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Making a USB Host cable 2 - Using a breakout board

11K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  acshud 
#1 ·
Hi there,first of all: there already is an excellent tutorial by user vtpad how to make a USB host cable, using the original USB cable supplied with the tablet. See here: http://www.slatedroid.com/eken-m001-modding/2137-make-usb-host-cable.htmlHowever, I was unable to succeed with this, because in my cable, the connector for the tablet was clogged with hot glue from the manufacturing process. When I tried to reinsert the pins into their new positions everything bent and broke.Hence I decided to make a USB host cable using a breakout board. Breakout boards with IPhone/IPod connectors are available in Ebay (~13$ incl. shipping), for example:Breakout Board for Ipod / Iphone bei eBay.de: (endet 15.10.10 13:46:34 MESZ)So I bought a breakout board from a guy named "hi-tech-geek" in China, the unit arrived in germany about two weeks after paying via PayPal.I sacrificed a USB cable, cutting it in half, and used the wiring information provided in the original "USB host cable" thread by vtpad (Thanks buddy
) to wire it.Essentially, there is only four cables in a standard USB cable, which have the standardized colors black, white, green and red. According to the infos provided by vtpad, they have to be soldered to the following pins on the breakout board:pin USB cable color30 Black13 Green12 White9 RedLooks like this:
After soldering the cables to the board and checking to make sure I didn't shortcut anything, I plugged into my Eken M001 and tested with a standard USB keyboard. Worked like a charm, no additional drivers needed.This method is only an extension to the method described by vtpad, the essential info how to wire was presented in his thread. Thanks again :)Advantages:- Its really easy, if you know how to hold a soldering iron straight.- No need to sacrifice your original Eken USB cable- Relatively safeDisadvantages:- You must buy additional parts, which costs money + time- No housing for the breakout boardBottomline:- This method might provide an alternative for people (like me), who need a USB host cable but feel uncomfortable when messing around with electrical contacts in microscale.greetz, PADMAN
 
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#3 ·
Hi Pook,I think the Pin assignments you refer to are for the iPod, not the Eken tablet. Even though the Eken uses a similar connector, the pin assignment seems to vary. I got the pin assignment I used for the USB cable from the original USB host thread by vtpad, and it definitely works ! (I use my cable frequently ;))If you wire your cable as described in my thread and shown on the pictures, you possibly cant go wrong.good luck,PADMAN
 
#6 ·
[quote author=Lietotajs link=topic=8982.msg105895#msg105895 date=1293043171]
I order iPod dock extender cable (cable with all pins used) (from DX ~5$) and will cut cable and just connect expected wires to cutted USB extender wires!
[/quote]

By using your cable or PADMANs breakout board one could make both a HOST and SLAVE cable in one package.
 
#7 ·
[quote author=carpenter940 link=topic=8982.msg105946#msg105946 date=1293053252]
[quote author=Lietotajs link=topic=8982.msg105895#msg105895 date=1293043171]
I order iPod dock extender cable (cable with all pins used) (from DX ~5$) and will cut cable and just connect expected wires to cutted USB extender wires!
[/quote]
By using your cable or PADMANs breakout board one could make both a HOST and SLAVE cable in one package.
[/quote]

Something like that could be used too? It's a station dock for iphone which acts as a charger and sync.

 
#8 ·
HI erlantz,
the iPod thing probably wont work if you want to connect external keyboard, mouse or USB stick, because you need to connect different pins of the 30pin connector in order to get a USB host cable. The docking station "as is" is for USB slave mode, i.e. to connect your tablet as USB mass storage.

greetz, PADMAN
 
#9 ·
I bay iphone dock extension cable (on dealextreme 3$), cut cable and with multimeter check pins and wires, unfortunately only 2 pins from necessary 4 (9, 12, 13, 30) has a wires (pins 12 and 13). I disassembly connector and inside find  PCB with pin numbers (like Padmans board, but two times smaller) and easy solder  wires of USB female connector cable, reassembly connector and get beautiful cable! Check cable by connecting USB mouse an it works!
 
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