From:    peter shkabara <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Dell Optiplex pin connections
>
> I may have goofed in buying a Dell Optiplex GX280 motherboard to put 
> in my
> wife's computer. It was a good deal on e-Bay! All went well in 
> adapting the
> mechanical fit (I am a retired electronics/computer engineer). 
> However, the
> front panel controls such as power switch, restet button, and various
> indicator lights are connected to the mother board through a multi-pin 
> IDC
> connector. What I can't seem to find on the net is the pin connection
> diagram so that I can connect my own wires to the proper circuits.
>
> Can anyone on the list get me the circuit diagram that will identify 
> the pin
> functions of the Dell front panel connector? I already downloaded the
> reference manual from Dell, but it only identifies the connectors on the
> motherboard, but does not give the pin designations of the specific
> connector.
Hello,

Don't you have a multi-meter and a variable power supply? With the two 
of those, you should be able to check the circuits in the front panel 
connector, by running some continuity tests to see which pins connect to 
the power button, and then powered probes to light up the leds. That's 
the way my Navy trained Uncle checks stuff like that out. I've seen him 
do it a bunch of times, and I think I might even be able to do it if 
pressed, with the little bit of electronics training I had in high 
school over 30 years ago.

You know what to connect to on the mother board, and the front panel 
connector's shouldn't be all that complicated that you can't test them 
to tease out the information you need. YMMV. 8-) [maybe I'm full of it, 
but it seems to work for Don]

Later, Ray Parrish

-- 
Human reviewed index of links about the computer
http://www.rayslinks.com
Poetry from the mind of a Schizophrenic
http://www.writingsoftheschizophrenic.com/

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