This mod documents my attempt and FAILURE at adding an internal USB port to my Lenovo p400:
The idea: I was tired of burning a USB port on my Lenovo P400 for my Logitech unifying adapter for my M705 mouse... and I knew it had an empty silkscreen for a mini-PCIe:
So, what if I added a USB port internally using the USB data connections of the slot? It's a common mod on eee-pc's...
So, after finding an "appropriate" 5V supply using a multimeter on the 5V of a USB port, I add in the connector and glue it down (also to insulate the shield)
It looks so perfect:
I plug in the battery, and
... I smell failure!
Turns out the "5v" I found is actually an always on 15V! The smell was the unifying dongle going to logitech heaven:
I then probed the USB 3.0 port and found an actual 5V to tie into:
Still, the port is dead... I tried another dongle... my guess is either that port 's data lines went bad when the dongle fried (all other ports seem fine, even the BT on the other PCIe slot) or it's disabled in BIOS (it's a lenovo, probably so). Or maybe not connected at all. All I do know is nothing's shorted. Damn my luck
I feel so ****ing stupid...
in the mean time, I ordered a fresh unifying adapter on fleabay... and I left the hack port in, since IMHO it's riskier trying to unglue it.
This Lenovo has been the most mod-resistant thing ever... I'll never buy a Lenovo again... (unless they change their ways or it's a REALLY good deal).
The idea: I was tired of burning a USB port on my Lenovo P400 for my Logitech unifying adapter for my M705 mouse... and I knew it had an empty silkscreen for a mini-PCIe:
So, what if I added a USB port internally using the USB data connections of the slot? It's a common mod on eee-pc's...
So, after finding an "appropriate" 5V supply using a multimeter on the 5V of a USB port, I add in the connector and glue it down (also to insulate the shield)
It looks so perfect:
I plug in the battery, and
... I smell failure!Turns out the "5v" I found is actually an always on 15V! The smell was the unifying dongle going to logitech heaven:
I then probed the USB 3.0 port and found an actual 5V to tie into:
Still, the port is dead... I tried another dongle... my guess is either that port 's data lines went bad when the dongle fried (all other ports seem fine, even the BT on the other PCIe slot) or it's disabled in BIOS (it's a lenovo, probably so). Or maybe not connected at all. All I do know is nothing's shorted. Damn my luck
I feel so ****ing stupid...
in the mean time, I ordered a fresh unifying adapter on fleabay... and I left the hack port in, since IMHO it's riskier trying to unglue it.This Lenovo has been the most mod-resistant thing ever... I'll never buy a Lenovo again... (unless they change their ways or it's a REALLY good deal).
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