USB 2.0 PCI card mod

Well, didn't know where to put this, so it ended up in General Hardware.

I'm throwing together a MP3 playing / picture viewing / living room computer for my parents. I came across a P3B-F not long ago, so it's going to be based on that (running a passively cooled Tualeron - quiet is key).

Unfortunately USB 2.0 didn't exist when the P3B-F was made, so it's only got two USB 1.1 ports on it.

Because my parents will want a card reader in it (and my dad has USB hard drives he whips around) USB 2.0 is really nice, so I decided to pick up a USB 2.0 controller.

After looking hard for a non-VIA controller I picked up a generic five port controller based on the NEC D720101 for CDN$15:


But I want three internal headers, so...

First we ditch three USB connectors. I unsoldered the main supporting "legs" first, and then the electrical connections.


I picked up some pin headers at a local electronics store. I was buying a few other things so I got them for free Unfortunately the USB recepticle thingies don't use the standard 0.1" spacing that almost everything does so we need to add some wire.


Then we twist up the data pair and shrink wrap them.


After that we twist the +5V and Gnd wires up, and wrap the sheild around everything. Then we solder on the header pins and shrink wrap it all together (don't forget to put the shrink wrap on before you solder on the header

And presto. Front bay card reader and front case ports connected:


Flash drive on USB 1.1 ports:


Same flash drive connected to USB 2.0 card via front case ports:


I'll get some foil tape from work tomorrow to cover up the two open holes that are now left in the back of the PCI bracket.

Anyways, thought this might be useful to someone else throwing together an older computer for something.

Cool mod!

I just had all my usb ports on my board go out. I never thought about doing that great mod.

You got game my friend.

Very nice mod! I think I might just try this on my dads old dell rig that doesn't have usb 2.0.

I have that same card, and it rocks. I was just wondering how to do this the other day!

Just one question, how do you get the usb slots off the card? Just solder them off of the card?

Pretty neat, never thought of that. Nice job dude!

SlipViper said:

I have that same card, and it rocks. I was just wondering how to do this the other day!

Just one question, how do you get the usb slots off the card? Just solder them off of the card?

Click to expand...

General note: both WinXP SP2 and Win2000 SP4 recognize the card so you don't need any drivers with it. Plus it works in both 5V (old) and 3.3V (new) PCI slots.

To remove the USB receptacles I first removed as much of the solder as possible by repeatedly melting the solder around a pin, and then "flicking" the soldering iron onto a piece of cardboard/wood/metal/whatever. I don't have a fancy desoldering thing. Allow the card to cool between your melting attempts, or else you might damage the traces.

Once I got as much of the solder off as I could, I alternately melted the solder on the two supporting legs while slowly "bending" the plug up (the four electrical contacts acting like a hinge).

After they were bent up ~90 degrees I heated each of the electrical contacts in turn as I slowly twisted/rocked the receptacle off the board. A few of the electrical "legs" broke off, but I just grabbed them with tweezers and pulled them out while melting the solder on the other side.

Again, just be careful you don't heat the board too much.

I have a $10 Radio Shack soldering iron, selectable between 15W and 30W. I used 30W when removing the supporting (sheild) legs, and 15W when working on the electrical legs.

General soldering iron tip: If, like me, you just buy (or have) a cheap soldering iron with a screw on tip, coat the screw threads with Artic Silver (or whatever heatsink goop you have around) before you thread it on. You'll get better heat conductivity to the tip, resulting in a more constant temperature.

sweet, thanks for the insight...

great mod!

I keep forgetting the foil tape so I just broke out the label-maker: