Proposal: ISO Standardization for I/O Panel

[EricMartello]

Here is something I feel has been grossly overlooked in PCs...and with no good reason. Why haven't they standardized the I/O panel connections on the motherboard. I am referring to the pin connectors for HDD, Power Switch, Power LED, Speaker, etc. Every motherboard has these, and sometimes connections are missing and they're never the same.

There's no good reason they can't make this into a serial bus type of deal, which would allow for I/O panels that can display various information such as fan speeds, temps, etc. Not only that, but this could allow computers to run in various states...like lets say you just wanna play an MP3...you don't need the full power of the system to play music, so the system could drop into a "power save" mode that powers off the video subsystem and allows for touch-screen interaction via the I/O panel bus. In other words, it lets the PC act as an appliance in addition to a full computer. That would be awesome. Best of all, when you put your system together, no more messing with those stupid pins.

Who's with me?

 

[Goi]

If anything it should be in the ATX standard rather than ISO

 

[Lonyo]

I've mentioned this before I think, or at the very least thought it. I agree totally, standardisation would make it quite a lot easier to sort things out.
Some mobo makers are making an effort, like a thing you plug the front panel connectors into, and then you plug that onto the mobo so it's less fiddly, but a standard connector for the front stuff would be easier.

 

[bruceb]

They don't do it for one reason only: $ $

They want you only to be able to use a specific make case with certain types of mobos
That way, if you need parts, you are on your own or you buy from Them
Like with Dell .. Front Panel connections are not Standard and no one has a really complete
list of what goes where to use a Dell Mobo in a non-dell case

 

[bendixG15]

No Standard Wanted at this time.

Too early......
A "standard" would holdback design advances.

Give it a few more years

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: bruceb
They don't do it for one reason only: $ $

They want you only to be able to use a specific make case with certain types of mobos
That way, if you need parts, you are on your own or you buy from Them
Like with Dell .. Front Panel connections are not Standard and no one has a really complete
list of what goes where to use a Dell Mobo in a non-dell case

I doubt it, since most of the issue comes from people who make their own PC's and use a variety of different mobos and cases, not from people buying and then swapping out Dell components...
I don't know many people who would want to use a Dell mobo in a non-Dell case. If you are capable of transplanting like that, you probably build your own PC's and wouldn't want to use a Dell mobo.

Having non-standard connectors doesn't prohibit using specific cases with mobos, it just makes it hard to use ANY case with ANY mobo, because all the connectors are there, and they are all labelled, they are just not in the same places for every mobo, so you can't make a standard connector,

 

[SparkyJJO]

I think the only thing that bugs me about the front panel connections is how most boards use a 3-pin connector for the power LED except for a few oddballs that have a 2 pin connector so you have to rewire the case header

 

[Roguestar]

edit: bollocks, nevermind

 

[ComputerWizKid]

Actually there is a Front Panel Standard Most Motherboard Makers just don't follow it. Intel Made it awhile ago I had a gate way from 1997 that used the Intel standard here is an image

http://images.dr3vil.com/files2/default/Intelstandard.jpg

 

[Minerva]

My Asus board came with a clearly marked white block that you plug all the wires from the chassis in and then it plugs into the pins on the board. Everyone should have that.

 

[Steve]

Someone on this forum (from the UK) mentioned was designing/building cases with standard front connector blocks. Wonder how that's panning out.

 

[EricMartello]

Originally posted by: bruceb
They don't do it for one reason only: $ $

They want you only to be able to use a specific make case with certain types of mobos
That way, if you need parts, you are on your own or you buy from Them
Like with Dell .. Front Panel connections are not Standard and no one has a really complete
list of what goes where to use a Dell Mobo in a non-dell case

In my opinion, having something like what I suggested would allow for cases to offer users more features. VFDs that offer realtime info direct from the MB (no need for an OS), Button Panels and LCD Touchscreen interfaces could also come into existence a lot better than they are now. Adding this standard in would create new niches for I/O panels that work with it, as well as stimulate case sales since a lot of people would want these kinda features.

Originally posted by: bendixG15
No Standard Wanted at this time.

Too early......
A "standard" would holdback design advances.

Give it a few more years

I don't think so. It could possibly be based off the USB protocol. If it offered bi-directional data transfer to and from the motherboard without the need for an OS to be running, to me that'd be a big step forward. Imagine all the cool things a PC could do then, even if it is in "stand-by" mode. This would become a "must have" for HTPCs since you could play DVDs or music without booting up the system.