Got My XM, But Whats with my Cable?

**nFiniteTuning** · 12-29-2004, 09:13 PM

Hey guys, I pulled the XM Unit apart to look at the inside. I soldered the 3 pins on the serial connector and I soldered the metal sheeth that covers all the wires to the ground of the serial connector. Then I connected pins 6 and 7 together and hooked that up to a 11VDC 800mA plug....which when I tested it, it was puting out 14.5V...I dont know if thats how its supposed to be....when connected to the XM, will the power go down to a constant 11VDC? I have a 12VDC plug as well, but when I tested that, it was putin out 17V Max.

Also one more thing, I can't start my computer with the serial connector hooked up to the pc...it freezes on the first screen where it gives you the option to go into the bios. I also could not hook up the XM power to the computer, everytime I'd plug the cable to the XM unit, my power would shut down.

Can I please get help here! I looked at the connectors on the serial cable, and none are touching, since I did a sloppy soldering job. But they are connected to what I think they should be.

If i can't figure this out now, I'm gonna have to wait another day or two to get the cable made. Please help!

**nFiniteTuning** · 12-29-2004, 09:16 PM

Ohh yeah, another thing. I noticed on one of the peices of paper that came with my XMD unit, and it showed a 4pin connector that was labled POWER. I looked on the board of the XM in that exact location, and there's a 4pin hole there, but it says Signal next to it. Is there anyway I can hook up a power connector on the XMBoard? Instead of having it go through this serial cable, that way The serial cable is cheaper to have made..3 wires to be soldered....

**Bump** · 12-29-2004, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by nFiniteTuning

Ohh yeah, another thing. I noticed on one of the peices of paper that came with my XMD unit, and it showed a 4pin connector that was labled POWER. I looked on the board of the XM in that exact location, and there's a 4pin hole there, but it says Signal next to it. Is there anyway I can hook up a power connector on the XMBoard? Instead of having it go through this serial cable, that way The serial cable is cheaper to have made..3 wires to be soldered....

I have the XM commander. And it has the 4 pin plug.

It gets it power through it,

I am using a cable off a Mouse ( 6 pin mini din ). Just had to brake the little plastic piece in it.
Soldered to a Serial cable.

That is what I use to run on my Laptop.

**Bump** · 12-29-2004, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by nFiniteTuning

Hey guys, I pulled the XM Unit apart to look at the inside. I soldered the 3 pins on the serial connector and I soldered the metal sheeth that covers all the wires to the ground of the serial connector. Then I connected pins 6 and 7 together and hooked that up to a 11VDC 800mA plug....which when I tested it, it was puting out 14.5V...I dont know if thats how its supposed to be....when connected to the XM, will the power go down to a constant 11VDC? I have a 12VDC plug as well, but when I tested that, it was putin out 17V Max.

Also one more thing, I can't start my computer with the serial connector hooked up to the pc...it freezes on the first screen where it gives you the option to go into the bios. I also could not hook up the XM power to the computer, everytime I'd plug the cable to the XM unit, my power would shut down.

Can I please get help here! I looked at the connectors on the serial cable, and none are touching, since I did a sloppy soldering job. But they are connected to what I think they should be.

If i can't figure this out now, I'm gonna have to wait another day or two to get the cable made. Please help!

pins 6 and 7 . don't put them together.

one pin get hot when the car gets turned on. ( ACC )
and the other is a hot all the time ( BATTERY )

I do not know which one.

**nFiniteTuning** · 12-29-2004, 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by Bump

I have the XM commander. And it has the 4 pin plug.

It gets it power through it,

I am using a cable off a Mouse ( 6 pin mini din ). Just had to brake the little plastic piece in it.
Soldered to a Serial cable.

That is what I use to run on my Laptop.

I have the Direct, it doesn't have that power connector....

But do you think I could solder a cable/connector to that 4pin port on the board? And if so, which holes are what.

**Bump** · 12-29-2004, 09:55 PM

I will have to take a look tomorrow.

it is a 4 plug. But it only has 3 wires.

I just got it. I don't know if I want to open it up to see.

Let me see tomorrow when I get home.

If I do, open it up . I will take picture of it.

I would say you could . But, you just need to know what to wire to.

**jcdillin** · 12-29-2004, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by Bump

pins 6 and 7 . don't put them together.

one pin get hot when the car gets turned on. ( ACC )
and the other is a hot all the time ( BATTERY )

I do not know which one.

I have both of those wired directly together all the time, but I power mine from my computer.

**jcdillin** · 12-29-2004, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by nFiniteTuning

Hey guys, I pulled the XM Unit apart to look at the inside. I soldered the 3 pins on the serial connector and I soldered the metal sheeth that covers all the wires to the ground of the serial connector. Then I connected pins 6 and 7 together and hooked that up to a 11VDC 800mA plug....which when I tested it, it was puting out 14.5V...I dont know if thats how its supposed to be....when connected to the XM, will the power go down to a constant 11VDC? I have a 12VDC plug as well, but when I tested that, it was putin out 17V Max.

Also one more thing, I can't start my computer with the serial connector hooked up to the pc...it freezes on the first screen where it gives you the option to go into the bios. I also could not hook up the XM power to the computer, everytime I'd plug the cable to the XM unit, my power would shut down.

Can I please get help here! I looked at the connectors on the serial cable, and none are touching, since I did a sloppy soldering job. But they are connected to what I think they should be.

If i can't figure this out now, I'm gonna have to wait another day or two to get the cable made. Please help!

did you use a serial connector from a cable or did you buy a solder type serial plug?

If it's locking up when you plug the cable, sounds like you have something backwards.

**nFiniteTuning** · 12-29-2004, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by Bump

I will have to take a look tomorrow.

it is a 4 plug. But it only has 3 wires.

I just got it. I don't know if I want to open it up to see.

Let me see tomorrow when I get home.

If I do, open it up . I will take picture of it.

I would say you could . But, you just need to know what to wire to.

Its not hard, its 4 small phillips screws and thats it...the lid pops right off revealing everything....ok. 3 Wires, ACC, Constant12V, and Ground I'm guessing.

but which ones...and can I do this to the Direct and just have a plain serial cable....

**nFiniteTuning** · 12-29-2004, 10:47 PM

Maybe a picture will help? If I can find my USB Cable.

I got Pin1 on the Mini Din Plug hooked up to pin 3, Pin 2 hooked up to Pin2, and Pin 3 hooked up to Pin 5. Also the metal sheeth around the cable is soldered to the ground of the connector. Also I'm still not too sure on power....I connected the 2 12V Wires to the 12V yellow wire, and the ground wire to the ground on the pc. And so when the power is on, on the pc, I hook up the cable to the XMD unit, and instantly the power goes out on the pc. So what I did was hook up the XMD unit only to the power area, with the serial connector unpluged and the little capasitor or whatever it is right by that connector got REALLY HOT! , It burned the **** out of me. So I unpluged it. That was when I hooked it up to that 11Vdc power plug.....which showed up on the multimeter at 14.5V. Normal Power rating on a car when running.