USB Micro, extension to a panel - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: negativ3
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2022, 11:03:31 am
content: Hey all,I have a project where I want to extend the USB micro socket of a Pi Pico out to a panel, so basically male to female right-angle.Does anyone have a neat solution already in the market?I could spin up a board but my spider senses tell me something exists ot there.A couple or constraints...Cable extenders, while a neat solution, would invole trimming the cable back to limit the amount of cable bunched up within the project.Panel retention of the USB micro socket by use of fasteners is the ideeal solution for not only free placement of the socket but for robustness.The following URL demonstrates a great example of what I almost want. Accessible cable termination (solder points) would be the holy grail, ideal.https://thepihut.com/products/panel-mount-extension-usb-cable-micro-b-male-to-micro-b-femaleThank you.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2022, 03:35:27 pm
content: I did this some time back. I'm pretty sure I got a short cable with a micro male and panel mount micro female. You might try Amazon search 'usb micro panel mount extension'I'm pretty sure I used this one:https://www.amazon.com/Female-Extension-Raspberry-Arduino-Feather/dp/B07LB4F9V7/

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2022, 06:20:05 pm
content: Quote from: negativ3 on July 10, 2022, 11:03:31 amA solderable breakout board almost certainly means you’ll violate the USB specs on the wiring. If you can avoid that, you should.You could get one of those cables shown, and then shorten it and attach a micro-USB plug.Or maybe you can draw a diagram of what you need (or at least give a much more detailed description; yours is rather vague).

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2022, 07:02:41 pm
content: Quote from: negativ3 on July 10, 2022, 11:03:31 amUh. What's the problem with this?

author: negativ3
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2022, 04:53:16 pm
content: Nothing except too much cable, which I can chop and attach my own micro plug at the exact position I want.Just interested if anyone had experience of alternatives.Thanks.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2022, 06:52:18 pm
content: Quote from: negativ3 on July 11, 2022, 04:53:16 pmThe above link is just one example. Look for "panel mount usb" and you'll find dozens of such solutions with *various cable length*. You can have a look at Aliexpress to begin with. I don't quite know what your application is, or the quantity you're going to make, but I personally wouldn't bother with wiring my own panel connectors when there are ready-made solutions out there.Also unless you're going to mount this in a very tiny box, some extra length of cable is not going to be a big problem. You can pretty much do anything you like with the cable without harming communication a bit.You could look for panel-mount USB connectors with a header connector on the other side rather than a cable. I think those exist. And then buy or build your own cable with a matching header connector. That's how external USB ports in PC cases are connected to motherboards. That works fine. And especially for USB full speed:With that said, I wouldn't worry too much about USB specs here. The Pi Pico is just USB full speed. You'd really have to be very messy at wiring your own connectors to have it violate the USB specs.