First Major Mod Idea, Power switch.

[TheMuffinOfEvil]

I am going to be putting my computer together later this week, what I would really like to do is disable the power button on the front of my armor case and run the wires out to a box I am planning to fabricate. I would like to have it look similar to the controls to launch a nuke in the old movies, where you have to flip the air style toggle switch, turn a key and press a giant red button. My question is, I see power buttons for computers with lights on them all the time, can you guys outline what is going on inside those switches, is there current constantly going through it, and to turn on your computer when you press the button, you are breaking that current? Or is it the other way around, do power button LEDS work off of those same wires, or is there a second set to power the lights?

[Xpirate]

The switch is a momentary power switch. It does the same thing as touching two wires together for a really short time.

The power button LEDs use a second set of wires on the motherboard.

[TheMuffinOfEvil]

How could I find the wires that control the lights on my motherboard? I am really serious about doing this and trying to make it look cool.

[Xpirate]

They are usually labeled on the board, or in the instruction manual. Each LED should have two pins each. If the board doesn't have them labeled, the original LEDs in the case might have them labeled.

Also LEDs have a polarity. The + and - have to be right for them to light up.

Good luck with your mod. The ModWiki might have some good information about this.

[TheMuffinOfEvil]

Thank you a ton!

[blueonblack]

As an alternative, if you don't have or are unable to find the proper pins on your board (like me), you can also power it with its own external power source. I am running mine off of its own 12-volt "wall wart" with a 570-ohm resistor in series, completely independent of the computer.
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Glass Bong

[TheMuffinOfEvil]

Could you be a little more specific as to what you mean, I have only a very basic electrical knowledge, all though I am currently reading up.

[blueonblack]

I can, but I am at work right now, so pics are unavailable, and they will be essential to a complete answer.

In essence you will take the wires from the wall wart and hook them to the LED leads on your switch, but there will need to be a resistor included along the length of one of the wires to cut the voltage down. The resistance will depend on the output of the wall wart. There are dozens of online calculators that will help you determine what resistance you need for a given LED at a given voltage. For my 12-volt source I used a 570-ohm resistor (about a buck and a half for five at your local Radio Shack if you have one).

I can try to go into more detail with pics after I get home if you need.
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Del Rey

[Eclecticos]

I would like to have it look similar to the controls to launch a nuke in the old movies, where you have to flip the air style toggle switch, turn a key and press a giant red button.

You mean one of these?

I made a remote power switch with a camcorders input control device.
I will attempt to find the picture.

[Eclecticos]

I used one of these for my power button.