[continued from previous message]   
      
   > programming the thing.   
   >   
   > Starting the board, while it's not ready to be started, I couldn't   
   > tell you what to expect for behaviors.   
   >   
   > *******   
   >   
   > To analyze the ability to control the power supply, we look at   
   > what is working in the sequence.   
   >   
   > When you turn on at the back, the fans don't spin. The +5VSB is running   
   > at that point. That's the supervisor voltage.   
   >   
   > When you push the button on the front (momentary contact), the   
   > onboard logic latches that and makes a "steady ON" out of it. At that point,   
   > the front button does not matter, in terms of keeping the fans spinning   
   > and the system running.   
   >   
   > Let's say an OS boots. In the process of handoff, the BIOS says "we need   
   > to engage the four second filter now, on the front panel button, to   
   > prevent inadvertent brushing against the switch". If you press the   
   > front button, the button must be held down for the four second interval   
   > (because the OS or something, set the hardware to start using the logic   
   filter).   
   >   
   > In an OS, you can "bind" the front button input to a response. You can   
   > make the system "Sleep" by pushing the front button, or "Hibernate". But   
   > most people just leave the ACPI interface set to "When I press the button,   
   > shut off". So after the four seconds, the hardware logic shuts off.   
   > That should be the default as far as I know.   
   >   
   > If the pad driver that asserts "PS_ON#" on the 24 pin was able   
   > to switch the system ON, it should be able to switch the system OFF   
   > by "letting go" of the pin. The 8mA open collector signal, stops   
   > pulling down on PS_ON# and the pullup resistor on the PSU end,   
   > pulls the signal to the deasserted state (the five volt level)   
   > and the fans go off.   
   >   
   > The +5VSB is still running at shutdown, but the main rails are   
   > off and the fans should have stopped (because the fans depend on   
   > the main rail +12V for power).   
   >   
   > Off for your RMA I guess. I can't see how it would fail that way. It   
   > would have needed a logic clock to run the state machine (something   
   > it can use to time a 4 second event in hardware). The RTC (Real Time Clock)   
   > has a 1PPS output (pulse per second) and counting four of those ticks   
   > should suffice as a logic conditioner for the momentary power button   
   > in the front of the PC.   
      
   You're never wrong so 'ideally' I should put the board together again   
   and try the motherboard power-button but all the CPU installation and   
   removal risks bending the pins so I won't. The board is back in its box   
   and goes RMA as soon as I get the shipping label. I asked them to foot   
   the shipping both ways but they'll probably decline, that means that by   
   the time it leaves here it will already have cost me retail price + $150   
   or so + many months of my life and I STILL haven't seen the NEW and   
   faultless product that I had *PAID* for.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)