USB cable for an iRiver IFP-180T

April 19, 2006 6:05 AM

Specifically and exactly what kind of USB cable do I need for an iRiver IFP-180T mp3 player?

I picked one up for a couple bucks at a garage sale, and it didn't come with the USB cable. I tried borrowing USB cables from people with digital camerasand other mp3 players, but their connections were too large. Google hasn't proven to be my friend, in that now I know that there are A connections, B connections, mini B connections, 4 pin, 5 pin, 2.0, 1.1, and so on, but I don't know exactly what I need to buy.

If you know this information, or can find it easily, help me out.

posted by 23skidoo to technology (10 comments total)

Can you take a picture of the USB port on the player? It'd be pretty easy to identify if it's a standard plug. Looking at this picture from this page, it looks too small to be a standard mini-B connector. It may be something proprietary. Your best option may be asking iRiver.
posted by zsazsa at 6:29 AM on April 19, 2006

Thinking about it a little more, it may actually be small enough to be a mini-B 4 pin.
posted by zsazsa at 6:30 AM on April 19, 2006

Here's a picture of my 180 cable.
posted by unixrat at 6:47 AM on April 19, 2006

There is a good chance that its a proprietary sized connection. I've run into this problem numerous times with everything from digital cameras, to mp3 players, to portable 2.5" hard drives. Your best bet is to contact the company directly and ask them. It may cost a bit but its your best bet.
posted by ChazB at 6:59 AM on April 19, 2006

That looks a lot like this or this mini B variant, only keyed differently. Hmm.
posted by zsazsa at 7:03 AM on April 19, 2006

Like I said, most likely proprietary. You'd be surprised how many device side proprietary connections there are that go to a male USB plug on the computer end. I worked in a shop where we had 3 devices, all with similar looking device side connectors to the one in the photo, none of which fit each other. They were all proprietary.
posted by ChazB at 7:10 AM on April 19, 2006

I thought your question was lame at first reading - "A to mini-B", I was going to answer - but you're right, you do have a tricky one. It's a not-really-a-standard HiRose mini-B plug, as pictured here.

These guys, and no doubt other places, have them for sale. If you google for "usb hirose" you find many more.
posted by jellicle at 7:14 AM on April 19, 2006

ChazB is right. The most obvious and omnipresent example, of course, being the iPod.
posted by The Bellman at 7:51 AM on April 19, 2006

I have a 190T and it has a proprietary connection. It's not for sale on iRiver's homepage either. I'd go with zsazsa's advice of contacting iRiver and seeing what they say.
posted by escher at 9:26 AM on April 19, 2006

If you go to the bottom of the page of the second link in jellicle's post, you'll see:

Compatible with:

Samsung YEPP:
o SCL520
o YP20S
o YP20T
o YP300S
o YP30S
o YP30SH
o YP700H
o YP90S
IRiver:
o IFP-180T
o IFP-190T
o IFP-195T
posted by ChazB at 2:32 PM on April 19, 2006