Can I plug a firwire cable to USB port?

[HeXploiT]

A case I just bought has external/front usb & firewire connectors for the motherboard but the firewire is the same as a standard usb connector.

They look like this--
....
.....

Whereas firewire is usually like this--
... .
.....


Does that mean this firewire cable can be connected to the USB port on the motherboard?

 

[Billb2]

No.
How about some pics?
USB ports and firewire ports are different.
The plug from one shouldn't fit into the other.

 

[HeXploiT]

Originally posted by: Billb2
No.
How about some pics?
USB ports and firewire ports are different.
The plug from one shouldn't fit into the other.

I know lol.
Nonetheless it does. Sorry no pics but take my word for it it is a firewire cable that fits to a usb(same pinouts).
What's more I think I've seen this before but I've never tried it.

 

[ELopes580]

While you are at it, try plugging the RJ11 cord from your phone into the RJ45 slot on your router and make a phone call. :roll:

 

[OCChronic]

Perry404 is right. I've had many ASUS boards which used the same pin-outs for firewire & USB headers. If you do plug the firewire into a USB heasder, you will definitely fry the USB ports and possibly damage your mainboard beyond usability. Many manuals warn against doing this.

 

[HeXploiT]

Alright something is weird here. I decided to jump in and try this and here's what happened.
As soon as windows boots it definitely recognized that I had plugged in the firewire connector however it recognized it not as firewire but as a usb device.
So then I was really brazen(stupid) and I connected a digital video camera which is the only firewire device I have on hand. The computer recognized that I had plugged in a device but it did not know what it was. Now unfortunately this was in Vista x64 and It's had trouble recognizing other video cameras as well.
Seems to me that if this weren't meant to be I wouldn't have got this far without destroying something.

Obviously my results are inconclusive but I'm left scratching my head.

 

[OCChronic]

I tried to warn you. You might fry the USB header if you continue to try it as afirewire header. You'll see..

 

[HeXploiT]

Originally posted by: OCChronic
I tried to warn you. You might fry the USB header if you continue to try it as afirewire header. You'll see..

I'm completely aware of the danger.
If something fries then so be it. When my curiosity is sparked the world is in danger.

 

[Absolution75]

You realize they are nothing alike . . . right? One single firewire port uses all 7 pins of the motherboard pinout (+1 non pin).

USB only uses 3 and in some cases 4, thats why you can have 2 usb ports to one motherboard pinout.



Being said, you're going to fry something. I don't usually say this, . . . but what you are trying is stupid and asinine. You know it wont work but you decided to try it anyway.

 

[jjmIII]

Try It !!! :evil:

 

[SolMiester]

Post your findings back here for us....we want to know if you fried the board...

 

[HeXploiT]

I'm working something else out.
In the meantime I've been looking at case wires and have found MULTIPLE firewire case wires but not one motherboard with the firewire that looks like USB. Can anyone account for this?

 

[Concillian]

ASUS P5Q series and P5QL.

I have one of each and the firewire board headers "look" just like the USB headers if you ignore that the firewire shroud is red and the USB shrouds are blue.

Just took a look at the gigabyte EP45 series on newegg, where you can zoom in on the pictures and look at the pins, and they have the same pin arrangement for USB and Firewire also also.

Gigabyte + ASUS P43 and P45 boards, that's kind of a big population of boards to miss in the whole "not one motherboard" with the USB and firewire pins the same statement

 

[cr0ck3t]

Does that mean this firewire cable can be connected to the USB port on the motherboard?

I have a Cooler Master case which has an external firewire port on the front and the cable connected to this port terminates with a "1394" plug... after some research:

Pin locations: wire colour (Firewire colour code)
1: orange (TPA-)
2: black (Ground return for power and inner cable shield)
3: red (TPB-)
4: white (Unregulated DC; 30 V no load)
5:black (Ground return for power and inner cable shield)
8: green (TPB+)
10: blue (TPA+)

(~) not used
(x) filled in
TP: Twisted Pair, differential signals (A and B)

1394 Pinout:
1 10
2 ~
3 8
4 ~
5 x

However, the USB pins on my motherboard look like this:
1: vcc
2: D-
3: D+
4: gnd
7: gnd
8: D+
9: D-
10: vcc

vcc: power
D: Data

1 10
2 9
3 8
4 7
~ x

So basically, although it will fit - DON'T PLUG IT IN! (it won't work, and might fry something!)
Dave.

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