Dashboard USB plug

[PhantomPholly]

I want to hard wire a USB female plug into my dash so that I can bring my laptop and a standard USB plug to upgrade my D180 & HS34, as well as download EMS info. I use the rotary knob setup so I only need to mount one USB port.

Is there a direct one-to-one mapping of wires to make a serial-to-USB converter?  Can you post a link to a wiring diagram?

Thanks!

 

[dynonsupport]

USB and serial are totally different formats electrically. If they weren't, then serial would just be USB You must use a USB to serial converter that is commercially purchased, as these have the semi-complex circuits on board to do the conversion. No reason you can't hard wire this into your airplane though. You can't run USB through a switch so you must do your switching on the serial side.

 

[PhantomPholly]

Then maybe I'm asking the wrong question.

Where can I find (or who might build) a serial to usb converter where the usb end is female and suitable to a "bulkhead mount," and also where it is possible to directly access the serial wires rather than have to have two more connectors (another potential point of failure) permanently connected behind the panel?

 

[dynonsupport]

I doubt you'll find that. That's a pretty special cable you're talking about!

I think the only way you can really achieve what you want is to build everything up from adapters.

Why not just expose the three pins needed for serial and then keep a USB-serial cable with your laptop or in the glove compartment?

 

[lwhitlow]

I doubt you'll find that. That's a pretty special cable you're talking about!

I think the only way you can really achieve what you want is to build everything up from adapters.

Why not just expose the three pins needed for serial and then keep a USB-serial cable with your laptop or in the glove compartment?

Oh Boys  how about one of these!!  Its made by Nuetrik. It mounts in a standard hole for an audio XLR connector  (less than 1") and you can get it in a number of USB configs.   Just connect the USB to 9 to the back of it and Tuck it all behind the panel.

Larry

 

[PhantomPholly]

Went to their site - that does not appear to be a converter, only a gender changer.

Ok, so I can use my existing serial-to-USB converter, cut off the D-Sub connector and attach the wires to my rotary switch, then use the Nuetrik bulkhead adapter. Not perfect, but clean on the panel side.

 

[dynonsupport]

Most USB-serial cables have all of the converter electronics built into the D9 end of the cable, so be careful cutting it off.

 

[aceflyingservice]

If panel space is an issue, how about connecting the various 3 wire serial cables through a 3-pole, multi-throw selector switch and then to a panel mounted, 1/8" stereo connector. An external adapter cable can be made to convert the 1/8" connector to 9 pin to USB.

Roger Johnson
Long EZ N34JR

 

[PhantomPholly]

I think you are missing the issue. I already use a rotary selector to select which of 3 serial connections (HS34 update; D180 update; D180 EMS data dump) I am accessing. Those 3 serial lines need to be converted to a USB signal.

I CAN put the D-Sub connector on the 3 wires and then attach a serial to USB converter cable (that is the current configuration). However, the end of the USB is not a panel mount - thus the suggestion above for a pass-through panel connector.

That still leaves extra wires. My preference would be to have a panel mount femal USB with serial conversion that simply outputs the 3 wires, which I would then connect to my rotary switch. Fewer opportunities to tempt Murphy that way...