At 20:17 4/20/99 -0500, Dean Kukral wrote:
>I mean, I can understand how it will shut your computer down,
>but I do not see how it will start it back up.
>
>Perhaps with an AT computer this would work, but
>I don't  **think** it would work on an ATX.
>
>The only way I can see that this would work, is if
>the computer went into a low-power standby
>condition rather than actually turned off.

Hi Dean

My main computers, which use slot one processors, are all ATX
based (one with an Asus P2B ATX motherboard, two with Abit BH6
motherboards), and have options in their BIOS Setups to power up
the system via signal from the LAN (using my ethernet cards), or
via a signal to the serial port, or automatically after a power
failure (same as if the UPS were intentionally turned off and
then turned back on), or even when a key on the keyboard is
pressed (instead of using the on/off switch). The Asus (at least)
also has the option in BIOS to turn the machine on at set times
and dates...sort of like programming a VCR. The system is not in
sleep mode...it does this from a complete shut down.

I've checked and these options work, although I don't have them
enabled ordinarily. (They might have unintended effects...for
example, the system might boot when the phone rings.) As far as
I can see, a computer with an ATX motherboard must act like a
television with an infrared remote...that is, it's always somewhat
alive, even after it's shutdown. Maybe the battery on the motherboard
runs a timer (the clock after all, always runs) and a sensor (for
the serial port, LAN port, keyboard, and on/off switch).

Anyway, most good UPS' are connectable to the computer's serial
port. They could send a signal to start using this connection.

This is one of the reasons that I don't like to keep an ATX
based system plugged in when I'm working on it...what if it
suddenly turned on? (By the way, my system never powered
up when the phone rang, but I've heard of cases where it has
happened.)

Regards,
Bill

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