Soldering USB cable extension

[zeratul]

Can I just slice a cable and solder the beginning of a USB cable to one end and the end of the USB cable to the other to an existing cable?

Objective
To connect my PS3 camera under my plasma using existing wire under the floor. I don't want to see a usb cable across the floor.

Basically, my AV amp is at the other end of my plasma Monitor. I have a Multi AV cable running under the floor with a few unused cables within it. There is a shielded cable in there that I wanted to use... I soldered one cut off end of a USB extension under the plasma so I could connect the usb camera into.

Then, at the amp, I soldered the other end for my PS3 to connect to.

Result
The camera lights up but it says that the connection is not a compatible device.

I am presuming either:
1. The length of more than 16ft is causing a problem.
2. the shielded wire within the underground cable is not of a thick enough gauge to carry the current.
3. Should I have soldered the shielding?!

If its a result of no.1, could I get away with soldering the end of a extender cable on there to boost the current?

Thanks in advance

[zeratul]

I suppose I'm really want to know if I can use the existing cable I have that goes under the floor? And would this matter as the wires in this are quite thin?

Buying an extention cable is not an option as I can't lift the floor because its newly layed oak. So I'm after a way of utilitsing the existing cable thats there... whether its adding the booster end of a extention cable, whether its the way I need to soldered it, etc?

[zeratul]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

USB and particularly USB 2.0 is a balanced 2 wire system with added power and ground. At the low speed (12Mbs) you can probably get away with a twisted pair from a CAT5 cable but at the higher speeds (480 Mbs) it has to be a correctly balanced and terminated cable. The discontiniuties cased by the imedance changes at the connections to the old cable (two positions) will likely cause reflections and prevent correct communication.

Thanks heero_yuy, I think the cable i added at each end with the plugs on were the same gauge wire... but I suppose the soldering was a kind of overlap and solder rather than a but up tight solder!

Do you not think I could add an extention booster to the end if I cut it off this? Or do you know that the soldering going to interupt the continuity.

[Kymmy]

Personally I think you're asking us "How long is a piece of string" without showing us the string..

USB lengths depend on a number of things such as wire, connector, voltages, current, power at each device, sensitivity at each device..

If you can answer all of that then I can give you a probable outcome, if you can't then all I can suggest is "Try it", if it fails it fails, if it works it works..

[zeratul]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

USB lengths depend on a number of things such as wire, connector, voltages, current, power at each device, sensitivity at each device..

Thanks Kymmy

To be honnest - I can't tell you what the voltage the Playstation 3 is sending down the usb cable I have within the av multi cable under the floor. Or what current the camera is hoping to receive along with the current and sensitivity of the devices through the existing usb.

I suppose if I knew that sort of technical detailing I would already have the knowledge to answer my question.

[zeratul]

The cable in the multi AV cable is a bunch of cables in a main casing. Its purpose was to connect the amp to the plasma using 2 wires for the S-video. Also used are the RGBHV cables (connected but not using). There is a spare ground wire, and this cable I'm trying to utalise which has the 4 wires in (i think red, green, white and grey) these are not individually shielded but shielded altogether... is this a problem? I'm also not sure if the data + and data - cabls are twisted either.

[zeratul]

No, I don't think so - its not a SCART type cable as it only has the 4 wires in there wrapped in the copper sheilding. Other stronger wires that are available to use are the ones for the RGBHV cables... but these haven't got the shielding just a thicker gauge wire and kind of like a mini coaxial plastic around it.

[zeratul]

Thanks heero_yuy. Sounds like a good plan. Its worth a shot.

Thanks again for your help with this. I'll let you know how it goes.

[zeratul]

Unfortunately I tried this this afternoon and it still says the same!

I think my only last option is to try cutting off the end off one of these. Although I measured the length of the cable from down the back of the amp, under the floor and up to the plasma and its about 21ft!

Do you think its worth a shot?

[zeratul]

I know! I'm going to try one more thing and admit defeat! I've figured that I can access the main casing for the wires where it comes out the floor, which is within the 15ft. I'm going to solder an active repeater from a decent extension I've ordered and if that doesn't work I'll just use the bought extension cable in the traditional way.... across the floor!

[zeratul]

I finally managed to get the USB expander idea to work. I tried to solder directly to the circuit board but failed to get it to work correctly... it would work fine until I wanted to put the cover around the board to tidy up and would always knacker something up, then it wouldn't work!



So I thought I'd just solder at the wires, each side of the expander. As you can see by the images the wires are located on the floor close to the wall and not conveniently at a sitting desk position, so had to lye on my front on a hard floor.



It works though, so I can now benefit from having no wires from my Playstation 3 to the PS3 Eye under the TV. I've used it a number of times and had no problems

Thanks heero_yuy for your help.