How Can I Accomplish This? Power on PC via Keyfob

tbird2340 · 03-06-2006, 09:58 PM

I have a remote starter that has an AUX button which sends a ground pulse to a wire when pressed. I want to hook this up to my carputer so that I can power on / power off my carputer with my keyfob.

The M2-ATX has an external on / off switch that I can tie into. I have an external switch currently hooked up to it and working.

How would I wire it so that my keyfob can power on / off the carputer?

VehicrossPC · 03-06-2006, 10:17 PM

I have a cheap remote aux controller I bought from autopartsAmerica that I can control up to four devises with; even toggling for continuous or pulse. I used button one I guess to control the inverter, it's continuous and actually creates the ground soucre for a relay that supplies power to the inverter. The relay eliminates all that amperage coming through the control device. My second button I have spliced to the power pin that's plugged into the motherboard, this has been set to pulse. Pretty much all the controller does is complete the circuit, I just need to keep in mind that I hit 1 then 2 for start up and opposite for shutdown or I’ll see the “computer failed to shut down” screen. No need to worry about startup time, the computer is already working when you get in the car. Also, it solved my problem with the large boom from the speakers. The car radio controls the amps, which is turned off before the computer is completely shut down and vise-versely turned on after the computer is booted. Do you have a second aux controller? I guess you can modify to work the same way with your system, if not at least give some some ideas. all I know is the relay was a ****** to set up with the controller as the ground and looked nothing like what the diagram off to instructions for the relay looked like. Perhaps somehow can even be able to rig it so the power can be sent to the lan plug and you enable “start on lan” if avl on your motherboard options. good luck.

GreenBeast · 03-07-2006, 07:46 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by tbird2340

I have a remote starter that has an AUX button which sends a ground pulse to a wire when pressed. I want to hook this up to my carputer so that I can power on / power off my carputer with my keyfob.

The M2-ATX has an external on / off switch that I can tie into. I have an external switch currently hooked up to it and working.

How would I wire it so that my keyfob can power on / off the carputer?

hello there

in have just done this very thing although haven't had a chance to test it out

however the only difference is that my auxiliary outout can be timed as well

can you do that or is it just a pulse, if its a pulse then you'd have to build a little circuit that can take that pulse and latch a 12v from it. you'd have to build a circuit to take the ground and make it 12v for the M2 anyway

tbird2340 · 03-07-2006, 07:52 AM

From the manual of my remote starter:

Quote:

Mode (1) DEFAULT: Provides a Ground pulse when button #3 (Trunk) on the remote transmitter is pushed to activate a factory electric trunk release or other optional accessory.
Mode (2) ALTERNATE: Provides a Ground output for 30 seconds when the unlock button is pressed for use as a dome light illumination output.

I'm guessing I would want mode 1 because I wouldn't want my carputer to power on every time I unlocked my doors.. So I guess the answer is that it's just a pulse.

Question, on the external switch isn't it just looking for a ground pulse to power it on / off? I mean, there is one wire on each pin and when those wires touch (via a push button and ground out) it powers it on / off. Right?

sama · 03-07-2006, 08:53 AM

correct, just make sure you catch the right pin, as the wrong way would be grounding a ground!

tbird2340 · 03-07-2006, 09:02 AM

So is it just looking for BOTH pins to be at ground for a split second? So would grounding one pin permanently and then hooking my ground PULSE wire up to the other pin work?

sama · 03-07-2006, 09:10 AM

only one pin needs to be grounded.

one of those pins is ground, the other is the one waiting to be grounded. So the one that is grounded can be left alone, the one that needs to be grounded is the one you're interested in.

by the way, this is the motherboard and not the M2 connector. The switch connector on the psu is just a parallel connection of the motherboard's switch connector.

tbird2340 · 03-07-2006, 09:18 AM

So which do I need to hook this up to? The motherboard or the M2?

Thanks Sama!

sama · 03-07-2006, 09:20 AM

to the M2, and keep the M2 connected to the motherboard. that way, the key can power up the computer, but the M2 can still be an intelligent supply and turn the pc off if the battery level gets low etc. (if you have it confiugred that way that is)

np. have a look at the m2 manual, it's all there

tbird2340 · 03-07-2006, 09:22 AM

I did look at the M2 manual.. I understand some of it and already have an external switch hooked up so I can power it on when the truck is off and also have it so the IGN powers it off / on.. I just wanted a way so I can turn it on/off from inside my house, connect via vnc, do my thing, and then shut er down..

So let me ask you this.. I currently have an external switch hooked up to the M2. All I need to do is tap my AUX GND PULSE wire into ONE of those wires and it should work?

sama · 03-07-2006, 09:33 AM

yes. u can test that by connecting the m2 wire to another ground somewhere, like the chasis of your car, so you effectively simulate the pulse.

MatrixPC · 03-07-2006, 02:07 PM

tbird, it's not that hard to do.
Use mode 1. Use mode 3 if the output is NOT dimmable (slowly faded.)

- Wire the alarm output to a relay to convert the GROUND output to POSITIVE output.
- From the relay output (which is +), tap to the ACC/IGN input of the PSU along with the car ACC/IGN. Make sure you put an inline diode for the wire from the car's ACC/IGN and an inline diode to a wire from the relay (maybe not needed).

Basically the alarm simulate the key turn on then off right a way. I think the output duration is long enought to triggle the PSU to start up.

tbird2340 · 03-07-2006, 02:14 PM

Actually it was A LOT easier then that Matrix.. All I did was take my remote starter wire, tap it into one of the external switch wires, and BAM! It was done..

I can start / shutdown my PC with the push of a button!

Thanks for the help sama!!

MatrixPC · 03-07-2006, 02:27 PM

I have remote start in my Supra too, but I didn't do any special wiring to have the PC start. Well basically the alarm doesn't have an extra channel that I can use exlusively for the carPC. One channel for arm/disarm, one for remote windows and the other for remote start.

The carPC start whenever I remote start the car.

.

tbird2340 · 03-07-2006, 02:36 PM

I didn't mean my the actual wire that remote starts my truck.. I meant the wire on my remote start unit that is used for either trunk pop or AUX output. I don't have a trunk in my truck so I can use it for AUX.

The whole point of why I wanted to do this is so I don't have to start my truck to work on my carputer. I would normally have to go out to the garage, hit the external on / off button I have hooked up and then work on it..

Now I can get more lazy and start it from my keyfob!