Remote laptop startup

**ambush** · 10-21-2004, 10:59 AM

bummer...it seems Windows only supports Wake-on-Ring on internal modems. Simulating an incoming call to an internal modem is more complicated as there's always voltage on the line.

**moahdib** · 10-21-2004, 11:25 AM

I am sure most of you guys are familiar with Jeff Mucha's shutdown controller. If you're not check out my sig under hardware-> shutdown controller.
I have a slightly modified version of it where when it first turns on, sends out a pulse "ground" signal to the laptop switch button. Afterwords it operates the same way.

I will post a schematic up here later tonight. The only bad thing about this is that you have to open up your laptop and wire 1 wire to your switch. I have a docking station so makes it must easier to wire it.

**ambush** · 10-21-2004, 09:20 PM

Went home and looked at my home PC with USR modem. Actually XP does support WOR on external modems but it seems XP is a bit too smart for me. Just adding a non-existent modem as described above won't do it. You will not get access to the power mgmt features. For this to work, You have to install a real modem but that would require the modem to be connected all the time as if it's not, XP will detect it as not connected and You won't have access to the power mgmt features.

Seems that for our intents and purposes, WOR is not a feasable solution.

This leaves other Wakeup functions and the powerbutton solution that moahdib proposed although that would require some modification of the laptop/docking station.

The quest continues...

**eugenen** · 10-21-2004, 10:12 PM

The laptop should support WOR in the bios, I've done it that way as well. To protect the rs232 port use an outgoing pin from it such as one of the slow control and just feed it back to the ring indicator with a relay, that way you are isolated from the car's supply. If you have a modem a simple ring generator is easy to make. Normal ring is a 90v ac 30hz riding on top of the 48vdc. Since phones are connected to miles of wire they make the voltages a bit high at the CO and the furthur the phone is away from the co the more the voltsage drops so the phones are made to handle a wide tolerance so you don't have to be anywhere near the exact specs. You can make a simple pulse ckt from say a 555 timer and feed it to the secondary side of a normal step down transformer and it will make a phone ring. All parts available at ratshack.

**megagoo** · 10-22-2004, 12:00 AM

i was doing a lot of research and came across this

Remotely startup laptop...? (wake on lan)??

read the last post on the first page

if someone could break this down and explain the easiest/best way to wire this, thatd be great. i dont understand a lot of technical speak. but it just looks like if you send 12v into the modem it will wake on ring, if configured correctly software wise

**megagoo** · 10-22-2004, 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by eugenen

You can make a simple pulse ckt from say a 555 timer and feed it to the secondary side of a normal step down transformer and it will make a phone ring. All parts available at ratshack.

is there any way you could explain in a little more detail how to do this. i dont know what a 555 timer is or how to feed it to a step down transformer..

thanks
eddie

**moahdib** · 10-22-2004, 01:30 AM

Ok here is my solution.

I modified mastero's shutdown controller to send a pulse signal to turn on my laptop when Vacc is first connected. Only thing is that you need to wire it to the push button of the laptop or to the docking station if you have one.
After that the shutdown controller works the same way.
Parts:
Mastero shutdown controller ( http://www.roshanindustries.com/mp3pumphouse/sdc.htm ) same one that me and Jeff Mucha came up with.
If you want more info on the controller along with schematics how to build it, check out www.carpc.tk under hardware.

Parts:
12V relay
1N4001 diode
1KuF capacitor
10Kohm resistor

Wire the capacitor and resistor to pin 85 as above and ignore the other wires for now... I'll tell you how to wire it to the Mastero controller.
The diode goes across 85 and 86 as pictured above.
pin 86 goes to connector E of the controller.
pin 87 connects to ground.
pin 30 goes to connector D of the controller.
87a is not used.

To find which wire you use on the laptop switch, follow the same instructions on mastero's page. The switch simply connects a + signal voltage to ground to turn on the laptop. Same way as for an atx mobo.

Here is my original schematic with the changes above...

**Scouse Monkey** · 10-27-2004, 08:34 PM

moahdib, nice one - am just planning ym laptop install and was planning on using the same shutdown controller and hpefully you have saved me some headaches witht he startup. I just have a few questions though:

1. If the startup controller send sa pulse when the Vacc becomes live then what happens if it goes off breifly - eg cranking? Will it send another pulse when the Vacc becomes live again?

2. I am hooking te controller tothe button on a docking port and wondered if it was more sensible for me to use replace the switch with a relay powered by the pulse so i am not feeding power into the electronics.

3. Am i understanding this correctly? When i turn my Vacc on the circuit will turn on a relay to turn on my inverter etc, this will also trigger the controller to send a pulse to mimic the switch being pressed.

4. Can the length of the startup pulse be changed by using a different resistor or variable one?

5. can a delay be introduced into the startup pulse to give an invertor/ps time to power up or can you just lengthen the dealy as in Q4 so ensure the laptop sees the ON pulse.

Sorry about the number of questions just want to have a good understanding of the controller.

Cheers

Andy

**moahdib** · 11-17-2004, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by Scouse Monkey

moahdib, nice one - am just planning ym laptop install and was planning on using the same shutdown controller and hpefully you have saved me some headaches witht he startup. I just have a few questions though:

1. If the startup controller send sa pulse when the Vacc becomes live then what happens if it goes off breifly - eg cranking? Will it send another pulse when the Vacc becomes live again?

Nope. Read the detailed instructions on the controller... basically, the controller stays on for about 10 minutes before it completely shuts down.(or whatever time you set it to) AFTER you remove the key from ignition. During those 10 minutes you can do whatever you want... cranking the engine, turning on and off to the Vacc position, etc as many times as you wish. If the controller is on, no pulse will be sent. It only sends a pulse when the controller first turns on, after a previous shutdown.

2. I am hooking te controller tothe button on a docking port and wondered if it was more sensible for me to use replace the switch with a relay powered by the pulse so i am not feeding power into the electronics.

You are not feeding power to your electronics. You are simply connecting one of the wires to ground. Thats how my dell docking station works.
If you want to be absolutelly sure, put a diode.

3. Am i understanding this correctly? When i turn my Vacc on the circuit will turn on a relay to turn on my inverter etc, this will also trigger the controller to send a pulse to mimic the switch being pressed.

Correct. The contact to the power button only lasts 1 sec or so for me. You can set it to different timing as well.

4. Can the length of the startup pulse be changed by using a different resistor or variable one?

yes. Just change the resistance on the pot.

5. can a delay be introduced into the startup pulse to give an invertor/ps time to power up or can you just lengthen the dealy as in Q4 so ensure the laptop sees the ON pulse.?

Sorry I don't really get this question. If you're using a laptop you shouldn't have to worry about your inverter turning on before or after the laptop turns on as long as you have a battery in the laptop. In case you don't you'd have add another RC circuit to add another delay. As it is now, the inverter and the pulse is sent at the same time.

**Scouse Monkey** · 11-18-2004, 06:07 AM

Moahdib, thanks for your thorough replies. What i meant in the last question was that because i was originally planning on running my laptop with a PCI sound card in the docking station i need the power to the dock to be on before the laptop comes out of hibernation/standby as the thing screws up otherwise (like placing a PCI card in your desktop when it is running and expecting it to work) and i was woried about the time it would take the invertor and AC-DC adapter to stabilise. I am jsut going to use a port replicator now with a DC-Dc converter and the latops own soundcard so i needen't worry now.

thanks for your help.

Andy