DIY Datalocker

How to turn and ordinary external harddrive into a datalocker using only a PIC microcontroller, a keypad and some various other components.

Step 1 Parts

The parts you need:

- 3.5" SATA harddrive enclosure
- 2.5" SATA harddrive

NOTE: This will not work with a 3.5" IDE enclosure and a 2.5" IDE drive without a special adapter, they have different connectors.

- LED with resistor to power it from 5 Volts
- 3x4 Matrix keypad
- 470 Ohm resistors (4x)
- PIC 16F628A microcontroller
- 5 or 6 Volt relay, 1 Amp should be enough
- 1N4148 diode (Without this you will fry your USB port)
- BC337 transistor (or similar)
- 2K2 resistor
- Some prototyping board

Tools:

- Hot glue gun
- Soldering iron and solder
- Double sided tape

Comments

[lurin]

Nice Job
Just wondering any way to use it in a Full Size Tower?

[yonsje]

You could use the relay to switch the power to the drive, but you'd have to cut into a molex cable.

[larry79054]

I think I've missed something. I couldn't find anything regarding PIC code required or the actual datalogging procedure. Are those instructions somewhere else. Thank you. [e-mail]

[yonsje]

You can find the PIC code in step 4 :)

[larry79054]

Dear yonsje, Ooo..ooo..ooo...um...uh...maybe I can chalk up my missing that link to...um...just turning 67..and..uh...and having limited peripheral vision...yeah...that must be it! That's my story and, as they say, I'm sticking to it! Seriously, I think in my haste to get from one page to the next I just plain stupidly missed it. Thank you very much for not only your prompt reply, but your kind tolerance, as well. Sincerely, [e-mail]

[yonsje]

np :)