Any way to convert internal USB to external?

[dderidex]

Here is the situation. I recently acquired a Shuttle XPC that I am busily turning into my main rig (it's SO MUCH quieter!). However, I have been using a Mitsumi 7-in-1 memory reader and floppy drive combo unit as my way of reading my compactflash data into the computer.

Now, here is my problem. The USB part of the Mitsumi 7-in-1 reader does NOT WORK on nForce2 board internal USB headers. It didn't work on my old motherboard (see sig), and it doesn't work on the new Shuttle board. For my old system, I bought a PCI USB expansion card with internal USB headers on it, using an ALi chipset. Plugging the 7-in-1 reader into that worked fine.

I *could* use the same card in this system, as I *do* have a PCI slot....but, uggg....I only have ONE PCI slot, and I'd like to use it for something else!

What I'd like to do is have some kind of adapter to plug the internal header from the 7-in-1 drive (it expects only 4 pins) so that it could plug into a 'regular' external USB port. Then, I could just run the cable out of the case, plug it into a regular USB port, and be done with it. (Course, this may just be a wild goose chase, and it's simply the USB driver or controller of the nForce2 system *itself* that has a problem with the 7-in-1 reader. Who knows?)

 

[Spikesoldier]

im pretty sure all USB hubs use a male(A type) to another male(B type) cable.

simply get a USB extension cord.

plug male(B) end of USB extension cord into internal port, connect male(B) end of the USB cable going into the hub. then simply connect male(A) end into the hub.

viola

 

[dderidex]

I don't think that would work. The internal port is not a USB port, but a 4-pin header on the motherboard. (Actually, a 4-pin header next to a 5-pin header as a single block of pins. The extra pin on the 5th one is just 'ground', IIRC.)

 

[Zepper]

You can easily shuffle the pins in the header connector from the Mitsumi to make it work with your mobo. There are instructions all over the place.
.bh.

:moon: Here, have a :beer: !

 

[vailr]

Did you try plugging the 4-pin connector (of the Mitsumi 7-in-1 reader) into just one column of the motherboard USB header?
Like so, where the four x's are:

* * * * *
x x x x -

Try in both L to R, and R to L orientations.
(The "-" position is empty).
That should work for enabling one front USB port.

 

[dderidex]

The Mitsumi device has 4 pins on the 'plug' of it labelled:

+5VDC
DATA-
DATA+
GRND

My motherboard has a front panel USB header with 2 rows of pins - one row of 4 and one row of 5. (I was wrong about that spare pin - it's labelled 'N/C'...soo....does nothing)

The motherboard manual (Shuttle FN45) shows the front panel header as:

1 2 // 1 = VCC, 2 = VCC
3 4 // 3 = Data0 -, 4 = Data1 -
5 6 // 5 = Data0 +, 6 = Data1 +
7 8 // 7 = Ground, 8 = Ground
9 0 // 9 = empty, 10 = N/C

So, I tried plugging it into the 1/3/5/7 row (+5VDC => VCC, DATA- => Data0 -, DATA+ => Data0+, GRND => Ground) and the same in the 2/4/6/8 row.

In both cases, the system sees nothing. I don't see the drives as available, I don't see any of the reader devices in device manager, and if I go to the properties of the front panel USB controller (which does show up in device manager, so I know it's enabled in the BIOS), it shows that USB controller as having all the ports unused.

You can easily shuffle the pins in the header connector from the Mitsumi to make it work with your mobo. There are instructions all over the place.

Instructions on the Mitsumi to get it working with nForce2? If so, PLEASE direct me to where! The only link I ever found on Mitsume and nForce2s indicated they just didn't work together, and that has matched my experience in the matter. If there is some 'known bug' and a fix, well...that'd be AWESOME.

 

[LanFear]

Do you have the internal usb headers enabled in the bios?

 

[LanFear]

Originally posted by: dderidex
The Mitsumi device has 4 pins on the 'plug' of it labelled:

+5VDC
DATA-
DATA+
GRND

My motherboard has a front panel USB header with 2 rows of pins - one row of 4 and one row of 5. (I was wrong about that spare pin - it's labelled 'N/C'...soo....does nothing)

The motherboard manual (Shuttle FN45) shows the front panel header as:

1 2 // 1 = VCC, 2 = VCC
3 4 // 3 = Data0 -, 4 = Data1 -
5 6 // 5 = Data0 +, 6 = Data1 +
7 8 // 7 = Ground, 8 = Ground
9 0 // 9 = empty, 10 = N/C

So, I tried plugging it into the 1/3/5/7 row (+5VDC => VCC, DATA- => Data0 -, DATA+ => Data0+, GRND => Ground) and the same in the 2/4/6/8 row.

In both cases, the system sees nothing. I don't see the drives as available, I don't see any of the reader devices in device manager, and if I go to the properties of the front panel USB controller (which does show up in device manager, so I know it's enabled in the BIOS), it shows that USB controller as having all the ports unused.

I've never heard of anyone connecting a device directly onto an internal header pin, only to the ports that the cable connected to it enables. I'd like to know if this is really possible. A simple solution would be to buy a cable and connect to the front panel headers and use them.

 

[Zepper]

USB is USB as long as the right wire is connected to the right pin, it should work. Are you sure you have all your USB ports enabled? If there really is a problem between the Mitsumi and the nForce chipset then you're SOL. Try the YE Data model and punt the Mitsumi. No excuse for that kind of shiznits...
. The instructions I mentoned are how to change contact positions in the shell - nothing specific re. Mitsumi/nFarce.
.bh.

 

[camara120]

Im assuming you already have something like this.

...and Im guessing youre saying it doesnt work.

I have that mitsumi drive too. I have a connector similar to the one I linked to and I have that hooked up to a hub.

everything is internal and I can hook the front USB ports up to the hub too.

You could give that a try if nothing else works.

 

[dderidex]

Originally posted by: camara120
Im assuming you already have something like this.

Well, no. What I'm saying is that the Mitsumi drive I have has a USB connector that looks exactly like the USB connectors on that devices, though - it's designed to plug into the 'front panel' USB header on the motherboard. Which doesn't work.

And that's odd, because the expansion ALi PCI card I have, as you can see, has USB headers in the back top corner of it that look EXACTLY like my motherboard USB headers. And, when I plug the Mitsumi drive into THIS....it works fine!