Mouse cable mod questions.

[Emmiya]

So, i'm pretty idiotic when it comes to stuff like this.

I'm currently using a mouse with a horrible rubber cable, and want to replace it with a braided cable, for the better aesthetics, and simply because it is more fluid when moving it.

I have a few questions that I would be grateful if anyone can answer.

The mouse is a Razer Krait 4g.
Here is the stock cable(unsheathed)
Here is how it connects in to the mouse.
As you can see the connector from left to right is Black-Black-Green-White-Red.
Here is the cable I originally was wanting to use.
it is from a 'Mionix Avior 7000' that I no longer use. I removed this cable, however upon plugging it in to the mouse, it did not register at all. I removed it, plugging the cable back in to the Avior, and it works just fine, so I took a closer look at the connector, and noticed it is Black-Black-White-Green-Red(white and green leads are flipped positions from the razer mouse). I checked a few other mice I had lying about(also razer mice) and noticed they have the same layout.

I scrambled to find another braided cable(had a spare Razer Taipan), and checked this one. It's nowhere near the same quality as the Mionix, and is just as stiff as the original rubber cable, however, upon plugging this one in to my mouse, it did work, and if you'll notice, the leads are the same as the original cable(Black-Black-Green-White-Red).

So i guess, my question is:

Theoretically, would it be possible to simply switch the White/Green connectors on the Mionix cable, so they match the layout that Razer cables use, and have it work? or would I just be potentially destroying an otherwise working cable.

[suicidal_orange]

Those wires are USB standard colours, a quick look at the USB mini pinout (standard USB only has 4 pins) you can see that the standard order is black (optional black) green white red so Razer is doing it "properly," all the others are "wrong" - not that it matters at all.

As you've already plugged in the wrong cable without killing your mouse I can say with confidence that swapping those two wires will work.

You should be able to find some small tabs on the side of the metal bits on the end of the wire (probably visible through the side of the connector) - gently push them in with a pin or similar and the wires will slide out.  Then carefully bend the tabs back outwards before reconnecting so they don't come loose later

[Emmiya]

Cheers, I shall give that a try at some point and hopefully not wreck it

Just so I know for future reference; is there any reason as to why the cable works in the 'wrong' orientation on the original mouse, however will only activate under the 'right' orientation on the Razer mouse?

[suicidal_orange]

Standards are just that, they're designed to make things interchangeable.  Sometimes manufacturers deliberately go against them so you have to buy their accessories (as used to be the case with mobile phone chargers) but why anyone would do it inside a mouse where hardly anyone will look and there are no aftermarket cable replacements to make money off is beyond me.

At the end of the day though the computer sends packets down one wire and expects to get replies sent back on the other, so as long as whatever's on the other end does that it works.  One mouse is wired to do this but the other has the wires (data+ and data-) swapped so it's like the mouse is talking into the speaker on a phone - the computer can't hear it.

[Emmiya]

Fair enough, thanks for the simple explanation

Good news as well, modified cable is fixed and working perfectly, as frustrating as it was, it was absolutely worth it. Even if just for the learning experience.

[suicidal_orange]

Great!  Enjoy your prettier and extra fluid mouse