Here are pix and explanation for properly grounding front ports on CM 690 for those with low techie skillz... Sorry I was delayed a day for a run to the doctor's office and shopping. Make sure you remember or mark the orientation of the PCB and SATA connector so you can put them back correctly. The top bezel is held on by 8 plastic clips: 3 on each side and two at the back - should be obvious how to remove it.
Here are the front ports and SATA connector as they came from CM:
http://i52.photobucket.com/alb...FrontPanelSATAconn.jpg
The FW shield wire sort of snakes across the top of the white connector on the left and is attached with the holding screw to the top of a plastic post. I'm checking the edge of the board there to see what the chance is of that acccidentally contacting the ground plane of the PCB - there is none. Behind the ports' PCB is the eSATA cable - the metal shield of that is not connected to ground at that end either. I also checked the bezel plastic and that of the molding on the eSATA and neither are conductive.
Here is the face of the front ports PCB:
http://i52.photobucket.com/alb...per0/FrontPanelPCB.jpg
Note that there are four screw mountings at the corners of the PCB that are not used. Cut a piece of at least 20 gauge (larger is better, say 18 gauge if you have it) wire to make a ground wire. Make it long enough to reach to the hole in the case metal I'll show you in the last pic plus enough for a 1/4" stripping on each end. Strip and tin (soldering instructions are all around the web - use your fave search engine) each end of the wire about 1/4". Tack solder one end of the wire to the square tinned collar (available on both sides of the PCB so make sure where you solder the wire won't interfere with putting the PCB back into the mounting grooves) around the nearest hole to the hole in the case metal. Wrap and solder the other end of the wire to the neck of the eyelet terminal on the end of the FW shield wire.
Here is the SATA connector:
http://i52.photobucket.com/alb...4/zepper0/SATAconn.jpg
Cut another length of wire to reach from the nearest narrow side of the SATA connector to the case metal mounting hole as mentioned above. Allow a little extra for stripping and tinning. Strip and tin 1/4" on each end and tack solder one end to the narrow side of the SATA metal shield that will be nearest the case metal hole and wrap and solder the other end to the neck of the eyelet terminal as above.
And here is the hole in case metal where the ports cables run thru:
http://i52.photobucket.com/alb...per0/TopPanelPorts.jpg
Note the drilled hole just above (toward the front of the case) the big cable pass thru hole - that's where the grounds will be connected. There is a plastic post that lines up with the hole which can accept a screw so I'd use that with a self-threading screw for plastic and since the case metal is coated on both sides, you will need to use either an inside star or outside star lock washer (whichever will make best contact with case metal) to cut in to the metal and make good contact under the eyelet terminal for your wires. So after you've mounted the top bezel back onto the case, attach the eyelet terminal at that point so that it makes good contact with case metal. If you use a sheet metal screw that actually taps into the metal, you can skip the star washer, but you may have to cut some of that support post away if you do use the sheet metal screw because it will be too big to use the hole in the plastic support.
Any good hardware store or place like Home Depot or Lowes should have the screw/washers/etc. you might need as well as wire by the foot if you don't have a dead PSU around to cannibalize...
And that's it - satisfaction in knowing your front panel cables are properly grounded.
Now that you have the basics of the idea, you can check your other case(s) for similarly poor electrical work.
As I noted above, the ports will probably work without this extra effort and expense, but they may work better if you do, and you'll never know if you don't.
.bh.
Facebook
Twitter