[MNiceGuy]

I'll keep it simple:

What potential damage could I do to a motherboard if I had the front-panel USB and Firewire hooked up to it in reverse (USB->Firewire, etc) and then tried to use a USB game controller?

 

[grossebeaver]

The board is probably fine as long as the ground was hooked up to the right place (it might restart the comp if anything). If it caused a short circuit, you might have screwed up your firewire controller, which probably won't be an issue if you don't plan on using it in the future.

 

[45nm]

I've read that you could potentially fry the motherboard by doing such a thing.

 

[MNiceGuy]

Well everything seems fine. I actually do use the Firewire and it looks like it's working as well. I'm getting some weirdness on the USB side of the deal though. To test it, I tried transferring data to a flash drive and it stops with errors. "Try Again" get's things going good again. I tried a format of the memory stick and it sometimes fails too.

The system is at stock and stable. Soooo....yeah. I'm assuming something's broken here.. :swearing:

 

[MNiceGuy]

Alright guys I've had a chance to troubleshoot this problem:

1. I have a 2GB CF card and USB adaptor that I use for my digital cameras. If I insert it into the front panel it pops up right away in Explorer. I tried a low-level format and it says "Windows could not complete format" on the first try every single time. If I close that window and try again it works like a charm every time.

2. I've tried the card in another computer and it works great

3. I tried the card in a back panel USB and it formats every single time.

4. I tried a USB hard drive enclosure on the front panel. No file errors and good transfer rates when moving a 12K-file folder approx 2GB in size.

5. If I transfer the same folder to the USB card it will give me a random I/O error on the first try and then it will work great every consecutive time until I dismount it.

I'm desperate guys! I have a lot of brand-new expensive hardware and I'm afraid I've messed something up.

 

[error10]

CF card readers are notoriously bad. I once bought six of them in a row before I got one that would work one time in ten. Or maybe it was just my horrible luck.

 

[MNiceGuy]

More update:

I went out and picked up another identical USB card reader and I get the exact same resullt. I've also tried all my CF cards and all seem to generate the same error. Thing is I don't understand why it will only goof up on the first try but then work numerous consecutive tries.

I don't know that this wasn't happening before the header mixup so is it possible that I have a software issue?

Here's an update of knowns:

1. Both card readers give the error
2. Error only happens when using the front panel
3. Swapped in a USB/Firewire backplate to the front panel headers and get the same result; seemingly eliminating the case's panel
4. 256MB flash drive has no errors with front panel
5. Error only happens on the first try but works every other time.
6. 320GB external USB hard-drive unaffected

 

[error10]

Have you tried the reader on another computer?

 

[MNiceGuy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by error10 Have you tried the reader on another computer?

Using an aged ACER laptop, the card works great and formats in probably 1/10th the time. Starting to get those 'pre-RMA' blues

Also, now the format almost completes, fails, dismounts the reader, and finally instantly remounts the reader (warning me that I need to format the card to use it). I went through that cycle a couple times before it finally worked. So basically, the problem has gotten worse.

Thanks so far guys! Really I do appreciate it. This rig is my heart and soul (rather materialistic of me I understand but I love it nonetheless) and I hate having problems; especially ones instigated by one of my stupid oversights like this.

EDIT: Let's say for a second that I nearly killed one of the USB controllers. What else could I have damaged internally? (i.e. not worried about peripherals ATM)

 

[MNiceGuy]

Well I think I have finally found my answers. I've eliminated everything I can think of. The problem has gotten worse and now formatting the card instantly fails and dismounts the card reader. If, and I mean IF I can get it to stay mounted it takes an ungodly amount of time for the formatting process to work through. This is on a 2GB FAT file system which should complete in a snap without even needing to check "Quick Format".

Motherboard is a casualty but I'm concerned what else could be damaged?

 

[error10]

Probably nothing beyond the USB controller.

 

[MNiceGuy]

Thanks error10 for the response!

I decided to look at the pinouts for USB and 1394 and I'm assuming the fact the ground pins on USB are the 12V pins on Firewire is why you will find numerous forum threads where people say something like "DO NOT plug the usb into the firewire header!!!!!". Oh well...it could be worse...

 

[error10]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNiceGuy Thanks error10 for the response! I decided to look at the pinouts for USB and 1394 and I'm assuming the fact the ground pins on USB are the 12V pins on Firewire is why you will find numerous forum threads where people say something like "DO NOT plug the usb into the firewire header!!!!!". Oh well...it could be worse...

Wel that's hard to do on the Rampage Formula, one's blue and one's red. Like fire. Well maybe if you're colorblind (I dunno if you are or not).

Maybe you can RMA it.

 

[MNiceGuy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by error10 Wel that's hard to do on the Rampage Formula, one's blue and one's red. Like fire. Well maybe if you're colorblind (I dunno if you are or not). Maybe you can RMA it.

Yep. 1394 is flame red and USB is very blue. To add insult to injury, the Firewire lead is a single thicker cable and the USB's are a pair of thin cables. This is why you don't BS with a buddy while building a system...

 

[error10]

You know, what's funny about MY board, at least, is that the FireWire Q-connector keeps falling out of the header.