Laptop modding help please.

[Spec-Kie]

Alright guys only me again.

i have been going through my stuff amd found 2 laptops that are no longer worth much. Thing is i have been doing a bit of modding to my pc and other various things. When i have researched laptop modding now many people do it. Well non that i can find. Thing is i no there is repainting also clay modding but i want to add some LEDS to my current casing.. only thing is i only know the basics in electronics so is there any one out there who could help me. And also i plan to make a sort off all in one clear perspecs case for the laptop mobo and screen .. is there any1 out there that has ne expirience in this that could sort of help me along? Thank you guys..

 

[Dngrsone]

Exactly what is it you want to do? Modding a lid is fairly simple; I have seen cutouts and acrylic replacements done where the LCD backlighting shines through and such.

I have seen case replacements, where someone will create a casing from wood and brass, for instance, for a slightly less portable machine.

The mods I have done were more along the lines of added functionality-- install a Bluetooth module, or an LED to illuminate the keyboard for typing in the dark, etc.

The thing is, there isn't a whole lot of room there for adding stuff if you want to maintain the integrity of machine and retain portability.

 

[Spec-Kie]

I have my laptop now thats get a little bit old so i plan to just keep it in the case and add some more vents and stuff maybe paint it but my plan was to add an led for the keyboard like a back lit keyboard but i have no idea on how to add it. And for the other one i was going to make a puspecs box and then make a less mobile machine out of hobbie thats all but i dont know how to add power to leds thats all?

 

[Dngrsone]

That is entirely dependent on the design of the machine itself.

You will need a multimeter to read voltages.

Look for the rating on the LED itself and see what voltage you need (likely 3.3vdc should suffice) then find yourself a chassis ground point for your negative side, and look for a voltage source near or at that required voltage. If you can't find that voltage, you may need to use a dropping resistor between your LED and the voltage source.

I would start near the power supply section, if you can identify it.

Alternatively, you could look for any indicators that already exist on the board, and discover whether they are activated by supplying a voltage or a ground. If they are turned on by the computer applying a ground to one lead, then you can tap the voltage side for your new LED and use a small switch to apply chassis ground to the other lead when you want light (or just hardwire it in if you want the light all the time).

 

[Spec-Kie]

So really if i find a point where i can just tap the two wires earth and pos and see if the led comes ??

 

[Dngrsone]

Well, there is a possibility that you could find a voltage that is too much for your LED and burn it out, but generally, yes.

Of course, by randomly selecting a spot, you run the risk of tapping into a data line or something that ay not like havin th extra load of an LED attached to it, but that's part of the learning process.

 

[Spec-Kie]

The laptop i am using is a bust old one for practising on ill try usb

 

[Rukbat]

LEDs - Ohm's law.

The LED has a current rating. You know the voltage you're feeding it.

I = E / R. Figure the resistance you need to limit the current to the LED to the rating when using that voltage (plus or minus 10% or so). If you have a string of them that all take the same current, you can put them in series. Use the current and the total voltage you're using. DON'T try putting them in parallel. The ones with the lower breakover will burn out pretty quickly.

Case:

Disassemble the case, part by part. (A shop manual is handy here, so you can get it put back together.) Make a perspex piece for each piece of the case. You may have to glue in little blocks to give you "body" to tap threads into. Then assemble your new transparent laptop.