Can you replace the Nook HD+ connector with standard USB?

My own Nook HD+ is working fine, but I have a friend whose connector has slowly gotten worse and worse; he's run through at least 4 charging cables, and now the Nook will not charge without pressure on the Nook in the cable area. Has anyone researched the pinout for the proprietary Nook connector, so a standard USB cable could be connected inside the Nook for charging and data communication with a computer?