Thread: Optional Power Switch (M2-ATX)

i thought of using a SPTT rocker switch with two relays (one SPST and a SPDT) to use for an "ON/AUTO/OFF" switch up in the dash.

the top position would energize the first relay. 86 leads to the second relay, 87 is the acc line, and 87a is the battery line. so de-energized it would allow power through to the ACC signal on an M2 or similar as normal, but energized it would pull from the battery simulating a running car

the middle position would leave both relays de-energized, acting as a normal system.

the bottom position would energize the second relay that would merely interupt the ACC line, simulating an off car. lead 86 would be from the first relay and lead 87 would lead to the ACC line on the PSU.

this set up also gives me an easy way to reset the computer as well.

I doubt that you need 2 relays, but it depends on what you want (and then IMO the best-cum-simplest way to achieve it - and if diodes are acceptable (for relay actuation - not for power).)


Wayne - I (too?) recently expressed disappointment with some of the features of these supplies, though that includes buggy software (which I find extraordinary) - I think (else expect) the features] to be available. (It's been a while since I looked at available control options.)
Unless they are out of memory (ie, PIC controllers), I see little reason not to incorporate the delay switching etc that seems to be provided by additional add-ons.

ill toss up my crude MS word drawing when i get off work to show you how i've got it wired up. the way it sits as is both relays will normally be de-energized to cut down on mechanical wear of the relays.

Diagrams would be good, because the last 4 or 5 posts have very much confused me now :P

Will be getting the new car in January so i have a month to get it all planned, and i think it will take me that long to find/research monitors i like! But thats a new post :P

Originally Posted by scottholmes

Diagrams would be good, because the last 4 or 5 posts have very much confused me now :P

Will be getting the new car in January so i have a month to get it all planned, and i think it will take me that long to find/research monitors i like! But thats a new post :P

Gaoes is stating he's using the 3 position switch to manipulate what the PSU's micro-controller see's for the ACC line with relays. Which with the M2 can allow it to hard-off at the set time so long as you use it, thus shutting it off should the computer lockup or the like, still giving you the control without using the shutdown/start-up motherboard leads for a manual momentary switch.

My personal opinion, and again this is just my own, is to junk any of these thoughts since your not really familiar with much electronic terminology, or use. You'd have to house the relays, in addition to setting them up properly.

If you still want it partially "fancy-pants looking", you still have the really simple external J9(or J8, either one) and J5 to use for a momentary switch with an LED. My personal opinion is that this will give you a fast, easy way to get what you want without extra grief. The only drawbacks are it's not as seamless, as in you'll still have to hit the button to shut it off as it'll still send the pulse to start initially, and you can't just flip to another position on the switch to trick it into thinking the ACC line is powered without actually turning the key.

But you will have push-button control over when to start or shutdown without a delay, and in certain situations it's priceless.

Example: I used to have 4 gigs total RAM (now 8 as this gave me an excuse to be even more insane for my carpc setup), 1 of the modules became faulty on one of the sticks. This caused the machine to lockup randomly, and give a lovely screeching pitch to the music that was currently playing, usually at fairly high volume. If I had to wait that out for 30 seconds or more I'd have been sucking someone's fender. This went on for about a week and a half until the replacement memory I ordered from Muskin arrived.

Could have just left it off at the start-up point of course, but I can't live without my music. You can only entertain yourself so long in the car singing Chitty-chitty-bang-bang with head-bobbing movements, or sticking your head out the window while driving and barking for so long before it becomes old-hat. That or you suck down 1 too many bugs with stingers.

Originally Posted by Oldspark

Wayne - I (too?) recently expressed disappointment with some of the features of these supplies, though that includes buggy software (which I find extraordinary) - I think (else expect) the features] to be available. (It's been a while since I looked at available control options.)
Unless they are out of memory (ie, PIC controllers), I see little reason not to incorporate the delay switching etc that seems to be provided by additional add-ons.

Yeah, even this higher end opus still seems to be lacking in a few things options wise, excluding the couple of extra connectors I'd like for it. Even the documentation seems severely hodge-podge for most including the M2, only giving basic layout, no indicator LED flashes reference, etc. And of course not even mentioning the M4's woes, not the least of which from the one thread being severe RF noise.

Hi Wayne

I'm trying to learn, I'm getting there slowly. I think your right and I'm going to keep it basic and ignore relays and such.

To keep it easy for me I'm going to use the switch I linked and the J9.

So do I have this right in the wiring?

Tap the acc line and connect that to the PWR connector on the switch. Run a wire from the J9 and connect that to the ACC connector on the switch. Finally connect the GND to the chassis?

That would mean if the switch is in the on position the PC will start when car does and if it's off it won't/it'll turn the PC off if it's on?

Or does it mean the PC will only start up/shut down via the on/off switch?

Scott

J8/9 are only for the motherboard or a separate momentary switch that's NO(normally open). NOT for connecting to power leads if I understand your post correctly.

The switch I assume that you've now ordered, is only really viable for what you originally intended. Car ACC/IGN line to switch, other pin on the switch to the PSU's ACC/IGN line. Then ground of course for the inbuilt LED on the switch.

You'd have to get a separate switch should you wish to use the J8/9 for a manual pushbutton. And when you do connect the basic motherboard shutdown line, remember it does have polarity. Should you get it wrong it won't hurt anything, but it won't recognize/see the shutdown pulse. This is why they're usually red/black for coloring.

Bah! Thought I was making headway!

The way I described a few days ago, that won't allow me to turn the PC off via a switch will it? It would only control if the PC starts up or not depending on the switch on/off position?

As that is what I started the post for I hope I understood that right.

Scott

Originally Posted by scottholmes

The way I described a few days ago, that won't allow me to turn the PC off via a switch will it? It would only control if the PC starts up or not depending on the switch on/off position?
Scott

Correct, this would only keep the PSU from seeing 12v on the line or not when you turned the key. This won't give you direct manual control. It will however with the M2, so long as you set the jumpers for it, allow you to shut it down with the hardoff setting after the set delay once you flip the switch to cut 12v from the ACC/IGN line to the M2. And it will still send the shutdown pulse of course once this happens, so long as your computer is operating normally, and is set correctly, it'll shutdown this way when you want it to as well.

And as another given, start it back up if you decide during a trip to switch it back on. With a 10 second gap in between each from what I recall of the documentation I read last night.