iMac 5,1 (late 2006) - Wiring an additional power button

dereismdereism
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014


Hello.


 


I am attempting to add an additional 'power' button (or reset button) to an iMac Core 2 Duo. 


 


I tried soldering a single lead from each of the two connections found beneath the left speaker which were wired to a breadboard with a 6mm button. This seemed to do nothing. The stock button worked as expected, but the secondary button was without function. I did some simple fiddling, but I could not seem to figure out how to get a secondary button to operate.


 


Is there a kind soul out there who might have insight as to how to best wire a secondary power/reset button for an iMac 5,1? I would sincerely appreciate it :)

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 2
    relicrelic Posts: 4,735member


    Powermate has a really cool pulsating USB device that can be used to start your iMac. It is also programamble to do your bidding, mooowwwhahahah.


     


    http://store.griffintechnology.com/laptops/powermate


     



     


    If you still want to continue your mad science experiment don't connect your wire directly to the cable that connects to the motherboard but piggyback where the button cable meets the power input assembly.


     



     


    .

  • Reply 2 of 2
    dereismdereism Posts: 2member


    (I'm editing to reflect an edit above...)


     


    Thank you so much for that picture and suggestion! That makes a lot of sense and will fit my needs perfectly. Thank you!


     


    Editing again:


     


    It seems like a real pita to get back behind the electronics to the plug assembly (though as we all know, simply opening these machines is no walk in the park). I am wondering if I could solder the interrupt where the wiring meets the power supply board as that is much more accessible. Regardless, I am genuinely grateful for being put in this direction rather than being preoccupied with the existing button and its workings.


     


    (The stuff below was posted before the edit...)


     


    Thank you so much for the suggestion, Relic, that appears to be a nifty little gizmo.


     


    Unfortunately, I run Fedora on all of my Apple hardware, and the PowerMate doesn't appear to support Linux installs. I'm not sure if 'no support' and 'doesn't work' necessarily mean the same thing here, though, but I am probably not willing to risk it for financial reasons.


     


    I also must admit to enjoying tinkering around inside these machines, and was hoping I could get by with a little DIY :)


     


    That is a cool device, though, and I will be remembering it for a case of future need.


     


    Thank you so much for the response!

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