Thread: STUPID mistake I made - M1-ATX

What this looks like is one half of a very old AT style power connector.
Early style PCs (286 up to somewhere around the early P2 era) used to have two of these white sockets right next to each other instead of the now standard ATX socket.

If this really is necessary for the motherboard to operate, then it's certainly not an industry standard for P3 Processors. I have built about 50 different P3 systems and Haven't come across a "half AT" power conector like this before.

Some motherboards manufactured during the transition from AT to ATX offered both connectors off the board so that system builders could use either style PSU, but I have never seen a board where both were connections were mandatory, especially not in a board as new as yours.

As the original AT connector had no feedback functionality (not even a soft power on, which was done with a big 230v mechanical switch!), so it may be that dell is just using this style connector as an easy way of connecting all the front panel buttons etc. Could you give us the motherbard model number, or post the relevant information from the manual if you have it? That would help a lot.

OK, this is looking promising.

It may be me just being a bit blind, but I can't seeny of the usual 0.1" jumper headers on that board for connecting the front panel LEDs and power-reset buttons, so it could very possibly be that this is where they are all going to?

If this is the case, then all you really need to worry about is the power on connection.

Where does the other end of thet "P7" connector in your last pic come from? Does it come from the case or out of the Dell power supply?
If it comes from the case, can you trace the wires back to their origin, (or trace the wires from the "power on" button to where they eventually end up?

Originally Posted by sxt173

There is a seperate (standard) pin arrangement for the on/off switch, reset, HDD LED, system LED etc... They just happen to be covered by the IDE cable in those pics

Bugger!

I guess your only option now is to get hold of a multimeter and measure the voltage at each of the pins on that P7 connector when the computer is both on and off.

All I could think it would be now is perhaps a direct power link to the CPU, like the Pentium 4 - "2 Black / 2 Yellow" Molex connector arrangement.



edit:

AHA, Third time lucky! My assumption was correct. It's a 0V / 3v3 Connector!
All the info you need seems to be here (Not good news though).

Yeah, put the P3 back together and you can probabably sell it to someone as a package to recover the cost of the Epia.

I'm running an M10000 (See Signature) and it has performed well above my expectaions. That said, my expectations were realistic!
(There are always a few who are disappointed because Half-Life 2 ran slowly etc!)

As always, it depends what you are planning on doing with it.

I can watch MPEG music videos with Netstumbler, GPS and Navigation software all running in the background without any problems. If this is the sort of thing you are planning to do, then you shouldn't have any complaints.

Your going to love the M10000... I warn you though... You've taken the next step in to your carpc adventure...

view this thread if you've got a few minutes...


Expensive Hobby or what?