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| Pyronious:
Does anyone know if the AC outlet on this Vantec power supply: http://vantecusa.com/van420.html ...is switched? If so, this would be perfect as you could plug your power strip into the power supply's AC outlet and have it switch on and off automatically with the computer. --EDIT-- Just found the answer, and it is true: Additional AC Output for Peripherals: Most of the peripherals are directly acquiring the AC power from power outlet or power extension cord. Therefore, peripherals will remain on if you just turn the PC off. With the additional AC outlet, you can plug your peripherals direct to your PC |
| REBIRTH:
--- Quote from: 1UP on June 17, 2003, 01:02:03 am ---I second what NiN^_^NiN said. It's a lot more professional (and more convenient) to hit one button and have your entire cab, monitor, lights, extra devices etc, power down. I've gotten scraped so many times trying to reach switches inside my cab thru the coin door, so I really like the whole relay switch setup. I also recently hooked up a reset switch on the back of my coin door, so if my PC crashes, I don't have to climb behind the cab every time. It's so easy to hook up, why wouldn't you? It's four solder points and done. I even managed to fit the entire relay inside my power strip, so the only giveaway that it's not a normal strip are the two wires going out the side to the PC power supply. Another good thing about having one button on top that shuts it all down is that I can set my PC to hibernate instead of shutting down, so bootup is faster, and everything in Windows is still how I left it, rather than in the boot state (i.e. the last game I played is still selected rather than having to scroll down the list, etc.) Also nice when I just need to crash, just push the button to hibernate windows and walk away, the computer shuts it all down for me without waiting around! --- End quote --- I must be missing the point. I have everything on one power strip, which I have rigged to one button on the top of the cab (I hacked into the button on the strip). To shut down I log out of windows (which I assume everyone has to do?) and then just hit that one button. Powering up is as simple as hitting the one button again - everyone boots up and goes right to my front end. 1UP and NiN^_^NiN, you have to go and turn all the other devices off manually - why not plug them all into one normal everyday powerstrip and then you just have that one button for all those devices? Am I missing something? I agree that if you had a powerstrip that would sense the PC shutting off on boot down and then turn everything else off would save me the 1 step of hitting that one button on the top of the cab - but - I don't have my PC set up to power off on boot down. In order to have the PC auto load, start Windows and my front end on power up I need to keep the CMOS in power save mode (or is it power-save off?... I forgot!). Doing that, on boot down you get the "OK, you can turn off your computer now" screen, which is when I then just hit that one power button (I am going to replace that "OK, you can turn..." screen with a MAME type screen to make it look more like a real arcade). I dunno, it seems so simple to me to do what I did that I feel I must be missing the boat. Come on, let me on the boat!!!!!! ;) |
| Psyklops:
--- Quote from: REBIRTH on June 17, 2003, 11:31:24 am ---I dunno, it seems so simple to me to do what I did that I feel I must be missing the boat. Come on, let me on the boat!!!!!! ;) --- End quote --- I think what you are missing is that they do not go through the step of logging out of Windows that you do and then power off the computer. Their power button is not connected to the power strip but to the computer's motherboard. When they push the power button, I assume they are using Windows XP or 2000, Windows detects that the computer's power button has been pressed and begins the logoff process. Once the computer powers down the relay switch detects the lack of power coming from the computers power supply and turns off the power strip that everything else is hooked into. So basically instead of manually shutting down the computer and then turning everything off you just push the one button and walk away. Windows is shutdown correctly and everything else gets powered off as well. |
| REBIRTH:
--- Quote from: Psyklops on June 17, 2003, 11:46:35 am --- --- Quote from: REBIRTH on June 17, 2003, 11:31:24 am ---I dunno, it seems so simple to me to do what I did that I feel I must be missing the boat. Come on, let me on the boat!!!!!! ;) --- End quote --- So basically instead of manually shutting down the computer and then turning everything off you just push the one button and walk away. Windows is shutdown correctly and everything else gets powered off as well. --- End quote --- I can see that, but then my way I think I have an advantage on the power up. I just press the one power button and everything turns on, the PC boots up into Windows and my front end starts right up. If your PC is actually powering down when you log out, am I correct in assuming when you power up your power strip, you then have to power up yout PC as well? As far as I know, the only way to get the PC to boot up automatically is to keep it in power save mode like I do (which forces you that extra step on power down? |
| rampy:
I don't think you are seeing the beauty/elegance of how the method works (whether via relay hack or via nice tidy commercial solution ->like the 20 dollar sears outlet thingie) One outlet is always hot... this goes to the PC. You turn on the PC presumably from an extended "on" switch momentary pushbutton you've mounted somwehere... When the PC is turned on, the switching surge supressor "turns on" the other outlets on the strip (i.e. monitor/tv, marquee light, speaker amps, etc)... you cna still have windoze boot right into your front end... You can either have your FE shutdown windows when you exit visa vis, concordantaly ... ergo your pc and the other outlets automagically. You could also push the power button on the PC and with a modern mobo/OS it should force windows to shut down gracefully ---> and ergo shut down the monitor/etc via the surge supressor. *Shrug* rampy |
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