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USB Mods

I tried to use a touchscreen-kit including an usb-hub for eee 701 in my One A120. The problem is, that the internal usb connector uses some weird 5 um.. 5-poliges.. cable. I found out by searching the internet a little bit, that miniUSB has 5 poles as well.

If there is anybody knowing anybody about it, e.g. what the additional line does or where to get parts to build an adaptor between the stuff I have and one of the connectors of the webcam-cable (I suggest the upper (camera) end is more promising, as there are 4-wired connectors looking mostly the same being a little bit "thinner"), please tell me by writing it down here. I don't want to solder in the device, as I am no experienced solderer ;) . I tried to picture it with my cellphones inbuild camera, but the pictures aren't that good.

- Oh great, you've got an A120! Is it possible, that you can take better pictures of the plugs, especially the one that connects to the mainboard? Maybe you are even able to use a volt meter to measure out the voltages on each line, maybe the fifth wire is just dead? And maybe you even live near a "Conrad" store or any other special store for electronic bits and pieces where you could ask for the name of that 5-wire plug and post it here? So guys like me, with only an A110, can order a cable or only the plug for themselves and try to mod internal usb in there, as well.

Otherwise, maybe you could post the height, width and depth of the connector and the distance between the pin connectors? That could help, too.--Klapskalli 10:29, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

I could do that. But i don't have much time ATM, because university has to have my attention ;)

There is a conrad-store nereby, so that I could try to find out whether they have such parts. Using a voltmeter is a good idea, but i don't have one - maybe A110 users can try to find this out...

I just had a look at Wikipedias USB article (German), which tells about the standard color coding. I remember that the coloring wasn't standard, red, white and black and two hard to describe colors were there. My next look into the device will be no earlier than the next weekend, so don't expect any groundbraking news until then.

BTW: I had a look at Conrads online catalogue and found nothing like internal USB connectors yet.. User:P3t3r

This page has a nice table which says that the fifth connector in miniUSB is unused or sometimes connected to ground via a resistor. Maybe this helps! I'm also very interested in a solution to use a possible internal USB interface, so I try to follow this diskussion and post some hint, if I know one. Cliffhanger 07:49, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Hi, I opened it again. Color coding of the wires is weird and it's hard to distinguish the colors, but this what I see (from top to bottom, mainboard view, screen at the top): white, blue(?), green (?), red, black.

This differs a lot from the usual : Red, white, green, [no color given], black - but as this is just internal (and not like in desktops), they could use another order - or another color coding. Additionaly, I watched out for some connectors like that at various places (ebay, Conrad) but didn't find any suitable. The onboard connector is black and measures 5x1x6mm (it is slightly bigger at its back, with "back" I mean the opposite of where you plug it in, 5x1 is the size of the plug in side ;) - hope that this explains it)

BTW: I thought of another mod, as only one antenna connector of the inbuild wifi is used, why not get a pigtail... This would mean case modding but it might be fun for some of us.. ;)

Now I am closing it again - hope that I provided helpful information.P3t3r 20:35, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

Some time passed, but I want to try to work on it again, and as I have a better camera now, i took two pictures of the A120 webcam connector and the webcam itself. Maybe this helps someone.. --P3t3r 21:52, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

I don't know if this helps or someone alredy saw this but the upper two wires ( blue and white/ light green?) seem to be connected on this picture: http://a110wiki.de/wiki/Image:Videocam_usb_a120_2.jpg - El.x.Jtr0

Hi, I'm also trying to get use of the internal USB port. Has someone yet figured out a way how to do it? Is it USB 2.0 (maybe someone with an A120 could check this in the device manager or somewhere)? --EPG 17:07, 31 May 2009

As the webcam shows up in lsusb, it should be USB, and I´d guess it is 2.0. --P3t3r 07:15, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

It seems that the upper two pins are connected so that effecitvely there're only four. I haven't yet managed to measure the voltage on each pin but I think these upper two pins are ground. Another thing I found is that the audio connector fits in the internal usb, connecting the lower four pins. So if you don't find a connector and don't need sound here you are. --EPG 13:32, 11 June 2009

The pins seems to have a distance of 1,27 mm (that would be standard RM 1,27). I guess an old IDE cable should work, I'll try it soon. --EPG 13:13, 13 June 2009

Managed to build a little connector. the middle pin is +5V, so the lower two will be +/- data. However my USB connector seems to be broken because it didn't work to connect an USB stick. --EPG 15:36, 15 June 2009

I felt the urge to post this Link: http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd304/enqueue_photos/usbcable.jpg --El.x.Jtr0

I got a connector that fits (after removing the upper plastic of the onboard USB connector). I managed to connect an USB memory stick succesfully. Here the pins:

(upper)
5: GND
4: GND
3: 5V+
2: Data-
1: Data+
(lower)

--EPG 16:15, 24 June 2009

Am I right, that (upper) and (lower) corresponds to the picture of the USB connector here on this page? --Cliffhanger 12:41, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

Yes, that's right. --EPG 11:22, 22 July 2009

I'm now trying to install the following things to the internal USB port: Hub -> Bluetooth with external antenna support, GPS with external antenna support, FM radio probably without external antenna, 16GB memory stick (removable with no need to open the netbook); internal WLAN, BT, Radio, GPS connected to a DIP switch to save power. Where should I open the circuit on the internal WLAN to enable switching it on and off? --EPG 11:27, 22 July 2009

It seems very hard to interrupt the power supply of the internal wifi. So I decided to leave this idea behind and instead I'll add one or two LEDs as a keyboard light. I decided to build in an fm antenna on the left side of the display with the radio receiver. USB hub and GPS receiver will be placed with switch and USB memoray stick in the place of the hdd. Bluetooth will be placed at the power switch, I'll remove this to build in an antenna connector there and then place the switch somewhere else. Furthermore I'll try to build in an internal antenna for the GPS receiver with an external connector at the back, near the power switch (where my bt antenna should be). Any ideas about this? --EPG 18:35, 10 September 2009

I'm almost ready. Everything like described aboth. Currently only pre-installed Ubuntu. Connections (hub works well):

USB HUB
|\_USB memory stick 16 GB tested, works, removable (the connector is behind a small hole at the front)
|\_BT usb stick, external antenna, works (with no antenna it works if other bt device is close enough)
|\_PCear USB radio, detected correctly, not yet tested because driver is first in 2.6.30 but should work
|  \_FM telescopic antenna left of display
\__GPS/USB-to-serial adapter, detected correctly, not yet tested
   \_Switch
     |\_internal antenna (right of display, needed to make a little hole to fit it in)
     \__connector for external antenna (not yet tested but should work)

External WLAN antenna like shown in video by noguerad. LED for keyboard illumination (top right of display).

Power switch for PCear,GPS,BT,LED. --EPG 14:29, 22 November 2009

USB Touchscreen

may be helpful:

• touchscreen: http://www.cartft.com/catalog/il/607
• asus touchscreen install video: http://kalel7.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/asus-eee-pc-900-touchscreen-installation/

-- 05:54, 30. Mai 2009 user:A6000000