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Case Switch turns computer on, then directly off

T

Trackr

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
1,786
I bought one of those on/off switched from Performance-PCs.

It looks really nice. I drilled a hole to fit in the front of my case, and I hooked it up right.

However, when I press it, it turns the computer on, then 5 seconds later, it turns off.

There's nothing wrong with the computer. The regular switch works just fine.

If I press the switch, then press it back, the computer stays on.

I've tried multiple ways of connecting it..

What am I doing wrong?

Also, it doesn't turn the computer off. It does nothing once it is already on.

What I want, is for it to turn on with one press and then off with a second.. like my old 486 back when I was 5.
 
It's probably a latching switch, and not a momentary switch.
You need to get the right one.

Do you have a link to the one you purchased?
 
Trackr said:
I wanted an ON/OFF switch. You press once for ON. You press twice for OFF. Is it really more vague than it sounds?

http://www.performance-pcs.com/cata...=22158&zenid=cdc485ac530311fc6a7966e3e29ea365
Click to expand...

they may have sent the wrong one. that is the right kind of switch.

With AT systems, like the 486 probably was, the switch is actually wired to the power supply and not the motherboard. thats why the switches were latching switches (once for on, twice for off). you cant use this kind of switch in any modern system.
 
Trackr said:
I wanted an ON/OFF switch. You press once for ON. You press twice for OFF. Is it really more vague than it sounds?

http://www.performance-pcs.com/cata...=22158&zenid=cdc485ac530311fc6a7966e3e29ea365
Click to expand...

They sell both styles on that site, sounds like you have a latching one or you wired it up wrong.
You can test to see which style you have easily with a meter, you just hook up the meter to the 2 prongs for pc power and see if The switch latches or not.

You'll be testing the switch without it hooked to the pc, btw.
 
computer mother boards utilize a momentary signal on the power switch circuit, to turn on. a momentary switch momentarily bridges the two cables, shorting it (regardless to the action of the switch) a true latching switch bridges, and holds, the completed circuit. your computer is seeing a constantly bridged circuit, which it may see as a possible short in the case, and so is powering itself off to protect itself.

what you want, is a momentary switch, which has the action of a latching switch, but i'm not sure where you can find such an animal.
 
If you have a multimeter, set it to ohms and put the leads on both connections on the switch and push the button and see what happens in regard to the ohms/resistance.

For attaching to a motherboard you want a switch that goes to 0 ohms ONLY when you press the button. If the switch stays at 0 ohms after you let go, what the motherboard is going to see it that you pushed the button telling it to turn on, but then you HELD the button and after 3-5 seconds it will turn off. That is normal ATX behaviour.
 
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