I'm not such a fan of USB. Actually the motherboards have a com port, RS232, so maybe i can use some old fashioned thing there.Adam Hair wrote:Is it possible to control an individual usb port? If so, then you could use a usb controlled power strip. It monitors the 5 volt usb output and shuts down when the voltage ceases.
If not, then you might have to do what Bob suggested. Get a usb relay, and use that to control the power to an intermediate receptacle outlet which you plug the switch into. I found one here that is not too expensive:
http://www.pencomdesign.com/1ch_usb_relay.htm
Same principle applies then i suppose.
Usually in bios i turn off usb entirely - too easy to hack machines that have usb enabled.
Now i want to control of course the fans of the switch, the next thing to also monitor is the fans i intend to build to blow air in and out of the room, though i have some months for that to go when it gets a tad hotter and it has to lose the cluster heat to outside - that will be a lot easier to control though and probably no relays needed as just have to shutdown the machines then.
p.s. the relays you advice seems a windoze only relay - not gonna work at linux here