Newer computer cases often have all the USB connections on the back. That’s fine for some, but I have a very crowded lab, and it’s a pain to reach back there and fumble around trying to plug/unplug equipment. So I created this USB 3.1 capable extender box.
I started with a search of Tiger Direct, Amazon, eBay, and several other of the usual suspects. I was looking for a relatively high density way to mount female USB jacks. They had to be mounted in something with some mass to it, so it won’t skitter around when I try to plug things in, and it needs non-skid rubber feet too. Ultimately, I took the guts out of an old 2400 baud modem. Remember those? You’re dating yourself. That provided the box to mount the USB jacks into. A little aluminum plate, some machining with a drill, punch, and file, and some specialty USB jacks, and Bob’s yer uncle.
These are what the panel-mount USB cables look like; Amazon has them in both 3 and 6 foot lengths.
This is what I used:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078LXX3MD.
After considerable machining (by hand) of some scrap aluminum…
The final product looks like the photos below.
