Electronics Creating/Extending USB header Cables

[Coldon]

I'm busy with a mod on my stacker 830 evo, and i've found the usb header cables are too short and i need to extend them. I need to know if there is anything i need to worry about.

My main concern is with the shielding around the cables, how sensitive are those usb headers to crosstalk and interference? can i just strip the white shielding, cut the cables in the middle, solder extensions and then twist the cables around each other and sleeve it?

i've seen on PPCs they are selling usb header cables that are unshielded so i'm assuming i can just do what i planned above? Otherwise what are my options? do you get like 5 core shielded cable? anyone know what the cable that the chassis manufacturers use is, what its called or where to get it?

[Recoil]

Twisting cables around each other decreases the amount of outside interference. So yes, your plan of action for extending them should work as long as you heatshrink each wire.

[cpemma]

There's a danger with lesser quality cables that the OS will drop the speed from USB2 to USB1, I had this with the front port cabling on my Antec 3000 case and I've seen other reports.

You can buy 5 wire + screen from Rapid (02-0644 Screened Audio Cable OFC Professional 5-way mini coax) but minimum is an expensive 20m for around £36 (and according to this post it's only 4+screen which is more common as screened twin twisted pair). Cheaper to buy a USB2 extension lead and chop up.

[Coldon]

i tried using a removable drive cable but it only has 4 cables inside, i'm assuming the one ground is not necessary then? i'd like to keep it usb 2 if possible, maybe i get find another chassis and rip out the usb header cables from it and combine the two...

[shadow12]

aluminium foil can be used for shielding.

[Splynncryth]

It might be better to desolder the cable at the USB connectors and try to recover the pins in the MB header connection and either use the cable from a USB cord of some sort. I've used cat 5 to do something similar in the past, but I've had problems with it carrying power, the wire just isn't a heavy enough gauge for the Vcc and ground lines. That way it is one solid cord and is just an extra measure to make sure everything is OK and everything looks good.

But I don't think a splice will be a problem so long as you use a twisted pair cable for the D+ and D- (green and white) wires. Just keep the amount of wire you unravel for the splice to a minimum.

[notatoad]

i've never done it myself, but i've heard of people having success using ethernet cable to extend USB headers.