I just discovered that the USB cable for the Cradle does not fit into the UDB port on the 6000. Bummer we have to pay for another cable (when it becomes available, have not seen one yet.)

I found the needed cable:

http://www.serialio.com/info/zaurus/notes/...SL-6000USB.html

i think he is talking about the MINI A usb Connector on the 6000, you need a Mini A to standard USB cable.

I found a Mini-A to Std-B USB cable here...

http://www.vss.com.sg/

I am trying to find out about retailers. If I can obtain it, I will try some of my devices e.g. 120MB USB 2.0 (I know Zaurus is not 2.0) drive.

I thought that I posted a message about this before but here it is.You can get "QuickConnect" cables from Staples for about $26.00 and they have all the pieces you need for about any configuration. The company rep sent me one before they hit the store and right now they are trying to work out a deal with sharp for a bundle package.

Is Staples going to sell the SL-6000 as well or just cables?

Just the cable. I was talking about the QuickConnect company rep.

Thanks for the information. However, I looked on the Staples web site and didn't see anything obvious. Is it possible that it hasn't "hit the store" yet? Do you have any more information that would help be find it. I searched on QuickConnect and went to Computer Accessories->Cables...->USB Cables.... Thanks!

The cables are pretty new to Staples About 2 weeks old ,so it might not be on their web site just yet. FYI Staples doesn't list alot of their things on the web site and some employees might not know that they have them.

I purchased the cable at my local Staples. It was in a display case pretty close to the front of the store.

The good news is that when I plug in my 120 GB External USB 2.0 drive, the Zaurus "sees" it as evidenced by dmesg.

The bad news is that I can't yet figure out how to get it attached to /dev/sda1 or some such and then mounted to /mnt/usbstorage or some such. I've been doing compares of /etc/hotplug between my Zaurus and my Red Hat Professional system. I'll keep trying...

I spoke too soon...

I just took my Zaurus out of the dock and plugged in the external drive. dmesg says it saw it and attached it to /dev/sda1. I had modified /etc/fstab to have the line

/dev/sda1 /mnt/usbstorage auto noauto,owner 0 0

cloning from the /dev/mmcda1 line. I did a

mount /dev/sda1

and a

cd /mnt/usbstorage
ls

I am now looking at the directory listing of the files on the drive.

Cool isn't it. The cable is worth every penny.

Does anyone have a external dvd drive to try or a CD writer? What happen's when you plug in a USB keyboard? Thanks. Just dumb questions from someone who is still saving for a Z...

this the cable? it looks neat.

http://www.goldxproducts.com/cable/qu.htm

YEP that's the one

I'm still confused by the discussion here

http://www.serialio.com/info/zaurus/notes/...SL-6000USB.html

regarding the POSSIBLE use of the usb connector on the Z for sync. The article says, of course, that is better to use the ZThinCable BUT implies you could use the other. I would think that if you tried to use the usb connection on the Z for sync that both the Z and the desktop/laptop would try to play "host" and nothing would happen.

When I plugged my Z in to my laptop like this, nothing, in fact, happened.

I would appreciate any clarification here. Thanks in advance.

Hi, I think the power of the drive is provided by Z. How is this affect the battery life? Thanks.

YOU MEAN THAT I'LL BE ABLE TO USE AN EXTERNAL USB DRIVE WITH A SL-C860!?!?!?!?
Please answer! --hope hope hope hope hope--

My external USB drive, which I normally have plugged in to my laptop, has its own external power. I can't speak for drives which don't.

sorry, I didn't notice you were speaking about sl-6000 IN the sl-6000 section... ME-DUMB

Actually, it is theoretically possible to get a USB host card in your CF slot. There's a few sold for PocketPCs, so getting it to work on the Z would basically be a driver issue. I don't know of anyone who has tried it though...

Just bought assorted usb connector kit from Staples today and followed richmitc's instruction to make my Zaurus to recognize s USB SD reader (Lexar JumpDrive Trio).

When I was in Staples, I also saw a Delorme Earthmate USB gps for $120. Now that Zaurus can recognize a USB storage device, what are the odds it will have the drive for the gps? I looked under /dev/usb there are only two entries:

canoncam (?!)
host_ohc1 (?)

Now this is not exactly encouraging news to a Linux newbie. Any pointers?

Thanks

FW

After a little websurfing, I found the QuickConnect set for $8-11 (depending on length) at cablesplususa.com. For some reason their advertised price is much less than everywhere else.

I know that the zaurus 5500 doesn't have a usb connector, but the cradle has it, and from zaurus I can see all usb modules working as needed, is it possible to convert the cradle connector to a usb male connector, so that i can connect any usb device?

Will the Quickconnect cable work with the SL5600?

The 5500 itself can not be a USB host, you can add a CF USB host card tho.

I ordered 3 of those cables from cablesplususa.com. They didn't charge for shipping which was odd but they did require a purchase of $10 or more. I wish there was a 3' GoldX but beggars can't be choosers.

They will. If your experience mirrors mine, it won't appear on the email invoice or the printed packing slip that comes in the box. The first I knew about the shipping charge was when the credit card bill came. I paid about $7, which seemed a little steep since I ordered just one cable. However, I probably still came out ahead vs searching for it at Staples. I wouldn't call it a "scam," just an irritating oversight in their software.

Ack... yep, $12 shipping on the 3 cables.

I just ordered 2 calbes from cablesplus...the 6' is still $8.10 and does nto show the shipping but even if it is7-10 dolars that is still bettehr then the 19 I was looking at at other places on the net...

Has any one had problems with thier cables yet or do they work well with teh 6k?

Has anyone found a retractable cable with the mini-a connector?

There is only one type of Mini-USB receptacle for On-The-Go (OTG) devices. This receptacle accepts both Mini-A and Mini-B connectors. The USB mode of the OTG device is selected by the connector: Mini-A sets the OTG device in host mode, Mini-B sets the OTG device in slave mode.



(from the Philips Overview of USB On-The-Go (OTG))

There does appear to be a considerable amount of vendor confusion when it comes to labeling Mini-USB connectors. 5-pin Mini-USB connectors are Mini-A. 4-pin Mini-USB connectors are Mini-B.

Retractable version:
http://catalog.blackbox.com/BlackBox/templ...tractable+Cable

Oh well...just got the retractable USB cable from Black Box and (altho it says a min-a adapter is included), there is no mini-a capability with this cable.

Hi richmitc,

I did exactly what you did - I have the quickconnect cable, I've connected my usb diskonkey, I've mounted -t vfat /dev/sda1 /mnt/usb, and I could ls.. But that's not all - I then tried to copy and it got stuck. dmesg showes me:
usb_control/bulk_msg: timeout

I get no response from the terminal. I can't rmmod (in use), removing and reputtnig the usb key doesn't help. Some of the file gets copied (correctly I think), and then it gets stuck.

Did you have any such problems?

Appreciate any help,

Alon

Hey
I found a USB to mini A cable that works on a SL 6000.
You can plug USB peripherals such as keyboards, mice, externally powered USB hard drives and card readers into the Zaurus.

http://www.dcables.com/catalog/1_8_meter_u...in__3239068.htm

Yo-hi.
I've happily got a new Zaurus6000L.
Imported from US to Germany.
(I had to pay $650 + €80(german tax addon))


I'll buy an usb-mini-a adapter this week.

FOR GERMANS:
There exist http://reichelt.de.
There you get an
1.8 meter USB-MINI-A to USB-A cable
for just €0,80 !!!
and male/female/a/b adapters for €0,45 !!!

But minimum payment is €10,-(€100,- outside of germany) and postage €3,60.
So you should buy additional stuff. (i.e. to tinker a mobile battery charger out of big batteries and a tension-regulator-7805)

FOR AMERICANS(and the rest of the world):
I'm sure, in usa exist several cheap shops for electronics, too.
Look for internet shops with linux servers (use telnet/netcat on port 80 to find out).
And ask students tinkering with microcontrollers. (Search for microcontroller-forums.)
Most big companies are really expensive, so do not trust those with heavy propaganda. (i.e. CONRAD)
Prices of electronic components differ from shop to shop between 30% and 20000%. The competence of those shops, too.

You should not sell much more than $1.00 for such usb cables an adapters -- or you've been had by a big MS-like company.

http://reichelt.de/ -> (Startseite / Bauelemente, mechanisch / Kabel / Leitungen / Computerkabel und Adapte... / USB Technik / USB-Kabel)

I spent three hours today driving to every electronics story in the greater Seattle area, looking for at least the scent of a Mini-usb A connector, to at least pirate onto the end of one of my other cables. I ended up at Fry's. I don't know if you have a Fry's near you, but they are a huge electronic store (literally, almost a warehouse) that seems to have almost everything... they even have a motherboard display.

I poured through the four sections of the store (cameras, PDA accessories, computer components, and the cable isle) and pulled up nothing. Four different service reps brought me usb-b cables. When I asked at the repair counter if they had any "special" phone numbers for Sharp, they said they couldn't help me with anything that I didn't buy there, or that they carried. so I got pissed off and started pouring over every electronic device they had in the store looking for something that had the same socket as the tosa.

Finally, success... the new iRiver PMP-140 (a 40 gig media player) had two mini usb inputs in a pop-out door on one side, one was a mini-b, and was labeled something like "USB client" and right next to it was a mini-a, that was labeled "USB Host." I assume this would be used for the iRiver to play from external HDD's. I thought it had seemed absurd that Sharp would include hardware that could not be used in it's product due to an unavailable accessory, and surely iRiver couldn't make the same mistake, RIGHT?

I pretended I was interested in buying one, and managed to get the rep to pull a boxed unit out of the back of the store, and among the contents listed on the bottom of the box was "USB host cable adapter."

here I am ten minutes later, feverishly thumbing to you after finding this cable available on the iRiver accessories page. I ordered four.

Here's the link to the iRiver store

They're only FIVE BUCKS!!!!

Good job dude.

Lexar makes a Multi-Card Reader that is about the same size as a pack of cards, is blue and silver and reads seven kinds of different memory cards (they don't include any better identifyiers like model numbers on these products, darn it). It includes a three foot cable that looks like it has mini-A male to standard-A male ends on it. Someone with a 6K might try to see if this works as well. If I upgrade from my trusty SL 5500 I will update this thread.

Good to hear that Fry's is still satisfying the techlolust of the west coast, I am in NYC now and would like to hear if there is anything comprable in this area.


- Edit 12/2/04 -
I have verified that this cable does not work with an SL 6000L.

Great find. I almost bought the QuickConnect "ensemble" from Staples.
I didn't want another long cable and multiple connectors to lug around, so I waited for something better.
The iRiver adapter is much more like it. So I just ordered one. $10 including shipping.

I just ordered 126 pieces (to reach the €100)
I will be offering them back at cost here in the forum.
Any one interested contact me.
I think the price will be around $1 or $2 shipped to any U.S. address.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ May Peace be Upon You ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE

Shipping is exorbitant to U.S.A
I had to cancel order

Great find!....

I also found the GoldX QuickConnect at Staples but I returned it.

I found this ... GE H097920 "USB 2.0 6-in-1 Cable Kit - 6 ft." at MicroCenter in Tustin, CA for $20. It contains a mini-A Male to A Female adapter about 2 in. long which works fine though it won't allow the Z in the cradle. The cable kit is white cables / adapters with silver ends.

And then I found this .. GE H097912 "USB 2.0 6-in-1 Cable Kit - 10 ft." at a Goodwill store in Fullerton, CA for $8.00 previously opened with all parts. The cable kit is black cables / adapters with gold ends.

Even though the the mini-A Male to A Female adapters don't fit with the cradle I prefer them to the proprietary ends on the GoldX cable.

I've tried a USB keyboard with embedded hub (still trying to work out the special key mapping) and a USB thumb drive and have others to go. It is _very_ cool to have USB host capabilities.

I'll need to get a couple of those adapters from iRiver too.

Dave

way to go on ordering a few... I don't want to be babying this thing like oh-so-many dongle adapters I have lying around... "oh don't move the laptop it's on the ethernet" etc...

I have a multi-card reader in my desk at work which I believe is a lexar. The plug looks the same but does not fit my SL6000. Its so close that just looking at it you would think it would work. Maybe filing it down would get it to fit but I decided to just go ahead and order a cable for the Z.

I don't have a Lexar but I do have a multi-card reader. It has a mini-B connector. Please don't modify the mini-B connector to fit in the mini-A plug of the Zaurus. They are not electrically compatible. Just like you can't modify an A connector (goes into your PC) into a B connector (the large "house" shaped connector) which goes into devices.

Mini-A is new connector for smaller host devices. Smaller than PC's at least. In the USB world there are host devices and client devices and the cable ends for each are intentionally different. We just have one of the new devices which have the mini-A connector.

Get the mini-A Male to A Female connector from IRiver or the GoldX set or one of the two GE sets I mentioned.

Dave

The best & cheapest web site I've found for all sorts of cables is Cable & Connector Technologies.

For the GoldX QuickConnect cables, the best price by far that I've found is CablesPlus.

Actually you can modify the mini-b to fit the mini-a because I did it in March when I got my Sl-6000 but be careful in doing so ,also I wrote a thread about the mini-a adapters and different devices to use with the Z so try a search and see what comes up. The Lexar is one of the devices that I plug into my 6k.

firstly, i just want to say great job!

now, i may just be dense, but i've scoured the iriver link in the first post but i can't find the cables you mentioned. do you perhaps have a part number so i can search further for it? i've just spent the last two days trying to figure out how to connect my mp3 player to my 6000L so i was very excited to find this post.

thanks.

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