MP 1,1-5,1 Does anyone know anything about this obscure USB connector - USB 3.1 Type C Internal Key A 20-pin Header ?

[Snow Tiger]

I am building a project in a Nehalem cMP and this card came to my attention :

Ableconn PEX-UB152 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) 2-Port Type-C Internal 20Pin Key-A Header PCI Express (PCIe) x4 Host Adapter Card (ASMedia ASM2142 Chipset)

Ableconn PEX-UB152 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) 2-Port Type-C Internal 20Pin Key-A Header PCI Express (PCIe) x4 Host Adapter Card (ASMedia ASM2142 Chipset)

www.amazon.com

It's an Ableconn PEX-UB152 with two Type-C Internal 20Pin Key-A Headers .

The darn thing is , I cannot find any cables sold in the USA that support this header .

The funny thing is , the manufacturer claims our cMPs can support the installation of this card . It has the ASM2142 controller chip that no one seems to have actually tested in our cMPs . But still , it's worthless without the ability to connect .

The closest I could come to finding a cable would be from a German company called Delock .

Delock Products 85325 Delock Cable USB 3.1 Gen 2 key A 20 pin male > USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A female panel-mount 70 cm

www.delock.com

It appears as if the rare 10 Gbps key A connector permits a single channel of USB , whereas the equally rare 10 Gbps key B connector permits dual channels of USB .

 

[Krevnik]

That connector isn't in common usage yet, but there's a typo: It's really a "Type E" header that's starting to show up on motherboards, since it can feed a 20Gbps USB-C port properly. You'll get more hits for cabling looking for "Type E" (the image calls it Type F by accident). You can find adapters that export more bog-standard USB 3.0 headers that you can use as well.

Mostly this is supposed to be something case manufacturers provide cabling for hooking up to a header on the motherboard, so it's interesting a USB expansion card exposes a couple of them.

 

[Snow Tiger]

Thanks ! Well , what do you know ? We are one step closer to finding an use for this card . Using your suggestion , I found this cable adapter at modDIY.com :

MODDIY Home Page - PC Modding, Case Mods, Custom Cables

MODDIY has been specializing in manufacturing premium and custom computer cables and accessories for large corporations, computer enthusiasts, and gamers worldwide for over 13 years. Our cables and adapters are well-known for their best quality, top performance, reliability, and durability...

www.moddiy.com

Which is a 10 Gbps cable adapter , Type E ( as you call it ) to a standard Type A ( that everyone knows ) .

Sadly , the greedy bastards want $30 each for the cable and I could use two of them ...

Now , if only someone can confirm macOS has driver support for the ASM2142 controller chip , we'd be sure to be in business .

 

[Krevnik]

That cable is very weird, and probably shouldn't even exist. It shouldn't have a male A connector on it like that, as there's nothing that should be connecting like that to a host Type E (and as far as I know, Type E is always a host-side port). It should be a female A or C connector like one of these:

Type C:

https://www.newegg.com/p/0ZK-08KJ-02BM4?Item=9SIAJX6ASM3294

Dual Type A (Using a Type E to 3.0 Header):

https://www.newegg.com/p/1W7-0025-00093?Item=9SIA9F9AJN4052
https://www.newegg.com/blue-startech-1-64-ft-usb-3-0/p/N82E16812400041

EDIT: Now that I think about it, if you had a Female-Female Type A coupler for some reason in your PC case, this would be the cable you'd use, but those are exceedingly rare.

 

[dataid]

Thanks ! Well , what do you know ? We are one step closer to finding an use for this card . Using your suggestion , I found this cable adapter at modDIY.com :

MODDIY Home Page - PC Modding, Case Mods, Custom Cables

MODDIY has been specializing in manufacturing premium and custom computer cables and accessories for large corporations, computer enthusiasts, and gamers worldwide for over 13 years. Our cables and adapters are well-known for their best quality, top performance, reliability, and durability...

www.moddiy.com

Which is a 10 Gbps cable adapter , Type E ( as you call it ) to a standard Type A ( that everyone knows ) .

View attachment 911577

Sadly , the greedy bastards want $30 each for the cable and I could use two of them ...

Now , if only someone can confirm macOS has driver support for the ASM2142 controller chip , we'd be sure to be in business .

Take a look at the WIKI and postings for USB 3.x PCIe Cards for Classic Mac Pro I believe that there are several who have posted on using the ASM2142 in the cMP

 

[Snow Tiger]

Take a look at the WIKI and postings for USB 3.x PCIe Cards for Classic Mac Pro I believe that there are several who have posted on using the ASM2142 in the cMP

I did look . There are a lot of postings and I wish someone would update the compatibility list if the reports are verified .

 

[dataid]

The other thought was to search for ASM2142, that should cut down the number of postings, then contact the writer with a conversation, the compatibility lists are infrequently updated.