Print PDF
Favorite
Email
I'm making a bold move, from milkshakes to electronics! Basically this instructable is for people who are in need of an extra USB header, be it for front panel ports on your case or an internal card reader (like me!) You can skip on to the next step if you aren't interested in the back story to this momentous discovery...
...If you are still reading, then congratulations! I just recently built another computer and had everything up and running fine, but because the motherboard supports USB 3.0, there weren't enough USB headers to support the front panel ports and an internal card reader. We have a bunch of card readers scattered around the house, but I really wanted the convenience of having a decent one always available. Because the Bitfenix Shinobi has four front USB 2.0 ports it takes up two headers on it's own.
I considered buying a PCI USB card for an extra header, but my motherboard already had an abundance of ports and it was also going to cost more money than the damn internal card reader in the first place. I lay in bed last night, holding a USB port and waiting for a "House"-like epiphany, when it came to me! This was my rough and ready solution to a problem that, from my research anyway, plagues a small number of people.
Necessity is the mother of invention!
...If you are still reading, then congratulations! I just recently built another computer and had everything up and running fine, but because the motherboard supports USB 3.0, there weren't enough USB headers to support the front panel ports and an internal card reader. We have a bunch of card readers scattered around the house, but I really wanted the convenience of having a decent one always available. Because the Bitfenix Shinobi has four front USB 2.0 ports it takes up two headers on it's own.
I considered buying a PCI USB card for an extra header, but my motherboard already had an abundance of ports and it was also going to cost more money than the damn internal card reader in the first place. I lay in bed last night, holding a USB port and waiting for a "House"-like epiphany, when it came to me! This was my rough and ready solution to a problem that, from my research anyway, plagues a small number of people.
Necessity is the mother of invention!
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1Source your parts!
What you need
- USB A male to male cable
- 9 pin header (5+4)
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Lighter or wire strippers
- Some soldering skill
"Don't do what Jonny don't does!" - borrowed from the Simpsons
I'm quoting this because I want to save you some hassle. I borrowed an expansion card, shown below, from one of my older computers. It had fried a long time ago and was useless otherwise so I thought I might as well borrow the header off it. Bad idea! The thing was glued and soldered, so was only coming off in pieces.
I would advise you to buy some headers, as they come in handy for a lot of projects, and if not you should look for the second type below. I recovered it from another case, and it was broken so fair game. It was a lot easier to work with and didn't fall apart. You can solder the USB wires directly to the internal card reader or what ever else you are working with, but using a header is less destructive.
Also you need a USB A male to male cable, as it has two of the same connectors. I had one lying about from an old Palm docking station.
- USB A male to male cable
- 9 pin header (5+4)
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Lighter or wire strippers
- Some soldering skill
"Don't do what Jonny don't does!" - borrowed from the Simpsons
I'm quoting this because I want to save you some hassle. I borrowed an expansion card, shown below, from one of my older computers. It had fried a long time ago and was useless otherwise so I thought I might as well borrow the header off it. Bad idea! The thing was glued and soldered, so was only coming off in pieces.
I would advise you to buy some headers, as they come in handy for a lot of projects, and if not you should look for the second type below. I recovered it from another case, and it was broken so fair game. It was a lot easier to work with and didn't fall apart. You can solder the USB wires directly to the internal card reader or what ever else you are working with, but using a header is less destructive.
Also you need a USB A male to male cable, as it has two of the same connectors. I had one lying about from an old Palm docking station.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
 |
Add Comment
|
