It is important for me to be able to write down my dreams as soon as I wake up. Therefore, I wonder if I could create a connection between my alarm clock and my computer. I thought of some copper wire or something.
Anyway, I thought some electrical impulse goes when the alarm starts, which could go to my computer and turn it on. Else, it would be even better if it could turn my computer on about a minute before my alarm goes.
Do you know if I can achieve this?
Would your computer be entirely off? If so, not easily.
If it were just in a sleep state you could rig up something to your serial prot, or just use your scheduler (Task Scheduler or cron) to pull up your document editor at the appropriate time of day.
Or you could just disable any power saving features on your computer and simply power down the monitor when you go to bed, and it would be on and waiting when you got back up.
If you want to switch on your PC at a given time, why not try one of these type of things...
Most computers don't turn on when power is connected unless they turned off due to a power failure. This is probably not a good way of timing things.
ok i tried posting this early but the db messed up, the ATX switch either closes or opens a circuit, so figure that out, then put wires in parellel to the switch, and your speakers, and that will either close or open to circuit for the switch and power on the machine, or may i suggest using pen and paper!?
Going along with what cgawd said:
On the ATX connector itself, the wires that will switch your computer on are the green and any black one. Figure out how to jump those together at the proper time, and there ya go :)
Dude, just leave a pencil and paper beside your bed. Then when you wake up, write it down!!
just run the pos/neg wires from your on off switch to the snooze button on yer alarm clock, when u hit snooze it turn on.
Isn't there a "wake on lan" socket on most modern motherboards that will turn on the computer? Or does that just wake the system up from sleep mode.
not sure, but that device is more complicated then just a pos/neg wire, ude have to actually hook it up to a cat5 cable that sent packets to it. That would be practicly imposible
Cgawd...
No, the motherboard connection is 3 pins, 5v, ground and MB_WAKEUP, according to my motherboard manual. It connects to your lan or modem. What I don't know is if it will turn on your computer or just wake it up from sleep. Or maybe it will do both?
Anyway, it was just a thought. The best way is probably something along Ride's idea. Splice into the power button leads and short them momentarily. I'd use a minature relay for isolation though. That's assuming it's a modern system where the power button leads connect to the motherboard. (Power button is a momentary switch and not a push on, push off type.)
well for the MB_Wakelan input you would have to figure out what voltage to use and whatever, and i believe splicing into the power button was originally MY idea, thank you very much
My apologies, Cgawd. Looking back over the thread it looks like you're right, originally the power button idea was yours.
I imagine the signal would be 5v logic compatable, but you would have to do some research to make sure it wasn't inverted or something. Power button is simpler. I was just thinking that there was a motherboard connector that almost no one actually uses that would work for this purpose. I'm an electronics technician by trade, and the idea of someone inexperienced kluge splicing wires and cables makes me nervous.
lol yah, but the idea of hooking up an alarm clock to a computer for the purpose of turning it on makes me nervouse, the powere button would be the best idea because the specs of the voltage and polarity is specified everywhere u can look, and the uncertainty of the wakelan would make it easy for him to blow his motherboard, i would take the certain route of known specs.
how bout u jus wake up and push the button for all this effort.