Posted by: MAC USER Jul 10 2006, 08:32 PM

2 extra USB ports in the modem port. I took the signal from the mainboard.

EXTRA USB PORTS

Please make sure of what you are doing. You could damage your Cube forever (and loose your Cube-Guru status- just kidding). Of course I can't be responsible for that.

Notes:
You will loose your Guarantee with this procedure (ha ha ha)
You will loose a precious modem 56k v.90 port (But if you are still using your dial-up line to read this forum, you can always buy a USB to modem adapter)
You will loose some space between HD and Optical Drive
You will have 2 extra external USB ports in the modem port
You will have 1 extra internal USB port (I connected a USB bluetooth device)
You will still be able to use the USB from your ADC screen



Parts needed:
3 USB Extension cables (I used 2 Black and 1 white Apple extension cables)
1 small USB hub with 4 ports (It could have more ports)
1 FLOPPY power connector
(You can cut it from an old ATX power-supply or buy a Y power extension)

Note: If you buy a Powered-Hub you will need to take the power 5V from the Optical-Drive molex connector. In that case you will need to buy the Y power extension.

1 Take apart the Cube.

2 Remove the back cover of the USB port closer to the modem port on the main-board



3 Cut the 4 USB pins from the main-board. You have to cut them as close to the main-board as you can, if you want to use the same pins. Be careful to not brake them!

4 Cut 1 USB extension (white) and solder the wires of the part with the female jack connector (~30cm long) to the USB signal where the pins where (removed in step 3) but on the back of the main-board.



Pin-out:
Standard USB Pin-out
& Cable Color Code

Pin Wire Color Function

1 Red V BUS (5V)
2 White D-
3 Green D+
4 Black Ground

Info from: http://pinouts.ru/Slots/USB_pinout.shtml

5 Put the main-board back to the Cube, take the cable thru the bottom of the cube passing next to the fan to the space between the Optical drive and the HD.



6 Mount the Hub where you want it to be. I taped it to the aluminum structure.



8 Tape the Floppy connector to the second part of the (white cable) male plug connector in the correct order (see pin-out).



Cut the 2 USB extension cables to the necessary length and tape them. You will pass the 3 cables (2 black ones and the second male plug part of the white one) around the side of the main board thru the bottom passing next to the fan to the space between the Optical drive and the HD.



(I passed them directly over the heat sink. If you want to do the same you have to do this:

http://www.cubeowner.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11786

9 Bend the pins to make them straight and Insert the 4 pins into the floppy connector.
(Make sure they are tightly secured, connected, and in the same position as the original USB jack connector)



10 Carefully insert the floppy connector with pins to the back of the USB on the main board. (They are exactly the perfect size! The pins have a small head that secures the pins into the jack connector. You have to make sure that they get connected to the top of the jack)



11 Take out the blue plastic from the modem port from the outside face of the core. Insert the two black jacks into the back of the modem port from inside, and then connect the plastic again to secure the ports. (They are exactly the perfect size as well!)



12 Connect all the cables to the hub. It should look like this:



13 If you have the USB powered hub, use the rest of the Y cable to take the power (5V from the red wire and ground from the black wire) of the molex connector and connect it to a plug similar to the one in the AC-DC from the Hub kit. (Or cut the plug from the AC-DC and tape it to the Y molex cable)




Have Fun!