Dimension 8300 front panel USB connector location

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Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

I bought a floppy bay card reader for my Dimension 8300. It didn't come
with instructions.

The description on the PC Club web site states that it connects to the
USB Front Panel Connector.

Where is that located? The connector is a flat, inline, 4-pin female
with what looks like a blank at one end to ensure proper pin alignment
on the motherboard connector. There is only one 4-pin male connector
that I can see on the motherboard and it has no plastic guide so I have
no idea IF it's the right connector, and if it is, which way to put it
on.

The connector in question is about an inch to the right and a half inch
down from the motherboard battery as viewed with the PCI cards to the
left.

Anyone install anything like this in a Dimension care to lend some
advice?

I only paid $10 for the card reader. I really hate to spend $50 to have
PC Club install it.
--
Greg Smith
smithgrowl@woh.rr.com
^^^
Remove the bird to reply via email.
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Greg Smith" <smithgrowl@woh.rr.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1b09df4e14d08c42989685@news-server.woh.rr.com...
> I bought a floppy bay card reader for my Dimension 8300. It didn't come
> with instructions.
>
> The description on the PC Club web site states that it connects to the
> USB Front Panel Connector.
>
> Where is that located? The connector is a flat, inline, 4-pin female
> with what looks like a blank at one end to ensure proper pin alignment
> on the motherboard connector. There is only one 4-pin male connector
> that I can see on the motherboard and it has no plastic guide so I have
> no idea IF it's the right connector, and if it is, which way to put it
> on.
>
> The connector in question is about an inch to the right and a half inch
> down from the motherboard battery as viewed with the PCI cards to the
> left.
>
> Anyone install anything like this in a Dimension care to lend some
> advice?
>
> I only paid $10 for the card reader. I really hate to spend $50 to have
> PC Club install it.
> --
> Greg Smith
> smithgrowl@woh.rr.com
> ^^^
> Remove the bird to reply via email.


Greg,

I don't know of an additional USB pinout on that mb, but that's not to say
that's not what you're seeing from those 4 pins. If you'll look closely
(which in my case would require reading glasses), there should be writing
(in white) by those pins indicating what they in fact are. The Dell website
has gotten pretty weak in providing detailed layouts of their system boards.

The primary front USB (and audio for that matter) connector can be found by
locating the 1.5' flat ribbon cable that runs to the front ("control panel")
I/O board below the hard drive cage (and to the mb as well). You might also
wish to take a flashlight and view that I/O board for pins, but I believe
the only ones that will be vacant are for an internal speaker and chassis
intrusion plug-in that the Dimension does not utilize (Optiplex does).

Post back.

Stew
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

In article <goWnc.99923$7a5.44287@bignews6.bellsouth.net>, stew1960
@mail.com says...
>
> "Greg Smith" <smithgrowl@woh.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1b09df4e14d08c42989685@news-server.woh.rr.com...
> > I bought a floppy bay card reader for my Dimension 8300. It didn't come
> > with instructions.
> >
> > The description on the PC Club web site states that it connects to the
> > USB Front Panel Connector.
> >
> > Where is that located? The connector is a flat, inline, 4-pin female
> > with what looks like a blank at one end to ensure proper pin alignment
> > on the motherboard connector. There is only one 4-pin male connector
> > that I can see on the motherboard and it has no plastic guide so I have
> > no idea IF it's the right connector, and if it is, which way to put it
> > on.
> >
> > The connector in question is about an inch to the right and a half inch
> > down from the motherboard battery as viewed with the PCI cards to the
> > left.
> >
> > Anyone install anything like this in a Dimension care to lend some
> > advice?
> >
> > I only paid $10 for the card reader. I really hate to spend $50 to have
> > PC Club install it.
> > --
> > Greg Smith
> > smithgrowl@woh.rr.com
> > ^^^
> > Remove the bird to reply via email.
>
>
> Greg,
>
> I don't know of an additional USB pinout on that mb, but that's not to say
> that's not what you're seeing from those 4 pins. If you'll look closely
> (which in my case would require reading glasses), there should be writing
> (in white) by those pins indicating what they in fact are. The Dell website
> has gotten pretty weak in providing detailed layouts of their system boards.
>
> The primary front USB (and audio for that matter) connector can be found by
> locating the 1.5' flat ribbon cable that runs to the front ("control panel")
> I/O board below the hard drive cage (and to the mb as well). You might also
> wish to take a flashlight and view that I/O board for pins, but I believe
> the only ones that will be vacant are for an internal speaker and chassis
> intrusion plug-in that the Dimension does not utilize (Optiplex does).
>
> Post back.
>
> Stew

Apparently the 8300 does not have a USB connector on the motherboard. I
either have to buy a PCI USB card and add a 5 port card to my current 8
or I have to homebrew a cable from a USB extension cable by splicing it
to the card reader, run it through a hole in a PCI slot cover, and plug
it into a free USB slot in the back (outside) of the case.
--
Greg Smith
smithgrowl@woh.rr.com
^^^
Remove the bird to reply via email.
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Greg Smith" <smithgrowl@woh.rr.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1b09df4e14d08c42989685@news-server.woh.rr.com...
> I bought a floppy bay card reader for my Dimension 8300.
It didn't come
> with instructions.
>
> The description on the PC Club web site states that it
connects to the
> USB Front Panel Connector.
>
> Where is that located? The connector is a flat, inline,
4-pin female
> with what looks like a blank at one end to ensure proper
pin alignment
> on the motherboard connector. There is only one 4-pin
male connector
> that I can see on the motherboard and it has no plastic
guide so I have
> no idea IF it's the right connector, and if it is, which
way to put it
> on.
>
> The connector in question is about an inch to the right
and a half inch
> down from the motherboard battery as viewed with the PCI
cards to the
> left.
>
> Anyone install anything like this in a Dimension care to
lend some
> advice?
>
> I only paid $10 for the card reader. I really hate to
spend $50 to have
> PC Club install it.
> --
> Greg Smith
> smithgrowl@woh.rr.com
> ^^^
> Remove the bird to reply via email.

The front USB port is behind the lift up panel on the front
of the tower. The panel is round on the bottom. Just lift it
up and the USB port is facing down, under an overhang. There
is a headphone connector next to it.
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

In article <4YSdnXYdncznRj3dRVn-uw@comcast.com>, fkozerski@comcast.net
says...
>
> "Greg Smith" <smithgrowl@woh.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1b09df4e14d08c42989685@news-server.woh.rr.com...
> > I bought a floppy bay card reader for my Dimension 8300.
> It didn't come
> > with instructions.
> >
> > The description on the PC Club web site states that it
> connects to the
> > USB Front Panel Connector.
> >
> > Where is that located? The connector is a flat, inline,
> 4-pin female
> > with what looks like a blank at one end to ensure proper
> pin alignment
> > on the motherboard connector. There is only one 4-pin
> male connector
> > that I can see on the motherboard and it has no plastic
> guide so I have
> > no idea IF it's the right connector, and if it is, which
> way to put it
> > on.
> >
> > The connector in question is about an inch to the right
> and a half inch
> > down from the motherboard battery as viewed with the PCI
> cards to the
> > left.
> >
> > Anyone install anything like this in a Dimension care to
> lend some
> > advice?
> >
> > I only paid $10 for the card reader. I really hate to
> spend $50 to have
> > PC Club install it.
> > --
> > Greg Smith
> > smithgrowl@woh.rr.com
> > ^^^
> > Remove the bird to reply via email.
>
> The front USB port is behind the lift up panel on the front
> of the tower. The panel is round on the bottom. Just lift it
> up and the USB port is facing down, under an overhang. There
> is a headphone connector next to it.
>

What I meant was the *motherboard* front USB connector but apparently
there isn't one. At least not one that isn't proprietary. I'm going to
have to create a USB cable that I'll run outside through a PCI card slot
and plug it into a rear external USB port.

NOTE to Dell if you're reading...proprietary-free design be a factor in
my next PC purchase.

--
Greg Smith
smithgrowl@woh.rr.com
^^^
Remove the bird to reply via email.
 
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