Re: Converting USB 1.1 front panel Ports to USB 2.0 ?
"thanatoid" <waiting@the.exit.invalid> wrote in message
news:Xns99AE3291FD2CFthanexit@66.250.146.158...
| "Dingwhistle" <nofreeloaders@nighttrain.net> wrote in
| news:#8MzMsP#HHA.4736@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl:
|
| > "thanatoid" wrote in message
| > news:Xns99AE117E49EA7thanexit@66.250.146.158...
|
| <SNIP>
|
| >> You seem to have enough experience to attempt this - I
| >> would open the thing up and using a voltmeter check which
| >> pins are doing something and which are doing nothing.
| >
| > Yep... a possibility. :-D I've both failed and succeeded an
| > equal number of times at both.
| >
| >> I think it's only 2 or 3 pins that do anything.
| >
| > Perhaps; but that's the $64 ,000 question. <g>
|
| Nah, it's only about a $500 question.
|
| >> AFAIK, nothing *physical* has
| >> changed, just the internals and speed.
| >
| > Yeah; the USB1.1 end remains physically and effectively
| > (effect) unchanged. The addition of the USB 2.0 card is of
| > course a physical change. Now, I need a way to connect that
| > physically changed end to the other unchanged one.
| >
| >> But putting the USB 2 ports where the old ones were on the
| >> I/O board will not make the thing faster - you DO need a
| >> USB 2 PCI card.
| >
| > I have one installed (a two external port - ALi USB 2.0
| > card) - It doesn't have a standard type internal port, nor
| > a typical header socket connector. Just two sets of 9 pin
| > prongs which jut out of the circuit board.
|
| It may come as a slight surprise to you, but all I know about
| USB ports is what I've read in groups like this one. I DO have a
| 5 year old (or something) machine (my 2nd computer) with USB 1
| ports, but I have NO USB stuff and I am not interested in any at
| the moment.
|
| Still, it APPEARS that USB is just TWO wires. (Kind of like
| Appletalk has always been {AFAIK) - about time, Wintel.)
As John points out, there are four wires involved.
|
| So you could check which connections from the USB jacks on your
| card go to which closest to them (circuit-wise) solder-friendly
| places on the USB board and make connections based on that. It
| would look weird as hell - but who cares.
|
| Here's an idea - Google for some combination of USB upgrade,
| Dell I/O board, modification, etc. - or just "computer upgrade
| help". There are hundreds of sites which actually deal with
| things just like this.
|
| >> Then there's the whole matter of system bus speeds etc.
| >> which I know next to nothing about.
|
| > Hadn't even entered my mind. Obviously, I'm not up to snuff
| > regarding that aspect.
|
| It's impossible to keep up. FYI, I am doing this on a 10 years
| old (in ten days exactly) 166 MMX with 95B.
|
| But I don't think the bus speed enters into it that much - the
| USB 2 should be much faster no matter what, or the PCI cards
| wouldn't be available or at least would have been totally
| discredited as useless by now.
There are some chipsets which, though supposedly USB 2.0, do NOT support
the actual full speed/frequency involved. One of those is apparently the
SIS 7001/7002 chipset. Its always best to check the NET first for issues
which may be involved with any device and/or chipset BEFORE purchasing the
product.
|
| >> But I don't think it will matter if you just sever the
| >> connections of the old ports by simply *removing* the
| >> ports to put the new ones in their place - just glue them
| >> or something.
| >
| > That's risky. They are hard soldered onto the circuit board
| > (and the only one I have, at that).
|
| Well, you obviously know about soldering - stick the iron at the
| connector, wait a moment, and pull. I REALLY don't think
| anything will happen - the old ports will be dead, but you just
| care about the new ones.
|
| (It would be nice if some technician actually bothered to join
| this thread, huh? Although I must say I am *quite* impressed
| with the amount of info on the Dell support site. If you dig
| deeper you might find some very relevant stuff.)
Take a look at the info John presented, and check over on USBMAN, and
several other sites. The USB issues and pin configs are usually well
documented, even for those *specialty* pin configs and/or headers.
Conversions are possible, however, as in CAT5/CAT6 wires for networks, and
in over 33mbit cabling for hardrives, the cable configuration is important,
as well as the pin config. Higher frequencies require differring types of
cable to reduce or handle cross-talk.
|
| >> The USB 1 ports may just show up as "not working" or
| >> defective,
| >
| > After I have chopped up the board, I'd expect nothing less.
| > lol
| >
| >> but the new ones should work fine.
| > Yep.... "should". <g>
| >
| >> Then again I am NOT an electronics technician.
| >
| > Nor am I. However, I could expand my knowledge and
| > experience just as I've done in the past.... if you'll only
| > let me borrow your I/O card. *ggg*
|
| Here's another idea... Why not BUY an identical I/O card from
| Dell (it shouldn't be expensive) or maybe even find an identical
| trashed machine in a "junkyard" of some kind (garage sale, old
| computer shop etc.). Even a running one would probably cost you
| little.
|
| (Now I don't want to be mean, but I would REALLY like to know
| how this all turns out... I hate long exchanges which just
| disappear into infinity and you never know what the hell finally
| happened...)
|
|
|
| --
| "This is not nuclear. This is just a test."
| - illyria
--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com
________
