TurboBoos

Thanks WarDriver, but that's what I've done. I modified my ThinkPad by adding a docking station and adding an auxillary power button in parallel with the existing. The M2-ATX generates a pulse used to simulate pressing the power button which cycles the computer on and off.

Unfortunately sometimes the crappy DC-to-DC converter will wake up the laptop first, then the M2-ATX generates it's own pulse which then turns the computer back off. When I find some more time, I'll try and find a solution.

Using a laptop instead of a traditional computer has many advantages, however, as I'm learning, disadvantages too. If I can overcome all the power sequencing issues I think the Laptop is still a better approach for a carputer.

It's portable, easy to remove and take inside the house to apply updates etc. It's small, cheap (used), and you always have a laptop with you. Not to mention, the battery acts as it's own UPS so if you can have it on without draining your car battery.

Scouse Monkey

righto got a fix for you...

find something on your docking port - eg a usb port - that is only on when the laptop is awake.

put a normally closed relay (5V if it is on the usb) on the pulse line from the m2 to the laptop switch.

Then when the laptop is on the circuit from the M2 will be broken disabling the turn on (which ends up being a turn off) signal).

Unfortunately this will also kill the ability of the M2 to power off the laptop which is not a problem if you use "hibernate when running on battery for X minutes" but is a problem if you are using a 110/230V off an inverter on a real ibm docking port (parts of the port need the power from the psu not the laptop). If everyhting it powered from the laptop then you have no probs.

Alternatively you could see about hacking the firmware on the M2 to remove the startup pulse. This would be a better option tbh and should be possible.

I suspect however that it is some kind of spike that is triggering the wake up.

actually i have a better idea....use the M2 to turn power on for the dc-dc.

IE have a relay hooked up to the M2's molex output that powers up the DC-DC. If there is still a problem in that the m2 pulse is still coming after the dc-dc wakes it up then build a small delay circuit for the relay so the m2 sends the pulse to the laptop and then the dc-dc powers up at around the same time. too late and you might get device errors, too early and your old problem.

There should be a delay circuit in one of the hardware sections or at that the12v.com website or whatever it is.

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sxott

I used a DC-DC adapter and I think it fried my laptop, though I cannot be sure. The laptop started turning back on after I would tell it to shut down and eventually it died. It was an hp ze2000z. I am selling some of the parts on here right now to pay for the used laptop I had to buy to replace it so be careful with this.

Efess

I must be lucky, since 4 out of 4 times my laptop powers up on ignition without any problems, the only time I have to use my "relocated" power switch is when I need to reset for whatever reason. No long term damage as of yet..

Efess

Update- My laptop will NOT turn on automatially anymore. My laptop battery died a few months ago, not sure if that is the reason - since it only started NOT powering up automatically last week. This is a bummer I'll actually have to devise a mechanism for turning it on now...