Flat USB cable?

[old.user4556]

Where and how much?

I want to able to run a USB cable under something, so it needs to be low profile or flat, but I can't find one?

 

[Jonty]

Hi Big G

You can get flat HDMI cables, so perhaps there are flat USB cables out there, but it depends what you're trying to connect. If you can let us know the device then it might be easier to decide if you need a thicker insulated USB cable or not.

Kind regards

 

[Kryten]

Never seen one, I'm afraid. I think the nature of the sheilding involved might be preventative but as Jonty says, HDMI is very similar - so it's likely to be a case of not being a call for it.
Perhaps a change of outlook - what is it you're connecting? Something that can be done via Bluetooth perhaps?

 

[Jonty]

Ooo, Kryten, good thinking! You just made me remember that some companies offer USB hubs that works over Wi-Fi. It's not suitable for high-bandwidth applications (like a USB TV tuner), and the HUB needs to be connected to the router, but it may be worth considering.

I would recommend a Wireless USB hub, but I've read their performance is severely impacted when there's no line of sight (which ought not to be case, so perhaps future updates will improve this). Of course both of these options are a lot more expensive than a regular USB cable.

Kind regards

 

[MYstIC G]

Considering the top ranked google search for "flat usb cable" is this page, I think you're boned!

 

[Kryten]

Quick, someone make one and patent it

 

[Trem]

Considering the top ranked google search for "flat usb cable" is this page, I think you're boned!

LMAO

I always find drilling holes in stuff that are in my way often works best, either that or under floorboards.

 

[Ch3tan]

LMAO

I always find drilling holes in stuff that are in my way often works best, either that or under floorboards.

1) They let you use drills?

2) Samm lets you use drills?

3) You consider it a good idea that you are allowed to use a drill?

4) Do body parts (yours) count as things that are in your way?


Big G - I have some usb cables that are very thin, does it really have to be flat?

 

[Kryten]

Big G - tell you what, I'm up for a challenge.
How long do you want it?
And what connections - A to B?

I might see if I can make one up on Monday at work, I love an excuse to break out the soldering iron and chop up some cables. It might look a little ghetto, but when researching for ideas on lengthening the restrictions for IDE cables, it could quite easily be done with SCSI cabling (obviously not as thick, only needs a few of the wires) or flat CAT5e which I think I have some of.
Let me know and I'll see what I can do. And if it works well, maybe it's something I can "patent".

I think one of the inherent problems with flat datacabling is the strength of the cable itself - ribbon cables are all well and fine until you tread one one, whereas flat coax and audio cabling is more resiliant, as you've lots of strands of cabling for the same thing.

For those interested, my idea is as follows, feel free to pick holes or make suggestions.

I'll use SCSI cabling as a prototype - maybe not as the actual cabling, but as an idea.
SCSI cabling is often able to go much further than IDE as it has more than one cable carrying data - pairs of cables send mirror data simultaneously, not unlike RAID - a sort of error checking device as well as a form of "backup".
Although this can't be implemented in USB - its an end to end cable and you cant change how it works, but having a pair of cables attached to each end will give a little leway should one fail or fall victim to someone's girlfriends high heels
Shouldn't be too wide - it's only 4 pins, 4 cable - data+, data-, ground and 5volt +.
Cable would need to be shielded as well as insulated.

Any input?

(I'm not looking to do this to make any profit, I just like a challenge and getting my soldering iron out - sorry Big G for hijacking a bit )

 

[WPKenny]

How about one of them retractable laptop USB extension cables? Belkin do them I think...

*goes off to google*

Edit: Retractable USB 2.0 Extension Cable Male A to Female A on eBay, also, Extensions, Cables Connectors, Computing (end time 08-Mar-08 18:31:51 GMT)

For starters...

I have never taken one apart but I can't see any reason why it wouldn't be a single peice of cable just wrapped around a the winding mechanism. Shouldn't be too hard to take apart, and for the prices they sell for on ebay you can afford to experiment.

Hope that helps!

 

[WPKenny]

Edit limit ran out. heh. Anyway, tons more possibilities here...


eBay.co.uk - retractable usb extension cable, Cables Connectors, Computing items at low prices

 

[Kryten]

Christ that cable's thin - don't think I'd trust it!
I'd certainly trust a ghetto-soldered concoction of my own than one of those - at least for anything serious

 

[old.user4556]

Ok let me explain why it needs to be flat (sorry for the bad pic).

Sony's Play TV is coming out shortly (freeview twin tuner) which will be a USB connecting tuner. This is all good and well, but I only have USB connections on the front of my PS3 and I really don't want to trail a cable down the front of my HiFi stack or around the side of the PS3.

I thought that if I could get a flat USB cable then it would go under the small gap of the PS3 and into the USB port, and it would look a lot more tidy? I don't really want to move the PS3 or adjust how it sits on the shelf. I suppose I could sit the PS3 on larger rubber feet and use a normal cable, but i don't want to have to do that.

I really need rear USB ports.

Kryt, it's a full size USB to mini B on the Play TV tuner.

http://uk.gizmodo.com/playtv ps3.jpg

 

[DaGaffer]

Sony really thought out the design of that one didn't they? I also heard Play TV is going to be pretty expensive. Wouldn't it just be easier to buy a dedicated PVR?

 

[old.user4556]

Aye it's not the best design.

A rumoured £100 which is about par for the course price wise for a good quality freeview twin tuner that upscales to 1080p. Most freeview tuners / PVRs don't have HDMI or upscaling, so it looks like a nifty piece of kit for about the right price. I do have a freeview PVR already, but it would have been nice to flog it on ebay for £120 and get Play TV for £100 and have an integrated media system.

 

[DaGaffer]

I don't think upscaling off Freeview will give you that much benefit; maybe off the BBC's signal, but a lot of the other channels (I'm looking at you ITV) have pretty shoddy encoding. Upscaling crap will get you...crap. Plus, to turn the PS3 into a proper PVR you're really going to have to upgrade the hard disk. Its not difficult, but it is more expense.

 

[Yaka]

Christ that cable's thin - don't think I'd trust it!
I'd certainly trust a ghetto-soldered concoction of my own than one of those - at least for anything serious

all usb cables are thin the shilding makes it chubby.

i am preety sure you should be able to get away an use ethernet cables, i used
the wires ethernet cables to extend a the joypad port on the Xbox for a mate and it worked. anfd you can get flat ethernet wires

 

[old.user4556]

I don't think upscaling off Freeview will give you that much benefit; maybe off the BBC's signal, but a lot of the other channels (I'm looking at you ITV) have pretty shoddy encoding. Upscaling crap will get you...crap. Plus, to turn the PS3 into a proper PVR you're really going to have to upgrade the hard disk. Its not difficult, but it is more expense.

It's more to do with sending everything over HDMI as opposed to feeding another cable to the projector that's 480i or whatever signal it's in. There is a benefit to upscaling in that the picture will be deinterlaced (my Onkyo amp has Faroudja Edge deinterlacing in it which makes an enormous difference over the standard picture). At this moment, my PVR only outputs S-Video or RGB over SCART - it would be nice to have one cable out the PS3 into the amp - deinterlaced when necessary - and fired off to the projector at 1080p.

 

[DaGaffer]

Who's your broadband provider? I've got a BT Vision box which uses HDMI and it cost me nowt...

 

[old.user4556]

O2, can't get BT vision.

Longer term i'm going to be freesat anyway, so this is a stop gap tbh.

 

[Kryten]

Yaka - aye thats the point - those retractable cables would be fine for their intended use; being carried around in a laptop bag and used for peripheral connection now and then. Anything more and it's just a bit dangerous.

I know exactly what you mean re the cat5 cable, I've got some flat cable at work

 

[Yaka]

oh forgot to mention to get them all lined up get some masking tape line up the wires on the sticky side one lined up. layer them with hotglue gun or superglue, be warned the rubber on the wire melts/burns with some types of super glue

something i picked up when trawling xbox scene forums

 

[Kryten]

Sounds like a plan to me, got a hot glue gun, which is an invaluable tool for this sort of thing Cheers

 

[Jonty]

Hi Big G

I have one of those retractable USB cables for some Altec Lansing laptop speakers and everything's fine with it. The cable is very thin, but given your intended use I think it should be okay (and they're cheap, so there's no harm if you change your mind).

Kind regards