How to use idle USB headers?

[dencorso]

So, you don't want any "low-profile" backplates, but normal ones (they usually don't say they're "normal", but when they are "low-profile" that is mentioned).

Yes, we must locate the +5V pin, by using the multimeter, since all the documentation we gathered before didn't provide actual pinouts (the description of which pin is which) for the headers you're going to use (more on how to actually do it later, in my next post).

However ASUS is consistent, and their manual for my my boars does provide a pinout for its headers. Since you board has both double-row (2, white and black, used) and single-row (4, black, unused) USB header, I bet all of them have the same pinout, with the +5V pin being the leftmost pin (the one nearest the back of the motherboard) and the ground pin being the fouth pin, which, if the 5th pin is missing (and it should be), is then the rightmost pin, the one nearest to the fron of the board, after which there is the empty space for the missing 5th pin, in each header. So, if we confirm this by using the multimeter, we're safe to go on.

[dencorso]

BTW, this is also a good place to remember this relevant info you provided back then:

The six USB headers near the edge of the motherboard are numbered as follows, from left to right as we look at the photo you uploaded --

F_USB5 F_USB6 F_USB3 F_USB4 F_USB2 F_USB1

The four on the left look exactly as they do in the photo. There is nothing connected to them.

And add the photo of the relevant part of your board, for easy reference:

[dencorso]

1st analog multimeter use lesson:

These are the needed 3 sanity checks you should always do to the multimeter, before proceeding to any serious measurement (the manual leaflet is here for easy reference:

0) Remember the display has a mirror for a reason. You must always read it from a position in which the image of the needle is hidden behind the actual needle. When this happens you're looking in a straght perpendicular to the gauge, so there's no parallax error.

1) Do the Continuity Check (see manual, about it)..

2) Set it to ohmmeter 10 touch the test leads together (and keep them in touch): if you don't read zero, correct it with the resistance zero adjust (see manual, to find it).

3) Set it to DCV 10 and measure a brand-new common lantern battery. You should read 1.5V or slightly less.

[jaclaz]

... to any serious measurement ....

Sure , only this needs NOT a serious measurement.

You only need to find the + 5V.

You can do that even with a bycicle (6 V) lamp, or with *anything* low power enough, 5 volts compatible, you just connect one wire to the whatever to any black (or 0V) cable you find, then touch one by one the pins until it lights up or whatever.

The actual GND is always at the "other end" of the connector, with the only exception of the 5+3 pin setup (actually rare, never seen one personally ):

http://frontx.com/cpx108_2.html

http://frontx.com/cpx101_2.html

jaclaz

[puntoMX]

The Benicia is an Asus board. This means that the headers probably are active, and no daughterboard is needed.

Indeed, cheap *ss ASUS version made for HP, those headers are active.

Jorge,

USB version 2.0 has a standard header pinlayout, never seen anything strange on that, however, back in the days that version 1.1 came out there were like 3 versions.

Just get something from ebay like this, 1USD plus less than 4USD shipping, 4 ports so you can use all your headers .

The actual GND is always at the "other end" of the connector, with the only exception of the 5+3 pin setup (actually rare, never seen one personally ):

Never seen those indeed, and we both know this stuff from when USB came out (darn we must be old ).

[dencorso]

While I agree with jaclaz, I think that since JorgeA has acquired a multimeter, it'd be good for him to learn how to use it properly.

In any case, the common test leads that come with the average multimeter are too thick for performing good measurements on motherboard headers or the tracks inside a female type-A USB connector. To overcome this I extend the red lead with a sharper thin object, which I fasten snugly to the lead point with common adhesive tape, taking care that no tape gets in-between them, so that there's good electrical contact between the extender object and the lead point. A common sewing needle, a shirtmaker's pin with the head cut off, or even a hypodermic needle with the female Luer-Lok cut off are good choices for the extender object. The pic below depicts my own red test lead extended with a shirtmaker's pin with the head cut off. Of course, just after fastening the pin to the test lead, the sanity checks #2 and 3 from my previous post must be repeated, but this time using the pin's point, just to be secure there really is good electrical contact betwwen the pin and the test-lead's point. There is no need to do it to the black test lead too, because that will usually be grounded by inserting into one of the center holes (any of the two which are connected to black cables) of an unused molex connector, and for that the test lead has just the right thickness.

[dencorso]

you'll need four individual four pin (or five pin) connectors for the headers, not two double-row (four or) five pin connectors, which are the most common type.

@PuntoMX: the four connector backplate you linked to has two ten-pin header connectors, so it won't do. The right type exists, as you can see in the pic I posted many posts ago (here), but it's really hard to find anyone selling that.

[JorgeA]

dencorso

@jaclaz

@puntoMX,

I apologize for taking so long to reply. We had some family issues to take care of.

Everything should be back to normal this week, and then I intensely want to jump on this subject. I'll read the most recent posts having to do with the procedure for testing the USB headers and then report when I'm ready, multimeter in hand.

Assuming that I don't end up frying my motherboard or something, it'll be a good feeling to know that I'm making the most of the resources that it came with.

--JorgeA

[jaclaz]

Never seen those indeed, and we both know this stuff from when USB came out (darn we must be old ).

You must be joking.

I was ALREADY there when BOTH IDE and SCSI came out.

And yes, we're talking of 1986... the 80's:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980s

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980s#Electronics_and_computers

And yes, I was ALSO already there when the PC came out, my first IBM-compatible PC had two floppies (real floppies, 5.25") and after some time I bought a 20 Mb (yes twenty megabytes) hard disk.

jaclaz

.

[JorgeA]

In any case, the common test leads that come with the average multimeter are too thick for performing good measurements on motherboard headers or the tracks inside a female type-A USB connector. To overcome this I extend the red lead with a sharper thin object, which I fasten snugly to the lead point with common adhesive tape, taking care that no tape gets in-between them, so that there's good electrical contact between the extender object and the lead point. A common sewing needle, a shirtmaker's pin with the head cut off, or even a hypodermic needle with the female Luer-Lok cut off are good choices for the extender object.

dencorso,

Will a paper clip (straightened out and shortened) work?

--JorgeA

[JorgeA]

And yes, I was ALSO already there when the PC came out, my first IBM-compatible PC had two floppies (real floppies, 5.25") and after some time I bought a 20 Mb (yes twenty megabytes) hard disk.

jaclaz,

My first PC was a Sanyo MBC-550 with just one single-sided 160K floppy disk drive (1984). Over the next year or so I upgraded it to two double-sided, quad-density (800K) floppy drives. It still runs!

--JorgeA

[jaclaz]

jaclaz,

My first PC was a Sanyo MBC-550 with just one single-sided 160K floppy disk drive (1984). Over the next year or so I upgraded it to two double-sided, quad-density (800K) floppy drives. It still runs!

--JorgeA

Well, kids today, my first one was a ZX-80 which you had to solder components yourself....

...why, in my day .....

http://reboot.pro/1908/

.... and we LIKED it!

jaclaz

[puntoMX]

jaclaz,

My first PC was a Sanyo MBC-550 with just one single-sided 160K floppy disk drive (1984). Over the next year or so I upgraded it to two double-sided, quad-density (800K) floppy drives. It still runs!

--JorgeA

Well, kids today, my first one was a ZX-80 which you had to solder components yourself....

...why, in my day .....

http://reboot.pro/1908/

.... and we LIKED it!

jaclaz

What? You are talking about that enormous 1Kilobyte expansion? Darn thing didn't even have color . Darn was I happy to see the MSX released, nights of just plain Boulderdash !

[JorgeA]

Well, kids today, my first one was a ZX-80 which you had to solder components yourself....

...why, in my day .....

Well, that was before MY time!

--JorgeA

[dencorso]

Will a paper clip (straightened out and shortened) work?

No. It's too thick and too easily bent. A pin or a sewing needle, being tempered steel, is much better. And either have a much finer point. Pins are very easy to find. I always get some for free, with each new shirt I buy.

This one would be perfect, but many others here also would do fine. It should measure 28-32 mm after removing the head (if a pin) or the eye (if a needle) with you favorite garden variety cutting pliers.