m4-atx help. Am I missing Wires? - Page 2

ArcaneDreams · 04-11-2008, 02:59 AM

The first vid was taken after about 2 hours of being on.

The second vid was taken directly after a reboot.

Rob Withey · 04-11-2008, 03:17 AM

And when you switch the machine off, do you just remove the 12v from the ignition line, or do you actively pull the ignition line to ground?

ArcaneDreams · 04-11-2008, 03:23 AM

I simply disconnect the ignition wire to simulate me turning off my car.

crazy4ts · 04-20-2008, 10:43 PM

I seem to be having a similiar issue as you guys.....

I just purchased a M4ATX to replace my failing M2ATX, which btw has worked flawlessly with my current PC for about 14months until recently. PC would hibernate and recovery via IGN off/on no problem.

Ok Now the M4 issue:
On the Bench when installed the M4 in my PC (my PC is removable from trunk and I have a Pyraimid 12V power converter with a 12V switch to emulate ign). If the M4 is set to P0 (or Std ATX PS mode) and my PC case Power switch is attached to the mother board my system works normally. When I push the power button on case it it starts up and when XP is running the power button hibernates system. However, when I set the DIP switch for P1 (recommended and what I used on M2) to 1ON 2Off 3Off as per the manual:

DIP Switch (ON=down)
1 2 3

OFF OFF OFF P0 Standard PSU mode

ON OFF OFF P1 5sec 1 min

OFF ON OFF P2 5sec 1 hour

ON ON OFF P3 5sec NEVER

OFF OFF ON P4 30sec 1 hour

ON OFF ON P5 30sec NEVER

OFF ON ON P6 30min NEVER

ON ON ON P7 3hour NEVER

Then I connect the same switch wire I used with my M2 to the stated PINs from manual:

J8 shown with cable harness connected to the

motherboard ON-OFF header (pin 7 and 6)

1 2 3 4 5

. . . . .

. . X X

9 8 7 6

Now with the case switch removed and the M4 working the switch pulse. The pc will not turn on or hibernate when the 12v Switch is set to on/off. I have tried P1 P2 P3....no power on and no hibernate.

I am currently using it in the car in P0 mode and I manually hibernate the PC using desktop icon and I have a Relay/Switch attached to my 12v POS line in. (this is how I used my backup PSU which is case's original PS and a DC/AC converter while waited for my new M4 delivery). In this mode I kave set the Bios to power on after Power failure so it turns on via BIOS power sense.

Obviously this is not the way to use it in the car, I did not spend 120 bucks to have a non inteligent PS.

Please has anybody got the M4 to work as documented? I have not seen any posts stating so, when I searched. I realize it is a new product.

Maybe mine is defective and the its power pulse is not working? I have tested the wire and it will hinernate or power on when manually shorted.

Maybe the doc is wrong, Dip switches...switch pins?

Sent email to minibox suport 4 days ago but no answer...

Please Advise...if you have a working unit....

thx.

Going insane......

jimmler · 04-21-2008, 10:47 AM

So far I have only used mine in the standard mode of operation, but I will try letting the power supply handle the hibernation later this week and report back. I have tried twice to contact tech support at mini-box.com with no results. I want some further details on the supply that the manual only alludes to, like the 4th dip switch setting, led status light, USB reprogramming port. Don't tease us with features and then fail to document it.

ArcaneDreams · 04-21-2008, 11:31 AM

I emailed them over a week ago, and I have asked several times on this forum. Keep coming up empty handed. Its crap.

jimmler · 04-21-2008, 05:24 PM

I'm willing to give them a little more "room". Sometimes it's hard to get a new product out on schedule and then support it, too. Some of it is the price we pay for trying to be bleeding edge.
It sure would be nice to know that all this BS can be remedied by talking to the supply via the USB port and making some firmware changes.
However if they fail to make any attempt at support, then they'll be on ***** list and the people on this forum will drop that supply like a hot potato. Doesn't help you and I much, but what are ya gonna do?

hailrazer · 04-21-2008, 06:12 PM

Just to re-emphasize what I've mentioned before.

With mine every time I move the dip switches I have to unhook all power to the M4-Atx before it will change. Almost like it needs to reset.

Might be the problem?

If not I would say you have a faulty M4

ArcaneDreams · 04-21-2008, 07:42 PM

I have unhooked the power around...maybe 300 times.

It never works properly.

It may be because I am bench testing it. So the ignition wire is getting 12V. I doubt that would be it...but I guess I could try to reduce the ignition wire voltage and see what happens.

If I cannot get it to work correctly once it is in my vehicle then I will put together a couple of 555 timers to send a pulse to make it shut down properly.

crazy4ts · 04-21-2008, 09:52 PM

I have had a carpc in my car for about 2 years. First my Via C3 board had a M1 psu worked fine except had to scale everything down and CPU was always running high. Then I went with the AMD 64 single core chip and my current config which ran on the M2 flawlessly for over a year. Through cold and heat etc...always running if the car was running. I knew I was pushing the M2 past its limits with my PC config. But thought it silly to spend 300+ for an Opus when my PC cost less than that. Anyway the M2 recently started to have issues so I came to Mp3Car to see what the lasted prices etc. I was totally pleased to see the M4 thinking it would be cost effective, easy to use and just as reliable as the previous MX-ATX PSUs. I never would have dreamed that I would have these issues...oh well hopefully we will have some sort of disclosure from minibox soon. I miss the ability to just switch off the car and go......

BTW way seems silly to me that we would have to worry 12v switched watt/amps etc..I have my wire attached to the GM harness per their connector with a 10 GA wire running to a disribution block in trunk. All my devises are switched from this...PC, 2 Amplifiers and crossover. I would guess that the relays on the car stereo stuff maybe draw 3amps total, probably less and I am sure that the any ATX PSU cant be drawing that much at the 12v switch post. But not an electrical Eng, so I may indeed be wrong. Anyway the M2 had no problem with it..just me pushing the M2 past spec.

L8R

soloxp · 04-21-2008, 11:54 PM

I must be lucky. I have no problems with my M4. 6-5sec to turn on pc and 30sec to shut down. My only problem is me not knowing how to wire a (Ignition override Led) to it. I also have a ELK-960 Delay Timer i'm thinking about hooking up to kill all power to the M4 after 40min. That way I'll never have a dead batter.

ArcaneDreams · 04-22-2008, 02:01 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by soloxp

I must be lucky. I have no problems with my M4. 6-5sec to turn on pc and 30sec to shut down. My only problem is me not knowing how to wire a (Ignition override Led) to it. I also have a ELK-960 Delay Timer i'm thinking about hooking up to kill all power to the M4 after 40min. That way I'll never have a dead batter.

Thats the problem. It should only take 5 seconds to shut down. AND the power supply is supposed to cut off all power if your battery gets to around 10 volts. If your power supply was working properly, you would NEVER have a dead battery.

You see, I get out of my car and walk inside. Leaving a bright glow in my car for 20 seconds after I am gone would be unwise. Plus I would have to mute my sound, or turn all the way down or music would be playing after I left as well.

I tested the voltage. The ignition input must be over 5 volts for it to trigger. Having it just above 5 volts does nothing different however..same old crap.

hailrazer · 04-22-2008, 07:07 AM

Why should it take 5 seconds to shut down. ?

It acts just like pushing the power button on the PC which puts the PC in hibernate mode, which takes around 30 secs on every PC I have ever had.

It sends the signal to shut down the PC within 5 secs, the PC is the thing that takes 30 secs to shut down.

ecog · 04-22-2008, 08:45 AM

crazy4ts

Under Power Management in your BIOS check to make sure ACPI is enabled.

Also make sure the power button wire jumper is fully inserted over the power switch pins. I've noticed on the M2s if the jumper is not all the way down over the pwr sw pins or it's crooked the motherboard won't turn on. Maybe that's the case with the M4s.

Another thing to try is make sure you have the polarity right on the pwr switch pins on the motherboard and play around with it on the PSU side. Polarity shouldn't matter, but it's happened a few times in the past where some motherboards are finicky.

jimmler · 04-22-2008, 10:11 AM

If the LCD glow is causing you grief, don't feed the monitor from the M4. Run it off the ignition switch. Key off = dark monitor. Power supply/pc can take its time powering down. It doesn't care what the monitor is doing.