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Electronics DIY Parallel to USB?

Discussion in 'Modding' started by Han$en, 17 Nov 2010.

  1. Han$en

    Han$en Skulltrail!

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    Hi guys! :)

    I have an Silverstone SST-FP54 display laying around, brand new and unused, but now i'd like to use it for a change. But it's so old, that it's with a Parallel connector, wich my Asus M4A88T-I Deluxe m-ITX board dosen't have.

    Is there any DIY guide out there, how do weld a USB connector on the cables instead of the parallel? Pre-fabricated adaptors aren't really interesting, as a start.

    Hope anyone can help me out :)
     
  2. Moriquendi

    Moriquendi Bit Tech Biker

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    USB and parallel are completely incompatible without a converter, Universal Serial Bus is as the name suggests a serial connection, bit's sent one after the other, while parallel sends eight bits over eight wires simultaneously.

    Your options are:

    Buy a USB- Parallel adapter

    Buy a new display

    Scrap the whole project because you're not going to get a USB port to drive the display without a converter.

    Moriquendi
     
  3. Han$en

    Han$en Skulltrail!

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    Crap :(

    I just thought it was possible to do something like this myself:

    [​IMG]
     
  4. ulfar

    ulfar holy s**t, i can change this?

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    it is, if you manage to integrate the actual converter in the parallell connector =).

    now, if the same format of data is sent over the parallell connection as the usb, no parity bits etc (not that into usb) you could easily make a converter. simply take the (assuming) 8 data wires of the parallell cable, hook them up to a clicky.
    on the other side you've got a serial in, to which you connect the usb data wires.

    [​IMG]

    oh, and you'll need a crystal setting the clock to an appropriate frequency.
     
  5. Tealc

    Tealc What's a Dremel?

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  6. Moriquendi

    Moriquendi Bit Tech Biker

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    That wouldn't work either, USB is a negotiated bus meaning that you would need to reprogram the displays controller to reply to the hosts requests and whatever converter chip you used would have to be bi-directional.

    Moriquendi
     
  7. Matticus

    Matticus ...

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    How about you make it interesting.

    Buy a premade converter, but hard-wire it onto the screens existing connection. It would achieve the same thing you want to do by basically converting to the whole to USB and not having to add extra cable length and connectors.

    Edit: I just noticed this as I clicked to post.

    Looks like you would have loads of room to stuff cables in there and just have a usb and power cable out of the hole which now houses the connector.
     
  8. ulfar

    ulfar holy s**t, i can change this?

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    i see, guess not everything is as "simple" as in the world of microcontrollers (yes i know pic 18 series as well as a bunch of other have usb features. just that i've never used those features.)
     
  9. matiss

    matiss Minimodder

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    You could also buy a controller pci card, they aren´t that expensive. And with a bit of work you can stealth the outside connector and weld a connector on at the inside if there is no pin out.
     
  10. Han$en

    Han$en Skulltrail!

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    You have a point there! I think i'll buy a converter from Ebay, and then "mod" it in to the case.. I just had some other plans for it.
     
  11. Han$en

    Han$en Skulltrail!

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    As writtin in #0 - m-ITX board. I only have 1x PCI-e x16 :)
     

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