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What Kind of switch 2 turn comp on ?

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Rick:


--- Quote from: Eddie_Brock on November 22, 2010, 03:21:34 pm ---I've wired everything up to a smart powerbar, with my PC as the master device.  I purchased a small momentary switch from the Source (think RadioShack yanks) for a couple dollars and wired it into the pc power button wire. It's a simple mod, and as long as you're careful where you mount it, it shouldn't pose any problems.
--- End quote ---

Can you describe this in more detail?

Are you saying your smart powerbar turns on other items (like your marquee lighting, and any subwoofer-powered speakers) when you press the button attached to your PC?  If so, that's the configuration I'd love to hear about.  If there's a way I can press one button to have everything turn on - and off - without having to use multiple items to achieve the same result, I'm all for it.  (The only way I could figure it out would be having everything on a standard power bar, with the BIOS set to 'auto on', but that means shutting down Windows 'hard', which I'm not a fan of.)

BobA:


--- Quote from: Rick on November 22, 2010, 04:01:02 pm ---
--- Quote from: Eddie_Brock on November 22, 2010, 03:21:34 pm ---I've wired everything up to a smart powerbar, with my PC as the master device.  I purchased a small momentary switch from the Source (think RadioShack yanks) for a couple dollars and wired it into the pc power button wire. It's a simple mod, and as long as you're careful where you mount it, it shouldn't pose any problems.
--- End quote ---

Can you describe this in more detail?
--- End quote ---

There is really not much more to describe.  The computer plugs into the control outlet on the smart power bar.  When you turn on the computer all the items on the controlled outlets will turn on as well.   The smart powerbar senses the power draw of the computer so it can turn on the other outlets when the computer turns on.   There is aways power to the control outloet so the computer has power even when powered down.

Computer can be turned on by the regular momentary power switch or an arcade button wired to the same spot on the motherboard.



Donkbaca:

I'll tell you what I did.  First get one of these, or similar:

http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Strip-Protector-Autoswitching-Technology/dp/B0006PUDQK

Its a smart strip/surge protector.  One device is a "master device" that controls the other switched outlets.  What happens is that the circuitry in the strip monitors the draw on the power for the master outlet.  When you turn a device on, it draws more power from the outlet, the strip senses this and turns on the other outlets. So, you plug the computer in to the master, plug the monitor, speakers, marquee light, powered usb hub, etc. into the switched outlets.  You turn on the pc, the strip sends power to the other outlets, bingo, everything is on.

Modern PC's use a momentary switch to turn on.  If you open your case and follow the tow wires from your power button they will attach to some pins on your mother board.  When your PC is off there is a constant 5v available there.  when you press the power button on your PC, you close a circuit and short these pins, which sends a signal to the pc to turn on.  Conversly, if its on and you hold it for 5 seconds, you close the circuit and send a signal to the pc to do a hard shutdown.  To make things nicer, most modern motherboards have a power management feature that allow for a one-button shutdown of windows.  If you go into your control panel, under power management features, you can assign what happens when the power button is pushed.  If your motherboard supports power management, you can set your pc to either sleep, or shutdown windows when the button is pushed.  So, instead of holding the button down for 5 seconds to shut off your pc or going to the start menu and hitting shutdown, all you do is tap the power button and the pc safely shuts down windows.

All you need to do this is a momentary switch and some wire.  By the way, a momentar switch is any switch that makes momentary contact.  The momentary switches you are probably most familiar with are the microswitches in your arcade buttons.  Just wire the common and normally open sides of the switch, and presto, instant, cheap computer power button you can mount anywhere on your cab that will turn on and shutdown your entire rig with one button press.

Rick:


--- Quote from: Donkbaca on November 22, 2010, 07:16:05 pm ---I'll tell you what I did.  First get one of these, or similar:

http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Strip-Protector-Autoswitching-Technology/dp/B0006PUDQK

Its a smart strip/surge protector.  One device is a "master device" that controls the other switched outlets.  What happens is that the circuitry in the strip monitors the draw on the power for the master outlet.  When you turn a device on, it draws more power from the outlet, the strip senses this and turns on the other outlets. So, you plug the computer in to the master, plug the monitor, speakers, marquee light, powered usb hub, etc. into the switched outlets.  You turn on the pc, the strip sends power to the other outlets, bingo, everything is on.

Modern PC's use a momentary switch to turn on.  If you open your case and follow the tow wires from your power button they will attach to some pins on your mother board.  When your PC is off there is a constant 5v available there.  when you press the power button on your PC, you close a circuit and short these pins, which sends a signal to the pc to turn on.  Conversly, if its on and you hold it for 5 seconds, you close the circuit and send a signal to the pc to do a hard shutdown.  To make things nicer, most modern motherboards have a power management feature that allow for a one-button shutdown of windows.  If you go into your control panel, under power management features, you can assign what happens when the power button is pushed.  If your motherboard supports power management, you can set your pc to either sleep, or shutdown windows when the button is pushed.  So, instead of holding the button down for 5 seconds to shut off your pc or going to the start menu and hitting shutdown, all you do is tap the power button and the pc safely shuts down windows.

All you need to do this is a momentary switch and some wire.  By the way, a momentar switch is any switch that makes momentary contact.  The momentary switches you are probably most familiar with are the microswitches in your arcade buttons.  Just wire the common and normally open sides of the switch, and presto, instant, cheap computer power button you can mount anywhere on your cab that will turn on and shutdown your entire rig with one button press.

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The perfect solution!  Thanks!

flashiv:

Thanks for the info!   :notworthy:  I will be trying this out after the holidays. 

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