Solved Turning on your PC with Amazon Echo Dot

jvickers · Jul 13, 2022

badrobot said:
I made my own splitter but you can also get one from Amazon. You need to have both the existing power button and the relay switch connected to the motherboard so you can use either of the two to power on your PC.

Amazon.com: E-outstanding 4PCS 2 Pins Single Female to Dual Male Jumper Splitter for PC Motherboard Power Light-Emitting Diode Switch Reset HDD Hard Drive : Electronics

Amazon.com: E-outstanding 4PCS 2 Pins Single Female to Dual Male Jumper Splitter for PC Motherboard Power Light-Emitting Diode Switch Reset HDD Hard Drive : Electronics

www.amazon.com

I ordered all the parts - enough for two systems. I'm going to try it out on my old, standby system first. If I fry it, which I doubt I will given your excellent guidance, I'll do the same to my main system. My wife thinks I'm silly for doing something like this. I told her it's my hobby. :)

badrobot · Jul 13, 2022

jvickers said:
I ordered all the parts - enough for two systems. I'm going to try it out on my old, standby system first. If I fry it, which I doubt I will given your excellent guidance, I'll do the same to my main system. My wife thinks I'm silly for doing something like this. I told her it's my hobby. :)

jvickers · Jul 13, 2022

I wonder if I should set it to the lowest time because I want my power button to put my system to sleep instead of shutting it down. That's something I'll play with on my practice rig.

badrobot · Jul 13, 2022

jvickers said:
I wonder if I should set it to the lowest time because I want my power button to put my system to sleep instead of shutting it down. That's something I'll play with on my practice rig.

Regarding that, you have to set the power button to "shut down" when pressed

jvickers · Jul 13, 2022

badrobot said:
Regarding that, you have to set the power button to "shut down" when pressed

View attachment 33869

I changed it to go to sleep when I press the power button. I have no sleep button. Just the power and reset.

badrobot · Jul 13, 2022

jvickers said:
I changed it to go to sleep when I press the power button. I have no sleep button. Just the power and reset.

Up to you if you just want it to sleep or shut down.
Or you can set a countdown timer for the PC to go to sleep.

jvickers · Jul 13, 2022

badrobot said:
Up to you if you just want it to sleep or shut down.
Or you can set a countdown timer for the PC to go to sleep.

View attachment 33870

I have that set to "Never" since I don't leave my computer for long throughout the day. When I do finally leave it, it's for the rest of the night. I'll try to set up everything between semesters. I think I have a week or two off from teaching. That will be plenty of time. I have a spare SSD I want to install in my main rig, so opening it up will allow me to accomplish more than one thing.

Winuser · Jul 13, 2022

Winuser said:
I must be older than I thought. Clicking the mouse button or hitting a key on the keyboard is good enough for me. I also like to procrastinate. I purchased a Echo Show and 5 wireless security cameras and they're still in they box they were shipped in.

I finally got off my duff today. I setup my Echo Show and three of my five Blink cameras. For the other two cameras I need mounting hardware with a longer arm to get the angle I need. The ones that came with the kit are too short. I order them plus a complete doorbell kit from Amazon so I can setup the Blink doorbell camera. I have to admit that so far, I'm impressed with the Echo Show and the wireless cameras. The one thing I wasn't impressed with is the totally too easy instructions they came with. It might just be me, but they leave so much out that it's actually harder to go by. In this case I'm referring to the software setup. The Hardware was easy. A few google searches on the Echo and Blink cameras got me setup and running.

badrobot · Jul 13, 2022

Winuser said:
I finally got off my duff today. I setup my Echo Show and three of my five Blink cameras. For the other two cameras I need mounting hardware with a longer arm to get the angle I need. The ones that came with the kit are too short. I order them plus a complete doorbell kit from Amazon so I can setup the Blink doorbell camera. I have to admit that so far, I'm impressed with the Echo Show and the wireless cameras. The one thing I wasn't impressed with is the totally too easy instructions they came with. It might just be me, but they leave so much out that it's actually harder to go by. In this case I'm referring to the software setup. The Hardware was easy. A few google searches on the Echo and Blink cameras got me setup and running.

If you have a firestick on your TV (or Fire TV), you can also ask Alexa to show any camera you want on your TV ("Alexa, show camera <camera name>")

https://www.amazon.com/fire-tv-stick-with-3rd-gen-alexa-voice-remote/dp/B08C1W5N87/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OPCB6MTC8RPS&keywords=firestickick+2022&qid=1657746712&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sprefix=firestick%2Caps%2C69&sr=8-1

Winuser · Jul 14, 2022

badrobot said:
If you have a firestick on your TV (or Fire TV), you can also ask Alexa to show any camera you want on your TV ("Alexa, show camera <camera name>")

https://www.amazon.com/fire-tv-stick-with-3rd-gen-alexa-voice-remote/dp/B08C1W5N87/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OPCB6MTC8RPS&keywords=firestickick+2022&qid=1657746712&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sprefix=firestick%2Caps%2C69&sr=8-1

That would be nice, but I don't have a firestick. I'm using a Roku box on our main TV and our second TV is a Roku TV. I'll have to check out the Firestick.

Winuser · Jul 14, 2022

badrobot said:
If you have a firestick on your TV (or Fire TV), you can also ask Alexa to show any camera you want on your TV ("Alexa, show camera <camera name>")

I just did a web search and I found that there is a Mezzmo app for the Firestick so I would still be able to stream from my mini PC. Being able to see the camera on the TV screen would be better than looking at the small screen on the Echo Show.

jvickers · Jul 24, 2022

badrobot said:
Here is a graphical diagram...

View attachment 33759

In order to get things to work, I had to use electrical tape to always have the power button in the switch pressed down. It will turn the system on and off. Is that normal to have to get the switch always pressed down?

badrobot · Jul 24, 2022

jvickers said:
In order to get things to work, I had to use electrical tape to always have the power button in the switch pressed down. It will turn the system on and off. Is that normal to have to get the switch always pressed down?

No, it should be pressed once like a normal momemtary switch. If you tape it, it will be like pressing and holding the power button to force a hard reset. There is a small knob you need to adjust to set how long the relay will stay close. Scroll back to my previous replies what you need to do.

badrobot · Jul 24, 2022

badrobot said:
No, it should be pressed once like a normal momemtary switch. If you tape it, it will be like pressing and holding the power button to force a hard reset. There is a small knob you need to adjust to set how long the relay will stay close. Scroll back to my previous replies what you need to do.

The relay will go to closed position (on) when you supply a power and goes to open position (off) when you cut off the power. So, you have to create an Alexa routine to turn on and off the power to a smart plug where your USB power source is connected.

badrobot · Jul 24, 2022

badrobot said:
The relay will go to closed position (on) when you supply a power and goes to open position (off) when you cut off the power. So, you have to create an Alexa routine to turn on and off the power to a smart plug where your USB power source is connected.

You have to test the relay wirh the smart plug before connecting it to your PC. Don't connect it to the mothetboard yet until ererything works fine with the relay and the smart plug/alexa command.

jvickers · Jul 24, 2022

badrobot said:
You have to test the relay wirh the smart plug before connecting it to your PC. Don't connect it to the mothetboard yet until ererything works fine with the relay and the smart plug/alexa command.

Nothing works unless you press the switch manually. Everything seems to be wired correctly. I have the Elexa routine exactly as you have yours. The micro usb cable is plugged in. But the light doesn't engage unless the switch is pressed. I hope I'm making sense here.

badrobot · Jul 24, 2022

Did you adjust the relay timer using a screw driver?

badrobot · Jul 24, 2022

jvickers said:
Nothing works unless you press the switch manually. Everything seems to be wired correctly. I have the Elexa routine exactly as you have yours. The micro usb cable is plugged in. But the light doesn't engage unless the switch is pressed. I hope I'm making sense here.

I sent you a PM.

jvickers · Jul 26, 2022

I'm happy to report that I set up my Windows 10 machine to turn on and off with Alexa using the wonderful advice @badrobot provided. All the parts are in this thread for those wanting to do the same thing.

My next project is to hook up my main, Windows 11, machine to sleep and wake using Alexa. It's the same steps outlined here, it's just changing what the power button does (i.e., putting the system to sleep versus shutting down).

Again, thanks, badrobot!

(I will try to post a video one day of the end product.)

jvickers · Jul 26, 2022

Just thought I'd post all the parts in case someone else wants to do this:
5V Trigger Time Delay Switch
Female to Male Dual Jump Splitter for PC Motherboard
Kasa Smart Plug - 4 pack (you only need one, and any will do, really)
10ft 3 pack USB to Micro USB Cable

That's it. You need to secure the button in the pressed position on the time delay switch for this to work. I just used electrical tape. What to hook to where is earlier in the thread.

You also need an Echo of some form. I have this Echo Dot.