Alternating Color Power Button
As long as I’ve got bags of cheap LED’s now lying around, I decided to do something lighting related with the cab power button. The cab needs to be simple to turn on & off, no instructions required is the goal. A blinking green light on an otherwise dead machine screams, “Push me to start.” And while the system is on, a red light typically means stop. I want it to be green when the power is off and red when the power is on. The switched power supply will have an “always on” power strip, and an “on only when PC is on” power strip. The cab power button will be wired to the PC on/off button. The PC energized relay controlling the switched strip has an extra set of contacts. The green led will be connected to the normally closed contacts, and the red led will be connected to the normally open contacts. When the PC is off, the relay will not be energized, providing current to the green LED. When the PC is on the red LED will be lit.
<< edit - after lots of thought and forum input, it will pulse red when off, and be steady green when on. Also, it will have the universal power symbol (circle with verticle line) instead of the text "POWER". >>
I’m in the process of learning how to make my own low-budget PIC controller / circuit to slowly pulsate both LED’s. The PIC code is roughed in and compiles. Now I just need to design a circuit around it and debug it all. Lots of trial/error and fried components to come in my future. I’d probably save a LOT of time (and perhaps money when all is said and done) just purchasing an LED WIZ from Randy at GroovyGameGear.com, but where’s the fun in that?