Tech Question Re: my m-board and USB

[Larry_OHF]

I have this motherboard: http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd/mv2/

On the description, it says:

"Up to seven USB 1.1 ports or up to 5 USB 2.0 ports".

Is this talking about the maximum amount of USB plug-ins I can have running?

I currently have five USB connections on my PC, and I think all of them but one are 1.1. If I were to go buy a seven port 2.0 hub, would I be able to eventually run seven USB 2.0 hardware pieces off of it, or is that exceeding the limit that the m-board can handle? On the hub, it brags of beign able to allow you like 256 usb connections. What is all this talk about how many connections I am allowed?

Another question: What should I buy if I were to buy a usb hub? I know I need more than four, as I currently have five operational USB connections. I could make do with fuor if I have to. What name brand and all am I to look for? I know that I should buy the hub as an USB 2.0, because it is backwards convertable...so my 1.1s will work on it, and it allows for upgrades.

[Bungleau]

I believe the ports are just the physical connections to the box. Your adding a hub to one of those ports will expand the number of connections available.

That being said, the rest of your logic sounds fine to me -- a newer hub that is backward compatible. Only thing that may be an issue is that you may need to configure the MoBo for the appropriate port mix -- 7 V1, 5 V2, 3v1 and 2v2, etc. Should be covered in the manual.

[Larry_OHF]

Let me tell you my hardware config. and you tell me what you think about this.


USB Items
Printer
Scanner
Keyboard
Mouse
Memory card reader for camera

Now...I do not run all five of these at once, so I would not think that I need a multi TT...that is a multiple transitional translator. Most 2.0 hubs come with only one translator to 1.1. If all ports are trying to run 1.1s through there...they will have to wait in line. a 2.0 port goes right through with no waiting. Now...if I have a Multi TT, then each port has a translator in case a 1.1 gets inserted. No waiting for translation. Of course,,,2.0 still flies right through.

My big question is the potential of power loss if I am printing something, and while it is printing I am running the mouse or the keyboard. Will I see a big enough mess if I only had a single TT?

[Larry_OHF]

bump

[ 12-27-2003, 04:55 AM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Ziroc]

I think the instructions on that board are talking about the total bandwidth of the USB controller. See, MY MB had crappy USB 1.1, so I went to eBay, and--get this--I bought TWO USB 2.0 VIA 6 port PCI Cards for $3.95 each! (NEW!) and in stores, these cost $39.99!!

If your MB is limited to so many port connections, then buy a PCI card like I did! I dropped one in my home PC and one in the server! [img]smile.gif[/img]

If you go into System Properties, and select 'USB device', you can see how much bandwidth you have left for devices. See, they SAY you can connect up to 127 devices, but your bandwidth will be 1k a second then..

[Larry_OHF]

I found the page you mentioned but cannot find any mention of bandwidth I have left, unless you are referring to where it says that 10% is reserved for the devices. Is that it?

[Ziroc]

Originally posted by Larry_OHF: I found the page you mentioned but cannot find any mention of bandwidth I have left, unless you are referring to where it says that 10% is reserved for the devices. Is that it?

Yeppers! Thats it!

[Sir Krustin]

...and now you know why USB sucks.