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LCD Displays That Fit In A 5.25" Drive Bay?

Posted by timothy on from the entrepreneurs-take-note dept.

An anonymous reader asks: "Several years ago, I saw several manufacturers that sold LCD displays that slid out of the 5-1/4" bay, flipped down, and allowed you to have a minimal monitor that stored in the case. Since it slid out and flipped down, that meant it easily fit into 1U and 2U rack mounted hardware. Now that I'm about to get charged beacoup bucks for having a monitor at the CoLo where I have my servers, I'm looking for something like this again. (SSH doesn't help with hardware and BIOS settings.)" Read on for some details on what he's looking for -- you may be after the same thing (or better yet, have such screens to sell).

"Yes, I have tried Google, but no one seems to be making these anymore. There's scads of links to projects where people mount their own LCD display vertically in 3 unused bays in a normal PC case, but I need something that will hide in a normal bay (just like a CD-ROM drive), and there obviously aren't 3 unused bays vertically arranged in a 2U rackmount case.

Anyone know of a manufacturer? Got an old model that works that you want to sell? I might even throw one in my car since then I could hide the display when I'm not using it, and it'd give me a minimal monitor for that SBC-based portable server I've been meaning to build, and it might be good enough to play some games on in a mini-portable system, etc., not to mention the sheer cool-factor."

16 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. Something different by addaon · · Score: 5, Informative

    This isn't at all what you want, but may work better for your purpose.

    --

    I've had this sig for three days.
    1. Re:Something different by DonFinch · · Score: 4, Funny

      now if they had floppy drives you can remotely kick the disk out of...life would be sweet.

      (my biggest headache when I remotely reboot a server.)

      --
      -- Insert wisdom here:
    2. Re:Something different by TitaniumFox · · Score: 3, Funny

      Heh, this piece of equipment is pretty useful, thanks for the link. They've got a demo of their product in some 150Mhz machine running BSD that you can reboot. It took a while to connect, so I think curious /. readers have found their demo, too. ;) Somewhere in a closet you can hear:

      [reboot] [beep] ...
      [reboot] [beep] ...
      [reboot] [beep] ...

      TiFox

      --
      -- I'd say your post was about 3 monkeys, 18 minutes.
    3. Re:Something different by kasperd · · Score: 3, Funny

      eject from linux

      I have a SparQ drive connected to a parallel port. (Had I known what piece of crap it was, I'd never have bought it.) The documentation says it cannot eject from software. Before I got my first Linux computer, I tested the drive on a friends Linux computer. He had not read the documentation, so he just used the eject command. To my surprise it actually worked.

      --

      Do you care about the security of your wireless mouse?
  2. Another alternative by crow · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've seen a 1U pull-out tray that has a LCD, keyboard, and mouse. I think they're expensive, and you'll have to pay for an extra 1U (if that's how they charge). Still, it may be cheaper than a monitor.

    A quick Google on: keyboard mouse lcd 1u
    revealed several such solutions. It looks like they cost on the order of $3000.

    With prices like that, you're probably better off bringing a monitor in with you when you need to use it.

  3. Serial Over Lan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Try Intel Server Motherboards, you can access the BIOS settings / powerup / powerdown your machine remotely with Serial Over Lan functionality

  4. Lousy Colo by stef0x77 · · Score: 4, Informative

    All the Colo's I've hosted at have had monitors (along with keyboard/mouse) on wheels, which you pull it over to your rack and plug it in.

    I'm suprised your provider doesn't have something similar.

  5. Liquid Crystal Display Display? by Euphonious+Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    Surely everybody reading this realizes that LCD stands for "Liquid Crystal Display". So, an LCD Display would be a Liquid Crystal Display Display.

    There might be one in your ATM machine ( Automatic Teller Machine machine) which you can look at while you poke in your PIN number (Personal Identification Number number), which it will store momentarily in its RAM memory (Random Access Memory memory).

    1. Re:Liquid Crystal Display Display? by sabNetwork · · Score: 4, Funny

      If you're going to get picky, ever notice how Microsoft writes "Built on NT Technology"?

      NT stands for New Technology. Built on New Technology Technology.

    2. Re:Liquid Crystal Display Display? by ressu · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Ofcourse you do realize that NT did originally stand for N10 (pronounced N-Ten) the New Technology was the commercial name for the project

      Aaah, There is nothing like a little nitpicking in the morning...

  6. Dell has LCD/keyboard in 1U for $1400 by DanEsparza · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Dell has a 1U monitor/keyboard solution (that folds out) for $1400: http://www.dell.com/us/en/bsd/products/model_svrac _2_svrac_monitor.htm Dan

  7. Here's what you're looking for by MrResistor · · Score: 4, Informative

    earthlcd.com

    They have kits with small LCDs and driver cards. There's a 6.3" monochrome with an ISA driver for $199 and a 7.8" color with a PCI controller for $299. Their outlines are 8.11" X 5.74", which should fit fine as a 5.25" bay is actually 5.875" wide. If you've got a few more bucks in your budget, or maybe don't have a free ISA or PCI slot, there's also an analog color 6.5" for $695 that's 7.04" X 4.99".

    You're going to have to rig up some sort of mounting bracket for it. I'd recomend looking up a small machine shop in the phone book to do the fab work. Usually small shops have pretty good machinists who will be able to give you some useful suggestions on the design of it, and I highly recomend taking advantage of their expertise if you want the bracket articulated in any way. Stay away from places that specialize in automotive machining, as they are generally considered to be the machining equivalent of an MCSE.

    --
    Under capitalism man exploits man. Under communism it's the other way around.
  8. Re:Get some real hardware support by aderusha · · Score: 4, Informative

    i manage around a hundred remote compaq servers, and every single one of them has a remote insight board installed. it gives you remote key/mouse/video through any java enabled browser. it has it's own network interface and power supply, so it works even when the host system is powered off or completely broken. you wouldn't want to play quake through the thing, but slapping one of these in your boxes means you'll probably never have to physically touch that system again except for hardware replacements.

  9. This is what you were looking for.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.logitec.co.jp/products/monitor/lcmt041a .html

  10. it always amazes me.... by penguin_nipple · · Score: 3, Informative

    within the sheer numbers of Slashdot readers that so many people have so little experience. KVM over IP solutions will allow an administrator to have complete BIOS control over servers located at a NOC. Additionally these systems can be integrate into keypad lockable cases and power management systems for a very slick remote management system.

  11. Try this page by leighklotz · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Try this page instead. It shows that it's 50,300 yen. Put a '1' in the box at the end of the line and press the oval red and yellow button to put it in your cart. Then press the next to last button at the bottom (bright yellow instead of orange) to place your order. Have fun filling out the address fields, though.