Z240 Media Card Reader -- MEDIA 3.0 header pin out

[code_monkey]

Hi,

I am having trouble attaching the HP 15-in-1 Media Card Reader G1S79AA  to my z240 motherboard.

This motherboard has a 2x6 2.54mm pin header labeled MEDIA 3.0, where I assume MEDIA refers to Media Card Reader and 3.0 refers to USB 3.0.  Pin 9 is missing (keyed), as would be expected of the standard  dual USB 2.0 motherboard header.

The G1S79AA has a standard 2x10 USB 3.0 plug  (with a finer pitch), but comes with an adapter cable to a 2x5 2.54 header, where pin 9 is keyed.

Is this supposed to work?  Do I need to jumper the final row somehow as a cable detect?  Do I need to activate anything in the BIOS/UEFI?

Note that F4N90AA looks identical, has the same documentation, and includes a similar adapter cable.  Should I be using this instead?

A schematic of the pin-out of the board and possibly of the adapter cable would be helpful!

Thank you.

[SDH]

From the very bottom of the HP link you provided:

"The included internal USB 3.0 connector uses a 20-pin connection. A 10-pin adapter is also included for connecting internally to USB 2.0."

That actually is a "2 x 10" with 10 pins on one side and 9 on the other, with a blank in the spot for that missing header pin.

If you can add the TI based USB3 PCIe card I've posted about in here you can use the larger USB3 plug that is first in line.  I don't think there is a spare "USB3 motherboard header" on your motherboard.  The adapter gets you access but at USB2 speeds.

That's the best I can offer..... I don't have all the parts to test.  HP has used some unconventional shaped USB2 headers (2 x 7 pin with one blank).  This has the conventional 2 x 5 pins at one end (with 1 as a blank) that lets you plug a usual USB2 plug onto it, leaving 4 pins (2 x 2) open on the far end for a 3rd USB2 channel.  I'm sure there are more variations.  This is found on the Z600, for example, and that is how they get 3 USB2 ports out to the front interface.

Instructions are on the CD if you got one, per your link. The device should be plug and play.

[code_monkey]

Thanks for the suggestion; however, I'd like to keep the PCIe slots free for more demanding tasks than writing to SD-Card.

The HP Z240 Workstation Maintenance and Service Guide states that P152, silk screen Media, is designed for a USB 3.0 Media card reader in the tower workstation.   Further investigation shows that this is probably for p/n 797441-001, which supports only SD-card.

[SDH]

Well, you could use the adapter that came with the kit and go from the USB3 plug to a USB2 plug end, and plug that onto your motherboard's USB2 "internal" header.

And, maybe there is an adapter that lets you go from the larger USB3 plug end to the smaller USB3 type of motherboard header you seem to have at P152.  That way you keep USB3 speeds.  I have to say.... the USB3 speed is nice, but the compatibbility of USB2 is nice to have. 

I find, for example, that my nice high speed USB3 thumb drives don't wake up from sleep when in a USB3 port versus they always do if plugged into the USB2 ports of our Z620 workstations.  Same thing with the USB3 ports I've added to our Z600 workstations via the HP Texas Instruments based USB3 PCIe card I mentioned earlier.