USB pin assignment and version?

[wolfy]

Hi all!

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UPDATE - RESOLVED
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This is the most compact way to carry a USB connection around with you:

Fibrionic USB 3D adapter - USB-A to USB-Mini 5 Pin
(for a picture see post #3 below, which was already posted before ordering)

Be sure to get the 5 pin version, there's a 4 pin as well! The pin assignment of the phone's USB port obviously is standard, the A780 is charged and can be connected in mass storage, USB modem and USBLan mode, just like with the original cable.
This thing is really only as big as two USB plugs, great form factor for carrying it around all the time!

BTW, I did not succeed in verifying the pin assignment of the (nicely short) Huawei USB modem cable (see below for my initial problem), and I didn't want to cut it up
The only thing I can say is: this cable does not work and you should not try it - my machine and the phone both needed a reboot to recognize their USB ports again after I tried it.

Anyway, the new solution is even more compact, so there's no need for the cable anyway
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END UPDATE
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I'd like to have a much shorter USB cable to carry around with me.
Recently I purchased a Huawei USB UMTS modem for my notebook, and there's a nice short cable supplied with it, but surprisingly I can't connect the A780 with it (the Huawei itsef OTOH does not always work with the second, longer cable...) - seems there are not all pins assigned which are needed - is that possible? It even disabled the notebook's USB port I was using and I had to use another port afterwards. At first I even thought that my phone's port was trashed somehow... phew. I find that very strange...

Now I'd like to buy one of those self-retracting USB cables and there are 1.1 and 2.0 versions available - and I can't find the info, which version the A780 is, not here nor anywhere in the net - the specs alsways only say "USB: yes", the manual is not more verbose. And now I'm even not sure that some standard USB cable will work at all, regarding my experience with the Huawei cable. Oh great...

Does anybody know that and/or has already a nice solution for an USB connection that's as short as possible for carrying around all the time? I'm even thinking about using a double plug without cable, but best bet would be a cable like the Huawei one (a working one, that is

Thanks

[swifty]

if i look at the speed, the A780 must be a 1.1
but i think 2.0 is backward compatible, so there is no problem.

here are the pins and different modes:
http://wiki.openezx.org/EMU

[wolfy]

here are the pins and different modes:
http://wiki.openezx.org/EMU

Ah, thanks, that was the kind of page I've been looking for.
So if I use a USB-to-Mini-5-pin adapter (or cable) it should work, don't you think?

Surprisingly enough I just checked the mini-plugs on the original cable and the Huawei one, they're the same, so perhaps not all pins are connected in the Huawei cable (which is unfortunately hard to see without destroying it

EDIT
Hm, I just read that in "charger" mode the phone draws up to 1,25 A. Q is, how does it determine if it is on USB or the charger, i.e. might I fry my notebook's USB port when using a cable that has got all connections?

EDIT 2
Seems as long the battery is not empty, the CPU is running and can determine the mode - that's why one has to use the wall charger with a completely drained battery.
So, it seems to be safe to use a 5-pin cable - or is it? Any objections?

EDIT 3
Considering that the above is true, here is the ultra-portable solution:

The flexible design takes the strain from the two ports if one cannot place the device next to the PC evenly.

[swifty]

every standard usb-miniusb will work.
i have one from canon ixus that works too.
5pins are ok.

your notebook usb port will not give 1.25A, so this is safe.

[wolfy]

every standard usb-miniusb will work.
i have one from canon ixus that works too.
5pins are ok.

Thought so - that's why I was so surprised that the Huawei cable did not work at all. Any ideas why this is so?

your notebook usb port will not give 1.25A, so this is safe.

Thank <insert favourite deity> it does not

Thanks for the quick replies!

[swifty]

Any ideas why this is so?

i dont know this huawei cable.
the best way to find this out is doing some research
(and reporting here what you find out)