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Installing a Mitsumi combined 7in1 Card Reader / Floppy Drive into a Dimension 5000
I'm trying to install a Mitsumi FA404M combined internal 7in1 card reader/floppy drive into the single 3.5" drive bay on a new Dimension 5000. This was the only way I could have a floppy AND card reader onboard - the DELL-branded Media Card Reader accessory does not have the floppy drive and there is only one 3.5" bay.
The floppy drive part is handled via the standard ribbon cable supplied with the Dimension - no problem.
The card reader part uses cable terminated in a 4-way female USB socket.
The motherboard on the Dimension 5000 has a 10-way "FlexBay" connector described in the User Manual as a "USB 10-pin header". It has 2 rows of 5 pins. Although the body of the socket on the device's cable is the same size as the long axis of the "FlexBay" connector, the pin spacings are different, so I cannot mate the two with the existing set-up.
I think the FlexBay connector is a DELL proprietary header for DELL USB floppy drives and the optional DELL Media Card Reader.
Can anyone help with ...
a) the pin layout for the 10-pin FlexBay header
b) a source for a plug that will fit into the 10-pin FlexBay header so I can make up an adapter
c) any other suggestions on how to get round this
a) the pin layout for the 10-pin FlexBay header
b) a source for a plug that will fit into the 10-pin FlexBay header so I can make up an adapter
c) any other suggestions on how to get round this
FYI I have already come up with following alternatives:
A. Fit internal PCI USB card and connect card reader cable to that. PROBLEM: Dimension 5000 motherboard only has 2 PCI slots. One is already being used by the DELL fax/modem card (I had assumed this would be built-in like on my Compaq DeskPro - grrr!) and I'll be using the other one for a sound card.
A. Fit internal PCI USB card and connect card reader cable to that. PROBLEM: Dimension 5000 motherboard only has 2 PCI slots. One is already being used by the DELL fax/modem card (I had assumed this would be built-in like on my Compaq DeskPro - grrr!) and I'll be using the other one for a sound card.
B. Wire up a USB 4-pin male to USB 'A' male extension cable and pass it out through the back of the case and into one of the rear USB ports. PROBLEM: None, but SOOOO MESSY :(
C. Somehow connect up to the front USB ports which are mounted on a front panel I/O daughterboard and connected to the motherboard via a flat ribbon cable. PROBLEM: Don't know the wiring plan for that cable AND I'll lose one or both of the front USB ports.
D. Flog the Mitsumi combined drive on eBay and replace with plain internal floppy and an external media card reader!!! PROBLEM: Combined drive is SUCH a neat solution!
There seems to have been a couple of recent posts similar to this, but I could not find any reply actually giving the pin-out details. Probably because the Dimension 5000 hasn't gone worldwide yet.
Here's hoping anyway :)
Cheers,
Mk
Cheers,
Mk
Daemon42
6 Posts
0
January 28th, 2008 17:00
plugged into the Flexbay header on the MB, as it was installed
by the factory, so don't see how it can be considered "backwards".
I take it, you're using the device end, and then plugging that into
the Flexbay header.
I'll take a look into that paint on protection. Could be useful
with all the harnesses and such I'm always making for R/C aircraft
applications.
ian