Advice needed - Laptop standby recovery

alexstein · 04-12-2006, 07:08 PM

First post guys.....Hi all by the way

Im putting a setup into the car but i have a query about putting the kit into standby.

Ive got the Karputer 7" motorised screen (has touch screen) which is going to be connected to a Compaq Evo N610C laptop in the boot with cables running through the car.

The query i have is that ideally i want to get the laptop to recover from standby when i use the touchscreen. However with the tests i have done here in the house the only way to recover the machine from standby is via the on/off button on the laptop.

The laptop will recover when i have the monitor and HDD's to turn off after x amounts of mins but this i feel is still going to be draining the battery.

I have a new shape renaultsport megane and the radio's/cig lighter will only power up when i have the ignition on. I will be running an additional cig lighter into rear but i only want the laptop to be charging when i am driving or have the ignition on.

Anyone have any advice for me?

DarquePervert · 04-12-2006, 07:55 PM

You're corrrect. The power button is how you return form standby.

Search these forums to see what other users have done to overcome this little snag. You might want to crack opent he laptop and extend the power button to a location near the driver's compartment.

VitalRyan · 04-13-2006, 12:36 AM

Yeah, from what we've seen, the only logical option is to extend the power button.

BUT, you do have a few options on how you want to do this. If you can, try using a docking station, that way the power and cables all plug into this, and you can extend the power button from the docking station instead of cracking open the laptop.

OR... another thread goes into detail explaining how to jump your power button through your 56k modem jack, so you can easily unplug/plug it back in.

Honestly, I spent a LOT of money trying to get a laptop setup to work, and it was NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS, if you have the money, just spend the $400-$500 on a regular PC and be done with it, I ended up just building one and never looked back, works like a charm.

b8bboi · 04-13-2006, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Honestly, I spent a LOT of money trying to get a laptop setup to work, and it was NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS,

My carpc-laptop has been running just fine. The biggest advantage is I can take it out of the car and use it as, well, a laptop anytime. Putting it back in is painlessly easy, too. The biggest drawback is I can't run my Xenarc at its native resolution.

alexstein · 04-13-2006, 04:15 AM

cheers for the advice.

Ive got a port replicator for the unit here at the moment and was planning to use that anyways as i hate the idea of having to unplug the cables constantly. Ive seen this

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...WITCH&doy=13m4

I might see if i can hack the power button within the port rep so that i can use this button up front to turn the lappy on.

alexstein · 04-14-2006, 02:09 PM

OK....Im a lil stuffed at the moment. I was able to get a broken port rep through work to open up and have a look at it. The power button shall we say dosent look to easy to hack as such in my opinion.......though i dont know the first thing about electronics.

This is the button with the casing on it,

The button is pretty stiff in truth. I picked up one of those push solenoids and it dosent have the force to push it from there.

I took the broken one apart and had a look and this is the actual button on the PCB

The solenoid can only just push the button i think but i would rather find a way to install a push to make switch onto this button directly......

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers,
Alex

Wiredwrx · 04-14-2006, 04:23 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by alexstein

OK....Im a lil stuffed at the moment. I was able to get a broken port rep through work to open up and have a look at it. The power button shall we say dosent look to easy to hack as such in my opinion.......though i dont know the first thing about electronics.

This is the button with the casing on it,

The button is pretty stiff in truth. I picked up one of those push solenoids and it dosent have the force to push it from there.

I took the broken one apart and had a look and this is the actual button on the PCB

The solenoid can only just push the button i think but i would rather find a way to install a push to make switch onto this button directly......

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers,
Alex

Care to explain why you think this is such a big problem. The button has 4 contacts. MOST LIKELY only 2 of the contacts matter. This has been covered several times in threads. Everyone seems to think that a button with 4 contacts is some big deal. It is not. Almost always, two of the contacts are just there to hold the switch to the board. Get your continuity tester out, and check the contacts for continutiy, both when the button is unpressed, and when pressed. VIOLA. just solder to the correct contacts, and you have a button.

Michael

b8bboi · 04-14-2006, 04:27 PM

What Wiredwrx said. And it's almost always the top left and bottom right contacts.

MoonShiner · 04-14-2006, 06:29 PM

b8bboi and wiredwrx are exactly right. The two connectors you want to use are at opposite ends (diagonally). As wiredwrx said, use a continuity tester.

I actually did this for a friend of mine. Exact same laptop and dock.

I just opened the plastic on one side of the port replicator and soldered two wires for the power button. Has been working fine for months now.

alexstein · 04-15-2006, 03:35 AM

cool.......really appreciate the input guys.

can you recall which 2 they are based ont the pic?

alexstein · 04-15-2006, 05:52 AM

dont sorry...all sorted.

cheers again

W3bMa5t3r · 04-16-2006, 02:39 AM

Another option, one that I'm going with so there is no need to push the button to bring it out of standby when the car is started, is the bottom schematic of the three at this post http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/show...53&postcount=9 It should be the One Shot Circuit. just attach the two leads of the power switch to the top two points in that circuit. When the car is started it will short the two leads (just like pressing the momentary switch) which will bring the laptop out of standby without any 'manual' intervention. After the quick short, it will go back to normally open (like the button isn't pushed) and won't do anything again till the next time the car is started. :-)

EDIT:
I edited the schematic (I'm at work so it's in paint so it's kinda crappy) to hopefully help with an illustration...