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Electronics => Beginners => Topic started by: Swake on March 30, 2018, 08:10:06 am

Title: found a USB port on a machine....
Post by: Swake on March 30, 2018, 08:10:06 am
Hi,
I have a machine and would like to 'interface' with it to read out the many sensors it has.
There is a board with a micro USB connector on it. Is there any danger to break something if I connect a portable computer on that port?
Obviously I can mess up the software/firmware/settings/whatever, my question is more about the physical interface and the electric side. USB is USB right?
Title: Re: found a USB port on a machine....
Post by: DC1MC on March 30, 2018, 08:22:59 am
IF (a big if) there is really an USB interface and not some bullshit thing that uses the same connector, I had an (expensive) Toshiba TV with an USB connector marked "Update Port", stick an USB stick into it and watch he whole TV die, because was some complete different interface.

But most likely they won't do this anymore, hopefully.
Title: Re: found a USB port on a machine....
Post by: Rerouter on March 30, 2018, 08:26:27 am
Easy confirmation would be to make sure therr is 5v and ground on the correct pins. And nothing weird on the data pins.

Next up from that would be hoping it enumerates as a standard device. Or array of devices with a windows findable driver.

If not. Then fuzzing begins.
Title: Re: found a USB port on a machine....
Post by: Twoflower on March 30, 2018, 08:56:08 am
Probably a good idea is also to not connect it directly to your Computer. Use a USB-Hub in between. If something went wrong you might be lucky by just replacing the hub and not your computer.
Title: Re: found a USB port on a machine....
Post by: ebastler on March 30, 2018, 10:28:16 am
Would you mind telling us what "machine" that is?
Do you have a manual, or have you looked for one?
Seems like a good idea to look up the function of that connector before you start messing around with it...
Title: Re: found a USB port on a machine....
Post by: johnkenyon on April 04, 2018, 01:43:24 pm
Quote from: DC1MC on March 30, 2018, 08:22:59 am
IF (a big if) there is really an USB interface and not some bullshit thing that uses the same connector, I had an (expensive) Toshiba TV with an USB connector marked "Update Port", stick an USB stick into it and watch he whole TV die, because was some complete different interface.

But most likely they won't do this anymore, hopefully.

I knew a piece of telecoms equipment which had a "local craft interface" connection (aka RS232 serial port) which presented a USB mini socket.
This created the double hazard of (A) someone using a standard USB cable to connect a PC USB port to RS232, or (B) someone using the bodged DE9 to Mini USB cable to apply RS232 levels to $USB_DEVICE.

For the want of £3 and a bit of PCB real estate they could have made it native USB...