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USB: Can I Add another device by soldering it inside?

No. A USB connector can only connect to one device at a time; connecting to multiple devices requires significantly non-trivial electronics. If you open up a USB hub you'll see it contains an IC that performs this functionality. Although (for USB 1.x) the _signal lines_ are more or less just 'repeated' between all devices, a hub must be intelligent so that the host can tell it to 'power up' one device at a time for enumeration. Afterwards, the host polls the hub so that it can detect device removal, overcurrent conditions, etc.

Why do you think that connecting it inside of your laptop is going to help this problem in any manner?

You have a few options:

1) Get the smallest hub you can find -- some are very tiny -- and install that as well inside the laptop. Be sure to get one that allows external power to be used, as otherwise the 'new' external connection will (typically) only tell the OS that 100mA of power is available.

2) Connect the D+/D-, and Gnd lines to your dongle and use a SPDT switch to alternatively powerup the dongle's +5V line or the external connector's +5V line. This violates the USB spec and no one would guarantee you that it will work, but there's a decent change that it would.

---Joel Kolstad

Reply to
Joel Kolstad
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Hi,

I hope someone would be able to help :) I want to add one smal device to my computer by soldering it to the inside of the USB connector. If I do so, would I stil be able to use this same connector from the outside, in the regular way?

I have a small USB dongle (BLuetooth) that I would like to "install" into my notebook. When used as a dongle, Bluetooth is constant source of the problems: I must pair it often or I do not have it with me when I need it.

I would therefore solder a small cable to the back of the USB port inside of my notebook and connect the dongle to that cable and just place such combination inside, where I have spare place.

Can this be done and stil retain usage of such USB port from the outside or I could not connect any other devices on the outside while this "inside" Bluetooth dongle is active or I could never use external part of the connector?

Regards,

Davor

Reply to
asdf

Have you ever wondered why they sell USB hubs? USB can support a number of devices, but it's not a daisy-chain connection. If you wire the Bluetooth device, you lose the use of the port externally.

On the practical side:

  1. Have you opened the notebook and found space for the dongle?

  1. Are you willing to give up some of the Bluetooth range if the dongle is buried inside the notebook?

Reply to
John

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