So on 11/16 I wrote about fixing “Janky Cables”, specifically regarding a console to USB cable.  That post was available here.

I am pleased to report that the cable was successfully repaired!

Take a look at that.  Isn’t that a beautifully patched cable?

As a reminder the pin-out was:

USB Black to RJ-45 Pin 2 (Brown-White)
USB Green to RJ-45 Pin 4 (Blue-White)
USB White to RJ-45 Pin 3 (Green)
USB Red to RJ-45 Pin 5 & 8 (Blue & Orange-White)
USB Shield to RJ-45 Pin 1 (Brown)

I soldered the individual wires in the cable and used heat-shrink tubing on the individual wires also.

Once I had the wires all soldered together, I carefully wrapped them in electrical tape.  I then used another piece of heat-shrink tubing to bundle it all together and keep it from looking atrocious.  Pin 6 and Pin 7 from the network cable are snipped and individually heat-shrink tubed to prevent feedback/cross connecting accidentally.

Sure enough, I plugged that cable into a Keypad and a Computer; the Keypad lit up immediately.  Soon after I heard the standard Windows found hardware audio.  A moment later, the keypad was responding to input and the PC accepted the input.  Huzzah!

Sure, the colors don’t match up, but the cable actually works now.

And at the end of the day, when a new keypad is $180 and the only way to get this cable is via that (it’s not a standard Console to USB cable a’la Cisco): I’m very happy to have fixed 2 of them and saved the district close to $400.

Besides, they only have to last for a year until we switch to ID Card Barcode Readers.

I hope.