Front I/O Wiring Help Needed

[dom99]

Hi

I am currently in the middle of swapping out the insides of my Dell Studio XPS 435MT into a new CM Enforcer case and need some help in the wiring.

The board is mATX form factor and all connections seem to be standard but I have never connected a motherboard up before and dont know what goes where in regards to front IO panel for this case. Here are a few links;

Motherboard manual and conections;
http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/435mt/en/sm/techov.htm

Case manual and connections pg15;
http://www.cmstorm.com/files/CMStorm_Enforcer_Manual.pdf



Could anyone please explain in detail how they would connnect as I really dont know. Also where do the connections like the power and reset buttons, HDD and CPU LEDs plug into?

Any help would be much appreciated, I dont want to balls this one up!

Thanks

 

[kciaccio]

The wires from your case will have makings at the end, like RS for reset switch, PWR for power ect.

Plug them into the 15

front panel connector (FP1) in order that your motherboard instructions say.

 

[micropage7]

the easiest is look at your board pins it usually marked with pwr, rst, hdd, pwr led
just plug it according the front panel cable
bout led if it aint turn on you may switch the + cable

 

[dom99]

Ok I see, but on the front panel connector on the motherboard how do I know what pins do what? because Dell just use a single plug with all connectors

 

[Zyon]

ASUS also does that with some of their products, instead of figuring out which one connects to which you connect to the white slot and then simply connect that to the motherboard.

The motherboard should say it, 15min layout always have plugs going from left to right for +/- or power/ground.

 

[dom99]

My motherboard instructions do not list which pins go where, I have the following pins to connect to the front panel connector;


Power Switch: 1 plug, 2 pins

HDD LED: 1 plug, 2 pins

Power LED -: 1 plug, 1 pin

Power LED +: 1 plug, 1 pin


Any ideas how I can find out which order they connect in with this motherboard


Motherboard manual and conections (15 FP1);

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/435mt/en/sm/techov.htm

Thanks

 

[sneekypeet]

It helps if you can find the motherboard make and model versus the pc name. usually you can find the info you need from the actual motherboard maker and not the pc builder.

 

[cadaveca]

Better yet, take a picture of the front panel header.

Then one wit hthe factory header installed.

Heck, I'd even pull al lthe switches and stuff out of the Dell case to figure it out.

 

[dom99]

I will post some pics on monday if I still havent found an answer, monday is the day i am doing it all, should be straight forward if i can get this bit sorted. The motherboard is a Dell inc one but it is made for dell by Foxconn and is a standard mATX although not listed on the foxconn website. Things will be clearer on monday when I get to see it for myself.

 

[sneekypeet]

Can you tell me what the specs of the board are?

Chipset even? I just need to get a board that is similar and the layout is likely the same

 

[dom99]

Here are some specs;

Dell Studio XPS Core i7 Socket 1366 Motherboard R849J 0R849J

General Information

The motherboard is also commonly called a main board, system board, or logic board. The motherboard holds many of the crucial components of your system like the CPU and Memory, while providing connectors for other peripherals like your speakers. We make it simple to replace your faulty motherboard or upgrade it for better performance capabilities. With one of our Genuine Dell Replacement Motherboards you can get back up and running quickly and economically!!

Features/Specifications

* Chipset
o Intel X58+ ICH10
* Processor
o Intel Core i7-920 Processor (8MB L3 Cache, 2.66GHz)
o Intel Core i7-940 Processor (8MB L3 Cache, 2.93GHz)
* Memory
o 6x 1066 MHz or 1333 MHz DDR3 Memory Sockets
o 12gb Max Total
* Audio
o Integrated 7.1 channel, High Definition Audio with S/PDIF support
* Expansion Capabilities
o 3x PCI Express x1
o 1x PCI Express x16
* Peripheral Interfaces
o 1x RJ45 Ethernet/LAN Port
o 4x back-panel USB 2.0–compliant connectors
o 1x Back Panel and 1x Front Panel IEEE 1394 (Firewire) Connector
o 6x back panel connectors for 7.1 Surround
o 1x S/PDIF Connector
o 1x eSATA Connector
* Motherboard Part Number
o R849J

 

[Zyon]

IF (and only IF) Dell motherboards follow the standard 15pin front panel, this is how you would do it:

|PLED+|PLED-| | SPEAKER 4-pin |
|HDD+ | HDD-| |POWER|Ground| |RESET|ground|

Others are empty space which uses no pins.

Notes:
1. Some cases with PLED+ and PLED- separated (1 space apart), don't try to connect if your case only has a PLED connector where both are next to each other (but you will be fine since your - and + are separated)
2. Note that some boards say IDE instead of HDD but it's the same thing and will work with any harddrive)
3. Some of the speaker 4-pins are separated from the front panel part, but generally the layout is always power LED on top and HDD LED on bottom followed by power/ground and reset/ground
4. Usually the case connector with the white writing faces up for power LED, all others connect with the word side face down (triangle side usually connects to the corresponding ground).
5. If it doesn't work then just reverse them and try turning on again.

EDIT: my wording sucks so just to give you an idea...

 

[dom99]

Thanks for your help but the motherboard diagram shows a connector with 9 pins here (part 15) and I have 6 pins to put in it (excluding the reset) http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/435mt/en/sm/techov.htm

Im not sure if the diagram is 100% accurate on the amount of pins but I will find out on monday when I have a proper look.

Just wondering if I do wire up the motherboard incorrectly is there any chance of screwing the board? or will it just not work untill stuff is in the right place?

 

[xBruce88x]

ah ha your in luck my friend. I have my old Foxconn board with me. I know foxconn makes a lot of stuff for dell. how do i know? when i built my previous rig the case was an old server with no front panel. I pulled one from a dell and it plugged in and worked perfectly. And i was a sytem admin for a dealership for almost 2 years... and they had nothing but dell. my board even seems to have all the plugs at the bottom edge of the board arranged the same way as your dell! I'll give you the pinout info.

 

[dom99]

That great thanks for the help! with the pin layout it should be easy enough!

Just wondering though if by chance the layout is not the same can I damage the board by wiring incorrectly?

Also the connectors on my case have the white writing on one side of the plug and on the other are barely visable symbols for each pin, a triangle with or without a small "s" above it, or a letter "G".

They go in this order with the white writing facing upwards, the actual pins facing down as if plugging into motherboard, and reading the pin symbols from left to right;


Power Switch: 1 plug, 2 pins - G, Triangle with s above it

Reset Switch: 1 plug, 2 pins - G, Triangle with s above it

HDD LED: 1 plug, 2 pins - G, Triangle with s above it

Power LED -: 1 plug, 1 pin - G

Power LED +: 1 plug, 1 pin - G


My question is which way round do they go

Your help is much appreciated thanks

 

[Widjaja]

I have a Foxconn Motherboard and the coloured wires go on the left (+) hand side while the white go on the right (-).

Otherwise it's pretty easy to find which way they go.
Just plug in everything then power up the machine.
If the HDD and or PWR LEDs do not work switch them around.
It doesn't matter which way the PWR switch and RESET switch go.
Either way works just fine.

BTW don't bother about the G, as it's irrelevant although can be a concern for the new techie.

Usually G would stand for Ground or Earth wire but usually with a black wire.
But in this case it appears to be nothing of concern.

 

[dom99]

Why would the ground only be a concern for the new techie?

 

[Widjaja]

Why would the ground only be a concern for the new techie?

Because like yourself they wouldn't be too sure what the symbol means, so it ends up being a concern.
That's the only reason

 

[dom99]

Hi

I have finished wiring it up, but am a little nervous about turning it on incase I have done it wrong. If the wires are slightly wrong is there a risk of it blowing the motherboard?

 

[dom99]

Hi can i just have a reply about what is the worst that could happen? I am only concerned about the front IO like the power switch

ps 100th post!

 

[cheesy999]

Hi can i just have a reply about what is the worst that could happen? I am only concerned about the front IO like the power switch

ps 100th post!

nothing i can think off, the power like LED's won't be affected if you put them in the wrong plugs and the switches jut won't work

i accidently plugged my On light to the HDD connector and it worked like that for ages

 

[dom99]

Ah no! nothing is happening!

Monitor is on standby, some little orange light is on the motherboard, but no power up when I press the power button or reset button

What to do??

 

[Arctucas]

Ah no! nothing is happening!

Monitor is on standby, some little orange light is on the motherboard, but no power up when I press the power button or reset button

What to do??

If you have and ohmmeter or other continuity tester, bug out each pair of wires on the Dell harness and label them.

Then check the location of each pair in the motherboard header connector to ensure you place the correct new chassis harness pair on the motherboard header.

Or, you could always by a new motherboard and ditch that Dell P.O.S.

 

[dom99]

Is it worth experimenting with the wires in different places or is that not a good idea?

I do not have an ohm meter

 

[Widjaja]

Yeah just pull out all the connectors and plug the power button into each pair of pins.
Took a look at your Motherboard and it does appear to be the typical pin layout.

If you still have the old case, take a look at what wires go to the power button.
Since the old case basically had a plug which had all the wires going to it, you can trace them this way to find the two correct pins to power up your computer.

Same goes for the other things, like the reset, HDD and PWR LED.