auto power on question

panzermajier · 04-20-2008, 05:37 PM

Hi everyone i have been lurking for a while now and this is my first post.I am workign on my third incanation of my carpc and I have a question about setting up an auto power on with a laptop. the laptop Im using has a regular spst toggle switch not the momentary puchbutton on most computers. My question is if there is a way to power on the laptop using the remote turn on wire from the car, and how I would go about hooking that up. Thanks, and if this question has already been asked please just redirect me to the thread I have not read to much but All the ones I have seen so far involve the momentary switch.

greatwhite · 04-20-2008, 06:03 PM

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/user...rn-module.html

There's more out there too..................

Cheers

panzermajier · 04-20-2008, 07:11 PM

thank you for the link that is an interesting post however it seems that it will only work with momentary power switches not the toggle switch that i have

FusionFanatic · 04-20-2008, 07:29 PM

a laptop that uses a toggle switch??? I've never head of that before. I can imagine a slider switch or a rocker switch, but I'm having a hard time picturing a toggle switch on a laptop... what brand/model laptop is it?

you say that it is not a momentary switch, which would mean that the "toggle" stays in one position when the laptop is "on" and a different position when the laptop is "off" (in other words, the toggle doesn't spring back on it's own). if if truly is just a simple on/off toggle switch then then a simple SPST relay would work (but I have a hard time believing it would be that easy

)

panzermajier · 04-20-2008, 07:53 PM

the laptop is a old toshiba liberetto i believe. its a little compact touchscreen model with a celeron. im not sure if it is a toggle or slider switch but it works like a regular spst switch when it is down its off when it is up its on if i shut it down through windows and the switch remain in the on position i must move it to off and then to on again to start it up so idk if that makes a diffrence but the switch dose not spring back or anything like that and it turns the power off immediatley when switched down no interaction with the os. hopefully that clarifys what type of switch this is. if this relay will work is there any where online that i can learn how to implement it. thanks.

FusionFanatic · 04-20-2008, 09:12 PM

I looked at some pics of the Toshiba libretto series. I think I see the switch you're referring to on the front (under the 'pointstick'?). that's a slider switch, not a toggle switch; but they do the same thing anyways

the way you describe it, it's just a simple SPST switch (although it could also be a DPST, DPDT, etc. you won't know until you open it up and see). a relay will work the same as the laptop switch (a relay is a switch, it simply switches automatically instead of manually). hook the realy coil up to your car's ACC or IGN circuit, and hook the switch contacts to your laptop switch. you can buy a bosch-type SPST relay for about $5 at an electronics store (example; radio shack) or auto supply store (example; autozone, pepboys).

to wire a bosch-type relay: connect #86 to your car's IGN or ACC circuit (or any other switched 12vdc source), #85 to chassis ground, #30 to one side of your laptop switch, and #87 to the other side of your laptop switch... like this:

you should hook up another relay to your laptop's power supply, this will cut power when the car is off (to keep you from waking up to a dead battery in the morning

) I wrote a simple guide to relays in the FAQ emporium in this forum.

panzermajier · 04-21-2008, 07:59 AM

thanks alot. That is very detailed and should be all i need to get this going.