What's this strange unused connector on pbc?

[ronfante1]

Hi, I've found no informations about a connector on the pipo mainboard, someone know what is his porupose?

Thakyou

[Dave-s]

I do not know what the small connector is for, but I see that there is an empty space for another 5 wire connector on the left, both on the main board, and on the auxiliary board. My guess would be that this is for another USB port. Can you follow the traces from the USB connectors on the front panel, and see if the go to the 5 pin connectors?

[CRi]

I do not know what the small connector is for, but I see that there is an empty space for another 5 wire connector on the left, both on the main board, and on the auxiliary board. My guess would be that this is for another USB port. Can you follow the traces from the USB connectors on the front panel, and see if the go to the 5 pin connectors?

That was my first thought too but that's not the case.
If I remember correctly (I'll have to check my notes when I come back home) :
- The 5 pin connector os for the audio port
- The 6 pin connector is for the 2 USB

[sogoku_vn]

The Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) connector to program SPI flash, with 4 wire Clock, Master out, Master in, Slave Select and 1 Ground

[scropion86]

The Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) connector to program SPI flash, with 4 wire Clock, Master out, Master in, Slave Select and 1 Ground

so in English, somebody can used this port to re-flash the BIOS ROM in case of soft brick

[ronfante1]

thankyou

[kenman345]

Is there any way we can tap into the USB ports internally? I would love to attach a USB 3.0 to gigabit adapter inside the metal casing to allow for more convenient fast speeds in the tight place I keep my unit. Anyone have any recommendations on how to do this?

I was thinking that we might be able to solder wires into the bottom pins of the current USB ports, but was not sure if that's how USB operates. See, if I use a hub, is it just connecting the wires to multiple ports or is there some type of handling going on to manage the different signals.

[no_spam_for_me]

But HUB and 'normal' device are different parts, if you solder the USB 3.0 to gigabit adapter inside to the external port, you can't use it for other parts...
If you will find another one of the 4 outputs of the internal hub at the pcb which is unused, then that could be another story...

[kenman345]

But HUB and 'normal' device are different parts, if you solder the USB 3.0 to gigabit adapter inside to the external port, you can't use it for other parts...
If you will find another one of the 4 outputs of the internal hub at the pcb which is unused, then that could be another story...

Can you clarify what you mean by that other story part? Are you saying I can find a way to sacrifice the use of one external USB port for use inside the enclosure? I would be happy to have that. Is that possible?

[no_spam_for_me]

No, if you use one of the external USB ports inside the case by soldering, then you can't use it also outside...
A HUB has one input and four output (that's why you only find 7 port hups, because there are two hubs inside, and the secound one is connected to one of the four outputs of the first one)... so if maybe one of the outputs of one of the internal hub(s) at the pcb isn't in use (for external and/or USB to eth and/or WiFi) AND exists at the pcb where you can solder a USB device, then you can use it....

[kenman345]

No, if you use one of the external USB ports inside the case by soldering, then you can't use it also outside...
A HUB has one input and four output (that's why you only find 7 port hups, because there are two hubs inside, and the secound one is connected to one of the four outputs of the first one)... so if maybe one of the outputs of one of the internal hub(s) at the pcb isn't in use (for external and/or USB to eth and/or WiFi) AND exists at the pcb where you can solder a USB device, then you can use it....

Well I do not use the built in Ethernet, and if I gave up a built in USB port, I would likely cut a hole on the side of the unit to attach a spare or two from an internal hub I add. Does anyone know which wires are for the ethernet USB lines? I would just hijack that for my gigabit usb connector.