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Newbie Ques - Power Problem
Scoobie:
This is a bit strange. I thought any button would work by simply connecting the 2 wires from the computer's original power button to the new one (toggle in this case).
Is there something different I need to do to hook this up? Maybe I need to add a third wire to the third connector? If so, where would this wire come from?
If a toggle switch does not work the same as an arcade button or a momentary switch, I'll buy a momentary and see if that works. It would be nice to figure out what I'm doing wrong with the toggle switch though.
Scoobie:
Okay, the computer now turns on while connected to a momentary switch...BUT it turns off automatically within 3 seconds??!!
I bought a few different switches (including one just like wj2k3's model), but they all do the same thing.
Someone please help me! What am I doing wrong?
Thanks!
REBIRTH:
I am coming into this conversation late but here is what I did for this, works with two diffeent Mame PC's - incredibly simple and cheap and is a 1 button on/off for everything.
- 1 standard everyday power strip with everything in my cab plugged into it
- I bought a standard on/off pushbutton switch at Home Depot. That switch has two wiring posts, all I did was cut 1 wire in the the power strip cord in the middle, connect two wires from the on/off pushbutton to either side of the power strip wire (just like inserting a light switch in your house).
That's it
- On the PC, turn on your power management settings in the CMOS. What this does is boot up your PC any time power is turned on. This is different than hitting the power button on the PC, which I do not have to do. As an example, what this esentially does is if you power down your PC and then unplugged it from the wall, when you plug it back into the wall later the PC will automatically boot back up without having to hit the power button. When I hit my on/off power button I installed on the cab it is as if I just plugged it back into the wall in my example and it will boot right up. 99% of all CMOS' can do this.
- similar on the monitor, most monitors have a setting that will turn it on when power is supplied instead of having to hit the actual monitor on/off
- marquee light, etc. all powers on/off with that button as well.
So all I do is walk up to the maching, hit that one on/off pushbutton (I put on top of my cab) and everything comes on. When I finish playing, my front end will power down my PC when I tell it I am done (which I do by hitting my player 2 start and player 1 coin at the same time). I then just hit the on/off pushbutton to turn everything off. Later hitting that button will power everything back on again and I am good to go.
I understand the question of how to do this, I had it myself, but never quite understood the lengths people go to for a solution, the smartstrips people buy (which can be a bit pricey), the relays people build, etc... My solution cost about $10 (actually I had the power strip already so it really only cost about $5 for the on/off switch). My solution should work for almost everyone (would not work if your CMOS doesn't allow the power management setting - but that is rare in any PC less than 5-7 years old).
SirPeale:
This thread
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=19304
references a solution to having your computer turn on when the rest of the power in the cabinet it turned on. That way you can have everything plugged into an outlet strip (unless you have an arcade monitor, that you'll have to wire separately)
Scoobie:
REBIRTH,
I am running WinXP. Where would I go on my computer to setup the CMOS in power management? There are some power options in control panel, is this it and what do I change in there?
Peale,
Unfortunately for me, that thread describes more relays and more wiring than I thought was necessary. Do I actually need a relay? Can't I simply take a momentary or toggle switch and cut the wires to my computer's main power button? Then connect each of the 2 wires to the momentary/toggle switch?
Again, this worked, but how do I get the power to stay on?
If someone has a solution to this probably simple problem the way I am currently trying...Please...Help!
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