CarTFT M2 ATX ATX Power Supply Installation Guide

The M2-ATX 01 is a 6-24V intelligent automobile ATX power supply designed for use with a wide variety of main boards, including VIA mini-ITX motherboards, Pentium-M Celeron, and full power P4 systems. It offers features such as power sequencing, deep discharge protection, and anti-thump control for stable power delivery in vehicle environments.

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M2-ATX

6-24V Intelligent Automobile ATX Power Supply

Installation Guide

Version 1.0

P/N M2-ATX-01

Before you start…

Please take a moment and read this manual before you install the M2-ATX in your vehicle. Often times, rushing into installing the unit can result in serious damage to your M2-ATX board, computer and probably your car’s electrical system.

The M2-ATX board has several wires that need to be installed in various places. When installing, always double check

the polarity of your wires with a voltmeter.

Avoid using the cigarette plug as a power source, often times the contacts are not capable of delivering high current to your PC.

1.0 Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the M2-ATX power sequencer / vehicle ATX power supply.

The M2-ATX was designed to work with a wide variety of main boards such as the VIA mini-ITX motherboards as well as

Pentium-M Celeron or full power P4 systems.

1.1 M2-ATX Logic Diagram

1.2 M2-ATX Connection diagram

M2-ATX : Top view

Power Input Connectors

J1 Battery + (un-switched battery, positive)

J3 Ignition (switched battery, positive. Can test by connecting it to Battery +)

J4 Battery -(negative)

Controls and Settings

J6 Controls amplifier via remote ON/OFF. Left pin is RMT, Right pin is GND

J8 To motherboard ON/OFF switch

J10 User jumper settings (A,B,C,D)

J9 To external ON/OFF switch (optional, J8 is in parallel with J9)

Power Output Connectors

J2 Optional P4-12V power

J7 ATX power connector (to motherboard)

J5 To LED (optional)

NOTE: “If HARDOFF is set to “never”, M2-ATX will automatically shut down when battery voltage is below 11.2V for more than 1 minute in order to prevent ‘deep discharge’ situations.

Mode “0” is regular ATX power supply mode, no power sequencing provided, can be used for non vehicle applications.

Avoid using HARDOFF = Never, can severely discharge your battery if PC. Suggested modes are: 1, 2, and 4.

1.3 Power challenges in a Vehicle PC

The 5V Standby Problem: One of most difficult tasks of operating a PC in a vehicle is power consumption while the computer is OFF. Even when your computer is OFF, it will still consume about 100mA on the 5V rail. All power supplies provide 5VSB (5V standby) so that the motherboard can issue at least a PSON signal. When the computer is in the suspend mode, it will consume even more power, because the RAM needs to be powered at all times.

No matter how big your battery is, it will eventually drain your battery in a matter of days.

The M2-ATX is addressing these issues by cutting off the 5VSB rail after a pre-defined amount of time (see jumper chart,

HARDOFF). When 5VSB is always active (HARDOFF=Never), M2-ATX constantly monitors the battery levels. When battery level drops below 11V for more than one minute, M2-ATX will shut down and re-activate only when the input voltage is >

11V.

Engine Cranks, under-voltage and over-voltage situations. Another difficult task is maintaining stable 3.3V, 5V, 12V and

-12V power to your PC. While car batteries are rated at 12V, they actually provide voltages in between 7-11V (engine cranks) or as high as 80 volts (load dump). Most of the times, your battery will stay at 13.5V (while car is running) but extra precautions need to take place in order to prevent such situations. M2ATX can operate as low as 6V and as high as 28V while providing strict regulation on all rails along with input voltage clamping and reverse protection.

Loud amplifier pops when PC starts. If your PC is connected to your car amplifier, you will hear a loud pop when the computer is first started. The M2-ATX has an ‘anti-thump’ control that will keep your amp OFF while the PC starts. Simply connect J6 to your amplifier remote control pins to activate the ‘anti-thump’ feature.

2.0 Mode of operation

The M2-ATX performs several timing routines and takes actions as follows:

(NOTE: When all config jumpers are removed, M2-ATX will be in the “dumb PSU mode”, no ignition timing, no HARDOFF. M2-ATX will send a gratuitous “ON” pulse to the M/B when power is applied for the first time. Do not connect J8/J9 to the M/B on/off switch if you don’t want your PC to be started automatically.

1) Ignition=OFF. Nothing happens. M2-ATX is waiting for ignition signals.

2) Ignition=ON. M2-ATX waits for 2-3 seconds then turns on the 5Vsb rail. After another second M2-ATX sends an

“ON” signal to the motherboard via the 2 wires connected to the motherboard’s ON/OFF pins. The motherboard will turn ON and your system should start booting.

3) Ignition=ON during driving. Your computer will remain ON.

4) Ignition=OFF. M2-ATX waits for “OFFDELAY” in seconds (see jumper chart on Page 2) and then it turns the motherboard OFF by sending a signal to the motherboard’s ON/OFF switch. Your computer should turn off gracefully (shutdown procedure). During this time, power will still be available for your PC to perform shutdown.

5) 5VSB will still be provided for another “HARDOFF” seconds (see jumper chart). In the event where the shutdown process is longer than “OFFDELAY” (windows gets frozen, etc), power will be shut down hard, turning off all power rails. If “HARDOFF” is set to ‘NEVER”, the PSU will always provide 5VSB, therefore the PC can also be used in the

SLEEP mode. During the HARDOFF procedure, the battery levels will be constantly monitored to prevent deep discharge situations.

6) M2-ATX will go to step 1, if ignition is tuned ON again. a) Motherboard is not turning ON.

Check input cables. Measure voltage on the un-switched 12V. You should get about 12V. Measure the un-switched pin

(red) while turning the car ON/OFF. You should see 12V (car on) or 0V (car off). b) Motherboard is not turning ON (cont).

Check your output cables. Ensure total system power consumption does not exceed the M2-ATX specifications. c) Motherboard is not turning ON (cont).

Make sure that either J8 or J9 is properly connected to the ON/OFF switch of your M/B.

4.0 M2-ATX Spezifications

Minimum Input Operating. voltage

Maximum input Operating voltage

Min startup voltage

Deep-Discharge shutdown threshold

Input current limit (fuse protected)

Max Output Power

Operating temperature

Storage temperature

MTBF

Efficiency (Input 7-24V)

PCB size

Input connectors

Input fuse

Output Connector

6.0V

24V ( clamping will occur at 25-27V )

11.2V

15A

160 Watts

-40 to +85 degrees Celsius

-55 to +125 degrees Celsius

192,000 hrs @ 50C, 96,000 hrs @65C

>90% at 50% load

160x45mm

Faston 0.25” terminal

Mini-Blade fuse, 10A

ATX Power 20 pin (Molex P/N 39-01-2200)

Maximum Power Characteristics

Output Rail

3.3V

5VSB

-12V

12V

Current (Max)

1.5A

0.15A

8A *

(siehe unten)

Current Peak

(<60 seconds)

12A

0.2A

Regulation

1.5%

5-%

2 %

12V Rail Output Current

Input (V) 12V rail current Input (V) 12V rail current

11V

12V

14V

8.5A

9V 7A 14-18V 9A

10V 8A 20-26V 7A

NOTE :

Maximum power = 169.90 Watt

When operating at 24V or extreme temperatures, de-rate by 25%, ventilation will be required.

B. Lambert – CarTFT.com, Revision: 01.04.2006

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Key features

Power sequencing
Deep discharge protection
Anti-thump control
Stable power delivery
Wide voltage range
Compact design
High efficiency

Frequently asked questions

The power sequencing feature allows the M2-ATX to control the power delivery to the motherboard, ensuring a safe and stable startup process. The M2-ATX provides a 5VSB rail to the motherboard first, then sends an "ON" signal to turn on the power rails when the ignition is turned on. This ensures that the motherboard can boot up properly and prevents any potential damage to the system.

The deep discharge protection feature monitors the battery voltage and automatically shuts down the power supply if the voltage drops below 11.2V for more than one minute. This prevents the battery from being deeply discharged and prolongs its lifespan.

The anti-thump control feature prevents loud pops from the amplifier when the computer is turned on. By connecting the J6 connector to the amplifier's remote control pins, the M2-ATX keeps the amplifier off while the PC starts, preventing any unwanted noise.

The M2-ATX offers several modes of operation, which can be configured using the jumper settings. These modes control the timing of power delivery, shutdown procedures, and the duration of 5VSB availability.