Modding a full-size USB port into the Umid MBook M1

What follows are the steps I took to get the full-size USB socket fitted into the Umid Mbook M1. If you want to do this yourself you will need to be prepared to do 5 simple solder joints and to take a craft knife to your computer. I’m not forcing you to do any of this, so you have only yourself to blame J

Step 1: Getting at it.

This is quite straightforward: at each corner of the MBook there is a small plastic “bumper” – prise these out with a sharp implement and reveal 4 phillips screws. Click the photo for a close-up

Once you’ve removed the four screws, run a thumbnail or suitable implement around the chrome trim to release the piece of the plastic case behind the LCD (I don’t know whether to call it the “lid” or the “top” or the “back” – you decide!) There are little plastic hooks all around the case that bind the parts together, try not to snap them when prising the case open. Pay particular attention to the bit along the line of the battery. Once it’s off you should see this:

Step 2: Remove the Webcam

Next to the LCD is a long thin pcb which is the webcam. This is held in place with a small black screw which you need to remove. Once this is gone, prise the board away from the connector and remove the webcam from the case. Next is the point of no return…

Step 3: Chopping a Hole in the Case

You now need to cut away a bit of the edge of the case – this needs to be the bit hatched on the picture below. Make it just wide enough to fit the socket in – and don’t lose the magnet! The magnet is used by the MBook to detect whether it is open or closed and trigger standby.

Step 4: Fitting the Socket

The webcam PCB helpfully has the pinout of the internal socket marked on it – beware! On mine, the red wire was the 0V/ground wire (if you don’t know that this is unusual, should you be doing this mod?) I attached the full size socket to the case using a dab of epoxy. Be careful not to get the epoxy into the socket – I got some into the socket through the side of it and it made it hard to get plugs in for the first few insertions.

Once you’ve got the socket glued in, stick the magnet back as close to its original position as it will go. Mine is about 3 or 4 mm away from where it started and still works fine. Soldering in the connections is quite straightforward (although mine is really messy!) and requires you to chop the end of the webcam cable. I recommend you cut and solder the wires on at a time. Check the USB pinout and solder the four pins. The fourth wire (GND_EARTH) goes to the case of the socket to ground the outer shield. If you don’t earth this bit you might get “device not recognised” errors.

Step 5: Putting it back together

The case fits back together quite easily in the reverse order to how you opened it. I needed to trim a bit of plastic around the edge of the socket to get a smooth fit. I lost the chrome trim (tidied up too soon!) so still have a small gap in the case.

Sorry about the poor quality photographs – they are the best my camera can do. Any questions or problems, ask on the forum (pocketables.net) and I’ll try to help if I can.