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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: surfmonkey on Thu, 22 September 2016, 11:10:07

Title: CM Novatech missing internal power/USN cable. Fix?
Post by: surfmonkey on Thu, 22 September 2016, 11:10:07

Hola, I really didnt know where else to put this thread. I have come into a Novatouch TKL, but the internal cable that mounts to the PCB, and then to the case for the micro USB is plain old missing. Cooler Master does not want to sell me a cable, and wont fix it because I already opened it up. Does anyone have a pinout diagram, or another way to source the cable?  ...Or possibly any other solution?

Title: Re: CM Novatech missing internal power/USN cable. Fix?
Post by: suicidal_orange on Fri, 23 September 2016, 02:23:41

Looking at pics it uses the standrd USB wire colours but they're not in the right order, so that's not helpful!

You'll need a friendly owner with an expired warranty and a continuity tester (multimeter or LED and battery) to open it up and check which colour connects to which pin in the USB socket.


If you own the stuff and need guidance how to do this please post :thumb:

Title: Re: CM Novatech missing internal power/USN cable. Fix?
Post by: tjcaustin on Fri, 23 September 2016, 03:05:05

Not the best picture, but  - (http://vekkt0r.github.io/images/novatouch_pinout.png)

That looks from left to right to be:
drain/data -/data +/GND/+5VDC

It might have GND and the drain wire transposed, but that's what the glimpse of those wires looks to me.

If I remember my novatouch innards correctly, the molex for both ends is the same as what filco uses for its cables, which is easy enough to source on mouser/digikey.

Title: Re: CM Novatech missing internal power/USN cable. Fix?
Post by: SKD on Fri, 23 September 2016, 04:37:13

I just got a Novatouch yesterday, warranty gone. I can open mine up and prod a multimeter around if you need, just tell me where to stick it cos I haven't a clue  :))

Title: Re: CM Novatech missing internal power/USN cable. Fix?
Post by: suicidal_orange on Fri, 23 September 2016, 12:59:05

Quote from: SKD on Fri, 23 September 2016, 04:37:13

I just got a Novatouch yesterday, warranty gone. I can open mine up and prod a multimeter around if you need, just tell me where to stick it cos I haven't a clue  :))

Perfect :))

We need to confirm where the pins in the USB socket (the one that goes in the computer) connect to on the big connector in the top right of tj's pic (thanks tj, best to be sure) so you'll need diode mode on the multimeter.  If your probes are small enough to fit in great, if not you might need a pin, small paperclip or similar.  Or if you have an old motherboard you could go to the connections on the back of that...

Title: Re: CM Novatech missing internal power/USN cable. Fix?
Post by: surfmonkey on Fri, 23 September 2016, 18:55:14

Wow! You guys are awesome!

Are both internal connectors (CS1 and CS2) wired to use the same USB jack? I can work out the soldering needed (or just buy a filco cable if thats really all thats needed), but am not the brightest when it comes to figuring the pinout order to get the cable right.

Title: Re: CM Novatech missing internal power/USN cable. Fix?
Post by: OfTheWild on Fri, 23 September 2016, 21:18:30

I feel like as many as there are that just rip these boards apart for the switch plungers... I'm sure someone would just give you a new cable. Heck, find me a good price on one and I'll give you the whole board minus the plungers and rubber.

Title: Re: CM Novatech missing internal power/USN cable. Fix?
Post by: SKD on Sun, 25 September 2016, 11:53:25

I found this reddit post https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/3nzeyn/modification_microusb_pinout_for_novatouch/

Has this photo. Should be all you need?

(http://i.imgur.com/T64ZtFQ.jpg)

Title: Re: CM Novatech missing internal power/USN cable. Fix?
Post by: suicidal_orange on Sun, 25 September 2016, 14:34:14

Quote from: SKD on Sun, 25 September 2016, 11:53:25

I found this reddit post https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/3nzeyn/modification_microusb_pinout_for_novatouch/

Has this photo. Should be all you need?

Show Image

(http://i.imgur.com/T64ZtFQ.jpg)

Indeed, that will do nicely.  Matches tj's guess too :thumb:

Standard colours in a strange order but with each colour being used as what it normally is - was it really that hard to wire it up to match a standard CM?!