Front Panel USB, Firewire and Audio

Hi everyone,

Here's a good one for ya'

I've just got myself a GlobalWin GAT-001 v2, and an A7N8X Deluxe.

It's got the usual FireWire blanks on the front, for which I need a pair of
connectors as the firewire "board" supplied with the mobo won't fit.
Similarly, the USB and audio connectors are just a bunch of long cables,
designed to go out the back of the case and plug into the rear connectors,
again, not neat enough for me, so I wanted to replace it with front panel
connectors so that I can use the headers on the motherboard.

Any ideas for suppliers?

Cheers,
Ben.
--
I'm not just a number. To many, I'm known as a string...

Ed wrote:
On Wed, 6 Aug 2003 19:51:44 +0100, "Ben Pope"
wrote:

I've just got myself a GlobalWin GAT-001 v2, and an A7N8X Deluxe.

It's got the usual FireWire blanks on the front, for which I need a
pair of connectors as the firewire "board" supplied with the mobo
won't fit.
Similarly, the USB and audio connectors are just a bunch of long
cables, designed to go out the back of the case and plug into the
rear connectors, again, not neat enough for me, so I wanted to
replace it with front panel connectors so that I can use the headers
on the motherboard.

Any ideas for suppliers?

Cheers,
Ben.

http://www.koutech.com/proddisp.asp?...%20USB%20Combo

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...fer=pricewatch

Thanks Ed.

What I wanted doesn't go into a drive bay, it's mounted to the back of the
front panel of the case, and hidden behind a flap built into the case.

I should also have said I'm in the UK :-)

Ben
--
I'm not just a number. To many, I'm known as a string...

Joe wrote:
Ben,
I am having a hard time understanding your post.

Fair comment :-)

Perhaps you could clear the fog? You say that you want the front
Firewire/Audio/USB ports to work so you can use them? "headers on
the motherboard"??? Are you refering to the pins? Your case should
have come with some cables to connect your Mobo to the front panel
circuit board. Check out the instructions on the motherboard and get
back to us if they don't help.

Basically the case comes with cables that connect to the usb and audio ports
on the front, but they are extension leads. So the far end has usb type A
plugs and minijack plugs - it is the intention that they go out the back of
the case and plug into the rear sockets of the motherboard. What I want is
a replacement for the whole unit, that has the connectors on the far end
that will connect to the motherboard pins. Additionally I want the firewire
sockets that connect to the back of the front panel (with two screws) and
also to the motherboard pins.

Does that make more sense?

Ben
--
I'm not just a number. To many, I'm known as a string...

On Wed, 6 Aug 2003 22:24:33 +0100, "Ben Pope" wrote:

I should also have said I'm in the UK :-)

Ya, I forget. ;p
Good luck with the new build!
Ed


Ben

Ed wrote:
On Wed, 6 Aug 2003 22:24:33 +0100, "Ben Pope"
wrote:

I should also have said I'm in the UK :-)

Ya, I forget. ;p
Good luck with the new build!
Ed

Cheers, Still waiting for bits... argh!

Ben
--
I'm not just a number. To many, I'm known as a string...

I too would like to know how I can get a hold of a firewire front panel
connector for my case. Anyone able to help?




Additionally I want the firewire sockets that connect to the back of the
front panel (with two screws) and also to the motherboard pins.

"Ben Pope" wrote in message
...
Joe wrote:
Ben,
I am having a hard time understanding your post.

Fair comment :-)

Perhaps you could clear the fog? You say that you want the front
Firewire/Audio/USB ports to work so you can use them? "headers on
the motherboard"??? Are you refering to the pins? Your case should
have come with some cables to connect your Mobo to the front panel
circuit board. Check out the instructions on the motherboard and get
back to us if they don't help.

Basically the case comes with cables that connect to the usb and audio
ports
on the front, but they are extension leads. So the far end has usb type A
plugs and minijack plugs - it is the intention that they go out the back
of
the case and plug into the rear sockets of the motherboard. What I want
is
a replacement for the whole unit, that has the connectors on the far end
that will connect to the motherboard pins. Additionally I want the
firewire
sockets that connect to the back of the front panel (with two screws) and
also to the motherboard pins.

Does that make more sense?

Ben
--
I'm not just a number. To many, I'm known as a string...



Hi Ben,

Like you I'm looking for something similar. The only products that I've
found are the Asus J-Panel and the Abit Media XP Pro. The Asus panel has 2 x
USB & Audio ports only whereas the Abit panel has all these plus a 4 in 1
memory card reader! I'd like to get the Abit kit but I'm unsure whether it
would work on my Asus A7N8X board.


Mehbs

Mehbs wrote:
Hi Ben,

Like you I'm looking for something similar. The only products that
I've found are the Asus J-Panel and the Abit Media XP Pro. The Asus
panel has 2 x USB & Audio ports only whereas the Abit panel has all
these plus a 4 in 1 memory card reader! I'd like to get the Abit kit
but I'm unsure whether it would work on my Asus A7N8X board.

You may want to have a look at FrontX (www.frontx.com) it looks nice but
doesn't come cheap.

I can't see any major reasons why the Abit won't work... it's possible that
the header arrangements on the motherboard are different, but it's not
usually a difficult task to re-pin those plugs. It is odd how they say it's
compatible with AT7 and IT7 - it doesn't mention any others. I'm
downloading the manual and was gonna check to see if the headers are the
same/similar as the A7N8X.

The J-Panel doesn't provide FireWire, I don't need it. But that doesn;t
stop me wanting it, and on the front :-) I just figure that if I'm gonna
buy something it may as well have everything on it.

I'm not looking for a 5 1/4 or 3 1/2 inch bay mountable thing... I'm looking
for something that mounts onto the case itself. At the bottom of the case
is a flap that pops open to reveal USB, mic and headphone, and two "blanks"
for IEEE1394. This is the second case I've recently purchased with the same
(or very similar) flap, but I've never seen anything that mounts onto it.

Ben
--
I'm not just a number. To many, I'm known as a string...

Mehbs wrote:
Cheers for that. I did see this (or something similar) being sold in
Maplin stores but, like you said, it's not cheap! I'll probably go
for the Asus but I'd be interested in your findings for the Abit
panel before I do.

Well:
USB headers are the same.
IEEE1394 are different (Abit use a similar setup to the USB ones, Asus...
don't)
Now... FPIO2 is what Abit say is for their Media Pro kit. "This header can
provide the analog audio output signals for front right and front left,
center channel, subwoofer, rear right ans rear left channel. It also
provides one digital S/PDIF input and one digital S/PDIF output connector".
I don't think thats correct, since the pins are labelled:
1 Mic
2 GND
3 NC
4 VCC
5 Front Right
6 Front Right
7 NC
8 No PIN
9 Front Left
10 Front Left

11 GND
12 SPDIF In
13 VCC
14 SPDIF-Out

No mention of rears, center or sub.

For the Asus:
They have FPAUDIO (whoch appears to be along the line of the Intel Front
Panel Audio Connector)
1 Mic2
2 AGND
3 micPWR
4 +5VA
5 line_out_R
6 BLINE_OUT_R
7 NC
8 No Pin
9 Line out_L
10 BLINE_OUT_L

Look similar?

Here's the Asus S/PDIF connector:

1 SPDIF_IN
2 GND
3 +5V
4 No Pin
5 SPDIF_OUT
6 GND

OK, so thats a different layout (and about an inch away from FPAUDIO)

I reckon it's completely doable. The biggest problem is if the Media Pro
comes with one connector - then you'll have to strip some pins out and
either find another thing to house them in, or tape them up and shove them
on the S/PDIF individually. You've even got space for the longer connector,
if thats what it is.

As for your dilemma, I suppose you could drill out holes in the two
'blanks' and mount firewire motherboard header type cables that way?
Why do they put USB/Audio connectors at the bottom of many midi cases
anyway? Not exactly convenient to use when they're sat on the floor!

They wont fit.

I don't understand why, but the USB ports and the Firewire ports seem to
have some extra gadgetry on a PCB, it looks like surface mount resisters,
but then... all SMT stuff look the same to me! The best I can do is to cut
the PCB down and then try to mount that on something that I can screw into
the case. Bugger it, I'll stick the FireWire ports on the back and think
about it if I ever want to use them.

And as for the USB ports I think I'll cut the wires up and splice the USB
connector supplied with the motherboard in there somewhere. It would be
interesting to know if I need the gadgetry or not...

....anyway, I'm off to play with the car. I've had enough of these damn
wires!

Ben
--
I'm not just a number. To many, I'm known as a string...

"Ben Pope" wrote in message
...
Mehbs wrote:
Cheers for that. I did see this (or something similar) being sold in
Maplin stores but, like you said, it's not cheap! I'll probably go
for the Asus but I'd be interested in your findings for the Abit
panel before I do.

Well:
USB headers are the same.
IEEE1394 are different (Abit use a similar setup to the USB ones, Asus...
don't)
Now... FPIO2 is what Abit say is for their Media Pro kit. "This header
can
provide the analog audio output signals for front right and front left,
center channel, subwoofer, rear right ans rear left channel. It also
provides one digital S/PDIF input and one digital S/PDIF output
connector".
I don't think thats correct, since the pins are labelled:
1 Mic
2 GND
3 NC
4 VCC
5 Front Right
6 Front Right
7 NC
8 No PIN
9 Front Left
10 Front Left

11 GND
12 SPDIF In
13 VCC
14 SPDIF-Out

No mention of rears, center or sub.

For the Asus:
They have FPAUDIO (whoch appears to be along the line of the Intel Front
Panel Audio Connector)
1 Mic2
2 AGND
3 micPWR
4 +5VA
5 line_out_R
6 BLINE_OUT_R
7 NC
8 No Pin
9 Line out_L
10 BLINE_OUT_L

Look similar?

Here's the Asus S/PDIF connector:

1 SPDIF_IN
2 GND
3 +5V
4 No Pin
5 SPDIF_OUT
6 GND

OK, so thats a different layout (and about an inch away from FPAUDIO)

I reckon it's completely doable. The biggest problem is if the Media Pro
comes with one connector - then you'll have to strip some pins out and
either find another thing to house them in, or tape them up and shove them
on the S/PDIF individually. You've even got space for the longer
connector,
if thats what it is.

As for your dilemma, I suppose you could drill out holes in the two
'blanks' and mount firewire motherboard header type cables that way?
Why do they put USB/Audio connectors at the bottom of many midi cases
anyway? Not exactly convenient to use when they're sat on the floor!

They wont fit.

I don't understand why, but the USB ports and the Firewire ports seem to
have some extra gadgetry on a PCB, it looks like surface mount resisters,
but then... all SMT stuff look the same to me! The best I can do is to
cut
the PCB down and then try to mount that on something that I can screw into
the case. Bugger it, I'll stick the FireWire ports on the back and think
about it if I ever want to use them.

And as for the USB ports I think I'll cut the wires up and splice the USB
connector supplied with the motherboard in there somewhere. It would be
interesting to know if I need the gadgetry or not...

...anyway, I'm off to play with the car. I've had enough of these damn
wires!

Ben
--
I'm not just a number. To many, I'm known as a string...


Many thanks for the info Ben. I'll consider the Abit option very carefully!