Adapter for WEIRD Sony Vaio USB Connector?

[Guest]

I've got an older Sony Vaio laptop. It has a CD Burner that plugs into a
weird kind of USB port. THe USB plug-in is Split in two - with two separate
metal enclosures around the pins. The first mertal enclosure is tiny -- I
can't see if there's a pin inside. The second metal enclosure is a little
bit bigger -- I count 4 pins inside. (There might be more -- I just can't
see them).

I'd like to get an adapter for this WEIRD Usb port so I can use it in a
regular USB port.

Does anybody know what that kind of an adapter is called, or where I can get
one? I just looked on ebay and on the Sony site. I gather they quit making
them.


<*(((><

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Paul]

I've got an older Sony Vaio laptop. It has a CD Burner that plugs into a
weird kind of USB port. THe USB plug-in is Split in two - with two separate
metal enclosures around the pins. The first mertal enclosure is tiny -- I
can't see if there's a pin inside. The second metal enclosure is a little
bit bigger -- I count 4 pins inside. (There might be more -- I just can't
see them).

I'd like to get an adapter for this WEIRD Usb port so I can use it in a
regular USB port.

Does anybody know what that kind of an adapter is called, or where I can get
one? I just looked on ebay and on the Sony site. I gather they quit making
them.


<*(((><

Has the drive got a model number on it ?

http://sony.storagesupport.com/cdrw/index.htm
http://sony.storagesupport.com/dvdrw/index.htm

Paul

 

[Guest]

Yeppers! Sony Vaio CD-RW/DVD-ROM DRIVE PCGA-CRWD1

 

[Paul]

Yeppers! Sony Vaio CD-RW/DVD-ROM DRIVE PCGA-CRWD1

http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/PCOM/Acc/PCGA-CRWD1/index.html

Left connector is Firewire.
The next rectangle is labelled "DC-in" so that is
power. There appears to be an adapter cable that goes to
the laptop.

http://i12.ebayimg.com/02/i/07/37/5b/91_1_b.JPG

My guess would be, the four pin connector is the
same one as shown here, a four pin Firewire:

http://pinouts.ru/Slots/ieee1394_pinout.shtml

Basically, Sony separated the power from the signals.
The four pin carries the two differential pairs of
400Mbit/sec data (TPA+/- and TPB+/-). The other
square connector must be for power.

Conclusion: This is a *Firewire* interface. It is
not USB. They are different animals and not compatible.

The other issue, is the above adapter cable, has four
blobs on the end that connects to the drive. We know
what two of them do, but not the other two. The remaining
two could be purely mechanical, or are electrical.
The "computer" end clearly shows a four pin Firewire
and what looks like a power connector. You would need
some kind of adapter, that goes from 6 pin standard
Firewire, to a 4 pin signal plus connector for power.
And then if those holes are not filled on the CD drive,
who knows whether the drive can tell the blobs are not
present ? You'll have to look in the two "blob" holes,
for signs of whether the blobs are electrical or
mechanical, to figure out whether they'll be an issue
or not. It's a proprietary mess.

Paul

 

[Guest]

Blob holes? oooooooo kkkkkkkkkk ...
You got the picture right on -- that's the adapter. I've been told by
several computer geeks that it's a USB. I take it that a USB carries both
data signal to the device, and power?
On the picture, it's the device on the left that has me flummoxed. The
one where the name clearly says "Vaio", and it has two metal prongs. I need
to hook that up to a regular USB port. So I need an adapter.
On the picture, the device on the right goes to the electrical outlet.
No problem there.

You've got me worried about Blob Holes now. lol.
Seriously, does anybody have any idea where I could go to get an adapter
for this?
I'm concerned to, about the suggestion that it's firewire. To my
knowledge, I've never yet used any kind of a firewire device.

Are they more reliable than the USB hookups?

 

[Paul]

Blob holes? oooooooo kkkkkkkkkk ...
You got the picture right on -- that's the adapter. I've been told by
several computer geeks that it's a USB. I take it that a USB carries both
data signal to the device, and power?
On the picture, it's the device on the left that has me flummoxed. The
one where the name clearly says "Vaio", and it has two metal prongs. I need
to hook that up to a regular USB port. So I need an adapter.
On the picture, the device on the right goes to the electrical outlet.
No problem there.

You've got me worried about Blob Holes now. lol.
Seriously, does anybody have any idea where I could go to get an adapter
for this?
I'm concerned to, about the suggestion that it's firewire. To my
knowledge, I've never yet used any kind of a firewire device.

Are they more reliable than the USB hookups?

It's a "blob" for me, because I cannot see any details. It could be
a solid metal prong for all I know. You can see this thing and I can't.
One end of the cable has two connectors. The other end has four things
on it, of which two are probably connectors.

You saw the picture here. The text says "1394" and that is Firewire.
So it definitely is not USB. If you plug it to USB, you'll blow it.
And notice how the other two holes are not labeled, which suggests
to me that they are mechanical supports of some sort.

http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/PCOM/Acc/PCGA-CRWD1/index.html

The thing on the left here, consists of a four pin Firewire connector
and a power connector. The "mystery" is what voltage would be on the
power connector, and what polarity (center pin positive or center pin
negative). Without more info from Sony on the topic, or a label on
the drive saying what voltage is supposed to be on there, you're
stuck.

http://i12.ebayimg.com/02/i/07/37/5b/91_1_b.JPG

Firewire connectors come in two versions. A four pin (TPA+/- TPB+/-)
and a six pin version (same, plus VP and VG power pins). The six
pin Firewire standard, has an unregulated voltage on the power pins.
Some computers run VP and VG at 12 volts. And yet Sony chose to use
a four pin connector, plus a separate power connector. Sony could have
used a six pin Firewire connector, and then the thing would have
been interchangeable.

It suggests to me, that the drive does not support the full Firewire
voltage range. It could be the drive is expecting a well regulated
voltage on the second connector. If you had the laptop, you could
try to measure the voltage on the second connector. That would make
it easier to cook up a solution. (Actually, the necessary voltage
and polarity is probably printed on the back of the drive, but I
cannot read it in the picture. Maybe it is 5V ? )

I have another question for you. Do you have the power adapter shown
on that Sony web page ? It could be, that you could connect the
wall adapter for the PCGA-CRWD1, and if you do, all that needs to
be connected, is a four pin standard Firewire cable.

Here would be a potential solution (assuming you have the wall adapter).

+-------+
Computer --- PCI_Firewire_Card --- 6 pin to 4 pin cable ----> | PCGA |
| CRWD1 |
Wall_adapter ----- to_separate_power_plug_hole_on_right ----> | |
+-------+

Do you have a manual for the Sony drive ? Maybe it has instructions
on powering options. I'm willing to bet it can be powered two ways,
either via the custom Vaio cable, or with standard four pin Firewire
plus using the wall adapter.

HTH,
Paul

 

[Guest]

That's interesting. I printed out the Japanese text -- I speak Japanese and
can read a little. I'll have a closer look. I'll also browse that site to
see if maybe there's an adapter someplace.

Does IEEE always mean "firewire?"

 

[Guest]

Hi Paul,
You put a lot of work into your answer, above. I appreciate that.
I studied some of the pages in Japanese; then I found similar English
pages. I also took a look at the connector under a magnifying glass.
You are right, and the HP employee who looked at my computer was wrong. It
is indeed a firewire connection. Inside the firewire part of the hookup, I
see four tiny specks of gold -- I presume those are the ends of the pins.
I do have the original AC adapter that came with the computer.
I really would like to use this CD burner with other computers. I would
have to remove the firewire cord, however, and plug in a new firewire cord
and the adapter. Assuming that once I get the "blob" unhooked from the CD
burner itself, that there is a way to put the AC adapter pin into it.
When I first assembled the CD, it took me over an hour to hook the
"blob" up to the CD. The mechanism was a combo spiral + pins + sliding
catch + spring. I'm sure Sony must have a secret tool they use to hook them
up. I'd have to take it off in order to even see if an AC adapter pin would
fit.
What do you want to bet that it wouldn't? It looks like Sony invented
this configuration to discourage anybody from using the CD Burner on a
different computer. :-(
Bit by bit I learn -- you have helped me learn a lot about firewire. I
didn't even know I had firewire! I looked everywhere on the Sony pages, and
I do not see an adapter for the firewire plug.
Thank you so much for correcting the misinformation I had received, and
for educating me about Sony & firewire.