Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: rackoon on September 22, 2006, 02:35:50 pm
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I know what you are thinking, another "how to turn my computer on and off question" Well not really.
For fun I built a MAME cab computer out of used parts. I don't have a case for it. So every thing is plugged in but I don't have a way to turn it on. My motherboard has 9 small pins that control the reset, on off function, and something else, but I cant find a plug that I can plug into this and cut the wires and hook up to my own switch.
It almost looks like I could slip a two pin plug on the ON/OFF and another on the reset pins.
I searched the local radio shack with no luck. I cant fond it on-line because I don't know what the name is. What the heck am I looking for and were can I get it? :dizzy:
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Go to a computer shop. I'm sure they will have some old cases that they will be tossing, and they should just be able to cut them out of the wiring harness for you.
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You dont even need a connector or harness.
I did exactly what you are trying to accomplish via just finding some of these Female Molex Pins:
(http://shop.vetcosurplus.com/catalog/images/pan-th-p-f.jpg)
You can find them at Radio Shack, or, simply find an old pair of Alligator Clips:
(http://www.camerahacker.com/Lenmar/Disassemble_Adapter_Plate_Alligator_Clips.jpg)
I myself basically took and old connector and took two of the pins out of it, then crimped them to a pair of long wires to a standard horizontal cherry switch button for the power button. When you tap the button, windows will do a systematicly quick shutdown or quick power up quite easily.
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I live in the middle of the woods (ski resort area). No computer shops. Put it this way, my radioshack also sells videos and icecream.
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Have you located the "PWR" pins on the Motherboard yet?
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Hmmm. These pins are real small and close together. But I might be able to rig something temporally, just to see if all my parts work. yet I still need a permanent solution. The molex pins would touch I think. :dunno
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Yea, I know which pins are which. :cheers:
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Good, since you know where they are, understandably since they are so close together gently bend the pins away and outward to give you some room to fasten the wires to them:
(http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h38/postalp/BENDPINS.jpg)
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It turns out that my Friend has a computer graveyard in his garage and he said I can dig through it to find the part I need. If that doesn't work than I will try bending them out but I'm kind of scared to try. :P
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I live in the middle of the woods (ski resort area). No computer shops. Put it this way, my radioshack also sells videos and icecream.
That certainly is remote. It's going to stink building a cab there when you have to order every little last-minute part online.
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Just for testing purposes, you can use a screwdriver to short the two pins momentarily and it will turn the system on and off.
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Yea its remote, and I do buy almost every thing on line but I'm a busy guy and building this cab is a hobby. Actually it is almost done, kind of sad. I build furnature as a hobby to so I have some descent skills and I'm sure that it will blow some minds. I have spared no expense and have added in good taste the best from all cabs.
Here is a small effect I added. I have flickering lights in front of broken mirrors behind my Markee to simulate fire, plus 100 leds, plus custom art work such as pacman kicking a ghosts ass, plus 300watt stereo system, 27" monitor, plus........etc :blah:
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Well hell, how 'bout some pictures. :)
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I think this is exactly what you need.
http://www.highspeedpc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ATXcontrol&Category_Code=TechStationAccessories (http://www.highspeedpc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ATXcontrol&Category_Code=TechStationAccessories)
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Last night I tried turning it on by using a screw driver to jump the pins and it worked only once out of the 100 times I tried. What the heck am I doing wrong? :hissy:
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Last night I tried turning it on by using a screw driver to jump the pins and it worked only once out of the 100 times I tried. What the heck am I doing wrong? :hissy:
This may sound funny,but the way I get it going with a screwdriver is to rock it back and forth along the pins.
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There's two places I get them.
1) Old case speakers. I always rip out the case speakers and replace them with these little guys that plug right into the motherboard....
http://www.bestbyteinc.com/Cases,_Case_Parts,_Badges/Case_Hardware,_Screws,_Parts/Case_Speaker_Replacement/Page_2/CAS-CHW-SP1.html
(http://www.bestbyteinc.com/images/CAS-CHW-SP1.jpg)
2) CD-ROM analog audio cables. I bought a bunch of these a few years back and I still have the audio cables laying around...
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=MBBPLUS
(http://www.geeks.com/imageshare/M/300x300/MBBPLUS-unit.jpg)
You just have to move the wires around or remove ones that your don't need.
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Supply the wire yourself any high gauge wire will do. My motherboard pins were 0.100" on center, which I believe is fairly standard. You can find all the supplies at jameco.com:
You will need the crimper (Cat #159265):
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=159265 (http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=159265)
Some Female crimp pins (Cat #100765): http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=100765 (http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=100765)
(sold in strips of 10, buy extras because you will mangle some of these attempting to get the hang of the crimper)
And the housing itself, you look like you will need the single-row, two contact housing (Cat #100811):
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=100811 (http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=100811)
You can brose the site via those links, but it is easier to see in the print catalog, the pins and various housing configurations are on page 144:
http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/catalogs/c263/P144.pdf (http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/catalogs/c263/P144.pdf)
To insert you use the crimper to crimp the female ends onto your wire, then insert them till they click into the housing. To release, you can use a pin head or other small point to press on the exposed metal on the side of the housing and pull them out at the same time. The crimped end should NOT have to be recrimped to move the wire from one housing to another or from port to port.
It does cost a bit to do it this way, I paid about $20 for the supplies, but $11 was the crimper which I can use again and again, and it is nice to just have the right tools and materials and not have to hack something together.
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Well I think I am on the right track now.Thanks to your guy's help I know what to look for and I found some things that I think will work. I did a froogle search for {motherboard power switch cable} and came up an 24"extension for $2.00.
While I was out I picked up some small copper alligator clip from my radio shack like the ones pictured above. I'll hook those up with some wire and a cherry switch and see if I cant get this thing to turn on each time insted of once every 100 times with a screw driver. :lame:
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Go into the BIOS and change the Resume on Power Loss (or AC Loss) from Off to On and then all you need to do to turn the computer on is unplug it and plug it back in. Works great when you have the PC setup on a Smart Strip.
Another option in the BIOS of many computers is to turn it on when you hit a certain combination of keys on the keyboard, or hit any keys for that matter. Explore your BIOS settings, it may make life alot easier for you.
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You want "DIP Programming Shunts".
Radio Shack part number 276-1512 (package of 10 around $2).
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You want "DIP Programming Shunts".
Radio Shack part number 276-1512 (package of 10 around $2).
As always, Ken's the man.
Note, these are "closed jumpers". If you want to be able to attach a switch (momentary or otherwise) to connect two pins on your mobo, you should be able to do so using two of these shunts.
All you do is put one shunt on each pin, with the shunts turned 90-degrees (perpendicular) to the row of pins This will leave each shunt only 50% 'used'. In the open end of each shunt, jam some solid copper wire (you can use stranded, but solid will be easier to work with) and then connect the other end of the wires to your switch. Voila, now you've got yourself a homemade version of this: