Topic: Powering fans from arduino
I wired up a couple of 40mm fans last night and i'm powering them directly from the arduino's 12v output. It's a pretty simple mod but it's very useful. I'll post some pics and the details when I get home tonight.
First I identified where I could get 12v off the board.
Next I removed the 4 socket head cap screws and the plastic standoffs because I needed access to the back of the board.
Then I took a tiny drill .040" and drilled the solder out of the holes. I used a couple of pins I had salvaged from an old circuit and soldered them in place.
Next I taped the wires for my fan to the end of a steel rod and used it to pull my wires. I stopped at the back of the case with my black wire and ran that back to the front following the same line as the wires for the lights. I ran a second black wire from the front along the same line and out the back of the case following the red wire the rest of the way down. Now I had my switch leg ready for a switch.
I attached a fan for the electronics and soldered both sets of wires to a fan connector. I finished it off with some electrical tape and covered it with the white heat shrink.