mCubed
Hardware-Test Review
Mad Shrimps Review
I happily settled with the Orange Yate Loon 120mm Fans for their vastly superior ability to move air at 500 to 1500 rpm with no noise other then the movement of air at the higher RPM range. I have used, and will be using again soon, the Panaflo 120 1M fans for an external radiator setup.
The T-Balancer output signal uses a square wave or PWM signal instead of the typical Analog type signal that a PSU or POT style fan controller would use. Personally I’ve found that most every fan (even Orange Yate Loons) produce more noise when used with a PWM signal. So, mCubed created an Attenuator that converts the PWM signal into an analog signal therefore allowing the T-Balancer to control fans quietly with an analog signal. This little gem has not had much attention from forums or review sites, so I am here today to share the information I’ve learned along with multiple configuration possibilities. Thanks to Maik over at mCubed for answering all my e-mail questions.
A few facts to get us started…
Amps x Volts = Watts
Series & Parallel Connections
T-Balancer
- 4 separate individually configurable channels
- 15 Watts or 1.25 Amps @ 12 Volts per channel PWM signal
- The PWM signal is perfect for dimming/controlling CC or Cold Cathode lighting.
- Each channel is capable of running multiple parallel fans as long as the total wattage does not exceed 15. When parallel, only one fan can use its signal lead.
Attenuator
- PWM signal in, Analog Signal out
- Capable of handling 6 Watts or .5 Amps @ 12 Volts - I’ve had success using 7.2 Watts but you may not be as lucky and could fry your Attenuator.
- Has three 3-pin standard fan connections used for input and output.
- Output is capable of running multiple parallel fans as long as the total wattage does not exceed 6. When parallel, only one fan can use its signal lead.
Possible Attenuator Configurations…
- Standard: 1 PWM In, 1 Analog Out: maximum output ~10V
- Y-Splitter: 1 PWM In, 2 Analog Out: maximum output >10V
- Override: 2 PWM In, 1 Analog Out: maximum output 12V, requires 2 T-Balancer Channels.
NOTE: in all modes, only 1 fan (on Attenuator Ch2) can have its signal wire connected. In Override Mode, the signal wire from T-Ban Ch2 should be disconnected.
When using override mode with two T-Ban channels, your T-Ban Channels “Curve” should go something like this…
T-Ban Ch1 & Ch2 need to be mapped to the same sensors!
T-Ban Ch1 that connects to Attenuator Ch1 has a typical curve. T-Ban Ch2 that connects to Attenuator Ch3 is either 0% or 100%. It should switch to 100% at the next temperature interval above what you set T-Ban Ch1 at 100%.
My Config…
I like my computer quiet when I’m not gaming. While gaming I want my 2 Orange Yate Loons in my case & the 2 PanafIo’s on my external radiators to operate at 12V. I use one T-Balancer channel for my CC Lights leaving me three T-Ban channels for fans. I wanted all my fans to receive an analog signal. And, I had only had 3 Attenuators. So I had to get creative…
I chose to have all 4 T-Ban channels mapped to the same digital sensors, then for the items that do not get as hot; I increased their calibration to compensate. Otherwise my hard-drive sensors would never trip my fans if needed. All my fan signal wires are disconnected; you may want to try using yours (1 signal wire per Attenuator, 1 signal wire per T-Ban Channel). A signal wire probably won’t work on the T-Ban channel being used to override.
BE CAREFUL! Before attempting this make sure you know how to wire a parallel circuit, and how to calculate the total wattage. DO NOT exceed mCubed maximum wattage for the T-BAN or the Attenuator. My configuration does exceed the rated wattage of one Attenuator from 6W to 7.2W
.3A Fan + .3A Fan = .6A
.6A x 12V = 7.2W (Attenuator max is 6W)
I took a chance and it worked for me, but you may not be so lucky.
My Next Problem with the T-Ban…
My Asus P5AD2 can’t use MBM so it can’t monitor my CPU, MB, or GPU temps. It can only use its own digital sensors. mCubed reports that they are working on being able to monitor temps from Speed Fan software… Still Waiting…
All constructive comments or corrections are welcome.
