How to rewire computer front panel?

techone_70

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Oct 2, 2009
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I am using an HP pavilion a6010n case with a Biostar motherboard .The panel connectors from the case are not compatible with the mothetboard.How do i rewie the front panel connectors to work with this biostar motherboard.
 

Mongox

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Aug 19, 2009
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Well, it's easiest if you label each connector before removing it from the HP motherboard. If that's not possible, you need to track each wire, usually they run in pairs, to a switch or led on the front panel.

If the wire pairs don't end in individual connectors, common on computers like Dell, Compaq and HP, then after identifying each wire/pair, you have to physically slide out each wire end from the connector and move it to the right position in the connector. Generally, a single connector is set up with 2 rows and as many as 8 deep. You have to use a sewing needle or something similar to lift slightly open the flexible plastic tongue that holds the copper connector on the end of the wire to slide it out. Make sure you don't damage or bend that plastic tongue.

Once you identify each pair, some of them have a positive and negative wire. Others don't care which is which. The Reset button doesn't care, most LEDs do. The only way to find out which is which is usually to test them. Idealy, even if you've removed the old HP board, to throw it away, I'd use it to test the wiring, rather than the new board. Label each pair as to what they do.

The new motherboard manual will give you the pin numbers and position of each wire pair, so just match them up and you've got it.

If this sounds like a very tedious and time-consuming task, it is. You may find it's best just to locate the Power switch, the reset button and the speaker (if equipped) and get those working.

Oh, if you have no luck removing the wire ends from the connector, you can always cut them and resplice the correct wire in. Very low voltages are involved here, so you can just trim and splice the wires by twisting and cover with some elec. tape.