Second USB port on the 02

[Guest]

[kyone]

Does anyone know of a second USB port within the 02 ?  If I don't have a WWAN card will there be some kind of USB port (in the form of 4 points on the mother board etc) that I can try and utilise ?  Maybe a small port or connector for the WWAN if I was to have one.

[charlieboy]

The WWAN card uses a mini PCIe connector. But the good old guys at OQO did not put the connector on the boards unless you bought a WWAN model. Very annoying as this maybe saved OQO 5c in manufacture but prevented later upgrades.

I have toyed with the idea of hard wiring an HSDPA modem in place connecting it to the pins on the USB port with a little on/off switch. But with the hassle of finding a location for the sim as well I have not bothered.

[toddlamp]

There is a place for the sim.  If you notice there's an indentation in the battery; thats where it goes.

Tnkgrl did an hsdpa install: http://tnkgrl.wordpress.com/2007/05/07/oqo-model-02-hsdpa-mod/

[charlieboy]

There is a place for the sim.  If you notice there's an indentation in the battery; thats where it goes.

Tnkgrl did an hsdpa install: http://tnkgrl.wordpress.com/2007/05/07/oqo-model-02-hsdpa-mod/

That wasn't what I meant. I already have 1 of my OQO's with a HSDPA modem in it, this includes the sim holder and a different shaped back metal cover with cut outs and a build in SIM holder with contacts to connect to the sim. I just meant the hassle of creating all of this to fit to the sim on top of having to get around the lack of a mini PCIe slot. I am lucky as I bought a set of antenna covers from someone with who had a WWAn model so at least I have the pull out aerial in my non WWAN version.

[wogaut]

What's currently the best available choice for a HSDPA modem that can be used with the Mini-PCIe slot?

W.

[kyone]

I see it that you would purchase a standard USB stick modem, take off the plastic housing and just physically mount this inside the OQO, SIM and all.  I would rather find a second USB port then use the existing one with a switch.  Unless I isolated the primary USB, installed a USB hub (very small without plastic housing) and connected one of the hub ports back onto the primary..  Hmm i will have to have a think about that one !

[Radioastronomer]

Have not tried it, but can you use a 4 port USB adaptor? There are some tiny ones not much larger than a USB thumb drive.

[kyone]

Have not tried it, but can you use a 4 port USB adaptor? There are some tiny ones not much larger than a USB thumb drive.

Yes as I mentioned I would use a USB hub (4 port adapter) but where do i plug it in.  If I just plug it into the only USB port it then renders that port unuseable for other devices.  So either find an internal USB port or disconnect the existing port and use that one and then reconnect it via one of the ports on the hub.

[Major Tom]

Why should it render the "only" USB-port "unusuable"?

There is only a drawback is when you use USB-powered devices which need a high current (like coffewarmers, CD/DVD-drives or HDs...)

Other than that each "new" USB-port gets its unique ID...

[kyone]

If you connect your hub to the only USB port then you can't use that port for anything else. ie you can't plug two devices into the one port.

[Major Tom]

Of course you can!

You can even plug in another hub into that hub and in that a hub, too...
and so on and so forth... until you have a total amount of 127 USB-ports (including the used ones by the hubs!)

(I already had 2 4-port Hubs in my OQO with: an (external powered) DVD and HD-Drive, my USB-WLAN-Stick and two thumb-drives and still had 2 free USB-Ports)

[kyone]

i think we are thinking of different things.  There is one USB port on the OQO.  It is external and used for everything. If I plug a 4 port USB hub into it, I no longer can use that port.  I have to use one of the 4 ports on the hub.  The physical location of the port is what is so important.  I still want to be able to plug in other accessories into that USB port and not one of the internal ports on the hub.

[Major Tom]

OK, but why? what is so differnt between a tiny hub and the "original" port?

I have a small hub of cables which I keep dangling when using the OQO mobile...

There are many differnt types of small hubs, I am sure you'll find one that fits your physical demands... 

[Tekara]

I have a small hub of cables which I keep dangling when using the OQO mobile...

Lol, that just sounds obscene!

I think the best bet may end up being a USB Y cable. . . don't exactly seem to be easy to find anymore, but they are around; might try laptop-centric places if interested.

[Major Tom]

No, it definately is a Hub... (3 USB-Out, 1 Mini USB and a connector for a PSU if I want to use it active...)

A mere Y-cable would pose a severe problem as they'd have the same ID...