USB wire components , and what o they do ?!?

[Andrei Victor Hanes]

Hello, I'm new here and I basically want to start of by saying that I don't have any electronics knowledge, and I hope I posted this in the right thread

What I am trying to do is, connect a USB output to my X-BOX controller (the 2001 x-box that is). I need to know what each wire inside the USB cable does so i know which ones to use.
I know that normally USB cables have 4 wires inside : data - ,data +, power and ground. The USB cable that I cut open has 5 wires inside... the 4 I mentioned before and another one a little bit thicker than the rest, BUT with no insulation on it !!!

I would like to know what that wire is/does so I know how to proceed.

P.S. Also don't hold back on explaining other stuff that you might think will help me THANK YOU

https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/9055617300_1423865460.jpg

https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/5243913700_1423865463.jpg

 

[barry]

That's probably a shield wire. It should be connected to chassis ground.

 

[ads-ee]

It's the shield wire, which connects to the metal outside of the USB male connector.

https://www.frontx.com/cpx101_2.html Take a look at the wiring assignments picture.

 

[Andrei Victor Hanes]

Thanks allot guys

So that wire is basically optional right? will it cause any problems if left un-connected?
If I want to connect it, can I simply solder it to the black wire (ground) ?

 

[betwixt]

That might work but the shield ground is often connected to 'cleaner' points at each end as the USB ground may be carrying local noise. It isn't particularly important if a small local ground noise exists as long as it appears on all the USB wires simulataneously because it is the difference between the wires that really matters. The shield will prevent that noise from radiating outside the cable and also help prevent outside noise getting in.

Also bear in mind what happens at the instant you push the USB plugs into the sockets. If there is a potential difference between the equipment at each end, the outer metal screen of the plug will connect first and ensure both potentials are shorted and therefore equal. If you rely on the USB signal pins as ground, can you be sure the ground (negative) pin connects before the others? The power pin and ground pins are longer than the sensitive signal pins in all USB plugs but typically the ground and power are the same length so you could connect power first and leave the ground disconnected. If that happened you might cause damage.

Brian.