Johnny_Rico
07-22-2011, 09:23 PM
Hello Folks,
I found this site by way of an internet search, seeking a way to mount a Dell Dimension 1100 or 3000 motherboard into a standard (e.g. non-Dell) computer case (easy) and hook the front panel USB wires to the Dell motherboard (very difficult).
Thus far the online Dell documentation has been completely opaque when it comes to wedding one of their products to a non-Dell product.
While Dell does provide a pdf manual to its Dimension 1100
http://www.andovercg.com/datasheets/dell-dimension-1100-b110.pdf
and does refer to the front panel USB board connector as J9G1, it does NOT provide a key to it's proprietary / non-standard USB pinouts / pin assignments. Check CVS Ad (https://www.weeklyads2.com/cvs/) on WeeklyAds2 (https://www.weeklyads2.com/).
For a discussion on just what I mean by standard USB pinouts or pin assignments, please turn your hymnals to DIRECTRON (http://www.directron.com/installusb.html)
http://www.directron.com/installusb.html
DELL's cable coming from the 2 front USB ports terminates to a 10-pin connector:
(Looking INTO female Front Panel USB, board connector)
TOP = Green, Black, Orange, Red, Brown
BOTTOM = NULL, Black, Gray, Yellow, White
http://i52.tinypic.com/5yg4s9.jpg
Not being officially trained in electronics, I have ventured to use a multimeter to test the connections in the hope that someone who IS trained in electronics can use the results to give us all the answer that Dell seems to have been hiding from us:
how do we hook up their boards to regular front panel USB connectors?
First, here is the proprietary cable that comes with the Dell Dimension 1100.
http://i53.tinypic.com/2hefqbk.jpg
Methodology:
A salvaged USB cable with an exposed set of wires on one end, was plugged into what would be the front port USB sockets. A standard safety pin placed inside the board-end pin socket (see figure ).
The connection between the salvaged USB cable and the board-end of the Dell Front Panel Connector was tested at the 20K Ohm range.
One end of the circuit consisted of a standard set of USB wires: Red, White, Green, Black and Black.
The other end of the circuit consisted of the different colored wires representing the proprietary DELL Front USB board connectors. As you can see by the photo, this was a keyed, 10-pin connector, with the lower, left-hand pin socket filled in, from the perspective of looking into the connector with the key located at the bottom.
Not being learned in electronics, I did at least compile a list of results of Multimeter readings, comparing the standard USB connections versus the proprietary DELL USB connections and placed the results in two matrices. One for the Top USB connector, and the second for the lower USB connector.
Digital Multimeter Readings
Generally, the Multimeter gave one of three kind of readings when the leads were placed across the ends of the circuit: Erratic (E) by which I mean the numbers on the multimeter would constantly change; a simple, steady reading of the number one (1) or an Erratic reading with a Negative symbol (-E).
I placed the results in the two matrices, hoping that someone more schooled than I in electronics can interpret the results and provide a determination as to how a Dell Dimension 1100 or 3000 board should be connected to the Front USB panel wires of a non-Dell case.
Here are the Digital Multimeter test results, placed into two matrices, comparing connections between a standard 5-wire USB connector (2 black wires) and the multicolored wires used in the Dell Dimensions' J9G1:
http://i53.tinypic.com/2ilhoxh.jpg
I am certain that DELL case modders everywhere will thank whoever solves this mystery.
Thanks in advance.
J.R.
I found this site by way of an internet search, seeking a way to mount a Dell Dimension 1100 or 3000 motherboard into a standard (e.g. non-Dell) computer case (easy) and hook the front panel USB wires to the Dell motherboard (very difficult).
Thus far the online Dell documentation has been completely opaque when it comes to wedding one of their products to a non-Dell product.
While Dell does provide a pdf manual to its Dimension 1100
http://www.andovercg.com/datasheets/dell-dimension-1100-b110.pdf
and does refer to the front panel USB board connector as J9G1, it does NOT provide a key to it's proprietary / non-standard USB pinouts / pin assignments. Check CVS Ad (https://www.weeklyads2.com/cvs/) on WeeklyAds2 (https://www.weeklyads2.com/).
For a discussion on just what I mean by standard USB pinouts or pin assignments, please turn your hymnals to DIRECTRON (http://www.directron.com/installusb.html)
http://www.directron.com/installusb.html
DELL's cable coming from the 2 front USB ports terminates to a 10-pin connector:
(Looking INTO female Front Panel USB, board connector)
TOP = Green, Black, Orange, Red, Brown
BOTTOM = NULL, Black, Gray, Yellow, White
http://i52.tinypic.com/5yg4s9.jpg
Not being officially trained in electronics, I have ventured to use a multimeter to test the connections in the hope that someone who IS trained in electronics can use the results to give us all the answer that Dell seems to have been hiding from us:
how do we hook up their boards to regular front panel USB connectors?
First, here is the proprietary cable that comes with the Dell Dimension 1100.
http://i53.tinypic.com/2hefqbk.jpg
Methodology:
A salvaged USB cable with an exposed set of wires on one end, was plugged into what would be the front port USB sockets. A standard safety pin placed inside the board-end pin socket (see figure ).
The connection between the salvaged USB cable and the board-end of the Dell Front Panel Connector was tested at the 20K Ohm range.
One end of the circuit consisted of a standard set of USB wires: Red, White, Green, Black and Black.
The other end of the circuit consisted of the different colored wires representing the proprietary DELL Front USB board connectors. As you can see by the photo, this was a keyed, 10-pin connector, with the lower, left-hand pin socket filled in, from the perspective of looking into the connector with the key located at the bottom.
Not being learned in electronics, I did at least compile a list of results of Multimeter readings, comparing the standard USB connections versus the proprietary DELL USB connections and placed the results in two matrices. One for the Top USB connector, and the second for the lower USB connector.
Digital Multimeter Readings
Generally, the Multimeter gave one of three kind of readings when the leads were placed across the ends of the circuit: Erratic (E) by which I mean the numbers on the multimeter would constantly change; a simple, steady reading of the number one (1) or an Erratic reading with a Negative symbol (-E).
I placed the results in the two matrices, hoping that someone more schooled than I in electronics can interpret the results and provide a determination as to how a Dell Dimension 1100 or 3000 board should be connected to the Front USB panel wires of a non-Dell case.
Here are the Digital Multimeter test results, placed into two matrices, comparing connections between a standard 5-wire USB connector (2 black wires) and the multicolored wires used in the Dell Dimensions' J9G1:
http://i53.tinypic.com/2ilhoxh.jpg
I am certain that DELL case modders everywhere will thank whoever solves this mystery.
Thanks in advance.
J.R.