Where should I put the power button on my cab?

[javeryh]

Two questions, actually:

1.  Where should I put the power button on my cab? I want it to be kind of out of sight.  Here's a pic (although I'm a lot further along at the moment!):


2.  I currently have two wires coming off of my motherboard wired to a tiny pushbutton but it is just floating around loose inside the thing right now (I have yet to mount it to the outside, obviously).  I am using a Smart Strip on the inside so when I power on the computer, everything else should come on too (speakers and monitor).  Can I do any damage to my computer long term by just pushing the power button on and off to power up and power down my cab?  What I mean is that I push the button to fire up the computer but then the only way to turn it off is to press the button again (without doing Start -> Shut Down - > Turn Off Computer).  I am using XP.  For some reason I don't think this is a good idea.  Maybe there is a way to tell the computer to go through these motions when the button is pressed a second time?

THANKS!!!

[gamecreature]

I put mine on the front, just to the right of the coin door (see below). However, if you're concerned about kids accidently turning it off in the middle of a game, you might want to mount it just inside of the coin door. My plan for those rare situations is to just disable the power switch after it's turned on and then restore things after the little tykes leave.

[NightGod]

Most modern motherboards are ACPI compliant, assuming yours is, you can go into the Power icon under the control panel and go to the advanced tab and set the options for what your PC does when you hit the power button while the machine is running.

[javeryh]

I put mine on the front, just to the right of the coin door (see below). However, if you're concerned about kids accidently turning it off in the middle of a game, you might want to mount it just inside of the coin door. My plan for those rare situations is to just disable the power switch after it's turned on and then restore things after the little tykes leave.

I am definitely worried about the kid accidentally hitting the power button.  I'm also worried about her hitting the joystick or a button on the long CP while I'm in the middle of playing on the end and ruining my game but that's another set of isses. 

Inside the coin door is an excellent idea - I'll look into the logistics of that tonight.  It will actually save me from having to drill another hole in the thing.... hmm...  Also, I absolutely love your cab - every time I see it I am floored by the great artwork and color scheme.  I wish I could draw like that...

[javeryh]

Most modern motherboards are ACPI compliant, assuming yours is, you can go into the Power icon under the control panel and go to the advanced tab and set the options for what your PC does when you hit the power button while the machine is running.

Really?  So I could set it to exit the front end and then go to Start -> Shut Down - > Off?  That is flippin sweet.  I will also take a look at that.

[gamecreature]

I am definitely worried about the kid accidentally hitting the power button.  I'm also worried about her hitting the joystick or a button on the long CP while I'm in the middle of playing on the end and ruining my game but that's another set of isses. 

Inside the coin door is an excellent idea - I'll look into the logistics of that tonight.  It will actually save me from having to drill another hole in the thing.... hmm... 

You should be able to just get an L-bracket and screw it into the inside of the cab, just inside the coin door.

Also, I absolutely love your cab - every time I see it I am floored by the great artwork and color scheme.  I wish I could draw like that...

If everyone could draw like I could, then I'd have to go out and find a real job! 

[arcadepcnut]

I put mine on the very top of the cabinet just out of hands reach. Im tall and can hit it easily and I wired a very small button up there. Kids will never reach it and adults cant accidentally hit it.

[TOK]

I'd put it on outside bottom of CP which faces the coin door. Can just be a little button and you can rear mount it so it's flush with bottom of panel.

[severdhed]

i put mine on top of the cabinet near the rear (cause there was already a hole there for one when i got the cabinet), it works really well.  on a coctail cabinet, thats not an option, inside the coin door is good, but i have to say i like the bottom of the control panel idea, out of the way...hard to accidentally hit, but easy to get to.

[AtomSmasher]

Really?  So I could set it to exit the front end and then go to Start -> Shut Down - > Off?  That is flippin sweet.  I will also take a look at that.

You can just set it to shut down the computer, which is the equivalent of Start -> Shut Down - > Off and it automatically closes all programs before shutting down (including the front end).  I have my machine do this and it great because its one button to power everything on and off.

[gamecreature]

That's the way I have mine set up. It boots directly to the FE (MaLa) and when I quit the FE it shuts the whole thing down.

[Kangum]

my coctail button is a standard black arcade button mounted on the underside floor near the player 1 side. there is a 2 inch gap from the side to the floor. so plenty of room just just reach under that side with your hand to push it but not enough to fit your foot under and kick it. this solution seems perfect for me. no way to accidently hit it.

its set up in the bios as a soft off. meaning pushing it once turns it on. pushing it and holding it for 4 seconds will shut it off (properly). it logs out of windows and stuff automagically.

the reason cutting power before your machine has a chance to shut down is bad because much older versions of windows did not allow the arm in your hard drive to return to the rest position. so if you tried to move your machine the arm would bounce up and down on the platter.   

this should not be a problem with newer version of windows. also the soft off option will log out your machine for you automagically if set up properly. So thats the best way to go.


*edit

i also saw you had a towel under to protect the floor. what i did was put 4 of thos leg levelers on my machine. Then i got these soft felt stickers from home depot that you stick to the bottom of the feet. it works a treat. not only is the floor protected and the machine level it scoots around the floor like its on ice. great when you need to pull it out to open it up.

[loadman]

my coctail button is a standard black arcade button mounted on the underside floor near the player 1 side. there is a 2 inch gap from the side to the floor. so plenty of room just just reach under that side with your hand to push it but not enough to fit your foot under and kick it. this solution seems perfect for me. no way to accidently hit it.

DITTO

[miles2912]

Just inside the control panel.  It is basically an extended on-off button from the Power strip. The PC's BIOS has wake on power turned on so it works out great.




D-

[zenmasterbooty]

This is how we did it...

[rdowdy95]

How about this.....
Could you go into the BIOS and go to the option that says Power on Keyboard by pressing any button.  Then if wired to something like IPAC with the keyboard connected on the the through put, couldn't you just press any button on the cabniet says like p1 button1 and the system would boot up.  I know you would have to turn it off with the with Windows Shutdown, but still that would be pretty good.  Would that work using the BIOS power on keyboard option then just hit any button?

[javeryh]

I guess it would work but I don't want the thing getting turned on all the time by random button presses from people... and by people I mean my 2-year-old daughter who presses every button she sees.     Also, I like the simple one button on/off setup...

Anyway, this is how I did it (from my project announcement thread):

These shots are from the underside of the long CP.  The red button is the power on and power off switch.  One press turns everything on and one more press turns everything off (thank god for the smart strip!). 

It was pretty easy to install - I used a 1-1/4" forstner bit to drill a hole about 1/2 way into the bottom panel (from the inside/top) and then using the center mark left by the bit, I just drilled a hole all the way through for the shaft of the button (note the tear out    - I'll touch it up later).  The reason for the "two-step" drilling of the hole is so I could get my fingers around the shaft of the button to turn the nut that secures the button in place.  It also made wiring it up a little easier.

You can't see it at all where it is located and no one will even know it is there unless I tell them.  Also, the button is quite tough to press so I'm not worried about an accidental press by someone's knee during play...

[rdowdy95]

Yeah I would also like to have that on mine as well.  My question is in the wiring of the device.  I have done plenty of computers in the past.  My thing is the connector that plugs into the motherboard for the power switch.  Where do I get that kind of connector.  It is a little black connector that the two pins on the motherboard go into.  A + and a - pin.  usually this is found on the computer case connected to a computer cases power button.  It there a way to splice through that, or do you know where I could get a connector.  I am going to be using a computer case inside my cabniet, and I don't want to ruin the power button wire from the case.  Any suggestions.  I could look for an old computer case and cut one of those off of an old case and extend the wire by stripping and twisting two wires together.  One more question.  To make a wire longer.  I would take two wires strip them and then twist them.  Is there any kind of insulation to put around the twist or would I use some black electrical tape?

[gamecreature]

Yeah I would also like to have that on mine as well.  My question is in the wiring of the device.  I have done plenty of computers in the past.  My thing is the connector that plugs into the motherboard for the power switch.  Where do I get that kind of connector.  It is a little black connector that the two pins on the motherboard go into.  A + and a - pin.  usually this is found on the computer case connected to a computer cases power button.  It there a way to splice through that, or do you know where I could get a connector.  I am going to be using a computer case inside my cabniet, and I don't want to ruin the power button wire from the case.  Any suggestions.  I could look for an old computer case and cut one of those off of an old case and extend the wire by stripping and twisting two wires together.  One more question.  To make a wire longer.  I would take two wires strip them and then twist them.  Is there any kind of insulation to put around the twist or would I use some black electrical tape?

I actually went to the daugterboard that held the power and reset buttons and soldered my wires to the back of the board (where the power button was soldered). I don't think it matters which wire is which, as the system is only checking to see if it is closed. More info here:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=55057.0

[javeryh]

Yeah I would also like to have that on mine as well.  My question is in the wiring of the device.  I have done plenty of computers in the past.  My thing is the connector that plugs into the motherboard for the power switch.  Where do I get that kind of connector.  It is a little black connector that the two pins on the motherboard go into.  A + and a - pin.  usually this is found on the computer case connected to a computer cases power button.  It there a way to splice through that, or do you know where I could get a connector.  I am going to be using a computer case inside my cabniet, and I don't want to ruin the power button wire from the case.  Any suggestions.  I could look for an old computer case and cut one of those off of an old case and extend the wire by stripping and twisting two wires together.  One more question.  To make a wire longer.  I would take two wires strip them and then twist them.  Is there any kind of insulation to put around the twist or would I use some black electrical tape?

Oh, OK I get it now (I think)...  I'm not sure where you would get one of those connector things for the motherboard (I'm not sure you even need it as long as the wires you run to the pin are insulated and have no chance of accidentally touching).  I had a computer I was throwing away so I just "stole" it from there.  I did splice the two wires coming out of the little black connector to two 22 gauge wires I had left over from wiring my CPs - I twisted them together using a drill, sealed it up with black electrical tape and wired the ends to an ordinary pushbutton (a mini from Happs).  I don't think it matters at all which wire goes where.  It was the first thing I've ever spliced/hacked along with the speaker wires which I did the same thing to and it worked! 

[rdowdy95]

Javeryh your idea is the one I will proly going with cause I know exactly what you are talking about.  I need to also check the daughterboard of the ATX Case too that like gamecreature was saying there.  I have not soldered in years.  So I may be going the route of Jave.  I have an older atx case lying around that I can do that for.  Actually I have extra connetors in the new case for 3 HDD led buttons.  I could use one of those connectors, and just do that.  Ten years ago I was thinking about majoring in electronics.  That was the last time I used a soldering iron.  Fun stuff it was.  Now I work at a Library and have a part time computer business.  Thannks guys gamecreature that was a good thread thanks for showing me that.

Now the next I need to do is get a cheap IR remote and rig it up to turn the TV on.  Thanks guys.