Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: saint on March 08, 2008, 07:47:53 pm
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Here are a couple solutions.
1) Smart Strip
2) Motherboard with capacitor hacked in to make the motherboard power on
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Another way is to simulate a Smart Strip, which I use on both my arcade machine and jukebox,in using a cheap power board with a relay (DPDT 12vdc activated 240VAC 10amp - Australian, unsure for US).
You just
- Open the power board, break the Active and Neutral power rails (just after the first power socket),
- Connect either side of both power rails to the relay switches
- Connect an available (ie not being used) 12vdc PC power connector (black and yellow wire) to the relay coil. Plug the PC power lead to the first power socket (it always has power)
Turning on the PC engages the coil which closes the relays switch contacts which in turn provides power to the rest of the power board sockets.
Cost me all up about $15 and took me half an hour. NOTE that it means working with equipment that uses power (current) that can kill and damage equipment.
(Note: Does this need more detail?)
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Or just spend $25-$30 and avoid the whole electricution factor by purchasing a Smart Strip online.
I actually build my start up system with a lead from the PC Pwr Button pins to a main pushbutton on the underside of my CP.
The power strip is a standard power strip bar (5 socket) with a Switch (regular light switch) spliced into the lead line.
None of the power switch can be seen and are hidden as to make it impossible to hit them accidentally.
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Why power every item off... speakers dont really use power when not playing sound and a monitor usually uses 1watt or less of power in standby so what I did was wired a momentary switch to the computers power button(which is a momentary switch) which then shuts off the computer properly and turns it on but that said my Marquee also plugs into my computer because its 12v
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I hacked a power strip the way soup did.
Here is my writeup:
http://skennys-arcade.blogspot.com/2007/05/switching-power.html
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Spystyle has a great writeup here for a DIY "smartstrip" setup using a relay from RadioShack and a power strip:
http://spystyle.arcadecontrols.com/01/index81.htm
And here is a pdf (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=75582.0;attach=93260) referred to as "The Greenskein” version, based on Menace’s plan" that Greenskein uploaded to BYOAC which is pretty good as well.
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Possible related question:
I'm wanting to make an arcade pushbutton my power switch...the current power switch on my PC not only allows me to start the computer with one push, but it also allows me to shut down windows (properly) by pushing it once...ok...so I'm looking at the PC's power switch mechanism, and there are 3 wires coming out:
green/black wire: goes to the actual switch.
green/red wire: goes to an LED
red/black wire: goes to another LED.
I'm assuming I'd need to extend the green/black wire to the pushbutton/microswitch I'm wanting to use...I'm just not sure as to where I should run each wire on the microswitch.
When I say green/black, I mean that it's a green insulated wire, and a black insulated wire, and they're twisted together...
I wish I had a cam so I could take a pic of what I'm talking about.
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Attach the green/black wires to your extra pushbutton.
Black wire ties to pushbutton Common contact.
Green wire ties to pushbutton NO (Normally open) contact.
You could also extend the two wires going to the "on" led to an led on the pushbutton, if you would like to light the button when the machine is on. (Just a thought.)
One of the leds on your computer is most likely "power on" and is probably green.
The other led is most likely hard drive activity (probably red or amber).
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They're both green, but I'm mainly just concerned w/ the power switch.
i'll give it a shot and see how it works! Thanks!
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That's exactly what I did. I just extened the wires from the power push button on the computer to a extra arcade button I mounted under my CP. When you wire it like this all you are doing is when you push the button you are completing the circuit to start the computer. Everything on my cabinet is powered buy the computer so when I hit the arcade button everything turns on. I also have windows set up to properly shut down when I hit the button again. Works perfect.
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That's exactly what I did. I just extened the wires from the power push button on the computer to a extra arcade button I mounted under my CP. When you wire it like this all you are doing is when you push the button you are completing the circuit to start the computer. Everything on my cabinet is powered buy the computer so when I hit the arcade button everything turns on. I also have windows set up to properly shut down when I hit the button again. Works perfect.
Thats exactly what I did as well, and I agree that it works perfectly for me.
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Can someone tell me (or tell me where I can find) which of these wires are the power switch, led, and...? I've got a blue, black, white, red, brown, and yellow. This is a new Dell Core 2 Duo.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v347/gkl895/DSC02001.jpg)
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Can you pull the cover off the power switch, see which color wires are on that?
If not I suggest you get a manual for the motherboard (try googling the motherboard model number), there should be a pin out identification chart in the manual.
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Like DaOld Man said, dig deeper and see which two wires are connected to the switch. Extend those two wires to a arcade push button in a location you like, Thats it. Oh yeah, make sure you set windows up to properly shutdown windows when you hit the button again.
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I tend to like the setup for the 'Greenskein' style 1-Button Startup unit. Does anyone have a step-by-step on how to wire that unit and what parts should used in US machines with PCs?