Power Switch Won't Work

[roger]

I just bought a new Rosewill Galaxy-03 ATX Mid Tower Case from
Newegg. It has a power on-off switch on the top.
I bought a Gigabyte GA-F2A88X-D3H ATX FM2 motherboard from Mwave.com

I may have made a mistake of some sort. I have the case wiring
connected up. I have the power sw connector connected to the mobo
pins designated PW. The case power sw will NOT fire up the mobo.
However I can get the mobo to start if I cross the PW pins. This
tells me the case switch is not doing its job?

The one thing I do notice is that the case connector is labelled POWER
SW LY. Does that mean something relative to my problem? What is LY?

Anyone know or suggest something I can try?

Help!

Big Fred

 

[Paul]

I just bought a new Rosewill Galaxy-03 ATX Mid Tower Case from
Newegg. It has a power on-off switch on the top.
I bought a Gigabyte GA-F2A88X-D3H ATX FM2 motherboard from Mwave.com

I may have made a mistake of some sort. I have the case wiring
connected up. I have the power sw connector connected to the mobo
pins designated PW. The case power sw will NOT fire up the mobo.
However I can get the mobo to start if I cross the PW pins. This
tells me the case switch is not doing its job?

The one thing I do notice is that the case connector is labelled POWER
SW LY. Does that mean something relative to my problem? What is LY?

Anyone know or suggest something I can try?

Help!

Big Fred

Both the power switch and the reset switch on
a PC, are momentary contact SPST switches.

When the switch is depressed (activated), using
an ohmmeter it should read zero ohms. When you
take your finger off the switch, it should return
to open circuit (infinite ohms). Those are the things
you check for, when verifying the switch.

When a case has both a power switch and a reset switch,
you can substitute the reset switch, to use as a temporary
power switch. The PC doesn't care if no switch at all
is connected to the reset pins on the motherboard. If it
works using the reset switch, and not with the power switch,
then the power switch must be bad. And a multimeter set to
the ohms scale, can check the resistance has the correct
values (zero ohms when depressed).

In an emergency, you don't need a multimeter for this.
You can also test switches, using a battery, a penlight
bulb, wires, and tape, and set up a battery operated
flashlight, using the switch to turn the light on and
off. As a kid, I buzzed out a lot of circuits,
with a battery and flashlight bulb. Because I was
too poor to afford anything better. When I was a kid,
you couldn't get a multimeter for $20. They were a lot more.
The best I could have done back then, was a Simpson analog
meter. A Fluke digital would have cost a small fortune.
People are spoiled now, by low-cost meters. The $20 ones,
are good enough for testing switches. The meters are
probably accurate to 3% or so.

I prefer meters, where the test leads can be unplugged.
This meter is cheap, but the wires are permanently affixed.
And the battery type, is something you might only find
in the "big city". I like meters that use the old 9V
batteries, because those are available from more sources.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4214667

Paul

 

[Rodney Pont]

I just bought a new Rosewill Galaxy-03 ATX Mid Tower Case from
Newegg. It has a power on-off switch on the top.
I bought a Gigabyte GA-F2A88X-D3H ATX FM2 motherboard from Mwave.com

I may have made a mistake of some sort. I have the case wiring
connected up. I have the power sw connector connected to the mobo
pins designated PW. The case power sw will NOT fire up the mobo.
However I can get the mobo to start if I cross the PW pins. This
tells me the case switch is not doing its job?

The one thing I do notice is that the case connector is labelled POWER
SW LY. Does that mean something relative to my problem? What is LY?

Anyone know or suggest something I can try?

Can you get to the power switch on the inside of the case? Maybe a wire
has come off the switch pin. Also check the wire hasn't been damaged by
being trapped in somewhere.

 

[roger]

Both the power switch and the reset switch on
a PC, are momentary contact SPST switches.

When the switch is depressed (activated), using
an ohmmeter it should read zero ohms. When you
take your finger off the switch, it should return
to open circuit (infinite ohms). Those are the things
you check for, when verifying the switch.

When a case has both a power switch and a reset switch,
you can substitute the reset switch, to use as a temporary
power switch. The PC doesn't care if no switch at all
is connected to the reset pins on the motherboard. If it
works using the reset switch, and not with the power switch,
then the power switch must be bad. And a multimeter set to
the ohms scale, can check the resistance has the correct
values (zero ohms when depressed).

In an emergency, you don't need a multimeter for this.
You can also test switches, using a battery, a penlight
bulb, wires, and tape, and set up a battery operated
flashlight, using the switch to turn the light on and
off. As a kid, I buzzed out a lot of circuits,
with a battery and flashlight bulb. Because I was
too poor to afford anything better. When I was a kid,
you couldn't get a multimeter for $20. They were a lot more.
The best I could have done back then, was a Simpson analog
meter. A Fluke digital would have cost a small fortune.
People are spoiled now, by low-cost meters. The $20 ones,
are good enough for testing switches. The meters are
probably accurate to 3% or so.

I prefer meters, where the test leads can be unplugged.
This meter is cheap, but the wires are permanently affixed.
And the battery type, is something you might only find
in the "big city". I like meters that use the old 9V
batteries, because those are available from more sources.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4214667

Paul

Thanks again Paul.

At your suggestion, I switched the case PowerSW and Reset connectors
on the mobo pins, and voila! the case power switch now works. I don't
think the case has a reset switch, so it will be of no loss.

Big Fred