I have successfully modified this Non DB9 Verion of DIY Gadgets Solderless LiteOn Key Extractor to work with a Laptop. Here is the base for the adapter itself:
This is just the base, the entire kit as it came from DIY Gadget looks like this:
The first mod that I did to it was to support the entire board and its components with Hot Glue, as shown here:
This stabilized the adapter so that nothing would get broken off. The wires that come attached to it are rather flimsy, and seem like they would break easily. However, I was not tempted to replace them as it would be easy to re-solder a more sturdy wire to the board should they fall off. The next mod that I performed to the kit was when the probe broke and I was unable to read keys. I simply cut the probe off the wire and soldered a sewing needle directly to the wire instead. I did not get any shots of this, sorry (it wasnt pretty as I had to encase the solder joint in hot glue to ensure protection as well as provide some sort of gripping point).
I then got the notion to start performing mobile mods, and to do this I wanted to get an older laptop with a COM so that I would now have to lug my desktop around with me. I picked up a P3 1.0GHz Lappy for under $100, not too bad. I ordered the correct PCMCIA sata card for the laptop (with the VIA 6421 chipset) from ebay for about $10 as well, again not bad. In order for this adapter to properly work, the power source for the COM (originally the alligator clip wire) must come from the same power source that the COM port is located in (IE it must be properly grounded to the same system that the adapter is plugged in to). It would not work to have it clipped to this:
Like This:
This would not work because the Xbox DVD drive that is being modded must be powered by an external source (I use a molex wall connector I got with a SATA to USB adapter), and this does not allow for it to be properly grounded. I decided to use the power from the USB jack on the laptop so I cut up a USB wire and soldered the alligator clip wire (after cutting off the alligator clip) to the USB power wire (+5V) and taping up the rest of the wires securely and separately. I also improved my probe by installing a longer wire and placing the entire needle inside of a pen for easier holding and better protection of the needle (pen cap goes onto the pen as normal, covering the needle completely). Here are the USB ends and the Probe ends of the adapters wires now:
Here is the newly modified adapter:
And here is it plugged up into the laptop, fully functional:
I have thought of adding a LED light to the top of the Pen in sequence with the probe so that it would light up when a good connection was made, but I have not ventured into that yet. So all in all I now have a way of mobile modding that is easy and very affordable. Cheers! (IMG:
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Topic: Solderless Liteon Dvd Key Extractor From Diygadget.com (Read 1279 times)