Can you split 10 pin USB slots?

[L0KEMAN]

I just bought an ASUS M2N32-SLI deluxe and a black ASUS Vento case. But to my point, It only has 2 slots to hook up USB headers. The case requires 2 hook-ups to have the four USB slots up front activated. I want to add a flash card reader to the front and it would require another 10 pin slot that my mobo doesn't have.

So my question is: Is there a way to split those headers into more than one?

I would prefer to buy something prefabed, but will attempt to make my own if required.


ASUS m2n32

[justblair]

I take it you mean the 10 pin header that attaches to the board internally?

If so you can buy a cheap USB hub and obtain the header from an electronic supply company. Snip the rectangular plug off the hub and attach it to the header plug. If you have any spare USB socket sets you can snip the cables to one of them to obtain the plug. Then just splice the two together.

Electronics shops will sell the rectangular plugs that the hub offers you. Alternatively you can take the hub apart and solder directly to the pcb within.

[L0KEMAN]

I mean can you split the socket. I have two sockets and would like probably 4 or so.

[dgrmkrp]

sorry man, you can't mix the signals.. not without a hub.. i would recommend what justblair said... cut and splice the wires and u got ur USBs
(also, why are you calling it a 10(9) pin header.. there are two usb headers there.. one for each USB in 2 USBs they are just built like that on the mobo... i've seen 4 and 5 pin separate models... mainly, the 9 pin pack has won )

[L0KEMAN]

okay, I'm a noob and I think I kinda understand what you guys are saying. I need to go to wal-mart or something and buy a USB hub ( the thing that plugs into a usb port and allows you plug in 4 or so USB things into that one USB slot). Then take an extra male 9pin header and hook it up to the hub somehow? But in my mind, all I see is a USB hub with a hook-up to put it inside my case, instead of the outside, unless I tore the whole thing appart and changed the main plug to a 9 pin header and cut out all the usb in plugs and changed them all to 9pin female plugs? I'm thinking I will have to have someone with crayons break it down into picture form for me and then I'll just have to pay someone to do it for me If it will do what I need.

[justblair]

okay, I'm a noob and I think I kinda understand what you guys are saying. I need to go to wal-mart or something and buy a USB hub ( the thing that plugs into a usb port and allows you plug in 4 or so USB things into that one USB slot). Then take an extra male 9pin header and hook it up to the hub somehow? But in my mind, all I see is a USB hub with a hook-up to put it inside my case, instead of the outside, unless I tore the whole thing appart and changed the main plug to a 9 pin header and cut out all the usb in plugs and changed them all to 9pin female plugs? I'm thinking I will have to have someone with crayons break it down into picture form for me and then I'll just have to pay someone to do it for me If it will do what I need.

I am still a noob when it comes to some stuff (my recent acrylics work went wrong in a way I haven't even had the courage to post in my work log!), so I know how it feels

You seem to have got the jist of it though, except for the last bit, you lose me a bit there. The hub would accept either a standard usb plug (rectangle) or wires soldered directly to it. i.e. strip it down and attach cables to the circuit board itself.

How are you with a soldering iron?

[L0KEMAN]

I have one, does that count for anything, lawls? I can practice up and do the job if I had a walk-through.

so by doing this, it would let me hook up more USB peripherals to my mobo? I just want to add a 6 in 1 reader to a drive bay up front and keep my USB ports.

[justblair]

ok. no piccies I am afraid. But a list of what you would do.

1. Cut the standard (rectangular) plug off of the usb hub. Do this about some way up the cable do that you have some cable left to play with both on the hub and on the plug that you cut off (your going to reuse it). With a wire stripper prepare both the hub's and the plug's remaining bit of cable so that all the copper is exposed and ready. You will remove the outer sheeth leaving 5 insulated wires exposed. then strip the ends of the insulated wires to expose some copper (about 1.5cm) You should have 5 strands of wire here with copper exposed at the end and some insulation remaining on the wire after that (in different colours)

2. On the cable attached to one of your usb socket pairs, there are two cables coming from the sockets leading to the 9 pin header. Snip one of these, again in a place that leaves you cable to work on either side of your cut. strip the wire as before.

3. Take the card reader and attach the standard usb plug (the one that you snipped off)to its cable. To do this you will need some solder, some narrow heatshrink and your iron. For each wire

• slip on a bit of heatshrink (i always forget, but you have to do it first!).
• Then I twist the two strands of copper together making sure they are the same coloured wires you are joining. There will most likely be 2 sets of black wires, but in different guages match the guages
• I then hold my soldering iron tip to the twisted copper.
• Then hold the solder to the twisted copper (not the iron), the solder should melt and flow into the joint
• Do this with all of the wires, matching the colours.
• finally pull the heatsrink over all of the joints and apply heat.

4. Next you need to do the same thing, this time with the USB hub's exposed wires onto the section of the usb header.

By this point you have a device that you can test. plug in the header to your board and check that the hub is working. Use a mouse or something to do this...

5. Your going to attach a usb standard plug to your internal card reader. You can either buy a usb plug or if you have any spare usb cables hanging around you can butcher one of these. Before you get started have a look at the 9 pin header your card reader. How many of the pins are actually attached? If it is just 5, your card reader is using one usb connection (1 usb plug required), if its 9 then its using 2(2 usb plugs required). If you are recylcling an existing cable just follow step 3 to attach it to your card reader. Buying a fresh one will mean soldering your wires to the contacts in the fresh plug. Fresh ones can be bought in electronics shops (maplins in the uk)

You are now at a point where you can test your card reader

6. Now attach a final usb plug (either fresh or recylcled) to the usb socket on your usb breakout.

7. Attach your hub to the case somewhere. Double sided sticky tape is good for this.

This is one way out of several that you could use to connect it all up. If you take a photo of the scenario you will be doing this in, I can perhaps offer a better solution.

[L0KEMAN]

thanks for the walk through, seems easy enough on paper. i will be at a point soon to try it out. I am trying to find a decent cooler for my video cards for less than the $200 each UGLY waterblocks that danger den will be selling the end of this month. And slap all of it together, it's just a bunch of boxes and tracking numbers right now.

[Johann]

Just curious. It sounds like what you want to do is what I have in mind also. Gutenaffe has built a 4 port internal USB 'Thingy' which mounts anywhere in your case and slips right on to your mobo internal USB hub male connector pins. Look at http//img72.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img20441zv.jpg.