Main Restorations Software Audio/Jukebox/MP3 Everything Else Buy/Sell/Trade
Project Announcements Monitor/Video GroovyMAME Merit/JVL Touchscreen Meet Up Retail Vendors
Driving & Racing Woodworking Software Support Forums Consoles Project Arcade Reviews
Automated Projects Artwork Frontend Support Forums Pinball Forum Discussion Old Boards
Raspberry Pi & Dev Board controls.dat Linux Miscellaneous Arcade Wiki Discussion Old Archives
Lightguns Arcade1Up Try the site in https mode Site News

Unread posts | New Replies | Recent posts | Rules | Chatroom | Wiki | File Repository | RSS | Submit news

  

Author Topic: 1-switch power for my whole setup?  (Read 3044 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

gedman

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 38
  • Last login:November 26, 2021, 01:25:30 pm
  • My first cab is almost done. Loving the challenge.
1-switch power for my whole setup?
« on: May 20, 2017, 10:54:38 pm »
I'm considering two ideas for power management of my cabinet. I need some advice from the Pros here.

Once finished, my setup (a converted Mortal Kombat cabinet) will have three power cords:
- The cabinet power, which powers everything the original game had except the PCB board (power will feed the CRT monitor, the marquee light and the coin door lights)
- The Windows PC running MAME/HyperSpin/Hyperlauncher
- The audio speakers (high-end computer PC speakers connected directly to the Windows PC)

Option 1: The hacked/extended PC power button w/ smart power strip
The idea here is to hack/extend the PC power button to a button on the outside of the cabinet. That will turn the PC power on directly, and a smart power strip will then provide power to the other outlets on the power strip which will turn on the cabinet (CRT/marquee/coins) and the PC speakers.

Option 2: A dumb power strip with a PC bios trick
The idea here is to attach all three cords (PC, cabinet and speakers) to a normal ("dumb") power strip. When I turn on the power strip, the PC will auto-boot (using the BIOS setting "Restore on AC/Power Loss") and the cabinet and PC speakers simultaneously.

Question: Which option is better?

In either case, I'll have windows auto-login and then auto-launch MAME/HyperSpin.

I'm a bit concerned about how to turn off the cabinet properly. Option 1 seems pretty easy for shutdown: Configure Windows to logout/shutdown when the power button is pressed. Once the PC powers off, the smart strip will automatically cut power to the cabinet and speakers.  Option 2 would be a bit less convenient (I think) as I would have to configure MAME to initiate Windows logout/shutdown when MAME exits (I've read that MAME can be setup to do that - is that true??), and then wait for the PC to complete shut down before I would turn off the power to the dumb power strip.

Suggestions?

Gedman

behrmr

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 459
  • Last login:April 23, 2021, 09:17:13 am
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2017, 11:00:54 pm »
Option 1

lilshawn

  • Trade Count: (+3)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7377
  • Last login:Yesterday at 07:40:39 pm
  • I break stuff...then fix it...sometimes
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2017, 11:21:26 pm »
windows REALLY doesn't like being just cut off. there is all kinds of disk housekeeping that has to be done before poweroff.

the first option has a better chance at a proper shutdown when you are finished because you can program the power button (through windows settings) to shutdown when it's pressed.

ark_ader

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5645
  • Last login:March 02, 2019, 07:35:34 pm
  • I glow in the dark.
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2017, 02:32:26 am »
Option 1

Seconded.  You could hack the registry to turn off all but one write to the hard disc, but it would be a pain.
If I had only one wish, it would be for three more wishes.

thomas_surles

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2115
  • Last login:June 19, 2023, 07:20:00 pm
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2017, 08:33:39 am »
I use option 2

ZoOl007

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 161
  • Last login:August 02, 2020, 12:03:38 pm
    • RGBcommander
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2017, 08:53:39 am »
I use option 1

n3wt0n

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 540
  • Last login:January 27, 2024, 05:03:38 pm
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2017, 11:30:36 am »
Option 1.

DrLarryE

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20
  • Last login:January 23, 2018, 10:03:26 pm
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2017, 11:47:26 am »
I use a relay connected to the 12V power in the computer (with a hacked button mounted on the side of my arcade)  to turn on/off a regular power strip that everything else is plugged in to.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2017, 12:23:43 pm by DrLarryE »

southpaw13

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 831
  • Last login:October 31, 2020, 05:11:18 pm
  • Whatever!
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2017, 10:16:26 pm »
Tell more about the relay.  Diagram?

nipsmg

  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1738
  • Last login:Yesterday at 04:23:31 pm
  • ROONEY!! ERRGH!!
    • Arcadia
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2017, 11:36:54 am »
Unless I'm mistaken, the relay idea is essentially a DIY smart power strip.  It's probably safer (and not much more expensive) to go with a smart strip.

Cynicaster

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 407
  • Last login:June 22, 2021, 12:12:55 pm
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2017, 11:50:43 am »
Option 1 all the way.  It's very easy to implement and it makes powering the cabinet on/off elegant and convenient.  For me, it almost makes the cabinet feel like an engineered system as opposed to a bunch of repurposed stuff slapped together. 


mourix

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 299
  • Last login:Yesterday at 12:23:43 pm
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #11 on: May 24, 2017, 04:38:10 pm »
I've got an even more polished option for you:
  • Wire up the original cab power switch to a smart power strip.
  • Change the bios setting on your PC to "AC Power Loss Restart".
  • Put the PC power switch on the inside for service.

This way your entire system will boot when you flip the original power switch, and shutdown when you exit Hyperspin or whatever frontend you use. To turn it back on, you only need to toggle the power switch.

southpaw13

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 831
  • Last login:October 31, 2020, 05:11:18 pm
  • Whatever!
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #12 on: May 24, 2017, 05:11:14 pm »
I know that some arcade games use computers.  How are they set up to power on?  My Silver Strike is a PC.  Just one switch to power on.

mourix

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 299
  • Last login:Yesterday at 12:23:43 pm
Re: 1-switch power for my whole setup?
« Reply #13 on: May 24, 2017, 05:45:59 pm »
I know that some arcade games use computers.  How are they set up to power on?  My Silver Strike is a PC.  Just one switch to power on.

The big difference is that software in arcade machines is designed to not corrupt at sudden power loss, so they can skip the whole smart powering deal.