Using the OPUS to shutdown other stuff

**d_sellers1** · 06-13-2004, 05:23 AM

Is it possible to use the OPUS to shutdown/turn on other electronics such as an AC-DC invertor? My thought is this:

The wires going to the motherboard power switch is, in essence, an ON-OFF switch. Can I tap those two wires and wire it in to an inverter (replacing its power switch)?

Would the shutdown delay work for this kinda of setup? What I mean by this is if the power supply is set to have the computer hibernate after 20 minutes, will this "switch" be turned off? This way the equipment will still be on when the car gets turned off and will be turned off after the 20 minute day?

Would a relay be needed? If so, what exactly do I need? I know absolutely nothing about relays. I've got RadioShack nearby and that's about it...

Possible uses for this application:
- Turning ON/OFF AC-DC power inverters
- Turning ON/OFF a secondary DC-DC power supply if the OPUS is overloaded (this one can run the power to hubs and such)
- Turning ON/OFF amplifiers
- Turning ON/OFF fans, lights, and neons.

Any other suggestions or ideas?

Derek

**Laidback** · 06-13-2004, 05:51 AM

Originally Posted by d_sellers1

Is it possible to use the OPUS to shutdown/turn on other electronics such as an AC-DC invertor? My thought is this:

The wires going to the motherboard power switch is, in essence, an ON-OFF switch. Can I tap those two wires and wire it in to an inverter (replacing its power switch)?

The Opus is for ATX style boards, on these the motherboard power switch isn't an on-off switch. It just needs the two connectors shorting together for a second to turn the computer on, short them together again and the computer shuts down.

You could take 12v from a drive connector and use that to control a relay/relays.

What are you going to use an inverter for?

**d_sellers1** · 06-13-2004, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by LaidBack

You could take 12v from a drive connector and use that to control a relay/relays.

What are you going to use an inverter for?

Okay. Makes sense about using the 12v drive connector. That'll serve my purpose too.

The inverter will be for anything I need that requires AC power (that I can't make run off direct DC current) and also give me AC power in my car. That'll be great for power tools!

Derek

**rando** · 06-13-2004, 08:20 PM

OK, but why would you want your power tools to be triggered from your Opus? It seems like it would be simpler to trigger your inverter from ACC rather than the Opus.

**d_sellers1** · 06-14-2004, 02:10 AM

Originally Posted by rando

OK, but why would you want your power tools to be triggered from your Opus? It seems like it would be simpler to trigger your inverter from ACC rather than the Opus.

Okay. Think I lost some people here. First, the inverter is just to allow me to have 110VAC in the car. This was I can run either 12VDC or 110VAC stuff.

This setup would simply allow me to go to having everything on when I turn on the car. Wiring the DC-AC invertor to the ACC or ignition will accomplish the same effect that is just another set of wires to hide. Since there will be wires coming from the computer, all the wires can be make to look neat in one easy step.

Derek

**Laidback** · 06-14-2004, 03:07 AM

Originally Posted by d_sellers1

Okay. Think I lost some people here. First, the inverter is just to allow me to have 110VAC in the car. This was I can run either 12VDC or 110VAC stuff.

This setup would simply allow me to go to having everything on when I turn on the car. Wiring the DC-AC invertor to the ACC or ignition will accomplish the same effect that is just another set of wires to hide. Since there will be wires coming from the computer, all the wires can be make to look neat in one easy step.

Derek

Having the Opus switching the inverter on/off is one thing.....and powering the inverter from the Opus is another. Don't forget you only have a limited supply of power on the Opus 12v rail, minus whatever the computer is already using. I doubt whether you could power it from the Opus so you'd still have to run wires....

**Man** · 06-14-2004, 03:29 AM

Originally Posted by d_sellers1

Okay. Think I lost some people here. First, the inverter is just to allow me to have 110VAC in the car. This was I can run either 12VDC or 110VAC stuff.

This setup would simply allow me to go to having everything on when I turn on the car. Wiring the DC-AC invertor to the ACC or ignition will accomplish the same effect that is just another set of wires to hide. Since there will be wires coming from the computer, all the wires can be make to look neat in one easy step.

Derek

Just use your cars wiring harness, there is a wire that will be ~+12v when the key is in the on position and 0v when the car is no in the on position. You can then use this to turn your relays on/off, its a lot simplier method han having them on only when your computer is on, you still have to wire this wire to your opus to turn on when the cars on, so why not your other devices?

**no1knows** · 06-14-2004, 04:38 AM

u need to take +12v and GND from the opus supply which is yellow and black from any HD/floppy connector. connect this to a 12V relay coil.This can switch the + side of the inverter line. Wouldnt sugges tpowering high power tools off this, but thatll do the job up to 30A or higher if u get a chunkier relay. 30 x 12 = 360W total power, maybe 300W taking inefficiencies into account.

HTH

**d_sellers1** · 06-14-2004, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by Man

Just use your cars wiring harness, there is a wire that will be ~+12v when the key is in the on position and 0v when the car is no in the on position.

The intent is not to have wires going from every which direction. It makes it harder to troubleshoot problems. I will already have a USB and video cables running form the computer in the trunk up to the front seat. Two small wires run in this bundle can easily be made to look neat with some split loom. +12VDC will have a drop located near the center console that I will connect rocker switches to turn on/off. This is also where the inverter will get its power. The computer will receive power from a battery in the trunk running through an isolator. I just don't want to have to turn the inverter on and off all the time. I may have something running in the car that needs AC power.

Originally Posted by Laidback

and powering the inverter from the Opus is another.

I highly doubt the Opus will power the inverter. I may turn it on but I have a feeling that it will easily overpower the Opus real quick.

Derek

**rando** · 06-14-2004, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by d_sellers1

Okay. Think I lost some people here. First, the inverter is just to allow me to have 110VAC in the car. This was I can run either 12VDC or 110VAC stuff.

Right, i understood you the first time. You want to use the Opus to trigger not power your inverter. To do so, you'd use the opus to trigger a relay and the relay would switch a +12v battery connection going into the inverter. Thus the inverter would come on whenever the computer was on.

I'm not clear on the specifics of your particular setup, but it is hard to imagine that doing it this way will truly make your wiring look any cleaner. There are usually switched accessory and/or ignition signals all over a car. ANY of those could be used to trigger your relay rather than the Opus output. Moreover, at least one of these switched signals is already an INPUT to your Opus. Instead of taking the Opus +12v output, why not just tap the ACC input from the Opus. I mean the two wires are in the EXACT same location. What am I missing here?

Regardless, as far as functionality goes, the two solutions are nearly the same. With the Opus doing the triggering, your inverter will have a slight delay before it turns on / goes off. With the ACC direct triggering, the inverter will be on/off with your key (a bit more traditional). Either way, you won't need to use the power switch on the inverter. You can just leave it switched on.

Good luck.