Tablet Mod Power Button

I am writing this to answer a question that I recently received via email. The question this person was asking for more detail on how I modified the power button since turning the screen over on itself will cover the power button.

(pardon the MS paint motes on the pictures, I’m doing this kind of quickly)

Note where the power button is on this laptop. In the upper left.

See where it is after I took the keyboard and bezel off. You can see circuit board extending up toward where the hinge would be. I’m calling it the power button peninsula. The only thing on this peninsula is the power button.

Here is a close up of the power button peninsula. It’s washed out here, but there are four (4) tabs coming off of the button and soldered into the circuit board. I have seen these switches come in a few configurations so always check to see if the switch falls into one of these categories.

1. 3 of the 4 tabs are common and 1 is switched with the button.
2. 2 sets of 2 tabs are switched with the button.
3. 2 tabs are switched and other 2 tabs do nothing.
4. 2 of the 4 tabs are common and 2 are switched.

    

   See picture for explanation of what to look for:

So I grab a multi-meter and set it to do a continuity test. I attach clip leads to one of the legs. Then with the other lead I attached it to another leg and I see what the multi-meter reads.

If it beeps, then I know those two are tied together. Then I attached the second lead to another leg of the switch. If this leg does not cause the multi-meter to beep then I press the button. If pressing the button causes the multi-meter to beep then I found the two legs of the switch that I need to use for my remote button. If the multi-meter does not beep when I press the button then maybe the tabs do nothing. I would go all around the switch testing all combinations of the switch. What I am doing is mapping out the switch.

Once I find the two legs that are my switch then I mark them and heat up the soldering iron. I solder wire to the bottom of the circuit board where the switch legs pop through. I attach one wire to one leg and another wire to the other leg. Then I attach those wires to a new switch and put that switch where ever I want.

Now both switches work. Since the one that’s on the circuit board is below the monitor I don’t care about it anymore and I continue on with the laptop mod. In my case, I put my new switch on the outside of the laptop so I can use it.

You can see in the upper right corner of the photo there is a red and white wire sticking out of the laptop. That’s where I placed the new switch on the outside of the computer. The other end of those wires are soldered onto the switch inside the computer.

I hope this helps explain the remote switch concept and how to complete that part of the mod. I’m a little short on time so I rushed through this post. I apologize for the crappy graphics and the third grade switch images I made.