hey all, i just got this idea tonight, i dont know if its been done.. but i have a dual usb ibook (500/256/15) and i just got my new mobile phone (sony ericsson t630) which has bluetooth. i got myself a bluetooth adapter (usb) but i dont like it sticking out the side. i got the idea of possibly hard-wiring it inside the case to the usb bus. added bonus if i can do this and still leave both usb ports free, if not, im willing to sacrifice. has this been done? if not, does anyone have a diagram i could look at to attempt this myself? 
Hard-wiring usb bluetooth?
June 6, 2004 - 8:31pm
#1
Hard-wiring usb bluetooth?
i've never seen the insides of the ibook dual usb but i have been inside of my powerbook 17 and im telling you know...your not going to find room in there for that adapter to fit inside...even if you break it down to just the circuit board...i dont think its going to happen
YES it can be done. I did it with my old iBook G3800 and with the new iBook G4 1.07 GHz.
What i did is just strip the BT module from its casing and desolder the USB port, so all you got is the board. Then open up the iBook, dissasemble it so you can reach 1 of the USB ports and wire the BT module to 1 of the USB ports.
You will loose 1 usb port but thats the price you have to pay. For location i Choose the space where the Airport module goes. Works well until i decided it was time to go wireless.
So i relocated it at the space of the Modem module because i don't use a modem anyway (ADSL) and on the road i use my T610 with GPRS. Works great for getting mail and stuff.
The Module is now located in my iBook G4 (didn't want 2 spend 60 euro's and wait weeks for a BTO, and i like dissasembeling iBooks) just next 2 the heatsink and under the modem module.
Here is my site with some picts when i opend up my iBook G3 to take the module out. Hope it helps you out with some ideas.
Http://Home.wanadoo.nl/j.p.jacobs/index.htm
For question you can mail me.
Ive found an extremely small and extremely cheap USB bluetooth dongle at my local have-it-all shop. Making this fit into any Apple laptop should be doable - but: If you dont want to sacrifice a USB port, how exactly does a non-powered 1-to-2 usb hub work.
I know the USB port you are tapping into will not take power-hungry units, due to the fact that its also powering the bluetooth USB dongle - but at least it will take some devices.
Thanks.
Edit: Actually, I have been told that many ibook logic boards have mini-usb connectors available, so the only thing you need to do is solder a mini-usb plug to the usb dongle and you should be set to go.
This is for ibooks wihtout the internal connector-
its a switch that drives a relay pack to switch between one usb port and the internal module , (scroll down after the jump)
http://www.the-missing-byte.com/cybook.html
i have one switch that operates both the bluetooth AND the LED lights, Leds on = bluetooth on
when the switch is off the usb port works fine, when its on the bluetooth module is connected and usb port does not work.
found this on hackaday. they wired this up to an iBook that didnt come with USB, but it was avalible as an option. I dunno of the dual USb books had it as an option, but if they did, there is circuitry for a 3rd USb port designed to be used only for BT, so if you wire an aftermarket adapter to it, you will still have the other 2 ports free.
enbjoy. -digital