Where Can I Buy A USB Front Port Cable Adapter?

I have the following port apparatus at the front of my pc case but do not have any supported connections on my motherboard since it's an old pc.

http://i.imm.io/cpv2.png

How would I be able to convert the exact little black 10 pin connection you see in the picture to a normal usb port?

I have a usb pci card that has one internal port on it. So I'd like to connect it that way to make my front ports active once and for all.

Thanks

:dancer

 

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6086315&CatId=511

NZXT IU01 Internal USB Expansion Card
The NZXT IU01 Internal USB Expansion Card addresses an issue common to most gaming PCs that is a lack of substantial power and expandability from the front-panel USBs. The NZXT IU01 Internal USB Expansion Card enhances control and boosts power for front-panel USB devices by connecting them directly to the power supply as opposed to the motherboard, ensuring that there?s always enough power to control your accessories and peripherals. The NZXT IU01 Internal USB Expansion Card also adds six internal USB ports that are great for powering items that you don't need constant access too like a Bluetooth module or USB wireless router allowing you to free up the external ports for additional accessories.

What it is and Why You Need it:

6 Internal USB expansion
2 External USB expansion
Dedicated power from power supply
Plug and use, no drivers needed

http://images.highspeedbackbone.net/SKUimages/enhanced/A406-2006-call04-maf.jpg

 

Or use you existing ports and run these cables
http://www.frontx.com/cpx508.html

 

Thanks but I can't use this since I would need two usb headers on my motherboard to connect it. & my motherboard is too old, it just doesn't have any usb headers at all. Believe it or NOT! In my case I do have a USB pci card with four back panel usb connections, and one internal. I still assume I couldn't use this with just one internal usb connection on my pci card since the device your showing me requires two 4 pin headers [total of 8 wires] on a motherboard as seen here:

http://i.imm.io/crEU.png

I guess I could still probably use the cable foogoo showed me and only attach one USB set of a 4 pin USB header to it but it would be more complicated than what I'm trying to do. I would also than be in a situation where some connections may work on the device you recommend, some may not, etc. It would just be too much trial and error via the method your showing me. I'm looking for a more simplistic approach for my problem. That does sound like a great little device though. Looks like an internal usb hub...

Now this is more like it!!! Thanks so much this looks exactly like what I would need. I have a few questions though... & a confession to make... Well if you'd remember the picture in my first post:

http://i.imm.io/cpv2.png

You'd see the dual front usb port apparatus on my computer case. Well the truth is that's just a picture I got from Google. My real front port apparatus looks EXACTLY like the one in the picture above except it does not have a capacitor on the pcb. But the connection looks the same. This is an actual picture of my front port usb which I took out of my case to show you guys below:

http://i.imm.io/crGL.jpeg

As you can see it has two front ports on a small pcb [no capacitors], just a small lonely pcb. Than it has two sets of 4 wires[total of 8 wires] coming off the pcb. What I want to do is make AT LEAST ONE OF THESE FRONT PORTS ACTIVE. Since I do have a spare usb port on my internal usb pci card exactly like this one seen here below:

http://i.imm.io/crIu.png

I don't want to do anything but attach a usb cable from the internal pci card, to activate at least one of the two usb ports on the front of my case. That's my sole mission... I assume since the pcb looks so simple on my small front port apparatus it must just be like an extension. Whereas the front usb ports are just an extension of anything each set of the 4 pin wires connect from [ie: usb motherboard header, or internal usb ports like the one on my pci card]. I don't see any complicated works on the front port usb, or pcb. So I assume my theory is correct... What I need now is an experts opinion to see if my theory is right using just this cable MG memberfoogoo suggested [seen here below] attached to one set of the wires coming from the usb front port pcb, and than connecting the other end of the cable foogoo suggested to my pci card:

http://i.imm.io/crJs.png

What do you think am I right?

Here's some more pictures of my usb port for you guys to decipher more:

http://i.imm.io/crKx.jpeg

http://i.imm.io/crKV.jpeg

http://i.imm.io/crKY.jpeg

http://i.imm.io/crOf.jpeg

http://i.imm.io/crL6.jpeg

http://i.imm.io/crLh.jpeg

http://i.imm.io/crLj.jpeg

http://i.imm.io/crLq.jpeg

THANKS

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815166001
This has an internal header pinout.

 

Please check my last post before yours. I just want to use what I have and keep things simple.

Thanks

 

You plug the connectors at the ends of the wires already attached to your front USB plug to the pinouts on the card. No soldering, no adapters. How much more simple do you want?:confused

 

Thanks but like I said before I don't want to buy any extra devices or anything. I would like to do with what I have on hand. I actually found a spare cable exactly like the one Foogoo suggested. I just needed someone to read one of my previous post in this thread [Post #4]. Which you can also get to immediately by just clicking here:

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showpost.php?p=1688012&postcount=4

I need someone to verify that everything will be alright or not if I do things according to the way Foogoo suggested without damaging my pci card, front ports, pc, or flash drives.

I still hit the thanks button to everyone in this thread. Hope someone can help me there though.

 

If that's what you want, it should work.


http://i.imm.io/crL6.jpeg
Your pinouts are labeled on your USB socket so you just need to match them to your cable. Here's a diagram of a standard USB setup for reference.
http://pinouts.ru/SerialPortsCables/usb_cable_pinout.shtml

 

Hey thanks JustPlayin! Do you think it may be dangerous to use Foogoo's method because of the fact that the voltage and ground wire traces for both front usb ports are being shared by each other on the pcb?

I'll only be using one port (which will obviously actually have the data lines connected to my pci card), but I really don't want to damage anything. My guess is if I were to plug a USB device into the second (inactive data port), I'd get power but no data connectivity. Which I guess could be useful for charging a cel phone via USB. But if I had something plugged into the first (data active) port, & tried to plug say a cel phone into the other. I would probably lose power to the first (data active) port.

Hit the thanks! I appreciate everything!

 

Whatever you had connected to the data port might not work properly due to insufficient power (unless it was externally powered) but I don't think either one would entirely lose power.

 

Ya I don't think so too...I may just put a cap or something on the inactive front data port so nothing gets plugged into it by accident. I guess I'll finally give the cable Foogoo suggested a try tonight if I have time. If not tomorrow!!!

Hit the thanks again my friend!

 

Hey JustPlayin & Foogoo,

How are you both doing? Good I hope! I'm very happy to report back to you both and say that I was successful in using the cable Foogoo suggested. To be honest I had a spare USB cable laying around. So after seeing the one Foogoo showed me I cut the ends off my space USB cable and made my own version of the same cable. I soldered each of the wire ends to pins on a plastic connector that I had laying around from an old broken cable. I even used some spare heatshrink I had laying around to cover the soldered ends on the back of the connector. I'll post pictures later on for all to see.

But in the end I connected the very same style cable which Foogoo suggested. That I made myself and it worked perfectly to attach one of the USB front ports to my internal USB pci card! Here's the cable I based my homemade one off of:

http://i.imm.io/crJs.png

It all works beautifully, granted I won't be using one of the two ports on my USB front panel, but at least I have a spare one to put to use right on the case without buying an extra USB hub or something external. I also didn't want to buy any new pci card, or other internal components. Just a simple method...

I was told that if I connected the front port via the method I used I may lose use of one of the back ports on my USB pci card. Because of the fact that the internal port on the card may be shared by a USB port on the back of the pci card. I was told I may lose power or data connectivity, on the newer port being used that is shared on the card itself. But the same person told me sometimes the internal port is truly on it's own run, and will not suffer from this. To test this out I turned on every device I have connected to the back ports on the pci card. That includes:

- 3 self powered hard drives [they use ac adapters]
- 1 bluetooth usb stick

& than for a final check while all that was on I plugged in a usb stick the front USB port on my case which is of course the new connection I made with the homemade cable. & the usb stick came up nicely, no error messages, and I played music off of it fine. Now although everything was still connected fine I did NOT try to say for example play something off each device plugged into all USB ports at the same time to see if something would eventually give. But hey who ever uses all back USB pci ports at the same time anyways? Especially with so many external hard drives, such as is in my case. I guess I could try to use the front port while playing music, and than load another file such as a short home movie off of one of the back USB ports on the pci card at the same time and see if something gives. That way I guess I'll know for sure if the internal port is indeed shared. & will lose data, or power connectivity because of the aforementioned chain of commands.

Well all in all I'm impressed with myself for making such a nice cable, and thank both of you so very much for your help and support. I hope you guys both have a happy holiday season. & I will post back for sure with pictures of my homemade cable, as well as any results of any new tests.

Thanks

 

Update:

Here's the cable I made myself... If you'd like to try you'd better have good soldering skills! Hehehe. I actually don't recommend anyone try to make one as you may start a fire, or hurt yourself soldering.

Everything you see was made with spare parts I had on hand.

- Cut USB cord

- Electrical tape near the end

- Heatshrink for each soldered wire

- Plastic header & pins from old pc fans
[I had to pull the pins out of the plastic to solder each wire first, than reinsert them into the plastic header]

I don't know if you can tell but the black ground wire/pin is on it's own plastic header. The first plastic header didn't have room for another pin. So I just used another one...

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/7558/img3532s.jpg