prologue: touchscreen mod take one

[seperis]

So I have my Belkin 55-piece computer tool set via recommendation of mrshamill (I can feel her panicking from here; I didn't set myself on fire, promise) and today the touch screen mod kit and an organizer box for my things that are related to computers came as well as a soldering iron stand that has an attached magnifying glass and two alligator clips, all adjustable. Basically, I give the appearance of organization and competence and coolness. It is all a lie.

You might think this is to give an actual progress report; there's not one. I disassembled the mini into all it's component parts, sat down with the motherboard, and tried to figure out what I was doing.

As it turns out, I do not, but I am learning. Things I learned today.

1.) My board's internal usb connectors are four pin; the touchscreen's are five.

2.) Pin does not always mean the same thing in relation to usb ports when googling.

3.) I can cut wires very neatly.

The plan is as follows.

There are a total of four internal usb cables, plus the internal usb cable between the touchscreen and the touchscreen usb hub. Two of the connectors are useless, since they have very large connector ends, so I sacrificed one and cut it, thus now having one with one five-pin connector to the touchscreen hub on one side and wild crazy wires on the other. The idea, such as it is, is to tin them and then find a head that is four pin, then in some way make these two come together. I am going to guess this may not work well, but cables are cheap and I have time, so I may try anyway.

My second possibility is more complicated but highly interesting; get a pci-e usb hub, cut the connectors on the board, solder the tinned wires to that, and I have liftoff. It is very simple, which means I will doubtless set myself on fire. I mean, I am kind of due for it. It also is soldering, which is new and exciting, and that is why I hunted up my long-dead and sad motherboard from Brian to practice on first.

Currently, everything is still in it's component parts, organized by type, with padding, in various neat boxes for storage, since I'm not putting it together again until I figure out how to make this work or die trying.

Basically, this could end in a lot of terrifying ways. I'm rather excited.

Comments

[jamethiel]

Just. Please try not to set yourself on fire. Or anything else. Setting things on fire is bad.

Have fun!

[concinnity]

I just panicked a little on your behalf. Your mini! BUT- it will be awesome when its done! BUT- fire! *hands*

And now I'm just waiting for pictures of the whole process. :) Home mechanics ftw!

[mrshamill]

OhsweetBuddhainafryingpan I AM enabling you.

Just... don't let Your Child touch it, mmmkay? I had to hide the soldering gun from My Child until she got old enough to outgrow the desire to play with those kinds of things. (And she did, thank Buddha, I'm not sure what I would have done if she hadn't. I can handle her writing slash at eleven but taking apart computers at eleven would have been... difficult.)

sigh

[harpers_child]

i have mad envy for anyone who can take apart their computer and put it back together after making modifications. good luck.

[aubergineautumn.livejournal.com]

*yawns* and POUNCES! Post pictures so we can follow the enthralling process.

[brihana25.livejournal.com]

You have my absolute, unending respect for this. I'll build you any computer you want, I can run wiring and attach hardware all day long, as long as I've got the schematics I need (and sometimes even if I don't). I'll swap out boards on harddrives. I don't care.

But soldering? Oh, hell no. That's scary. :}

[spasticat.livejournal.com]

And there will be pictures? Because there must be recorded proof. Yes.

[drunkoffthestars]

OMG. This all sounds so thrilling!! *surreptitiously adds soldering iron to wishlist*

[lurkerlynne.livejournal.com]

I used to be good at soldering. Kinda wanna do it again now.