Relocating Computers ON/OFF Switch

[oskar270]

I just bought a Dell Optiplex GX280 computer to run my CNC. Since this computer will be located in a difficult to access area, I would have liked to relocate the computers on/off switch (or cut the wires and provide a new switch) so I can turn the computer on from the cnc control panel.

Problem is that the computers switch (with an integrated light) is part of a ribbon cable and have no way to splice the wires or relocate the switch.

I wonder if there is another way to switch from a distance on/off this computer

 

[kinarfi]

Maybe you set it up so it never turns off, just have it go to sleep and set it to wake up on mouse movement or key board,

 

[picbits]

Check out WOL (Wake on Lan) and remote desktop - easy enough to telnet / VNC in and turn it on / off remotely.

 

[oskar270]

Both pretty good options especially to let it go to sleep.

Thank you

 

[MrAl]

Hi,

Relocating the switch shouldnt be hard, if you are talking about the front panel push button switch. That's because that is all that it is, a momentary contact push button switch. You press in, it makes contact, you release it, it breaks the contact. It could not be simpler.

So all you really need to do is take off the front cover of the computer and splice into the push button switch and wire a second one in parallel to that one. If you dont want to do that, then just find the mother board connection for the on/off switch. It's usually on an IDE type header and it's only two pins so you could unplug that and plug your own connector into the motherboard and run your own wires and add your own switch. I would not say you could run a mile of wire this way, you it should be ok for say 5 feet or maybe 10 feet.

The above assumes that your computer can turn off with the same button. Mine does, when you hold it in for something like 4 seconds it turns the thing off. Pressing it again a few seconds later will start the computer up again.

If you need to extend the power supply switch itself, you may have to use a different kind of switch. They usually use a DPST rocker switch but any DPST switch that can handle the power can be used. It's a little more dangerous to do this kind of mod however so you should be careful and only if you have ever wired 120vac circuits up before or know how to do so. You also need to remove the cover of the power supply so you had better be careful and get it back on right.

 

[oskar270]

Thanks Al for the reply but as I mentioned the switch is part of a ribbon cable and I can’t splice into any wires because they are not visible.

What you described sounds like a desktop I build about 4 years ago and the wires to the on/off switch were clearly accessible.

But I like your idea about finding the IDE header of the switch on the motherboard and I will see if I can locate this header.

There is no need to extend the power supply switch because the computer is plugged to a power bar and the AC to this bar is controlled by an on/off switch from the cnc control panel.

 

[leftfield95]

There is no need to extend the power supply switch because the computer is plugged to a power bar and the AC to this bar is controlled by an on/off switch from the cnc control panel.

I think that the Optiplex GX280 has a bios option called 'AC Recovery', one of the settings should allow the computer to boot on power being applied to the power bar.

We use logging PC's (mainly HP's) with this option on remote sites, so they start logging as soon as the power is restored.

Leftfield95.

 

[oskar270]

I think that the Optiplex GX280 has a bios option called 'AC Recovery', one of the settings should allow the computer to boot on power being applied to the power bar.

We use logging PC's (mainly HP's) with this option on remote sites, so they start logging as soon as the power is restored.

Leftfield95.

This will be great; I do some modifications right now and when done I will check to see if I have this option

Thanks

 

[MrAl]

Hi,

Oh wow yes, if you already have a power strip with an on/off switch then you're all set. Most bios have that option so that when the power is restored the computer turns on and boots up. I did it that way for a long time too.

 

[oskar270]

BEST TIP EVER, leftfield95 it works! and the funny part is that it was already set like that.

So no extra wiring or work is required, thank you all

 

[leftfield95]

That's good to hear, you can't get any simpler than that.

Note, that safe shutdown can only be done via the keyboard or mouse clicks though.

Leftfield95.