Hello, this is my first post here so please be gentle with me. I'm a C programmer so I know my way around the code, but an utter electronics novice.
I've started a little project to monitor temperature and activate a servo at a given threshold (its for a PC in a cupboard and it opens the door a crack when it warms up). I got that working and was all pleased with myself, but now I'm struggling with something that is probably a bit of a no brainer.
I've searched these forums but cannot find what I need. Now I want to start a fan when the temperature reaches a slightly higher temperature threshold. I don't want to control the fan speed, I just want to give it full beans until the temperature reduces.
I have my Arduino connected to a USB port on the PC in the cupboard, so this is how I'd like to power it forever more, i.e. without using any other external transformer. I have a sensor shield v4 attached, the temp sensor on pin 3 and the servo on pin 9.
I'd really like to use a 12v PC fan. Can I run this at 5v and will it just spin much slower? And can I attach the three pin fan connector to one of the digital pins on the sensor shield?
Apologies if this is a stupid question, but any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much.