Laptop Auto Power-On / Turn-On Module - Page 16

jwlionking · 09-03-2007, 12:59 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by john1701

well it looks like i have wasted my money big time. could have went to radio shack a bought a 99 cent button to manually turn the laptop on and off. what a rip. guess its only for certain laptops, even though they all turn on and off with a button. buyer beware.

Works great for me. I even tried this on a desktop and it worked great. Theoretically it should work on any computer whether it be desktop or laptop.

the_crooked_toe · 09-03-2007, 01:00 PM

john i don't think your post is necessary to say that it was a waste of money. I have the module working in my car flawlessly. If it wasn't for the module i don't know what else I could have possibly been able to do to power mine on. before i bought mine i tested with a multimeter to make sure it would work. Don't sell this product short, it's not like Sony made it. Just someone with an ambition to help others and make custom products. Also, you can just resell it in the classifieds

john1701 · 09-03-2007, 03:28 PM

i am not selling this product short not at all. I looked at the diagrams of it, i am trying to figure out what happened to it. Right now it only worked once. Right now (IMO) it is only for laptops with 1/2 sec or less time to press the button on.

Edit- i think it needs a adjustable setting for the relay.

W3bMa5t3r · 09-03-2007, 03:53 PM

Hey guys... sorry I haven't been on here much, and my apologies to John about not getting back with you sooner. I'm working my last day of almost 2 weeks worth of 12-14 hour days... I'm ready to crash for the next three days lol.

All but one other system that this has been installed on was a 1/2 second or less 'press' (as far as I know). The other system also needed a longer press and this was attained by using a larger capacity electrolytic capacitor and matching resistor. If you'd like I can do this for you, or if you're confident enough with a soldering iron, the electrolytic capacitor and resistor are easy enough to replace. I'm more than willing to help getting it working for you. Just let me know.

/edit - thanks to everyone for keeping faith in me

john1701 · 09-03-2007, 04:04 PM

i have no problems helping you out to fix this W3bMa5t3r, your design is really good and I know it works. Just right now not for me. yes i agree, I think it needs a longer setting, at least on this laptop, about 1/2 to maybe 3/4 seconds should do it.

"if you're confident enough with a soldering iron" yes, i was born with it in my hand.

maybe a 1500uf cap?

john1701 · 09-05-2007, 04:51 PM

so wtf do i need to do to fix this? or did i really waste my $?

W3bMa5t3r · 09-06-2007, 01:53 AM

You can give the 1500uf cap a try. You'll want to match it with a higher value resistor. Give 15k a go.

derekc · 09-17-2007, 02:13 AM

w3bmast3r and all,
Take a look at PAC TR-7. It doesn't what your module does and it does a lot more of other things, including giving a pulse signal when ignition is turned off. That way it hibernates the laptop automatically too.
http://www.pac-audio.com/products/pr...gger%20Modules

Read the instructions, then the 5 addtional Bonus Features not documented in the instructions:
http://www.pac-audio.com/instructions/TR-7.pdf
http://www.pac-audio.com/instructions/tr7bonus.pdf

I believe feature number 19 if not 12 does it.

The unL33T · 09-17-2007, 09:13 AM

Is there any easy modification that could be done to this unit to have it remember if the device was turned on or off before the car was turned off?

For example, if I turned off the screen last time before I turned off the car I don't want it to come on the next time I start the car but if it was on when I turned off the car last I want it to come back on.

brad1011a · 09-17-2007, 10:06 AM

Before I start out I often turn the key to ACC then create an on-the-fly playlist, then start the car. w3bmast3r's module knows that the laptop is already on, and doesn't send a pulse (which would turn the laptop off!).

dbtoutfit · 09-21-2007, 02:21 AM

I built one of webmasters boxes, worked great.

So many of us (I think) have older laptops or laptops with poor batteries.

It is possible to make a module that turns the laptop on then off with the key ACC and without the need of laptop battery.

I am working on a schematic to get this worked out.

Basically your laptop runs off the cars Batt all the time (when it's on) and when you turn off the car, signal is sent back to the relays to "short" the power switch, in which windows sees as being asked to shut down. At this same time a timer is set to start count down for 12v power. This timer is set to give enough time for windows to shut down.

When timer runs out power is completely removed from the laptop and battery drain stops.

Everything is reset upon start and the cycle starts over again for the next use.

Anyone want to help with this?

I have been using "Circuit Maker 2000" for design and testing but I am still trying to get use to the work flow. So this is slowing down my progress.

derekc · 09-23-2007, 03:02 PM

If you want to automatically turn on the laptop when you turn on the ignition AND automatically turn off the laptop when you turn off the ignition, that means you want send a pulse to the momentary switch on the laptop when:
1. USB port gives 5V and you turn the ignition from on to off
or
2. USB port gives 0V and you turn the ignition from off to on

This can be acheived by two normally-open relays, one will be getting input from the ignition, another from the USB port. "Hook it up" so that you have a short (constant trigger) in the above two situations and you can use PAC TR-7 (Feature #18) to convert this constant trigger to a delayed (1 sec?) pulse which can turn on / off the laptop.

This way, when the laptop is off, and you turn the ignition from on to off, you won't power up the laptop when you leave the car. And when the laptop is on and you turn the ignition from off to on, you won't power off the laptop when you get into the car.

All you need is two relays (that draw as little current as possible, at least for the USB port one) and a PAC TR-7, then you have a solution.

(Laptop on = USB has 5 volt instantly? Or there is a delay until Windows loads the USB driver?)

Any comment welcome before I actually bench test this setup.

dbtoutfit · 09-23-2007, 05:09 PM

The catch is the power dc-ac inverter.

If the inverter stays on it's going to draw current even if the laptop is not on.

I am looking into the Pac as well.

Anyone know if there is a reasonable solution to not needing a power inverter?

I know bumping 12v to 19v is nothing but has anyone made a voltage amp to do this?

derekc · 09-23-2007, 11:00 PM

True, and you want the inverter to be on (for 30 sec?) while the laptop is shutting down when you turn off the ignition.
This seems to be another issue compared to the laptop momentary switch control discussed above. I think this needs another circuitry.

You want to power on the inverter the moment ignition is on and you want to power off inverter 30 sec (or so) AFTER the ignition is off.

Take a look at PAC TR-7 again. Feature #6 is "Pulse extender/Delayed turnoff. Upon a constant or pulsed trigger, the TR-7 will turn on the outputs. As soon as the trigger is disconnected, turned off or at the end of a pulse, the timer will count up to the number of seconds recorded, at which time the outputs will turn off."

Use the ignition 12V as an input, when it is on, the output of the TR-7 will be on. When it is off, it can delay a number of sec before turning off the output. You can then use this output to drive a relay to power the inverter from a constant 12V.

Comment before I actually doing a bench test? Or if someone could do a bench test and let us know if this works?

dbtoutfit · 09-24-2007, 12:44 PM

Now your on to what I'm saying and need. (I think others need too)

Also we need to time the ACC when on for the inverter, as it has a power up time as well. (most do) like 5-15 seconds. Depending on how I turn the car on or off and/or "how quick" back on and off and back on, it acts a little different each time.

So like webmasters module I made it works fine on the bench but in the car not so good because the relays are switched before the laptop sees power due to the delay from the inverter powering up. Mine beeps for a few seconds and then power is ready.

What you said about the Pac is what I was looking at as well. The catch I saw (maybe not) is the max 1.5amp (I beleive) and I am pertty sure it's pulling that much or more as the laptops ac-dc converter states 3amps. Plus being a Inverter it's pulling a nice bit to start.

So I am thinking the work around for the 1.5amp max issue on the PAC is to have this this open-short on the negitive side to the inverter. Also you could use the PAC for the timer and let a relay do the work. Relays are about the same amp but if you find the relay better than to run it thru the PAC then this will work as well.

The kicker is getting something packaged I think. After everything is working.

Can we look into getting rid of the need for an inverter?
Just boost the 12v to 19v?

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