geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: atarione on Sun, 07 August 2022, 23:25:33
-
I have been annoyed by the non removable cable on my Filco MJ2 TKL since I bought it.. I probably would use my other boards now and again, if it didn't mean climbing under my desk (and banging my head... I always bang my head doing this) to unplug the filco then try to wrestle it free from the (admittedly not brilliantly managed) cables behind my pc / desk... In short it basically isn't worth the trouble so I have my fullsize keyboard that basically hasn't seen the light of day in over 2yrs..
At one point I thought someone was selling a premade removable cable mod for these Filco's but they do not seem to sell them any longer?
So questions?
A. Is there any premade removable cable mods I can buy somewhere still? (if there is I apologize I have searched awhile and couldn't find them).
B. Is there any reason (assuming I didn't wire it incorrectly / mess up) this wouldn't work?
buy connector Filco uses for these (I believe Molex 51065-0500)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21oeyCLRmVL.jpg)
and buy one of these USB mini extension cables (my fullsize Rosewill RK9000 uses the USB mini connector (unfortunately?) .. cut the male end off (awkward ... / PHRASING?) and wire it (correctly) into the molex connector above and replace stock cable with this new franken pigtail cable?
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/318XwfPuZQL._AC_.jpg)
I think this should work? I can't think of why it wouldn't ???
-
It will work, that's how mine is done.
Except I used a Type C "charging" extension which are often just USB 2.0 internally. No messing with 14 wires, just the common 5.
I also stuck a magnetic connector into that pigtail.
-
It will work, that's how mine is done.
Except I used a Type C "charging" extension which are often just USB 2.0 internally. No messing with 14 wires, just the common 5.
I also stuck a magnetic connector into that pigtail.
excellent.. I was pretty sure it would be fine.. mini makes sense in my case as I have this Rosewill RK9000 that has a mini connector and I couldn't help myself and ordered this** from Japan today.. (which also has a removable cable utilizing USB mini... so with this mod to my filco I could easily swap between all 3... which would be game changing. I really hate getting behind my computer to change Keyboard cables.. access is "poor" to the back of my case and I just have to crawl under my desk.. which I don't like doing.
**this
[attach=1]
Thank you very much for the information /reply .. I appreciate you assistance.
-
I also stuck a magnetic connector into that pigtail.
I could easily swap between all 3... which would be game changing.
The magnetic connector is what is truly game-changing. I have multiple devices with different sockets that can each tap off the same cable simply by utilizing different "heads" - one-handed, in the dark no less.
-
how will you know which wire is which without cutting open the other end? Are you just going to hope the wire coloring makes some sense?
-
how will you know which wire is which without cutting open the other end? Are you just going to hope the wire coloring makes some sense?
USB has standard colours for the wires and usually they are followed. If not you can attach a pin or needle to a continuity tester to check which wire goes to which pin in the socket :thumb:
-
how will you know which wire is which without cutting open the other end? Are you just going to hope the wire coloring makes some sense?
USB has standard colours for the wires and usually they are followed. If not you can attach a pin or needle to a continuity tester to check which wire goes to which pin in the socket :thumb:
as mentioned it is pretty standard for USB this is the wiring
[attachimg=1]
-
So long as you get red and black right, all is fine. These are almost always properly color coded.
As for data wires, those are not always standardized on color, however, if they are swapped, it will show as an unidentified device and while it won't function, it won't hurt anything either, just flip them and all is well.
Also some have a 5th wire, that goes to the shield or housing, if you are connecting a 4 wire to a 5 wire, sometimes you need to connect the extra wire to ground/black. I tend to do it regardless.