A Great Little Board

A Change of Heart

When I first ordered the Intel NUC, my purpose was to see if this form factor had promise for the future.  I also figured that this small board would be useful to test projects and perhaps even wind up as a little media center somewhere.  In truth, I did not expect to seriously consider this board for the iMac G4 project. After working with this board for a while, I have to admit, its pretty fantastic.  For one, the size is remarkable, especially when it is removed from the case. This makes even ECX boards look big.  Secondly, its dead simple, it uses EFI bios, requires only RAM, a half height WiFi mSATA, and a full size mSATA SSD.  The mSATA in particular makes the system even smaller.  There is no need for even a 2.5" drive and nearly all wires are eliminated in this fashion.

 

As opposed to the other boards, this board only contains a Core i3 processor and there is a paucity of USB ports (only 3), mSATAs (one half height, one full height), an HDMI connector, and either a Ethernet + extra HDMI or Thunderbolt. (Depending on which of the 2 models you choose).



A Look Inside

 Despite these negatives there are other advantages this board has.  The availability of 2 RAM slots for a max of 16GB.  Thunderbolt while (at this point) is expensive and has few compatible devices does leave open impressive possibilities including hubs, a second display, and even a pci express graphics card.  The size also leaves most of the base available as it fits between the native PSU right under the fan and allows you to keep the optical drive (though a USB connection would be needed as there are no regular SATA hookups).

The Software/A Mountain Lion Hackintosh

The only method I use is tonymac's retail Mountain Lion Unibeast/Multibeast install method.  While the other boards took a very long time to get right, this could not have been easier.  I did know in advance to change the graphics to 128MB and of course AHCI instead of IDE (for the SATA controller).  Except for these small changes, there is almost no way to go wrong.  I used the Easy Beast Install with the Mac Mini 6,1 definition.  Now the reason for this is that there isn't much to the board, while other motherboards are loaded with other chipsets for gigabit Ethernet, SATA controllers, Touchscreen controllers, other I/O controllers, and business related QM chipset features, this board is really only about the basics.  But, with hackintoshes, less is more.  Having to clear your CMOS after you mistakenly enable some feature is no fun.  Neither is having to reinstall the OS because you decide to try to get native audio to work one last try.  This makes it very time consuming when it comes time to upgrade your OS.

 

One note,  I have read HDMI audio does require a work around, but this obviously does not apply to this mod.  Without any other audio cable out, a USB audio card will be needed.  But, so far airplay seems to work flawlessly, and can make for a wireless alternative.  So, in short, if a modestly powerful Ivy Bridge Hackintosh is your goal for this mod, I would recommend these boards above the others.  Being the easiest to find and the most affordable also doesn't hurt.

 

About This Mac

 Some Technical Issues to Solve:

1) Ports: 3 USBs is simply not enough and for basic function more is needed.  Thunderbolt hubs are absurdly overpriced right now, but either a Thunderbolt to SATA and/or USB or a regular USB Hub will be needed.  One USB is needed for the 5V "backlight power on" signal.

2) Fan:  there is a directional fan, but due to the faraday cage, I would still like to add the case fan in some manner.  This may involve replacing the existing fan and situating it directly underneath the iMac's case fan, splicing the fan wire to power it.  Or, running both, using the PSU to drive the fan (though a manual control knob may then make sense).

3) Power switch: This is hard soldered to the board.  A bypass will need to be wired up and I am fairly sure this can be done in an easy to reverse way.

4) Audio: A USB audio solution is needed.  This is not a difficult thing to find, but I am considering an airplay or Bluetooth based solution.

5) Bluetooth: I have been unable to find a Wifi/Bluetooth combo half height card that will work so far, so I will have to go with a Bluetooth dongle.

6) The Optical Drive: Using this solution means using USB to SATA to connect to a drive, but it will still need to be powered.  May require 12V to 5V downconverter.

7) Power: Worst case Scenario would involve connecting AC to the small power brick that comes with the NUC, but this seems like a waste.  Unfortunately as this board needs 19V, either an upconverter or downconverter will be needed to go from either 12V or 24V.

Concluding Thoughts

Although I'm not certain, I am actually leaning towards this board,  If this was an i5, putting it on par with my previous system (with more RAM and better graphics) this would be a slamdunk.  Each EPIC or ECX board requires different connectors, drivers etc. As Intel is likely to continually upgrade this form factor, getting this right may "future proof" future designs.  I am likely to build this out and see what the final project looks like and how it functions.

 

I will certainly post detailed instructions and may do a video guide if there is enough interest.  Thanks again for reading!

 



SUCCESS - TWO OUT OF THREE (RUNNING OSX 10.8) AINT' BAD

The hardware part of this mod has already been completed, for the most part.  The next step is software and finding a build that will run Mountain Lion without much compromise, is the goal.  Out of the 4 boards I am working with, I have had tremendous success with one, partial success with another, hit a dead end with a 3rd, and the 4th is somewhat of a backburner side project (upgrading my previous sandy bridge mod to core i7 Quad and Mountain Lion).

 

Lets start with Success: THE EPI-QM77

THE BUILD

This is the EPIC board, it is slightly larger than the ECX board, but fits easily within the dome.  As always this is a purchased retail copy of Mountain Lion using the brilliant tonymac's Unibeast/Multibeast install method (Thank you again tonymac).  Changing the SATA from IDE to AHCI was the only change I had to make in the bios, otherwise it installed natively.  Interestingly, I had trouble getting the USB to function from a USB 3.0 port, but when I plugged it into the apple keyboard's USB via the USB 3.0 it worked fine.

An Ivy Bridge "MacBook Pro" in an iMac G4 shell

I am still tweaking the multibeast settings somewhat, but will report them with final recommendations shortly.  As you can see, this build eschews the optical drive for the native PSU.  Although this is cleaner as there is no power brick, I have mixed feelings about loosing the aesthetics of the drive.  Its getting harder to justify what is really a cosmetic feature at this point.  I am still trying to devise a use for this and to somehow incorporate a usb powered motor to open and close the door revealing a hot plug or extra ports.

I will have to see what might be needed from a cooling perspective, but I may need to upgrade to a larger heatsink, but can not be sure until the computer is fully assembled.

This is likely the build I will keep as this board has everything I need, Core i7 Quad Ivy Bridge with HD4000 graphics, Enough USB 3.0 slots and 2 SATA 6.0 ports.  Even a quality 7.1 Realtek Audio Chip is included.

 

The "Looks Promising" Board: THE INTEL DC3217BY

Rear ports

On tonymac's forums I have seen successful hackintosh builds using the sister model which has ethernet and two monitor support.  This is the "higher end" model because of the inclusion of a thunderbolt port.  With the help of mikeboss' tip to set the graphics to 128mb, this board was able to post.  I did not go further as a mSATA is required and I did not have one large enough until now.  I have installed this Crucial 128GB mSATA, as well as a broadcom half height wifi card.  As this board is nearly identical, I suspect I will have similar success.  The question will be the thunderbolt, which I am hopeful will work natively.

With RAM, Wifi, and mSATA installed

I doubt this board will end up in this build permanently, but its an important proof of concept.  I believe that this tiny form factor has potential and Intel is currently pushing it for hobbyists.  Hopefully they will continue to improve and expand this line.  However, this first generation is underpowered with a core i3 vs the other boards.  Also it has few ports.  While the thunderbolt is intriguing and the idea of having all the ports in the back connect to one thunderbolt internally (ethernet, extra display, usb's etc) similar to apple's cinema display, thunderbolt accessories are currently way overpriced.  This board, as its the most compact, is the most versatile and is likely to have many uses in other projects.  That said, nothing is certain, and I will see this through.

 

NOT AT ALL: The Gene HM-76

I had high hopes for this ECX board, but I am currently having issues with the DVI display.  I am unsure if this is a failure of the board or its ability to communicate with my DVI/TMDS mod.  There are a few things I still want to try. 

 

WAITING IN THE WINGS: THE KEEX-6100

As Lion ran so well on it, I doubt Mountain Lion will be a problem, but I will test this as well as the core i7 processor.

OTHER OPTIONS:

A New QM-77 Ivy Bridge Board:

Quanmax will be releasing the Ivy Bridge KEEX-7100 and 7101 which contain embedded Core i5 and Core i7 mobile processors respectively.  ALthough I have a fondness for Quanmax and its KEEX boards have served me well, this board is not yet available and this is somewhat late in the game.  As I frequently change processors and tinker, I try to avoid embedded systems if possible (no other option with Intel NUC, but price is actually reasonable for a processor included system), but it remains a viable alternative.  

The Old Mac Mini:

I have been looking at ebay and the white polycarbonate Core 2 Duo systems are falling in price.  While the new boards are too big, the older style will work, but price to performance has been a limitation.  Although underpowered, there is a huge advantage in a native OS X machine and the final iterations (2.5+ Ghz) are still capable machines.  I will have to see if I can obtain one at a reasonable price.

Thanks for reading, will keep updating as I go.

The "Next Unit of Computing" - A Small Form Factor for Mainstream Users?

Courtesy of PC World

Pictured above is an all in one kit which contains a new Intel sponsored form factor called the NUC or "Next Unit of Computing" which if rumors are to be believed will go on sale this fall.  This little box features an Ivy Bridge Core i3 Processor, including HD 4000 graphics.

At 4" x 4" (102 x 102mm), the motherboard contained within is even slightly smaller than the smaller side of ECX boards (105 x 146mm - yes the 3.5" board is not actually 3.5", but it is the same size as 3.5" drives, which are not 3.5" but have 3.5" platters inside them).  These boards are smaller than the semi-mainstream nano itx boards (120 x 120mm) and even give the ultra-tiny PicoITX (100 x 72mm) a run for its money.

The only information I know comes from these articles:

Engadget's Story on the NUC

PC World's Story on the NUC

The Top of the NUC
(Courtesy of PC World)

But, if this is to believed, this would be a huge boon for hobbyists, modders, and small form factor enthusiasts.  To summarize, Intel undertook a project to determine the smallest possible form factor that would be needed to support a full Ivy Bridge CPU + Expansion and came up with NUC.  I had actually  read about this in an article several months back, but moved on when I read that intel sees this being used in digital signage and kiosks.  I thought that this was just a slightly different form factor for industrial/embedded applications that I've talked about many times on this blog (ECX, EPIC, etc).  I do not know if this was intel's goal from the beginning or if the popularity of other small form factors such as the Raspberry Pi, VIA's pico itx boards or Zotac's Zbox caused a change of heart, but it appears this product is headed for the mainstream.

The Bottom of the NUC
(Courtesy of PC World)

What makes the NUC board so special?

Now functionally, as of right now, there is likely little difference between the end result of using one of the industrial boards I have previously mentioned or VIA's/Zotac's offerings, and this board, but there are some key differences that make this board 'special'?

1) MAINSTREAM

What mainstream means is availability to consumers via retail outlets.  This may not seem like a huge concern, but take from someone who has desperately tried to get the latest small form factor boards from industrial/embedded companies.  The first question they ask me is how many employee's my company has followed by asking if the number of board I'll need is in the 10 - 100 board range or the over 100 range.  Being able to obtain 1 board with retail support is a huge bonus.  While this is overpriced at $400, at least that includes the entire kit including the case.  I would also expect this price tag to fall in future iterations.

2) INTEL INSIDE (and its IVY BRIDGE)

While the Raspberry Pi is great for Arduino Fans and other ARM processors are Android ready, Intel and the x86 architecture remains the most versatile chip available.  Capable of running almost any operating system and it seems to be in intel's best interest to keep its hardware as operating system agnostic as possible.

This board is designed to have the most powerful architecture on it.  Although available in more powerful varieties, most small form factor boards are power-sipping, ATOM or FUSION based.  Not so here.  Yes, it is only i3 to start, but i5/i7 variants are supposedly in the works. 

3) EXPANDABILITY

At first glance the few USB ports and HDMI may seem paltry, but the one word that makes all the difference is THUNDERBOLT.  The next generation interface will allow for devices to be daisy chained as if they were part of the board itself.  Think of this as attaching daughter boards, if you want more usb ports, more display interfaces, more storage, no problem.  But, its even more, the PCI express speeds allow for connection to graphics cards is the need arises.  This allows you to build a board in any orientation and with whatever components you choose around a 4" square core.

4) GOALS OF USE

Despite the fact that it works, ECX/EPIC Boards are not intended for consumer computing and contain features that are somewhat wasted.  From security features to direct LVDS connections to dual gigabit ethernet to the ability to support a SIM card.  These proprietary features are usually left unused and in some cases even have to be disabled to make the boards more compatible.

All in all, I hope this board is a sign of things to come.  This is obviously a niche product, but most OEM computer products are niche at this point, from LED enshrined gaming cases to water cooling components.  The point is I believe that there is a market for people who want to incorporate powerful systems into small products and locations.  The smaller it is, the more extensive the options are.  But, I have to admit, I think the NUC would look fantastic in the base of an iMac G4.

Classic Merit Megatouch meets Classic Apple

The Merit Megatouch Bar/Table Top Game Machine

The Merit Megatouch Maxx (Saphire)

Megatouch Force

Maybe its nostalgia, maybe its a truly great piece of software/hardware, but I have always loved these machines.  I remember vividly playing photohunt at a local dive bar at a time when touchscreen technology seemed quite futuristic.  With less processor power than an iphone and resistive touchscreen technology that connected via serial cable, its amazing that I still see these machines being used frequently in bars and taverns.

Merit Ion Megatouch
(Courtesy of Jester's Amusements)

While I don't really know much about the various product lines that Merit offered, I do know that the most common machines I saw were the CRT Merit Maxx (with its jewel themed updates) and the newer Megatouch Force.

I'm putting together a game room and a Merit Megatouch was something I hoped to incorporate right from the start.  At first I looked at the modern LCD versions (such as the Aurora or Ion Lines).  In my opinion, the prices were astoundingly high for the level of hardware.  When I looked at older machines in various conditions, I again saw very high prices and a ver slow depreciation.  This didn't bother me so much, as it gave me an excuse to DIY it and truly make it my own.  Unfortunately, I found out that Merit does not license its software.  Thus, the reason for the high prices is really the software as well as excellent customer support from Merit.

Choosing parts is also somewhat of a pain as Merit is very protective of its software (as is its right).  Buying individual parts requires making sure your hardware and physical security key matches up with the Merit supplied hard drives.  The best bet is to obtain a working machine with defective screen and/or in physical disrepair, but functional inside (easier said than done).

So here is the motherboard:

Megatouch XL with Maxx Diamond conversion

Its technically and old Megatouch XL that was upgraded to the Megatouch Maxx
I again want to point out (both for my own protection and to state a fact).  This is a native Merit board, HDD, I/O card, and security key (the object with the battery and tag in the lower left corner of the motherboard).  The AT power source is new and replaces a defective one.  This is in NO WAY a hacked board and there is absolutely NO use of cracked or stolen/pirated or otherwise altered software.  Instead this is a genuine Merit Megatouch with some working parts (motherboard, I/O, HDD) and some non-working/damaged parts (powersource, touchscreen, CRT, enclosure) that I am replacing with available alternatives.

Booting is slow, the fan is loud, but it works

There is something very rewarding about repurposing old hardware that is otherwise destined for the trash.  This is especially true with "classic" hardware.  While "classic" is obviously in the eye of the beholder and difficult to define, to me it means, "a device that performs its original function in such a manner that it can not or at least has not been significantly improved upon, even if that function is currently considered obsolete."  With the iMac G4, from a mechanical engineering perspective, it "did its job" perfectly.  It allowed for nearly effortless manipulation of an LCD monitor.  Thus, making it easy to have the LCD conform to all potentially desirable viewing heights, angles, and tilt.  New technology may eliminate the need to change viewing angle to make a screen readable (IPS).  It may/will replace the need for LCDs with superior and more customizable viewing technologies (ex holograms, project glass).  But, if your goal is to have an all in one computer with a 15 - 20" LCD screen viewed on a desk, I don't think it has ever gotten better than the iMac G4.  People who love classic cars would likely say the same thing about their passion.  Similarly, Merit has barely changed the formula and, even in the iPad age, can still sell its touch devices for thousands.  This is because these Megatouch Machines "do what they do" perfectly.  They play simple, entertaining touch games that are both nostalgic and timeless.

The 17" ELO 1715L

A 300 watt AT PSU was easy enough to find for a few dollars.  The touch screen was somewhat of a happy coincidence.  The original touch screen was a 3M and I actually found an old touchscreen controller for this device.  However, I also an old 17" 4:3 LCD touch monitor from ELO.  While I was fairly certain the VGA would scale up easily to 17" from the original 15" CRT, I did not know if the touch screen would work or if I could calibrate it for 17".  I had forgotten that this particular touch monitor had both a usb and serial port option for touch control (I was planning on getting a USB to serial adapter), but did not need it.  It seemed to work, but clearly needed calibration.

First run - Touchscreen not Calibrated

The Menu Control connected to Momentary switch

I need to thank "Dark Paladin" and his work with Merit Megatouches.  In his project, which can be found here:

http://home.comcast.net/~dark.paladin/megatouch/

He reveals the 4 important pins including the two grounds at the top left and second from left, as well as the setup pin (top right) and Touchscreen calibration pin (second from right on top).  Using a momentary switch to temporarily ground these switches will send you to the Setup and Touch Calibration Menus respectively.  His design is definitely worth a read to anyone considering a similar project.

Touch Screen Working ... Photo Hunt Time

Some issues such as I/O, Sound, and Quieting the fan still need working out.

But the first thing to consider is the permanent housing.  The motherboard is way too bid for the iMac G4 and too wide for the iMac G5.  However, the other white plastic desktop of the era I feel would make an ideal home.  I am referring to the 17" Flat CRT based eMac.  Elimination of the CRT will give plenty of room for the PSU, Motherboard, I/O and HDD.  Cooling mechanisms and air flow are already present in the chassis.  In addition, my current 4:3 17" LCD should fit perfectly.  Despite this transition, because the CRT in the eMax is actually flat, it should be indistinguishable from the outside.

The I/O hub can be fitted with the momentary switches and the existing on/off button can be used.  The existing front speakers seem perfect for this mod.

Broken eMac = Future Megatouch?

Although it is bulky, there is a classic look to it and it will allow for a single contained unit.  I have picked up the broken eMac seen above.  The front bezel needs repair or replacement, but it otherwise appears to be in good shape.

All in all, I think this will make a very fun project while I await small form factor Ivy Bridge Boards for my new Pro iMac G4 mod.

Please feel free to ask any questions and as always, thanks for reading.
TO BE CONTINUED ........

Updates on 20" iMac G4 "PRO" Mod

The "PRO" iMac G4 Mod

I apologize about using the "PRO" moniker which along with "MINI" has become overused when referring to apple mods or speculation on future apple products.  I use it here simply to differentiate this mod from the very similar iMac G4 Sandy Bridge Mod.  This mod isn't really a "PRO", its really just different.  When I was putting together my previous mod, there were things I wanted to include but didn't because I was concerned it would alter the original appearance and function of the iMac G4.  I made the decision to keep that mod as faithful as possible to the original.  As such, the microphone, LED light, optical drive, and outward appearance were kept intact.  I had wondered how it would have turned out had I gone the other direction and after sometime, I have decided to find out.

I was hoping that Ivy Bridge ECX boards might be available by the time I started this mod, but to date I have seen only one: GENE-QM77 by AAEON which is currently cost prohibitive.  As such, I am proceeding with the same Quanmax KEEX-6100 I used in my previous mod.  This board has surpassed my expectations and as it was easily compatible with 10.7 Lion, I am hopeful 10.8 Mountain Lion will work smoothly as well.  That said, there was room for some improvements.

Preliminary Tests

RAM

For some reason, 4GB is listed as the maximum RAM on some parts of the KEEX-6100 documentation and 8GB on other parts.  It turns out that 8GB is the maximum and I have upgraded the RAM accordingly.

CPU

The top of the Dual Heatsinks

I had initially planned for a Core i7 Quad Core, but was concerned about temperature and power usage.  The highest wattage Pico PSUs were 150-160watt, but the native PSU supports 190watts.  Unfortunately, with the drive in place the native PSU does not fit.  In addition, the standard socket heatsink and fan were not adequate for the quad core, but a larger heatsink or cooling system could not fit.  As such, I used the dual core - i5 processor.

To use the Core i7 Quad, I simply need more space.  The optical drive will be eliminated.  This will allow for use of the native PSU as well as a more robust cooling solution.  I have described use of the native PSU in a previous post and this carries with it the added benefit of doing away with the power brick of the Pico PSU.  For the cooling, I have decided to fuse a passive Socket G2 heatsink with the larger desktop active heatsink pictured here.  So far, this seems to be a signficant improvement.

The KEEX-6100 with Large Heatsink/Fan

Add-ons

A Touchscreen

There are two accessories that I feel fit well with the iMac G4.  The first of these is a Touchscreen.  Those familiar with my blog may recall my cinema display mod which used a 5-wire resistive touchscreen.  While I loved the touchscreen itself, I did not love the resistive touchscreen.  It had a tremendous glare, took away from the LCDs image, and its responsiveness was less than perfect.  Also, incorporating a touchscreen into Apple's hardware has always been difficult.  Many other manufacturers have "wiggle" room.  These unused centimeters of space allow for a touch controller to fit.  They also allow for the touchscreen itself to fit in front of the display.  Apple tends to pack things in tight, making this much more difficult.

Optical, IR, Resistive, and Capacitive Touchscreens

In selecting the type of touchscreen to use there were two basic options.  The first option was using optical or IR touch which would have required an array and sensors within the bezel.  This would require moving the LCD further back with regard to the bezel.  The second option of resistive or capacitive (also Surface Acoustic Wave) used a glass or plastic panel that sits in front of the display.  As there is no extra room in the iMac G4's LCD housing this would mean either making the LCD itself thinner or having the touch panel sit flush with the bezel.  The decision was somewhat made for me as a result of the 16:10 20.1" dimensions required.  Modding a 19" 16:10 IR caused blind spots in the all too important corners and modding the 16:9 20" optical sensors to 16:10 caused it to barely function at all.  These methods have potential, but will require more experimenting.

I have obtained a 20.1" 16:10 capacitive touch screen from 3M that appears to function markedly better.  The largest negatives are its thickness and weight.  Because of its thickness, it will not fit in front of the LCD glass.  the active touch area falls within the bezel, the size of the touchscreen includes an inactive area that is on the outer portion of the panel.  Thus, it must go inside the bezel, outside the bezel, or the bezel must be modified.

Initially I thought about converting the backlight from CCFLs to brighter LEDs allowing me to shrink the diffuser inside the LCD housing.  The diffuser is a clear plastic piece used to spread the light uniformly.  Unfortunately I was not thrilled with the light distribution in some of my tests.  Again, this is certainly something that is possible and may be revisited in the future.  JeanLuc7 has done amazing work with conversion of CCFL to LEDs in his blog: 53 cent. (It is in German).  However, I decided to look to my older mods for ideas.

The Apple Cinema Display/iMac G4 Touchscreen Mod  used the housing from an apple cinema display.  This was done because at this time I did not know how to use the native inverter and the cinema displays would not fit.  Both the controller and the inverter fit within the Cinema Display's housing.  I then attached the resistive screen to the front of the cinema display and the iMac G4 bezel in front of that.  This was not an elegant solution as the touch panel protruded far in front of the LCD itself.  Even the touch wires were exposed and wrapped around the side.  To internalize everything, I decided to cut the inner part of the ACDs bezel allowing the touch panel to sit flush with the bezel.  This was a dramatic improvement.   See the ACD/iMac G4 Touch Improvements post for details.

Here are pics of a trial of a modded iMac G4 bezel using the same concept:

The Front

The Back

20.1" 16:10 LCD

 The bezel contains a white plastic with a clear plastic over it.  To this plastic tabs attach an "LCD Frame" to which the LCD is held in place by screws that come in from the side.  This causes the LCD to be recessed from the bezel in front of it.  Above you may see that I have cut away the inner (white and clear) plastic part of the frame.  Allowing the touch screen to sit flush with the bezel and thus "fit" within the iMac G4s LCD housing.  The problem is that the nonactive border of the touch panel and the metallic casing of the LCD itself will be exposed.  In the Cinema Display Mod, this was covered by the iMac G4 Bezel.  Here I am thinking of adding some type of thin strips in either the white color of the iMac or a gray/silver color that will go around the inner border sitting on top of the bezel/touch panel interface.  After all, I want this "PRO G4" to look different.  Any ideas would be appreciated.

An iSight Camera

In my current setup I use an iMac G4 and iMac G5 (both of which use an ACD controller to work), with a modern generation external mac mini.  The G4 has an optical drive in its base, while the G5 has an iSight which has been converted to USB.  What I've noticed is that having the camera on the G4 would have made so much more sense.  Being able to move the camera  as easily as you move the screen makes a lot of sense.  As I am modifying the panel already, fitting an iSight should be possible.  Several iSights may work, I have seen the 13" MacBooks camera used, but as I have and am familiar with the iSight from the iMac G5 and it appears to fit.  If you look at the modified bezel back picture, you may notice a small part of the gray LCD "Holder" is missing. This has been removed to accommodate the iSight camera.

I believe I'll be able to fit the small touch controller as well as the iSight Camera.  The problem is that the computer is in the base and I will need to wire this to the computer in the base.  While opening up the neck and adding additional wires is possible, it is not ideal, and we do have extra wires.

The Additional Wires

For USB we will need 4 wires.  As we have 2 items 8 total wires will be needed.

There are 2 wires the supply the LED.  One Red and One Green.  While the LED on the LCD is ok, I have been planning on putting an LED light elsewhere regardless.

The 2 LED wires

Although I plan on having a microphone, I will test out the consequence of placing it either on the top or bottom front of the base.  This will allow me to use these 3 wires intended for the microphone.  The Red, Black, Black wires of the microphone are pictured below.

The 3 Mic Wires

The Orange and Purple Wires are not used in this mod.  Although the Yellow is not hooked up in the picture it connects via resistor to the 5V VEDID, and is required to turn the monitor on.  Thus 2 wires are available.

Unused Inverter Wires

2+3+2 = 7.  As a result an extra wire is needed.  When I tried combining the ground or power wires for these two items, I ran into problems, so they must be kept separate.  Thus, an extra wire is needed.

Isolating the hot pink wire

I wanted to leave the LCD power itself alone if I could, so I decided to use the Yellow wire from the inverter.  My thinking was that the yellow wire (very low power) is required to turn on the inverter.  I stole this power from the DVI VEDID pin(5V via a 6.8Kohm resistor) and split it between this wire, the hot/pink (true VEDID wire) and (also via resistor - 1Kohm) the Hot Plug Detect DVI pin.  So I figured I'd move the split into the LCD case itself.  Isolate the hot pink wire and (leaving it connected) strip it with an X-acto knife and add a connection via resistor to the yellow wire that goes to the inverter.  This leaves me the entire yellow wire that traverses the neck to use for my USB hookups.

The Yellow wire being diverted

When hooking up the two USB devices without the monitor being on it works flawlessly.  However, when I turn the monitor on, I run into all sorts of problems from lousy response time to an occasional power drain warning.  Now, while I suspect the power drain comes from a connection grounding out, its the poor connection that bothers me the most.  I am concerned that the power running parallel with these wires in the neck is creating interference and that they may not be properly shielded to perform the task I am intending.

This leaves me with a couple options

1) Adjust which wires do what and try combining different combinations - here is whee I will start.

2) Use only one of the USB devices.  This would depend on how well they would function.  Obviously I'd lean towards the touchscreen.  But, if the touchscreen does not work well or if its weight alters significantly the motion of the neck, I would still like to incorporate the iSight.

3) Add a USB or mini/micro usb hub in the LCD case.  As it is very tight, I am not sure this would fit, but its worth a shot.

4) Replace the existing mic/led wire with a shielded Dual usb cable.  Maybe difficult to thread, but also a possibility.

An Unusual Problem

During this testing I came across an unusual problem that I believe is innate to the ECX board and native PSU itself.  Initially the screen would be black then light up when the computer was turned on.  When the computer would be turned off - there would still be a slight glow from the backlights.  Interestingly this seemed to be modulated by the yellow inverter wire where adding higher levels of resistance between this wire and the 5V dimmed this light, I could not eliminate it.  Disconnecting the 5V to the PSU or the PSU's 24V to the inverter turned off the light.

Native PSU's Blue and White Leads

At first I could not understand this as the 5V rails come from the DVI pin of the ECX board which was off.  I figured that some voltage keeps flowing through this pin, so I took 5V from elsewhere.  I connected this to the 5V from the SATA/MOLEX connector on the board.  However, I still had the same problem.  Then I tried a USB, again the same.  I realized that some voltage was flowing through all the ECX boards 5V rails as long as it was connected to the PSU, even if the board was off.

I believe this is a quirk between the native PSU and the ECX, as the native PSU is "always on" supplying 12V to the ECX.  The ECX requires only a 4pin 12V connector, it then down converts this to 5V.  So it appears there is always some power on the 5V rails. To solve this, I went to the 12V rails which are supplied by the PSU and not modified by the ECX.  Using the small 15watt 12V to 5V downconverter I have previously discussed and hooking the White/Blue of the PSU to the 12V Yellow/Black of the SATA/Molex via the downconverter, I eliminated this problem.

Wanted to mention this to anyone in case you are using my exact setup.

Connection to 12V Rail via Downconverter

So it appears I have some more work to do on this.......But I am going to put this project to the side for now, as I will explain in my next post.  Thanks for reading.

The 17" iMac G4 Native PSU

Introduction

While I have not hooked the native PSU up to a mod and there is one wire that I do not understand the purpose of, I have checked all the collages of a working PSU.  I now know that is it similar in principal to the 20" PSU.  As this is all based off of my work with the 20", more information is available in that post:

The 20" iMac G4 Native PSU

17" iMac G4 PSU

vs ATX PSU

ATXPSU

The Native PSU is an always on, 12V only power supply.  Always on meaning that unlike standard ATX PSUs, the moment the AC cable is plugged into an outlet, there is DC power in the pins.  To get an ATX PSU to work without a motherboard, a pin in the motherboard connector needs to be grounded (known as "jumping" the PSU).

12V only means that unlike standard PSUs, only 12VDC and Grounds are supplied to the motherboard.   ATX PSUs transform the 120VAC in the wall to 12V DC and also downconvert the 12V to 5V and 3.3V.  These 3 different DC voltages are supplied to the motherboard in multiple rails via a 20 or 24pin connector.  Because the PSU supplies the iMac's motherboard with only 12V rails, the downconversion to 5V and 3.3V happen on the motherboard itself.

ATX PSUs also tend to supply peripherals directly, Molex, SATA power, 8pin PCIe etc emanate directly from the PSU itself.  As noted, ATX PSUs are not "always on", they have to be "jumped" either manually or by the motherboard.  As a result, the peripherals will not be given power until the motherboard is switched on, despite the fact that the power is supplied directly from the PSU to the peripherals.  Because the iMac's PSU only has 12V, the one molex line with 2 molex connectors (for the cd and hdd) emerge from the motherboard.  Although the molex wires share the same 16pin connector, it comes from the motherboard and does not interact with the PSU at all.  As the peripherals are supplied by the motherboard they will be off when the mobo is off despite the "always on" PSU.

The Connector

"Clip Side"

"Non-Clip" Side - All Grounds

The connector is 8x2 for a total of 16pins, one slot is empty for a total of 15 wires.  Of those 15, 4 (Yellow, Red, Black x 2) go from the main connector to the molex connectors.  Because we will not use of the original mobo, these wires connect to nothing and have nothing to do with the PSU at all.  That leaves 11 Power supply wires.  The blue wire seems to have no detectable voltage and grounding it does not seem to have any effect.  In the 20", the blue wire acted as the ground component (with a white wire supplying +5V DC to the PSU - the white wire is not found on the 17" - the pin is left empty) of a switch to turn on 24V DC supply to the LCDs backlight.

In the 17" the 24V Green line is replaced by an extra yellow +12V DC.  While I do believe this (similar to the 24V required by the 20" backlights) does go to the blue wire of the inverter to supply the power to the backlights, the "switch" to turn the backlights on works differently.  Here the extra 12V DC line is on as soon as you plug in the power cable.  This is the same as the other 12V lines.  No voltage needs to be applied to the PSU in order to get all the lines working.

So, I am not exactly sure the purpose of the blue wire.  Since, I don't have a working 17" mobo to even voltage test it.  I do have a theory, I believe it acts as a ground for a similar switch mechanism as seen in the 20", however, this switch (which also uses 5V) happens in the inverter itself, not the PSU.  I'll talk more abut this later.  For our purposes its really of no consequence.  What we are left with is 10 PSU cables, 5 Yellows and 5 Blacks.  This means there are 5 12V DC rails supplied to the motherboard, as soon as the iMac is plugged in.

The Pinout:

17" iMac G4 PSU Pinout

Please note this is an alteration of an image from my 20" pinout - hence the crude "photoshop"

Again I break it down into four zones:

1. Yellow Zone: Pins 1 - 4 and 9 - 12: 4 rails of 12V DC and grounds

2, Blue Zone - Pin 13 - The blue wire is the only pin (will not be used here)

3. Red Zone - Pins 6, 7, 14, and 15 - The molex connector comes out from here.  You will want to save the actual wires and connectors for use in this mod, but these pins are of no consequence.

4. Green Zone - Pin 8 and 16 - This likely is the 12V rail which the motherboard routes to the inverter, but since its automatically on and we aren't using the original mobo , its just another 12V DC rail with ground to us.

Getting a 5V Line:

The 2 plug connector connects to the AC port on the back of the iMac G4 which contains the C5 receptacle (The 3 pronged plug with 3 circles that resembles Mickey Mouse).  This plugs into the AC on the wall and there is +12V DC in our yellow wires.  In total there are 5 rails (Pairs of Yellows and Black Ground wires).  However, this mod calls for a molex adapter to be used as a PSU.  The molex adapter has a Yellow +12V DC rail and a Red +5V DC rail.

My switch theory (Optional Reading):

The 17" Inverter Pinout

For those of you that are familiar with the 20" PSU you may be aware that I mentioned in my post that a 5V line is not necessary to get the LCD working.  This is because the one place on the 20" that required 5V was "the switch".  This switch worked by the motherboard downconverting 12V to 5V then feeding it back to the PSU via the White/Blue wires.  The 5V turned on an upconverter (or possibly a transformer) that produced the 24V line.  +24V now flowed in the Green wire of the PSU, this went through the connector and got directly routed through the motherboard to the Blue/Red (+24V)  and Green/Black (as Ground) wires of the inverter cable.  When 24V reached the inverter the backlights turned on. On the 20", I used the 5V that came from the DVI cable.  As this is just a switch I was not worried about overtaxing the low current available in this line.  

For the 17" PSU, there is no switch involving the PSU.  The Yellow wire at the end (in the Green Wire's Place from the 20") is on as soon as it is plugged in.  However, I believe there is a similar switch mechanism, but it is in the inverter, not the PSU.  The 20" has 6 backlights, the 17" has 2 backlights, so I understand the need for (2) 24V lines and (2) Grounds.  In the 17" inverter cable there is (1) Ground and (1) Power Wire +12V via the Blue Wire.  Initially I thought that 5V was also somehow required to power the inverter, however after some experimentation, I realized the 5V required for the Red inverter cable acts as a switch and not as a true "power source".  Because of this, the Red Inverter cable can be connected to the DVI +5VDC power source.  Obviously this is similar to what I just described as the switch mechanism in the 20" iMac G4.

The 20" Inverter Pinout - Revised

Comparing the 2 inverter pinouts shows similarities.  The Orange (Dimmer) and Purple (Possible role in Sleep?) are left unconnected.  The 6 backlights in the 20" need two power rails, so both Blue and Red wires supply + current with Green and Black as their respective Grounds.  The 17" has 2 backlights and needs only one power rail, the Blue wire as + current with Black as its Ground.

In addition there is a Yellow in the 20" and a Green in the 17" that need very low current via Resistor connected to 5V.  This wire appears to be involved in wake from sleep.

All wires are accounted to except for the RED wire in the 17" inverter cable.  This wire uses 5V produced by the motherboard from downconversion of the PSU's 12V and uses it to "turn on" the inverter, acting as a switch.  This is exactly what the White Wire (which is missing from the 17" PSU) of the PSU does for the 20". Except it acts at a different location.  This also makes me think the remaining Blue Wire may somehow be a ground wire that the motherboard uses for this mechanism.  But, as we ground our 5V DVI Current via the DVI, it is not used.

Need for 5V and Preparing the PSU:

Although the inverter could probably all be handled by the DVI input (could likely get away connecting the Green inverter wire as well.  There is one more thing which requires 5V, the LCD itself.  The Gray cable of the LCD contains 3 wires which power the LCD screen.  In the 20", 12V is needed, but in the 17" 5V or 3.3V is needed.  As this is not just a switch, but actually powering something, I would not use the DVI source as you will likely overtax it.  This may actually damage your source, computer, video card etc.  So 5V must be created from the PSU.

At this point, I would recommend cutting off the motherboard connector to free all the PSU's wires.   Right above where the wires enter the connector cut them free.  This gets rid of the molex connector (you do not need the cut these 4 as they are not attached to the PSU itself).  You should be left with 5 Yellows, 5 Blacks, and 1 Blue (which will not be used) coming out of the PSU.

Option 1 - A computer in the base:

This is for how that are using some type of small form factor board i.e. Nano, Pico, or ECX.  Many of these boards are powered by a P4 connector.  This is a 4 pinned connector (2x2) that uses 2 - 12V and 2 - Grounds.  As there are plenty of 12V rails available from the PSU, simply take your motherboard power connector and attach the 12V DC lines to the Yellow wires from the PSU and the Grounds to the Black PSU wires.  In the picture of my KEEX-6100 below, the P4 connector can be seen in the front right corner of the motherboard.  This connector attaches to a 12V rail from the native PSU.

KEEX 6100 with P4 connector to Native PSU

The reason this will work is that this board (as well as several other small form factor boards) works just like the original iMac G4 motherboard in that it requires only 12V in to work and it itself has downconverters on it.  The KEEX-6100 actually has a mini-Molex/SATA power out port, which can be seen in the back, just left of the fan.  This gives a couple molex out, including 5V.  So you have a 5V line from here.  Just note that I would still recommend taking the 12V backlight power from a Yellow 12V rail from the PSU itself, but the LCD power and ground can connect to the Red 5V and Black-Ground line here.  The Green from the inverter can also go here or the DVI 5V as noted.

Option 2 - Use a second PSU - a PICO PSU connected to the native PSU

A PICO PSU with rocker switch

Almost all PICO PSUs use 12V DC input (some have wide ranges in DC input).  Power it by hooking a 12V line from the native PSU to the DC power in (the white and black wires pictured that hook up to the connector for an external power brick).  As the native PSU gives you 12V DC already, you do not need a power brick.  You must "jump" the PICO PSU in some fashion, depending on what your intended iMac G4 mod is.  The Jump mechanism can be "always on" with a simple wire or "on/off" with a rocker switch (as pictured) to control power out from the PSU.

If you are using a motherboard in the base that requires an ATX Power connector, this is without a doubt the way to go.  You can plug this into the motherboard connector, without having to wire all sorts of adapters and converters, at a negligible loss of space.  Of course if its connected to an ATX mobo, the motherboard will jump it for you.  

If you are using this for an external monitor with peripherals (ex. dvd drive), you can use the requirement to "jump" this psu to your advantage.  You can put a rocker switch here that will allow you to turn off everything its connected to.  Remember the native PSU will be on as soon as you plug it in, by jumping this psu without a switch, it will also be on.  Thus, drives will be spinning, leds will be glowing etc whenever it is plugged in.  With a switch here you can turn the whole unit LCD and peripherals completely off.  Just remember, no matter what wattage PSU you get, these are not additive, they are connected in serial, so you are still limited by the overall wattage of the native PSU.  Also, you have to make sure that the wattage is adequate for anything you have connected "downstream" of PICO PSU including the LCD power (though the backlights can be connected to either the native or PICO PSU).

The PICO PSU is probably the most flexible option as they are available with P4 connectors. molex connectors. SATA power connectors etc.  If you are not using an ATX motherboard, you could even use the power from the pins intended for the motherboard.  However its expensive and not needed if you use Option #1.  And if you aren't using peripherals requiring 5V - you can likely use the cheaper option #3.

Option 3 - Use a 12V to 5V DC-DC Downconverter

15W 12V to 5V DC downconverter

These can usually be found for around $5.  Connect one 12V and Ground in and you get 1 5V and Ground out.  Combine this 5V rail with a different 12V from the native PSU.  With a 12V and 5V rail, we now have our "molex wires" that acts as our power source.

All these are acceptable, as is using a different PSU altogether, it simply depends on your goals and needs.  As always - thanks for reading!!

Options for a "PRO" iMac G4 Mod

When I began this project, my motivation wasn't just to retain the concept of the iMac G4, but to find a way to reuse the LCD screen.  I felt the same way about the iMac G5, and although their Power PC processors had become largely obsolete, the displays were more than adequate.

The 20" LCD was almost identical to the one found in the iMac G5 and in the aluminum 20" Apple Cinema Display (these are all TMDS and swappable).  The expansive 20.1" display had a 1680x1050 resolution as a result of a 16:10 aspect ratio.  The iMac G4 contained one of the first flat screen LCDs on an all-in-one computer at the 20" for the first for that size.  Then a funny thing happened, LCD monitors seemed to stagnate in many respects.  LCDs were remarkably sharp compared to CRT Televisions and as computers used small screens compared to TVs, I suppose many felt the resolution to be adequate.  Innovation continued in the form of LED backlighting and increasing screen sizes, but in some ways, resolution seemed to go backwards.

Courtesy of extreme.pcgames

I loved the 16:10 aspect ratio, you were able to see more of the page without having to scroll.  Having the extra vertical room was better for me in almost everything except for one thing - watching movies, an activity I rarely did on my computer monitor.  The extra horizontal space, look up more room on the desktop and went largely unused for me.  For many sizes there was a decrease in the area as well as a lower resolution.  The less pixels required for the same size made this especially appealing to manufacturers and for the most part 16:9 has become dominant.  For 20" the pixel loss was very significant, the 20.1" 16:10 1680x1050 as compared to the 20" 1600:900.  The result is that I have not seen any modern 16:10 20" LCDs at all, though 22" are common.

Higher contrast ratios, IPS screens, LED backlighting can not be found in a screen that fits within the existing housing of the 20" monitor.  What is more concerning is that tablets and smartphones, in particular the retina display of the iPhone and especially the iPad, have changed the way people view LCDs and pixel density is increasing in desktop displays once again.  Although Apple has generally been ahead of the curve with higher resolutions (began in 2009) on their displays, this is now becoming industry standard.

A good example is the evolution of the "smaller" sized iMac.  The 20" iMac G4 was released in 2003 and it was the largest size available and continued to be so into the iMac G5s and into the intel era right until the end of the white polycarbonite iMacs, where the 24" size appeared making the 20" the middle size.  The aluminum iMacs kept the 20"16:10 size with the larger 24".  With the appearance of the unibody aluminum iMacs apple went to the 16:9 aspect ratio.  However, they did not stick with the 20" size in 16:9 and the 1600x900 resolution.  Nor did they upgrade to the 22" 16:10 size and its resolution 1680x1050 (identical to the 20.1" iMac's resolution - thus actually less dense).  They went to a 21.5" 16:9 LCD that is true high resolution: 1920x1080 (1080p = HD).  There is now even talk of High DPI LCD Screens that go beyond HD.

The iMac G4 has 2 features that make great to use - its ergonomic arm and its LCD.  The ergonomic arm is especially useful with a touchscreen.  In my touchscreen variations, I have loved using this design and incorporating a touch screen remains my highest priority no matter which direction I go in.  However, as the LCD becomes more dated, I'm considering trying a radical redesign for my "Pro" Mod.  As of now these are the possibilities as I see them:

1) The 20" iMac G4 mod with some improvements:
- A better cooling system and processor/RAM upgrade
- Native PSU
- Touchscreen
- Possible iSight Cam

Four Possible Touchscreens

I discussed this in my Touchscreen post and I have obtained a 3M 16:10 20" capacitive screen that seems to work with OS X.  It has a significant thickness to it and can not fit inside the housing as is.
The easiest solution is to place it in front of the display or cut the front bezel (the bezel is about the same thickness as the capacitive touch overlay).  This should work and if done properly may not look bad.  I am worried about the weight and ruining the elegant look with a touchscreen jutting out somewhat.  Also,  placement of the controller and wiring down the neck would have to be worked out.

2) LED backlighting
I am currently working on this method and will discuss it in my next post.  But, the general idea is to upgrade the lcd with led backlighting which will allow me to use a thinner diffuser.  This may allow me to fit the touchscreen inside the LCD housing and will help alleviate the additional weight.

The iMac's Diffuser

Unfortunately 16:10 20" LED monitors do not exist, thus, I will have to alter a larger diffuser and backlight in order to fit in the housing.  I can't just add LEDs because the entire purpose is to use a thinner diffuser allowing for the touchscreen to fit.  In theory this method would allow the 20" iMac to have a touchscreen added without any notable external change.

3) New, Larger LCD with Custom Housing
- Adding a 21.5" screen would be ideal, high resolution screens with LED backlighting and IPS would truly be an upgrade.  Also, 21.5" LCDs with optical touch screens do exist and some of these can be multitouch OSX compatible.  But this wouldn't fit in the current LCD housing.  While it may be possible to enlarge the front housing, the back would have to be done custom.  While 3D printing and prototyping services are available, there are certain drawbacks to using the original design.
- The weight would be very different.  Also, the screen would likely use LVDS, so fitting the controller board so that DVI/HDMI would go through the existing TMDS wires in the neck would be advantageous.  Thus, the existing shape may not be ideal.
-  As the 21.5" screen is notably wider, it may start to look awkward.  Elimination of the surrounding clear plastic and wide bezel would help the proportions.
-  This would be very expensive and difficult to reproduce.

4) Redesign using a different LCD Housing:
- I have secured a different housing to the iMac before and made it into a successful mod.  So it can be done even with non VESA complaint monitors.

Apple Cinema Display Mod Housing Secured

- Obviously keeping the dome is critical.  It is what gives the iMac G4 its identity and allows the LCD to be pulled forward and rotated in a way that a base alone would not allow.
- The LCD housing would have to look modern, have an apple style, be able to fit a 21.5" LCD and have a weight and width similar to the original G4's housing.  While I know nothing about the weight issue, the obvious candidate is the housing from the 21.5" iMac.

- There are many technical details that would make this impossible.  But here is a very quick mock-up:

As I have the 20" touchscreen and have already begun, I am going to pursue the original design and housing with the touchscreen and LED backlight, but I may pursue the 21.5" based iMac in the future.  I would love to get opinions and suggestions, so please comment below.  Thank for reading.