During my vacation in Greece last month I took my FPV Racer and my GoPro Hero3 camera with me. I mounted the GoPro on the front and have used it for Live-Video-Out for my FatShark goggles (FPV or first person view). Sadly I lost control of the quadcopter and got it stuck on one tree. In the process of getting it down I broke the USB connector of the GoPro because of the attached Live-Out cable.
Back at home, I decided to open the camera and repair the USB connector. Opening was pretty easy and done in a few minutes. The USB connector was completely detached from the main board and it fell down.
The signal traces were almost completely broken. So just soldering a new USB connector wont help. I didn’t have the time and the needed skills with the solder iron to repair it, so my father helped me. Thanks dad!
Here are some of his notes and pictures. First get one new USB Mini-B 10pin connector. It is not a normal one, as it has 10pins. You can find these also in some old mobile phones, as my father did.
This is how it should look like and the drawing of the USB Mini connector. The Pins on the front side on above and below. On the back side of the connector these are only below.
What are the pins for? Here is the pinout schematics of what he thought:
1 | GND (Ground) |
2 | Audio-Out |
3 | ID |
4 | Video-Out |
5 | DATA + |
6 | Video-GND |
7 | DATA – |
8 | MicIn |
9 | VCC + |
10 | MicIn |
He achieved to recover some of the traces and replaced the the tiny component on Pin5 and Pin7, which I think is called choke. Please pay attention while soldering the USB connector, that its inner part have plastic, so do not overheat.
After all my GoPro is working again (except for the Live-Video as this trace was not repaired). I have already ordered one Xiaomi Yi action camera for mounting on my Quadcopter, so I don’t need the Live-Video-Out anymore. Again big big thanks to my dad!
The pin out you mention here is ABSOLUTE Correct,and the solution you given is perfect,you may exact coil from any old motherboard or hdd caddy(a suggetion ),
kind regards
hetztronics team
Thanks 🙂
Hey you saved my gopro!
I also lost the choke but I didn’t know what value it had, and I’m still not sure if it is 3uH or 3 nH. In either case I dont need it, I only want to get the video out signal and the chance to charge via USB. So now I know which pins to remove and which to keep, which will simplify soldering.
Congrats on Father! One heck of a job!!!
Thanks Derek, I am glad the article helped you 🙂