[OT] PANEL header

The system panel header on my motherboard has 20 pin positions of which

I want to test the motherboard out of the case.

I would have thought that by now someone would have produced a plug holding the LEDs and the speaker that could be plugged in for testing. I cannot find one. I have tried several search strings without success.

I am tempted to ask ChatGPT to look but it has been lying to me recently.

Any ideas?

I have just used one of these in a re-build:

TBH I just short the power-on pins with a screwdriver, which is enough to power up the mobo. You can tell it's on if the fans spin.

You can buy the lights and buttons on a wire if that's what you really want:

I'm shocked.

Theo

Thanks but I was ioping for a single plug with all the bits on it. The cable version just replicates what's in the case. I didn't want to fiddle around with the individual plugs.

Alan

I keep a 1x2 female to push-button-switch for this, on my desk.

Slide the push button onto the PWR and GND pins.

If you haven't got the shakes too bad, you can even take a large slothead screwdriver and slide it between the PWR pin and the adjacent GND pin. It just takes a momentary contact to start a motherboard. The switch type is SPST momentary normally-open.

If you have a computer case that is being sent to the trash, remove the wiring harnesses from it and keep them for later usage. You can extract the power switch, twisted pair, and 1x2 connector from the case wiring.

Some spacings on computer wiring, are "variable". Not every motherboard uses the same spacing. The shrouds on the twisted pairs, you can back out the female pins and change the spacing, on demand. I have re-positioned pins on more than one occasion, as the need arose. You will need an Xacto blade knife, to slide under the retainer plastic and lift it a bit, so the pin can be backed out.

Paul

I gave in and ordered one of the strips. Thanks, Alan

I gave in and ordered one of the strips. Thanks, Alan

Not all the LEDs, but there are things like this:

There may be versions with more connectors and functions.

There are definitely extension leads with a single connector at the motherboard end and a single block of pins at the other - I threw one away because I didn't need it. Plug a switch, LEDs and speaker into the pin end, tape up and then use the other end to test motherboards?

There is no standard. Individual manufacturers have their own conventions, but the reason there isn't one connector is you have to double check the pinouts with the motherboard manual. Some use the same header but wire it in different ways.

Theo

Different manufacturers use different pinouts. You can put a couple of switches and LEDs on a breadboard and hook it up with jumper cables or put a PCB in a little box and attach flying leads. My favourite containers for this sort of thing are SMINT or Tic-Tac boxes.