View Full Version : USB connection
cyclic
6th Mar 2001, 01:06
I'm about to purchase a digital camera and most available connect via USB.
My motherboard has two USB connectors. How do I link to the outside of the case? Is it a simple matter of cables?
Help please!
Specaircrew
6th Mar 2001, 02:03
Sounds like you have an old non ATX motherboard. The manufacturer should supply an end plate with the appropiate cables, check their website.
cyclic
6th Mar 2001, 02:21
Thanks.
I have a manual for the motherboard, but no mention of manufacturer - just PR5 R2 PCI !
Is there a way of converting the serial output to a USB connection?
[This message has been edited by cyclic (edited 05 March 2001).]
johntrav69
6th Mar 2001, 15:28
Try to find out the maker, the chips on the motherboard may give a clue. Serial connection is so slow compared to USB.
cyclic,
on my old pre-ATX board I had two USB connectors and with a tiny cable and a metal plate holding the USB outside world connector I managed to fit my first USB peripherie to the PC. Found the cable with the slot-type metal plate and connectors at PCWorld....but, this was many moons ago...
If your board is USB ready there is a chance this may work for you as well.
Somehow I recall that I had to switch on USB in the BIOS as well...perhaps you check your BIOS. On the ATX boards USB is a standard feature.
cyclic
6th Mar 2001, 21:32
Thanks
I have found the manufacturer and obtained the USB port connector. Unfortunately, Win95a does not support USB!
As I have a retail version I cannot get OSR2 which means I have to upgrade to Win98. All I wanted to do was put some photos on this machine!
Specaircrew
7th Mar 2001, 01:55
You'd be better off getting Windows ME as it's got a few more whistles and bells for digital camera work.
mr blue sky
7th Mar 2001, 10:57
YOu can buy an internal card. Put into a spare slot on your m/board, and you gain two usb sockets. IN UK costs about £30
Bluesky...this will still not provide a USB connectionif the operating system does not support this...He has two sockets now! Bill Gates first successful attempt to help Intel and others with higher income by providing a useless upgrade from Win3.11 was never intended to provide the than still not fully developed USB connections....
cyclic
7th Mar 2001, 14:53
Again, many thanks for your replies. Will ME run with my old machine though?
P133, 32 MB RAM!
johntrav69
8th Mar 2001, 04:42
Dont even go there!!
ExSimGuy
8th Mar 2001, 10:56
Cyclic,
You have a similar spec to my laptop (I've only got 24MB - anyone got some second-hand spare Dell memory modules cheap ? :) ) so I have stuck with Win98.
This is (IMHO) the first reasonably stable issue of WinDoze I have found and runs, just about, okay on my little laptop. I'm certainly not moving up to 2K or ME !
(but I'm seriously investigating Mandrake Linux ;) The full 6-disk set appears to have just about everything I need, even ICQ for Linux!)
------------------
What goes around . . .
. . often lands better!
[This message has been edited by ExSimGuy (edited 08 March 2001).]