Dual colour LED to show both HDD & Power?

[TimHD]

Some Macs, like the Mac IIsi, only have a power LED indicator on the front case and no LED indicator for HDD activity (unlike say in the SE/30). This is despite most HDDs or SCSI 2 CF or SD modules having LED out plugs that go nowhere inside these cases.

Is it possible to buy or make a 2 Colour LED that does say both green (pwr) and yellow/amber (HDD activity) through the same light emitting diode, but with two sets of wire cables heading out to the respective HDD and Power LED outs on the motherboard/HDD?

Anyone seen one, made one, or has one?

Alternatively I guess one could (very carefully) cut a small slot into the case to get something like the Apple CD SC plus look. See image linked below: http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDQ2WDYwMA==/z/qGMAAOSwstxVJrlD/$_1.JPG

and mount the LED behind the plastic block that sits behind the cover. Anyone tried this and have some tips for cutting into these cases.

 

[joethezombie]

Have you seen this video?

The individual mods his IIsi to have a dual color LED for power and HDD activity.

 

[TimHD]

Thanks. I got so many bad leads from the Google search as 'LED' and 'HDD' and Mac etc are pretty common. Seems 'bi-color' led was the trick word rather than dual LEDs.

Interesting that the connector to the motherboard gives HDD activity.

Will give it a go.

 

[Elfen]

When I had my IIci as a daily driver, I rigged up a 2nd LED for the HD in Yellow and taped it against the plastic the Red LED holder for power. Every time the HD was accessed, the Red Power glow turned Orange. I would not even consider this as a hack.

 

[joethezombie]

I agree, anything with a "light pipe" you could just wire up an LED from the HDDs indicator pins and place it next to the pipe. Certainly a bi-color would look cleaner on the inside. Interesting that the IIsi has an HDD activity pad on the speaker terminal springs.

 

[olePigeon]

When I had my IIci as a daily driver, I rigged up a 2nd LED for the HD in Yellow and taped it against the plastic the Red LED holder for power. Every time the HD was accessed, the Red Power glow turned Orange. I would not even consider this as a hack.

IIci or IIsi?  The IIci has a dedicated LED spot just for the HDD.

 

[Elfen]

IIci. My stupid brother, seeing my IIci apart on my bed while I went out to buy a SCSI Cable, made the HD light tunnel bar "disappear" so I had to rig something up. Later on that year I figured out how to put 2 HDs in that IIci.

Years later I found that piece of plastic behind his bed while he was away in the army.

 

[CelGen]

This was also a thing on the early PS/2 model 95's. The wiring for a HDD activity LED was routed to the front panel but no LED was present so all you had to do was sub in a bi-color LED.

 

[TimHD]

Anyone know what the common sizings of HDD/Power LEDs is based on?  (i.e. is it the diameter or the length of the LED?)

I bought a bi-color LED over the net, but it turned out be smaller than I expected! (It had no sizing and scale is near impossible to guess from a standard picture). After a bit more digging, seems there's 3mm and 5mm, 8.5mm and possibly larger sizes, but it's not clear which is the measure I should be going off to find a replacement 3 pin/bi-colour LED). I can measure the existing one, but before I 'try' again, thought I'd get a response on file so as to help the next person who comes along and has the same problem!

 

[CelGen]

Typical LED diameter is 5mm.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Great idea here, I was AWOL from the web in this time frame. Has anyone done anything further on this project or anything related?

 

[TimHD]

Great idea here, I was AWOL from the web in this time frame. Has anyone done anything further on this project or anything related?

I acquired some 5mm sized bi-color LEDs as suggested by CelGen and wired it up (per the end of video linked above) and my Macintosh IIsi's 'Green' Power LED now flickers amber when HDD activity occurs.

Keen to do this with other Mac's - is it even possible with other Mac II models?

Where would you connect the third LED wire to to see HDD activity? (would I have to run a wire from the HDD itself?

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Nice! I've got a full kit of RainBow LEDs for a long backburnered project. Needs a bit of electronics development before I start the sculptural (fun) part though.

I'm doing a semi recreation from pics of one of the Lisa prototypes right down to the walnut foot on the right side. The front bezel of a Lisa 2 bedecking the front is the only genuine part in the whole thing. CRT is from a 12" RGB pizza box topper, driven by a 6500 mobo underneath. It's positioned in the teak HackStation so I can display DevNote/ServiceSource PDF info or play VHS tapes or DVDs of old movies while I putz around with various projects.

The nice big Rainbow Logo has been a constant source of irresistible temptation. I'm planning a very ambitious, six layered, 1/4" clear plexi Apple sculpture replacement for the original logo. The face portions will be thinned down to actual size and the full thickness back portions of the layers will be fanned out in an arc for clearance. Each will be silver coated light pipes(s) with matted, rounded clear face slices when running dim 24/7/365 at low power. Full power/brightness output will indicate power and a chase circuit will indicate disk access operations. Proper LED colors will of course be embedded in holes drilled into the rear face or on the top surfaces of the six light pipes.

The design can be thinned down enough to match the newer, standard sized Macintosh logos. I could be persuaded do one or more of those for anyone willing to develop the necessary electronic circuit diagram.

So many projects, so little time, space and money. :-/