Zero clearance USB adapter

Aug 2018:

On the time lapse camera, there was too much complexity in connecting the USB data lines from the female USB on the camera case to the USB data lines of the Raspberry Pi so I fashioned what I call a zero clearance USB adapter

that is inserted into the center lower USB connection on the back of the  Raspberry Pi and the four pin header then connects to the female USB on the camera case.  The 5 VDC lines from the female USB on the camera case is run directly to the  Pi-EzConnect board  

eliminating the acrylic sheet also gained some room on top of the Pi-EzConnect board   for the future  addition of the pan/tilt stepper motor controls.

To make the adapter I cut a rectangular opening, exactly the size of a male USB A, in some .1 proto-board and placed a male USB connector through the opening and put the connector into one of the female USB connectors.  Then I scratched a line on the same face of the USB connector as the plastic separator and on the outer side of the proto-board.  I cut the metal shield just a bit on the inside of the line so the metal housing does not contact my connections.  I reinserted the male USB into the female and on the outer side of the USB I soldered a wire between the two sides and the uncut face of the USB and the proto-board on the side away from the female connector.  This secures the metal housing to the proto-board.  Then I cut away the rest of the metal housing of the USB above the solder joint.  I added the 4 pin header then as it is easier than waiting till the rest of the USB is exposed.  The plastic insulator of the USB was carefully trimmed away to expose the metal of the USB connector.  The four leads of the USB were soldered to the 4 pin header with wires placed as low on the USB as possible.  The rest of the insulator and leads on the USB were cut away and a  plastic film cover laid over it all to insulate it.

Now the USB can be inserted and connected and still clear the back of the fake camera housing.

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Doug Wyman

The first computer I used was an 1962 IBM 1401 and the project was statistical information at JSPC Okinawa (NSA). Then as a civilian I engaged in Telecommunications and Video consulting thru 1974. I was asked to join the WSP Electronic Services Telecommunications and Computer engineering section and stayed till 2000. Then I was asket to work on the WSDOT CVISN project and did till till 2005 then back into retirement. Then WSCTC asked me to act as a consultant to CVISN and I did till 2011. I retired for the third time am learning Debian, Python, PHP and others for the first time. Superannuated but still learning

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