USB-switched power bar

[Minwah]

I found this at Maplin, and thought some of you may be interested:

Basically, a 6-way power bar which can be plugged into a USB port (or PCI slot) in order to be powered up/down by the PC.  This would save cab builders the trouble of wiring a relay to the PC power supply etc. and would allow you to have your monitor/speakers/amp/marquee light etc. to be automatically turned off when powering down the PC.

The one drawback is that you must have the PC plugged into a separate supply (so you can turn it on in the first place).  Maybe they should have designed one of the 6 sockets to be permanently live for the PC.  Apart from this oversight, it works great - I'll be using it in my cab for sure.

Anyway, you can get it at http://www.maplin.co.uk, part no L36AF (USB) or L37AF (PCI).

Hope this is of interest

[Lilwolf]

Great little item!

great way to control your tv, speakers and whatever else you have connected to one switch.

[enemyace]

Is it 110v since it sold in the UK?

[Bursar]

I hope not, as we use 240V

110V is the US and other european countries I think

[AlanS17]

If you want to get rid of the problem of having no live sockets, just add in a second power strip (but make it's just a cheapo regular one). The cord for that strip can plug into the wall, and then the USB strip and the computer can both plug into the second power strip. So you get zap protection for the pc and only one cord out the back.

Even better yet, I would consider adding a UPS rather than a regular power strip. They have an APC on sale at CompUSA right now for like $50 after rebate (or something like that). The reason I mention this is because you won't be the only person using your machine. Other stupid people will just flick the switch off when they are done with it, and if you're using Windows you may never get booted back up again. (Or if your'e using an arcade monitor you may lose video settings or any number of other possible problems.) I only mention this because I've had those kind of problems before. I believe a MAME machine to be as hard to break as a regular arcade machine in every aspect (including power).

I've got a couple of other ideas underway for out-of-the-box power switching solutions, but I need to test them out first. I'm still in the process of building mine. I'll post back when I get some results (and I still need a web page).

I reeeeeally hate chopping up good hardware (arcade or PC) if I dont' have to. That goes for keyboard hacks, pc power switch hacks, etc. I'd break open a power strip, though. They're $10 and just a bank of wiring anyways... Rewiring a UPS wouldn't hurt my feelings either.

[Minwah]

OK sorry, it is for 240v.  I'm guessing that someplace in the US must make a similar product??

The power strip is surge protected, but obviously your PC will not be, when plugged into another power source.  What I'm going to do is have a surge protected 4-way bar plugged into the main power lead for the cabinet.  Then into this will be plugged the PC, and the 6-way USB bar.  Speakers/monitor will then be plugged into the 6-way.  This way I will only have one lead and all things surge protected.  You've have to use a frontend that shuts down tho, and hit anyone who just switches off the power  

[Lilwolf]

The nice thing about this is that it turns things on/off based on the USB.

So, having a single shutdown command from you system will turn everything off on your machine.

So now, you just need a single button on the back for reset.

[SirPoonga]

Already have the button for it on my cabinet.


Now, is there a US store to get it from.

[enemyace]

What about this problem I'm having? When I shutdown in WinXP, my PC doesn't automatically turn off. It goes to this mostly black screen and tells me that it's safe to turn it off. No sh1t sherlock, I chose to shutdown didn't I? Anyway, it's pretty annoying, as it shut down the whole thing under Win2K. Anyone know why this is happening?

PS. They also have a strip that doesn't take up a USB port. It is a plug that sits in an empty PCI hole (doesn't actually take up a slot) and just takes power from the power supply. I'm thinking it shuts down the powerstrip when it stops receiving power. So the other one really doesn't use the USB for anything more than its power.

[SirPoonga]

how old is the computer?  older computers didn;t shutoff with windows.  you physically had to shut them off.  

[x-wing]

How old the computer is doesn't mean much... Sure, an atx mobo should automatically turn off, but that really isn't always the case with commercial pc's.  Our office just upgraded all the Management pc's to Dell P4's running XP, and many of them will stall on the Power Off screen, just as you described. We also have a few new P4 Gateways in Accounting, and they do the same thing.

remember... Nothing is Absolut (other than good vodka).

[SirPoonga]

wonder if it is a bois thing

[x-wing]

nope, checked that.  more likely a proprietary mobo thing (can't imagine why, tho).

[u_rebelscum]

Two stories:

1) I was having problems turning off my winME box: It would freeze at a black screen (before "you may turn off comp" sign).  No idea what fixed it, but I removed all devices I wasn't using and reinstalled most of my drivers, and no problems anymore.

2) A Mac oriented boss of mine needed to buy a cheap windows PC for running windows-only software our clients used.  I spec'ed a PC out for him, but he thought the ATX case I spec'ed was the same as a (cheaper) AT case.  Since the case wasn't ATX, I had to turn it off by hand.  So you need an ATX case, motherboard, and OS, plus no bad drivers.  

What case are you using?  (I would say all cases are now ATX, but my boss found one that wasn't.)

[slug54]

try this for the XP shutdown problem.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q313290

I have also seen it do that if power management is disabled in the bios.

xp supports 2 kinds of power management APM & ACPI
by default it uses ACPI and won't shut off an APM motherboard.

                         Hope this helps
                              Slug54

[enemyace]

Sweet! I'm hoping that will do the trick. I'd do it now, but I'm online and don't want to shutdown now. =)

My PC is a homebuilt Athlon 500 with an ATX mobo and an ATX case. I don't think it's bad drivers because it did it immediately after I installed XP.

Thanks for the help guys!

-EA

ps. Anyone find out about a 110V version of that powerstrip?

[gnateye]

somewhat similar but not usb powered is that one that popped up a few weeks back from cyberguys.com

it has one outlet that you plug the computer into and when you powere up the computer all the other outlets turn on, i think there was 6 total outlets, US current, perfect for mame cabs i think it was 25$ or there abouts.

[enemyace]

Here's the url of the US powerstrip... Too bad it's purple =)

(cut and paste)
http://www.cyberguys.com/cgi-bin/sgin0101.exe?UID=2002081211190994&GEN6=00&GEN9=5CG01&HKW=5CG01&T1=112+0125&UREQA=1&UREQB=2&UREQC=3&UREQD=4

[SirPoonga]

but if it is going to be inside a cabinet does it really matter what color it is???

[JustMichael]

Only if it glows in the dark...    

[BombProofPlane]

well go to home depot and buy one of those home automation kits they just switch on and off by sending signals through the electrical wire