Wiring a latching vandal switch with my Dell Optiplex

[tylerwerrin]

Hi guys,

I purchased one of these LED switches off ebay:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/16mm-12V-LED-Power-Push-Button-Switch-Black-Aluminum-Metal-Latching-/360779687271?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:3160

with the intention of using it as my one press power button to turn on everything in my cab. I have a smart strip with the computer in the "Master" position, and my other devices (sub, marquee light, monitor) connected to the slave power. I want this one switch to turn on the computer, which will then in theory turn everything else on on the power strip.

From the specs it looks like I need 12v to get the LED to light up when the switch is pressed - how would I wire this to the optiplex? The switch in the optiplex and any other computer for that matter are momentary switches, correct? Could someone help me get this thing wired up?

thanks!

Thanks!

[tylerwerrin]

Anyone have a write up for a single button tap to the computers power supply?

[HaRuMaN]

You don't want a latching switch, you want a momentary switch.  Then you just run the momentary switch to the switch pins on the motherboard.

[EMDB]

You don't want a latching switch, you want a momentary switch.  Then you just run the momentary switch to the switch pins on the motherboard.

A Dell Optiplex has a BIOS setting to boot on power on. You can use a single mains switch to control a regular powerstrip which powers on everything including the pc....

[JDFan]

As mentioned you don't want latching and you don't want to connect it to the Powersupply -- you want to use a momentary switch and wire it up to the Power on\off button of the optiplex. (reason you want it this way is so when you press the button it turns on the computer then when you press it again it will run the windows shut down procedure (if you set it to shut down on power button press in the windows settings)

A Dell Optiplex has a BIOS setting to boot on power on. You can use a single mains switch to control a regular powerstrip which powers on everything including the pc....

Problem with that is there is no corresponding setting for SHUT DOWN so when you power off it could cause corruption of the files.

[wp34]

You don't want a latching switch, you want a momentary switch.  Then you just run the momentary switch to the switch pins on the motherboard.

+1 on this.  I ordered latching on accident for my first build.

[EMDB]

As mentioned you don't want latching and you don't want to connect it to the Powersupply -- you want to use a momentary switch and wire it up to the Power on\off button of the optiplex. (reason you want it this way is so when you press the button it turns on the computer then when you press it again it will run the windows shut down procedure (if you set it to shut down on power button press in the windows settings)

A Dell Optiplex has a BIOS setting to boot on power on. You can use a single mains switch to control a regular powerstrip which powers on everything including the pc....

Problem with that is there is no corresponding setting for SHUT DOWN so when you power off it could cause corruption of the files.

Just let the FrontEnd shut down Windows...

[JDFan]

Just let the FrontEnd shut down Windows...

Does that work though ? -- The BIOS setting restores power on power loss but if windows is shut down properly it turns the system off without noting there was a power loss so would then just sit there with power and not be set to boot back up or if set to restart after shut down would again start to boot right after the FE shut it down thus turning the power off would need to be done during the boot process which could cause system corruption (esp. if sya windows was starting to do an update if network connected)

[jimmer]

A Dell Optiplex has a BIOS setting to boot on power on. You can use a single mains switch to control a regular powerstrip which powers on everything including the pc....

Just let the FrontEnd shut down Windows...

Today I thought about start-up/shut down and came to the same arrangement.

Under my flip-up control panel I will have a mains power switch, and switches for the marquee lighting. Also the amplifier front panel will be accessible (power, volume). This will let me power off the PC and amp, but leave the marquee lit up for mood lighting

Also under there will be the only button to exit the frontend.

[jimmer]

Just let the FrontEnd shut down Windows...

Does that work though ? -- The BIOS setting restores power on power loss but if windows is shut down properly it turns the system off without noting there was a power loss so would then just sit there with power and not be set to boot back up or if set to restart after shut down would again start to boot right after the FE shut it down thus turning the power off would need to be done during the boot process which could cause system corruption (esp. if sya windows was starting to do an update if network connected)

my optiplexes boot on power regardless of clean or dirty shutdown.

[JDFan]

my optiplexes boot on power regardless of clean or dirty shutdown.

In that case I guess that method would work, but you just need to turn off the power before windows starts to reboot after having the front end shut down or the dirty shutdowns may cause HDD problems eventually.

[jimmer]

my optiplexes boot on power regardless of clean or dirty shutdown.

In that case I guess that method would work, but you just need to turn off the power before windows starts to reboot after having the front end shut down or the dirty shutdowns may cause HDD problems eventually.

It doesn't re-start after clean shutdown (not sure about other shutdowns) so no need to carefully time switching off the power.

[JDFan]

It doesn't re-start after clean shutdown (not sure about other shutdowns) so no need to carefully time switching off the power.

  Then how does it restart after a clean shut down ?? (ie. THen how do you get it to boot on power on if it was shut down cleanly since it is already getting power but is off ? ) 

[jimmer]

It doesn't re-start after clean shutdown (not sure about other shutdowns) so no need to carefully time switching off the power.

  Then how does it restart after a clean shut down ?? (ie. THen how do you get it to boot on power on if it was shut down cleanly since it is already getting power but is off ? )

You turn the power off and on again.  Not sure if there is a delay needed as I always have a sleep in between. (edit: just checked 15s delay was enough).

[tylerwerrin]

Dammit -- i wonder if i could modify the latch mechanism so that it could function as a momentary, although I don't think the switch is serviceable at all. Maybe there are some momentary ones which are similar.

do i just snip the wires which lead to the switch on my optiplex and solder those to the switch end and leave the cables connected to the motherboard as is?

[EMDB]

Just let the FrontEnd shut down Windows...

Does that work though ? -- The BIOS setting restores power on power loss but if windows is shut down properly it turns the system off without noting there was a power loss so would then just sit there with power and not be set to boot back up or if set to restart after shut down would again start to boot right after the FE shut it down thus turning the power off would need to be done during the boot process which could cause system corruption (esp. if sya windows was starting to do an update if network connected)

Yes it works perfect in my cab that way. The only thing that BIOS setting does is boot when power is detected from non-power state.