous attempts the 9SG would exhibit those electrical noise whenever I connected it with the 2-98%.
then, I still got few 555 with cmos version to give it a try

about this electrical noise on the 9SG, I feel I really need to upload it on youtube or something to describe it better.
but up till now, I can't manage to make a decent vid nor a record, I'm trully sorry.

the electrical noise is something like this (the vid's belong to Nothor):


the interesting thing is, I also had similar noise when I set the 0-100% real close to 16kHz frequency.
going under 16kHz to (say something around 15kHz), the noise became louder. especially when the fan spin lower.
I recalculated the 2-98% on the low pot setting with 100k ohm + 470pF, and it did resulted around 15.xx kHz.
very similar pattern, huh?

now, I can get away with the additional 555 as a booster, but the fan still spinning around 1.1k rpm on their lowest pot setting.
it still noisy, but the noise is more like mechanical than electrical to me (maybe because of it's aluminum frame, like Arkade mentioned before).
I'm still trying to damp it with rubber (but still got no time to do it).


it really interesting to implement your design with the NPN silicones,
due to its wide availability in mA to A.
and it's super simple too.

I'm still unsure with the, SSR.
since I never visit the automotive section in the city.
I'm still a minor to mod the car

but thanks for all your harwork, redrawing the connections lines

View attachment 154176
This is not a inverter, if the output was on the collector it would invert the outout.
It is called a Emitter follower circuit, +5V in, +5V out, 0V in, 0V out. It amplifies the current and not the voltage.

the inverter is on page 5, actually

WhitehawkEQ said:

View attachment 154176
This is not a inverter, if the output was on the collector it would invert the outout.
It is called a Emitter follower circuit, +5V in, +5V out, 0V in, 0V out. It amplifies the current and not the voltage.

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This is all true.
On many of the Motherboard CPU fan headers, the signal is too weak to control 4 fans.
I was looking for a way to give that signal a good kick in the butt.
With this current amplifier, you can control more than 10 fans.
I haven't try it, but I'm pretty sure it will work.
I'm am ET, not a EE, comments are welcome.

View attachment 154219

Hello, really nice work guys.
Unfortunately I don't have enough time to read all 107 pages of thread.
Could somebody recall best way posted in this topic to convert PWM signal into DC for high current 3 pin fans?

BTW What's Your opinion about new similar product to Aquaero 6?

Hi guys,

Can I use 1Watt resistors with the LM556 design? Or is it too big there?
R1= 1K 1W and R2= 10K 1W.

Bing, Bob, In Vain (I know I have missed many) - - and all the other minds that have contributed to this thread.

First THANKYOU for your persistant patience in answering all manner of questions
Second THANKYOU for your creativity of design & and the time you have spent creating/modifying designs

Third do IC's exist that will control of our fans all with the architecture of the IC" ie no peripheral circuity required

And finally: Is the PWM circuit(s) settled on in this thread usable for other DC motors - in so far as the control voltage of 5VDC is compatible

Thanks again - I have learned a lot and hav enjoyed building the PWM circuits.

Sandrat

bing said:

As suggested many times, for high end or industrial screamer (> 2000 rpm), the 0-100% is far better than the 2-98% version, cause this design originated from Nidec will change the frequency as we turn the pot. And with frequency change, this might interfere with the fan's rotation and possibly created weird sound.

Also other possibility of noise of clicking and/or growling at the PWM switching mechanism will be more obvious on high power fan, hence there is a "recommended pwm frequency" at their own datasheet, since these are the sweet spot to get best noise profile throughout the fan speed range. Also these fan manufacturer expects this pwm frequency to be "stable" through out the duty cycle range from 0 to 100%.

For lower power fan < 2000 rpm, these noise is much lower since the pwm pulsing power inside the fan hub that moves and maintains the impeller rotation is much lower, hence the drift in the pwm frequency like the one at 2-98% is less noticeable.

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The schematics you've shared for the 0-100% uses 2 555, isn't there a schematic that uses 556 instead as its the dual 555?

inVain, I am still waiting for you to make your rev. 89388-14b so I can finally buy one from you. You've come a long way since this thread started. I am jealous.