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Bought Mac Pro, problem with USB

phoenix-mac-user

phoenix-mac-user

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 21, 2016
161
163
Hi everyone. I just scored a new (old) 2009 mac pro 8 core off craigslist and bought the following 2 items to get the Wifi/Bluetooth up to date for Continuity featured.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271921196824?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/371440894665?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I put everything together and installed the card into my 3rd PCI slot...AND it doesn't work. But I think that is because I didn't do anything with the USB cable. Does anyone know what I am supposed to connect that to?

I am banging my head against the wall. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
phoenix-mac-user said:
Hi everyone. I just scored a new (old) 2009 mac pro 8 core off craigslist and bought the following 2 items to get the Wifi/Bluetooth up to date for Continuity featured.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271921196824?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/371440894665?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I put everything together and installed the card into my 3rd PCI slot...AND it doesn't work. But I think that is because I didn't do anything with the USB cable. Does anyone know what I am supposed to connect that to?

I am banging my head against the wall. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

It's not a USB cable it is a power cable. What you bought was intended to allow someone who has a PC Hackintosh to use actual Apple parts. It will work in your machine if you can get power to it. Unfortunately, Mac power supplies don't have loose cables to hook things up to like PCs do.

So, it's technically possible, but you are going to have to open up the power supply and splice into cables, which is a serious mod. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
 
Or you could get a sata to usb converter and run power from an unused hard drive connector along the backplane or from your second optical drive connector. Some pcie cards also have internal usb connections for power which would work. For example my usb 3 card has a molex connector on the inside which could also provide power through the pcie bus to something small internally, though I have no use for it atm.
 
Thanks for your help! I just ordered it. One final question - I have the original Wifi/BT card that came with the computer installed. Should I remove that? Will their be conflicts between the 2 cards?
 
phoenix-mac-user said:
Thanks for your help! I just ordered it. One final question - I have the original Wifi/BT card that came with the computer installed. Should I remove that? Will their be conflicts between the 2 cards?
Click to expand...

AFAIK, it's optional, since no driver loaded, they just sit there and do nothing, should be no harm to the system.
 
Nunyabinez said:
It's not a USB cable it is a power cable. What you bought was intended to allow someone who has a PC Hackintosh to use actual Apple parts. It will work in your machine if you can get power to it. Unfortunately, Mac power supplies don't have loose cables to hook things up to like PCs do.

So, it's technically possible, but you are going to have to open up the power supply and splice into cables, which is a serious mod. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Click to expand...

Absolutely incorrect.

That is USB data send and receive. There is absolutely no power going over that cable. Just data.

Absolutely do not connect that cable directly to power.

I have a similar card in my Mac Pro. Personally I fabricated my own adaption for that cable.

The wifi will work without connecting that cable. The Bluetooth requires the USB data connection to work.

As another poster pointed out, power is provided by the PCI-e slot.
[doublepost=1474805536][/doublepost]
phoenix-mac-user said:
Thanks for your help! I just ordered it. One final question - I have the original Wifi/BT card that came with the computer installed. Should I remove that? Will their be conflicts between the 2 cards?
Click to expand...

It will not conflict. If your card is properly working, the original wifi and Bluetooth on the main board will be disabled automatically.

I have a similar setup in my machine.

You can remove the factory wifi and Bluetooth from your computer if you like. But it's unnecessary.
 
flyinmac said:
Absolutely incorrect.

That is USB data send and receive. There is absolutely no power going over that cable. Just data.

Absolutely do not connect that cable directly to power.

I have a similar card in my Mac Pro. Personally I fabricated my own adaption for that cable.

The wifi will work without connecting that cable. The Bluetooth requires the USB data connection to work.

As another poster pointed out, power is provided by the PCI-e slot.
Click to expand...

Thanks for catching that. I didn't look closely at the printing on the PCB. It is indeed the data. I am surprised that they didn't use the correct wire coloring. I saw the red and black wires which are for VCC and ground according to the USB standard and assumed that it was power. I expected to see green and white for the data + and -.
 
Nunyabinez said:
Thanks for catching that. I didn't look closely at the printing on the PCB. It is indeed the data. I am surprised that they didn't use the correct wire coloring. I saw the red and black wires which are for VCC and ground according to the USB standard and assumed that it was power. I expected to see green and white for the data + and -.
Click to expand...

Yep, gotta watch those card makers. Red and black wires were probably 1 cent cheaper.
 
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