Hi everyone!

I need everybody's help for this project. I hope that everyone's share their knowledge in this thread.

The goal of this project is to start a computer when the timer circuit starts and shutdown when the time is up... What kind of a circuit should i use to make this thing work?

Thank you and more power!!!

 

How is the timer triggered? What computer? Laptop or desktop? shutdown or standby/hibernate? Mac or Windows or Linux?
How long will the time be?

This can be much easier achieved if you configure you computer accordingly. There are ways to turn it on at a specific time and also to turn it off after a certain time.

 

Thanks for the reply. It's a desktop PC. The time is trigger when a coin is inserted into a coin slot. The coin slot gives signal to the timer circuit to set time. The timer circuit has two relay switches. I want the timer circuit use as a tap switch so that when a coin is inserted it will tap the to pins of my motherboard to switch ON and when the time is up it will tap again to SHUTDOWN the PC... i'm so confused to figure it out how it works...

 

Any Operating system. Instead of manual tap switch my pc... i want to use the timer serves as my tap switch (time dependent switch)

 

The quick and dirty way seems to be to replace the power on button inside with a simple relay or something.
Coin falling triggers the relay on, which resets after a moment like a human finger would, then after a timer runs out (which you could make using an oscillator and some divider chips, or a pic to control everything), the relay is triggered again. Set the computer settings to shutdown when the power button is pressed and you're good to go.

Probably better than simply cutting the power, which would be too easy.

 

Please post the model of your mainboard and if you have it, its installation manual as well.

Why does the computer has to be shutdown? For energy saving reasons?
Imagine someone puts a coin and the computer has to initialize... takes forever.

 

All types of MOBO now have 2 pins to switch ON. Yes! for energy saver also.

 

Can I ask why a coin?
Is it a public computer?

 

Yes. It's a kiosk. using a coin slot acceptor and a digital timer to operate a computer. Do you have an idea on how to set it up? The only thing i want to do is to transfer the power switch of the PC to a timer circuit. I need the circuit tol tap the two pins to power it ON and when the time is up it will tap it again to SHUTDOWN/OFF the PC.

 

How about another approach? You want to meter computer usage for a kiosk. In several posts, you have talked about shutting down the computer, or blanking the monitor, etc... One approach that has not been suggested is disabling the keyboard and mouse.

You coin slot device would activate something (relay?) to cut out the keyboard and mouse and at the same time send a signal to the computer. An RS232 interface for example.

Then use the computer itself to complete the job. Have it monitor the signal on the interface. When the signal is activated, run a script to clean up the previous user; delete all temporary files, clean up the desktop, delete all documents in the "My Documents" folder are some tasks that come to mind.

Fully think out what you would want to do. For example, you may want to give the user a few minutes after the timer expires (a grace period) to finish up what he is working on, or perhaps feed your coin slot with more coin... The same program that cleans up the computer from the previous user can be used to display a warning and time the grace period.

Basically, I posted this to suggest other alternatives that you may not have thought of. Hope you find it useful.
dj

 

I would prefer an approach like this as well. Shutting down and initializing a PC takes just too much time, and will be annoying for the user.

If you still want to use the coin slot system, could you please post, what model it is and its specifications. There maybe people who already worked with it, but I didn't. Did you already buy parts (coin slot/timer) or did you just start looking for it?

 

If that would be the policy of the kiosk owner, why not? I have those things already (a digital timer and a coin slot). I just want to use a circuit with a time delay relay to start my PC and switch OFF. I am not saying that i don't like your suggestion, actually, i appreciate it and the other approaches, but I don't want to think about any programming or writing a script to clean up the mess of the other user and set a time to shutdown my PC. Other users wants a freshly started PC to use.

All i want is to have a circuit diagram for a time delay relay switch with 1-3 seconds delay that triggers (tap) my PC power switch pins located at the motherboard and tap again when the time is up..

Hoping this would be the easiest way to help me with this project.

 

Could you please post, what model of timer and coin slot you have (and its specifications, if possible)

 

This is the model of the coin slot acceptor that i used to digital timer

http://shukun.en.alibaba.com/product/288784137-209851251/S_R_1210_Coin_Acceptor.html

The attached image file is the digital timer.

I was thinking about the relay to serve as my tap switch. but the problem is it can't be because it will steady the contact when the was energized. It that's happen the pc with initialize and will then close due to the stable contact of the relay. I have tried add two (2) more 5 pins relay switches to play the role of a tap switch but still it won't work due to the speed of the current flow. I think i need more extra components to make the role of the relays as a tap switch.

 

Ok, let's stay in the other thread, which is essentially the same , right?

 

I think Moonstar has seven or eight threads open on this topic...

 

Does anybody know how to do the pulse time dependent circuit?

 

I think Moonstar has seven or eight threads open on this topic...

Would you mind to give some idea with your alternative method? I also want to try it.