USB AND FIREWIRE HELP

USB HELP

Information on configuring and fitting internal USB cables

These pages provide the basic information you will need to install an internal USB device using our cables.

We receive lots of questions from new users who are not sure how USB pin headers are used and why some USB devices have 4/5 pin connectors whilst others have 8,9 or 10 pins.

This first page provides a quick guide to the USB pin headers found on motherboards and devices. It also explains how to use our USB A to internal device cables in cases where a motherboard does not have a USB pin header.

Experienced users might like to skip to the Next page

Motherboard style USB pin header connectors

Internal USB devices connect to the motherboard using 4 wires. These wires are normally red, white, green and black. Two wires (red and black) are used to provide power to the USB device. The other two wires (white and green) are used to transmit data between the motherboard and the device.

The 4 wires in the USB cable can be connected to the USB pin header found on most modern motherboards. This pin header is designed to support two independent USB devices. The header is usually two rows of 4 or 5 pins. Each row of pins is normally associated with a separate device as shown in the picture below.

 

When installing USB devices a separate cable can be connected to each row of the USB pin header. Using separate cables allows you to place your devices at different locations in the computer case, for example in different drive bays.

Note each row of pins on the USB pin header works in exactly the same way as the standard USB A sockets found at the rear of your motherboard. The only difference is the way that the cable is connected to the motherboard. The USB pin header is the equivalent of two standard USB A sockets.

 

USB Device connectors with 4 or 5 pins

If your device uses a pin header this will normally be a single row of 4 or 5 pins. These pins are normally connected by the USB cable to one row of pins on the motherboard USB header as shown in the picture below. Note that the device only uses one row of pins on the motherboard header leaving the other free for connecting a second USB device.

 

If you do not have a free USB pin header on your motherboard you can use one of our adaptor cables to connect the device to a standard USB A socket. These cables have a standard USB A plug at one end instead of a motherboard pin header connector. This can be plugged into any spare USB A socket on your system. The other end of the cable has a pin header style connector that can be slotted onto the pins on your device.

 

USB Device connectors with 8 9 or 10 pins

Sometimes manufacturers will build two separate USB devices into a single unit. A common example of this is a card reader that also has a front panel USB port. In this case the unit will have a connector that has two rows of 4 or 5 pins.

Although, the two USB devices are both contained within the same unit, the devices themselves are independent. Each device needs its own separate connection to the motherboard USB header.

Normally the top row of pins on the device connector will be for one device in the unit and the bottom row of pins will provide the connector for the other device. The picture below shows an example of a unit with a card reader + front panel USB port. This unit has a 9 pin connector.

These devices can also be connected to standard USB A sockets when there is no USB pin header available on the motherboard. In this case you are connecting two separate devices so you need two adaptor cables and two free USB A sockets on your system.

FIREWIRE HELP

Assembling, checking and/or re-configuring your Firewire cable

Unfortunately, there is no standard format for the layout of the pins on Firewire pin headers. This means that when fitting an internal Firewire cable you need to configure the cable to suit your own system.

The cables are designed so that they can be easily set up to suit the requirements of different motherboard and device pin headers. This simply involves inserting the pins into the connectors in the correct order. The pins can be removed and repositioned if the cable needs modifying.

The pins simply push into the square holes at one end of the connector as shown in the picture below. The small plastic tabs on the plug hold the pin in position once it is inserted.

If you need to change the order of the wires in the connector the pins can easily be removed. Using a needle or some other small sharp object gently raise the plastic tab that holds the pin in position. Then gently pull on the wire to remove the pin. The tab should only be raised by the small amount needed to remove the pin. If the tab is pushed to far back it may not return to the correct postion to hold the pin in place.

 

 

How to configure the cable

Each wire in the Firewire cable must be connected to the correct pin on the firewire pin header connector or front panel connection port.

Your equipment manufacturer will include a diagram of the firewire pin header with a label next to each pin. The table below shows the symbols used.

Label

VP,Voltage+ or Vcc

G,GND,Ground

TPA+

TPA-

TPB+

TPB-

 

Standard 6 pin plug to 2x5 way connector cable configuration

When fitting this type of cable you should insert the pins into the connector so that the wires are connected as shown in the table below.

Wire	Pin
White	VP,Voltage+ or Vcc
Black	G,GND,Ground
Blue	TPA+
Orange	TPA-
Green	TPB+
Red	TPB-

Your firewire pin header may also have a pin labelled S-GND or S-ground. If this pin is present you should connect the extra (slightly thicker) black wire to this pin. If there is no S-ground pin this wire can be left unconnected.

Once you have inserted the pins into the connector according to the above table you just need to make sure that the connector is plugged onto the pin header in the correct orientation. To do this just make sure that the white wire is alligned with the pin labelled VP,Voltage+ or Vcc.

 

Configuring 2x5 way connector to 2x5 way connector cables

Firewire cables use a crossover connection technique for the wires that carry data signals. The TPA pins on one device are connected to the TPB pins on the second device. This crossover requirement is built into our cables with standard 6 pin connectors at one end.

When fitting a cable with 2x5 way connectors at both ends the TPA and TPB wires must be connected to different pins at each end of the cable.

At one end of the cable you should insert the pins into the connector so that the wires are connected as shown in the table below.

First 2x5 way connector configuration table

 

Wire	Pin
White	VP,Voltage+ or Vcc
Black	G,GND,Ground
Blue	TPA+
Orange	TPA-
Green	TPB+
Red	TPB-

At the other end of the cable you should insert the pins into the connectors so that the wires are connected as shown in this table :-

Second 2x5 way connector configuration table

 

Wire	Pin
White	VP,Voltage+ or Vcc
Black	G,GND,Ground
Blue	TPB+
Orange	TPB-
Green	TPA+
Red	TPA-

Your firewire pin headers may also have a pin labelled S-GND or S-ground. If this pin is present you should connect the extra (slightly thicker) black wires to this pin. If there is no S-ground pin this wire can be left unconnected.

Once you have inserted the pins into the connectors according to the above tables you just need to make sure that the connectors are plugged onto the pin headers in the correct orientation. To do this just make sure that the white wire is alligned with the pin labelled VP,Voltage+ or Vcc.