Subject: Re: More newbie questions about the PC164
To: Wilko Bulte <wilko@yedi.iaf.nl>
From: Dave Huang <khym@bga.com>
List: port-alpha
Date: 04/15/1999 16:42:44
On Thu, 15 Apr 1999, Wilko Bulte wrote:
> You can only do this by re-flashing the firmware into the console flash
> rom. Not recommended to do this every 5 secs I'd say. According to the
> manual this Alpha board can only hold either the ARC or the SRM, not 
> both. You might have seen Alpha machines that can switch ARC and SRM
> by using a console command. This one cannot apparantly.

Ah, okay... no big deal :) I might try out NT for a few days just to see
what it's like on an Alpha though :)

> I'm not sure what adaptations are needed, it could just be the on/off
> stuff or so. Maybe Thor has more info on this subject. In the
> meantime I'd suggest to get the manual from www.digital.com, somewhere
> under the OEM/Alpha section. As it is not a current product you need to
> dig a bit, I think it is in the documentation archives section of OEM.

I took a look at the manual for the board and the ATX power supply
specification, and it looks like it could be as simple as putting a
toggle switch between ground and the PS_ON# (pin 14) line. The power
supply has debouncing circuitry built-in. Perhaps one might need to
disconnect the +5VSB (standby voltage, pin 9) too. The motherboard
manual shows it as "no connection" though, so it shouldn't hurt to leave
it on.

I haven't seen the insides of an ATX case yet (I've used them, but all
of the machines I own are rather old AT style :), but it looks like they
use a momentary pushbutton switch rather than a toggle switch for the
power switch. Perhaps someone with some electronics knowledge could draw
up a circuit that uses the +5VSB and a flip-flop or something to let the
pushbutton switch toggle the PS_ON# line.
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