G+_Nathan Kraemer Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 I am looking to add a simple speed controller with a switch (off, on, 3.4V-12V) Any recommendations? I am Not looking to use the yellow and blue wires, I am looking to design a super cheap fan using the standard 120mm PC cooling fan. So, no RasPi. I understand I will not be using circuitry attached to the motor, sacrificing much finer control and will not be able to run a very low RPM. On Amazon, I ordered "SODIAL® Mini DC Motor PWM Speed Controller 3V 6V 12V 24V 35VDC 90W 5a DC Motor control Switch" P/N: 121584 ASIN: B0757F2DH9 $2.80 I did test the 4 PIN PWM fan and it does increase in speed when attached to a 12V power supply vs. a 5V power supply. I want to pick out what I will be using, so I can incorporate it into my fan frame. I am also thinking about having a battery option in the future. Use cases: office desk and possibly bed side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jason Marsh Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 When you order PC case fans, they often come with low-noise adapters which are just in-line extensions with a resistor built in. I'd go ultra-low tech and just use a potentiometer with an "off" setting. As little current as these fans take, the pot probably wouldn't even warm up enough to notice if you put your hand on it. Don't use all three terminals on the pot, though. That's how you wire it when you're making an adjustable voltage divider. That's not what you'd be doing. Instead, you'd just use two terminals to use it as a simple adjustable resistor. Going from the wiper (center tap) to either end of the resistive wire element will give you adjustability from virtually no resistance to the max value of the pot. If you have an assortment of resistors, you can use them to decide the max resistance and current capacity of potentiometer you want. If you're unfamiliar with potentiometers, wiki has a good article about them... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiometer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_John Sullivan Posted October 31, 2018 Share Posted October 31, 2018 Hello I'm not sure what you're asking. You asked for recommendations, but you seem to already have the parts you need. What voltage is the fan? 12 v right? if so, no need to try hooking it to a 5v power source, just hook a 12 v power source to the input of your speed controller, and the fan to the output of the speed controller and that's all there is to it. What else would you like to know, or what type of recommendations are you looking for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Nathan Kraemer Posted October 31, 2018 Author Share Posted October 31, 2018 John Sullivan I did purchase the part I listed, but shipping is going to take until mid November. So, I was hoping that someone came out with a better suggestion. Or, chime in if I am missing something, etc... Or maybe someone already did this and posted information that I could use. I am getting better all the time with designing and 3D printing, but electronics is still pretty new to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_John Sullivan Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Nathan Kraemer Then I would go with Jason Marsh's suggestion in the mean time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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