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I hope someone here is a tech-savvy person who can help me with this inquiry...

Ok, being the curious crap I am, I looked into the charging port of my Nintendo DS Lite and it looked like I could fit the USB plug of the PSP cable into it. Here's a picture of the PSP USB cable:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/coolwritertwenty/psp_slim_adapter_usb_001.jpg

The plug at the bottom of that pic, the small end, goes into the USB port on the PSP. The plug above goes into a laptop/PC/whatever that has a normal fat USB port.

I thought I could fit the plug that is meant to go into the PSP, into the charging port of my DS Lite, which looks like this:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/attachments/ds-dsi/75567d1205429309-nintendo-ds-lite-ps3-dslite_mini-usb.jpg

I also read there is a USB charging cable for the DS lite, that looks almost exactly like the cable in the first picture above, except the plug on the DS is fatter, because the DS lite has a wider port on it than the PSP does.

So I tried to fit the PSP USB cable into the DS lite but I was not able to, however, it did go in somewhat. I am just wondering if anyone out there would know or have a good idea what would or should happen as a result of this experiment (putting one end of the PSP USB cable into the computer, and the other smaller end into a DS lite, not a PSP as it should). Also, please be honest. Thanks. This has been bugging me for the past two weeks.

Still wondering.

The PSP uses a standard USB cable... The DS does not...

(Meaning you will have to buy a DS USB charger, it just a way for Nintendo... or a 3rd party to make some more money off you.)

Originally posted by FWahMaN


So I tried to fit the PSP USB cable into the DS lite but I was not able to, however, it did go in somewhat. I am just wondering if anyone out there would know or have a good idea what would or should happen as a result of this experiment (putting one end of the PSP USB cable into the computer, and the other smaller end into a DS lite, not a PSP as it should). Also, please be honest. Thanks. This has been bugging me for the past two weeks.

The best that could happen is nothing. The worst is a broke DS port and a broken USB cable. Like Spoony said, the DS does not use a standard mini USB port, it has its own propreietary format, and you'll have to get an extra cable if you want to charge your DS. However there seem to be third party USB to DS cables, so you could perhaps charge your DS via computer, however I haven't tried that, and do not know how good that is...you should try it though, worst that could happen is that you waste a couple bucks and your DS is broken.

Thanks guys...those seem like honest replies...

So how I understand it, if my laptop was on and it had the PSP USB cable in it, and I try to fit the other end into the charging port of the DS lite...then the worst that could create is a messed up usb cable and a broken DS port.

But sorry if this is a dumb question, what is meant by a broken DS port? Do you mean the port would not work to charge the DS anymore (via the appropriate DS charging cable)? Or could a broken port on the DS cause something else I'm not aware of?

Also since this is a USB cable, there's a clear cut way I can find out if it got affected at all right? I heard that digital cables are different than analog in that a digital cable, much like an HDMI cable, either works or does not work, and that there's no such thing as a "better HDMI cable" due to the fact it's digital. Can this be said about USB cables in the same manner?

Thanks for all your help. You have no idea how much I appreciate it...

EDIT: Sorry for the edit, but, I have this thing in my head where I think, as a result of an ignorant experiment like the one mentioned in the OP, everything that was involved was damaged to an extent. So that means: The DS, the usb cable as well as the laptop itself...

I know this may sound crazy. It's just a mental thing that won't go away. One may ask "how the heck would that mess up your laptop?" Who knows, but the usb cable being inside one of it's ports during the experiment just makes me think so.

It would not mess up your Laptop/PC, just the DS charging port and/or the DS itself, as long as all you did was to insert the USB cable in a USB port in your laptop


You can find out if the usb cable works if you use it afterwards with any device that works with it (like the PSP). It would be clear whether it's still functional or not.

The USB cable is used to communicate a device with you computer and vice-versa (some allow for charging as well). If the device you use it with does not use an USB port for communication, nothing will happen... other than you having to force something into some other thing it was never meant to fit... and messing it up in the process.

Not all USB cables are the same, There are plain USB cables like the one you posted, that will pretty much work with anything it can fit in, but there are some Serial USB cables (you could say they are Proprietary Cables in a way) that will only work with the device it was built for, and with nothing else. These are less common nowadays.

Wish Nintendo just made a normal USB slot for the charging port, that or make it look blatantly different. The fact it looked so similar to a standard USB port is what caused this...(my "hmm" moments that is )

By the way when you guys say that this could only have messed up the USB cable and the DS port, and/or the DS itself, do you just mean in the physical sense? Meaning, the worst that could happen is the port on the DS getting warped or the usb plug getting warped? Or is there something else inside the DS or the cable, their circuitry, etc. that could have been affected?

Blah. Cannot believe 6 years after a dumb experiment (putting PS2 RCA cables in the back of a 3.5mm pair of computer speakers - was told could only damage cable and speakers) I do this dumb shit! I mean, I would be ok in the head if the usb wasn't inside the laptop at the time...but then again I am being told this could not have affected my laptop...

Alright then, let me put it this way. From your knowledge (you people), would this test be no different had the USB cable not been connected to the laptop? If that makes any sense...so meaning, if I were to try (though not roughly) putting one end of the PSP usb cable, which is a standard USB cable, into the charging port on the DS lite, while the other end was not inserted into my laptop which was on at the time, would it be no different if the USB cable had not been in the up-and-running laptop?

Geezuz, I don't even know what the hell I was thinking at the time....and how it would result into this mental state of bull . I could've sworn that thing looked identical to a standard USB port...curiosity strikes again, and this time hard.

(LOL @ swoopo ad above for a Nintendo DSi for 24 bucks...yeah and you have a 4% chance of winning that with bids you have to buy...)

The above inquiry is still begging to be answered, not to rush anyone though.

I hate how I'm so tech ignorant, and my members think I'm some kind of computer nerd. It's times like this I wish I was an electrictian/scientist/engineer etc., even when I hate those occupations...

Don't post uselessly just to bump up the thread, especially when you posted last less than a day before.

The DS ports for the AC adapters are not the correct size for a standard USB cable. They're not going to fit, and they're definitely not going to work.

Second sentence I mentioned somewhere in the first post.

Sorry, I'll not post as often...

Not trying to just bump the thread but I had another question...by the way, a standard usb cable could not fit in the port, yes, but you can still make it go in to a degree it you insert it at an angle. This is what I fear may have caused something to at least one of the involved items.

I tried googling it but I couldn't find out if USB cables are digital or something else...are USB cables digital? Like HDMI cables?

Also SDJ said something about "or the DS itself" possibly getting damaged in the process. What do you mean by the DS itself, if you mean other than simply the charging port on the DS? Thanks.

Im pretty sure the USB cable is digital.

I mean the DS as well because you never know what might happen when you do something you're not supposed to do, say: what if by forcing the cable in, you damage the DS charging port and there's no way to fix it, the DS will be unable to charge and you can no longer use it.

The PSP has charging port as well (besides the USB port) you can't fit the USB cable in there as well

the PSP Go doesn't use regular USB cables anymore, it's got a proprietary one-do-it-all cable

Ok so you still mean the port, and no other part of the DS. The reason I'm asking is, about my other PS2 experiment that I did many years ago, someone said the speakers may have been damaged, and defintely the cable (but not the PS2 of course) I guess he meant, affect the quality at which the speakers work, which would not mean its ports or just its ports were damage, but the quality of the speakers as well.

I was just asking if the most that would happen is a non-working DS charging port. If that's all it is then it shouldn't bother me...I just had a feeling it could screw something else up (that's not physically touching the cable) you know, any hardware based problems.

not necesarily, but you could end up short-circuiting the whole thing... though that's unlikely

1. Do you mean short circuiting as in overheating?

2. There's a clear cut way I can determine if that happened even to a degree right? Like say for example if the DS powers on as it should, then there's not even slight "short circuiting" or is there such a thing as an undetectable level of short circuiting. Thanks.

May I ask why you are so determined in finding out the consequences of forcing a cable somewhere it does not belong?

I wasn't forcing it in, reading posts would tell you that...

When I was trying to see if it'll fit I managed to insert it in slightly. You can insert it at an angle to a degree, just deep enough for the inside of the USB plug and the DS port to connect. Like everyone agrees they're not meant to go into each other but since Nintendo retardedly made the DS charging port almost identical in appearance to a standard USB port, curiosity struck, and now I'm just wondering if what I did (insert the USB cable into the DS charging port, albeit to a degree) can cause something or a number of things, and what those things actually are. I don't want to live not knowing for instance if I messed up the quality of my cable, my DS or my laptop, in whatever manner. That's why I'm just asking. I know I was given answers but I just want SDJ to answer my question based on his most recent post.

Ah, understood. I believe that it is technically and physically impossible to break any part of the DS other than the port itself by accidentally inserting a USB cable jack into it. The port should only have circuits and technology around it that have to deal with the battery. The only malfunctions I can think off are either a slower rate of recharge, inability to charge at all, or rarely as already stated a short circuit of the whole DS which would leave it completely disabled and broken

Ah so one possibility is slower rate of recharge. Glad this is going somewhere.

Also from what you said I take it a short circuit is absolute right? Meaning there's no such thing as a short circuit of a smaller degree, or there's no such thing as a worse short circuit. Just want to be certain. Also fyi to everyone I google every question before I ask them.

If we haven't tried it ourselves, how can we know what might happen?

Never mind, I recieved the best possible answers from those two guys in those links after emailing them.

SDJ, I'm not sure but are you trying to tell me that everything you said were guesses? Because it seemed you were mostly sure with your sayings but now it seems you're saying something like "how should I know"?

Lechnotogical tesquions.

I really appreciate all who've helped me with my inquiries, SDJ, Artificial Glory etc. Now onto something I think is a lot easier, and I did a google search and please tell me if I'm correct about this...

Let's say I have an applicance, like a computer speaker, microwave or vacuum cleaner, and one of the power cords for those items stopped working or I couldn't find them, and I believe I have other power cords in the house that are OF THE SAME TYPE.

How do I confirm if I have another cord that is of the same kind? I can confirm a USB cord, Ethernet cord, coaxial cable, etc.

But how do I find out if two power cords are the same? I recently found out a wireless phone charger was the same as the charging cable for my game boy color...and my Original Xbox Wireless Adapter charging cable was the same as the charging cable for my PSP, etc.

However, with the cell phone and the game boy, I just "went and did it" and it happened to work.

But I didn't attempt the Xbox adapter cable and the PSP, but the ports looked the same. I don't want to keep doing this to everything since I risk damaging something, on the inside and on the out.

Is there something I can reference to tell me power cord A functions the same way as power cord B? I guess it's the writings on the plug that goes to the wall...but what do I refer to on those writings that tell me two power supplies are the same? Also half of them don't have fat power plugs with a lot of writing on them, actually they have no writing. So please help and if you don't want to...please let someone else. Thanks.

Anyone?

weep

If the power cords are of the same type, it should work.

Both my PC tower and my old CRT monitor have the same type of power cord (as many other CPU do) and they work reagardless of which one they're connected to. (I mean the inlet that plugs into the appliance, not the socket that goes into the wall)

there are other kinds of power cord's rear ends. The one the PS1 used (and the PS2 as well... and I hear the PS3 slim as well) is pretty common with many other devices. You can get repleacement cords and they should work with any devices that has the same inlet/outlet.

as long as the power cord is detachable (some devices do not have detachable cords) you can use any other that is of the same type and fits.

you could even repair a broken/cut power cable, just as long as the cupper wires touch one another, and you insulated them properly, it should work. (I made a power cord for my transformer once, from scratch. My brother uses it to charge his DS)

you have to be careful with adapters and transformers though, they should always be of the same kind and made specially for the device in question (while it looks like they fit nicely in the outlet, they could end frying the device... or they could work, but why risk it?). with those you should always used first party cords.

BTW: This is what a transformer does:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformer#Applications

and an Adapter is what you use to charge your DS or what powers up your 360 (the big gray brick that lights up Orange/Green)

Would you say the following describes everything I need to know: http://www.apogeekits.com/power_adapter_selection.htm

Thanks...by the way I found the power adapter that came with my router. To be honest I don't even see the logic in making detatchable power cords for devices. Obviously they are always going to be attached as a must to power the device, unless there's the option for batteries, but when there isn't the option for batteries than what is the logic in making the power adapter detatchable? And I don't understand why some companies (Linksys) doesn't just sell power adapters for misplaced of lost ones.

that links pretty much explains what's an Adapter

And there are detachable cords because it's easier to pack/box

I'm just saying, if you're gonna make detatchable cords then as a company you should give the option of buying cords separately...duhr Linksys.

I iz back...

I was hooking up my new speakers today, and I (by accident) connected a 3.5mm audio jack into a 3.5mm out, meaning, the port that is a 3.5mm out, should only be connected to SPEAKERS or anything that will OUTPUT sound, if that makes sense.

However, I inserted a 3.5mm jack that was a SOURCE of sound, not speakers.

I don't think this would really do anything, but, it doesn't hurt to ask. I have no way of finding that kind of answer on google, at least not that I know of.

What exactly are you asking?

1. Buy a PSP. it has video out, usb out, pc in/out, and better graphics. You can also emulate game-boy, n64, ps1, and some homebrew ported pc games.

2. It's pretty much impossible to kill an audio system via plugging the wrong thing into the wrong thing. If something doesn't fit, don't force it, but the only thing you really should worry about killing through mis-plugging is your pc's internals.

Originally posted by One Free Man
What exactly are you asking?
What if I put a audio in jack into an audio out, or, where headphones are supposed to go. So where I'm supposed to put headphones/speakers, I put in an audio in AKA a source of sound. What should this do? By the way from experience, I KNOW plugging something in in the wrong place can f*ck something up. For instance, I once inserted RCA (red and white plugs) into where an audio in (3.5mm) was supposed to go. What happened was, after re-hooking up my PS2 to my TV (like I correctly should) the sound coming from the PS2 was HORRIBLE, so this must have screwed up something. Either the PS2's AV cable, or the PS2 itself. Everyone told me it was the cable that was affected, and I pretty much agree.

So now I'm asking about something else (I detailed it) so, once again, I inserted something where it wasn't supposed to go (why haven't I done this with my boner yet? haermm...never mind that comment) and I was just wondering, what putting an audio in jack (3.5mm) into an audio out jack (3.5mm AND where headphones are supposed to connect, not an audio in like I did) would do.

(actually ignore all that, just read my third paragraph with the pictures, explains it a lot better...)

Originally posted by One Free Man
1. Buy a PSP. it has video out, usb out, pc in/out, and better graphics. You can also emulate game-boy, n64, ps1, and some homebrew ported pc games.How relevant, no rly.

Originally posted by One Free Man
2. It's pretty much impossible to kill an audio system via plugging the wrong thing into the wrong thing. If something doesn't fit, don't force it, but the only thing you really should worry about killing through mis-plugging is your pc's internals. I didn't force anything by the way (just saying) because you can connect two things (male and female) even when they don't belong. A pair of RCA cables (male) can go into a 3.5mm port (female) meaning they can fit, but something can get screwed. I know this from experienced as I mentioned earlier, from an experiment done years ago.

Now I'm wondering what putting this:

http://www.pacificgeek.com/productimages/xl/JACK25-35.jpg

into this, would do. Yes, they are both 3.5mm (yay!) BUT...the image I'm about to show you accepts OUTGOING sources (in my case at least), or, headphones basically (which are also speakers).

http://budgetgamer.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/audio1-headphone-female.jpg

But, I didn't do that. I connected something that is a source of sound, not something outputting sound, into that. What would that do, theoretically? Who knows. I wish someone knew.

Tried google, but I can't even figure out how to search it correctly...since the question is very..wierd..

Right, this topic has definitely moved away from video games, and as such really doesn't go here any longer...

Yeah...you're right. Just move this into the computer help, since most of my questions deals with inputs/outputs male/female connectors.

And I hope you're liking FFXIII.

I love hos she is persisting with this. Anyone else would be like "Well, doesn't fit, must be a different port. Oh well."

Yeah Bardock, like I said I managed to fit it in albeit very slightly. You can try it to see. You can insert it very slightly at an angle. I was just wondering what this would do theoretically, but no worries, I got my stuff replaced recently anyway.

Spoony, it is what I said. Later I just wondered what may have happened as a result, of that rather dumb experiment. I'm just like that, i.e., always wondering.

Also I'm now persisting in something else. This is my tech thread filled with tech questions. I recently asked a question about audio jacks/ports. I'm no longer worried about the DS.