Ted Otis wrote:
>I want to use a laptop computer to record digital images of salmon
passing by a remote video camera placed alongside a clear water stream.

>The problem is, I cannot find a laptop that allows me to go into the bios
to configure it to automatically boot up whenever it is receiving adequate
power.

>It's imperative that the computer boot itself back up when power
is restored by our solar and wind generators charging our 12V battery
bank).

I read with great interest what your department is doing and I can see where
this concept is possible providing the computer manufacturers are will to
invest the time and money. As Mark Rode suggested, contact the big guys. If
there is enough money in it for them maybe they will.

You present some very interesting parameters with your request. For the most
part there isn't a lap top available today that will fill all of the needs
you have. The cost to convert or build "one" of these would be expensive. On
the engineering side it can be done. I have queried several of my Laptop
manufacturer reps and the following is a reply to an Email I sent to one of
them. I quote;

Very interesting.

  Base on my tech knowledge (I used to design the motherboard and spec
definition.), your case need a new auto-power on H/W design and add
auto-power-on support in the BIOS too. It is a big work and very hard to
achieve for small qty.

  The other way is like you mentioned in the mail, build an external power
module and modify BIOS code to support voltage auto-detect and
auto-power-on. But, you still need to modify the mainboard's powergood
signal, reset signal, and CPU regulator circuitry to work with external
power module. Another issue will be BIOS code modification, as I know that
all NB manufacturers have its own customerized BIOS code and will not
release to your case unless with qty and very high engineering cost.

  Your application is very interested and should have good future, I will
check some design house in Taiwan to see if they are interested. If I did
not get back to you, don't be disappointed.

  rgds,
  Larry

Well there you have it or at least one. Alaska has some very good
universities and I'm sure that some really bright IT Tech would love to toy
around with this idea. Don't leave out the professors either. I have had
some very interesting conversations with some of them and they do enjoy a
challenge.

I will continue to search of a possible answer, however as Larry said, "If I
did not get back to you, don't be disappointed." I like a good challenge
that stirs up the old gray matter.

Sincerely,

Frank Suszka
netTek Computers
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