Hacked power adapter

The Black Pumpkin · Post by **The Black Pumpkin** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:47 pm

I guess this should go here, since it's modding.

Anyway, I have an old laptop that I'd like to integrate a small 4 port usb 2.0 hub into (not through a pcmcia card, though). I have a spot to put it, the only problem is power. Would it be possible to build a small regulator box or whatever, that would take the voltage from the wall, and then step it down on two circuits, one for the laptop, and the other for the hub, all through the same ac plug?

In my mind, it would kinda look like this:

.+
.|
.|
.|
[-]
[-]
/ \
| |
| |

The plug is the +, the wires are the lines, and the transformer box is the two [-]'s.

I know this seems ambitious, but if I get the right resistors and what not, it should be possible. Any thoughts?

P.S. I have to get a self-powered hub, not a usb powered hub, as the laptop only has usb 1.1 in it.

The Black Pumpkin · Post by **The Black Pumpkin** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:57 pm

Heh, nevermind, I just found this, which shows it's possible. I just need to get one and modify it a bit, and presto!

The Black Pumpkin · Post by **The Black Pumpkin** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:12 am

And this whole project has gone down the tubes, since I'll just get a pcmcia card if I need more than one usb port at a time. It's just too hard to hack into power sources internally in laptops.