USB Ports power
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Likes: 45
From: Central NY
excuse the large post....
I have 3 USB ports (not sure what speed), can i "overpower" this thing? The following is plugged in:
1) wireless mouse
2) 250 GB external HD
3) cooling pad...which has additional USB ports with the below attached and memory card readers:
a) printer
b) scanner
c) power to the cooling pad
I have
Intel Pentium 4 processor 2.8 GHz, 533MHz
512KB L2 Cache
512MB DDR SDRAM (2 x 256MB) at 333MHz UPGRADED TO::::: 1280MB DDR SDRAM (1 x 256MB, 1 x 1024MB)
ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 IGP
128MB DDR (shared)
60GB (4200RPM) Hard Drive
I have 3 USB ports (not sure what speed), can i "overpower" this thing? The following is plugged in:
1) wireless mouse
2) 250 GB external HD
3) cooling pad...which has additional USB ports with the below attached and memory card readers:
a) printer
b) scanner
c) power to the cooling pad
I have
Intel Pentium 4 processor 2.8 GHz, 533MHz
512KB L2 Cache
512MB DDR SDRAM (2 x 256MB) at 333MHz UPGRADED TO::::: 1280MB DDR SDRAM (1 x 256MB, 1 x 1024MB)
ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 IGP
128MB DDR (shared)
60GB (4200RPM) Hard Drive
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,692
Likes: 1
It's possible. Max load on each USB hub is about 500mA (milliAmps). USB runs off the +5V power rail. On a lot of power supplies, the +5V rail also downsteps to the +3.3V rail.
On a Windows machine, you can see how much power is being used by each root hub. Right click My Computer > Properties > Hardware tab > Device Manager. Scroll down and double-click USBus Controllers.
Each root hub should be listed, there are usually 2 USB connectors per hub. Double-click a USB Root Hub and select the Power tab.
The sum of the power requirements shouldn't go over 500 milliamps, or it'll probably overload. But that's if all the devices are on at the same time.
If you have too much on one hub, switch a device to another USB connector on a different hub.
When I plug in a lot of USB devices i usually plug them into a 4-port Self-Powered hub so as not to worry about drawing too much juice.
On a Windows machine, you can see how much power is being used by each root hub. Right click My Computer > Properties > Hardware tab > Device Manager. Scroll down and double-click USBus Controllers.
Each root hub should be listed, there are usually 2 USB connectors per hub. Double-click a USB Root Hub and select the Power tab.
The sum of the power requirements shouldn't go over 500 milliamps, or it'll probably overload. But that's if all the devices are on at the same time.
If you have too much on one hub, switch a device to another USB connector on a different hub.
When I plug in a lot of USB devices i usually plug them into a 4-port Self-Powered hub so as not to worry about drawing too much juice.
Last edited by RexB; Feb 24, 2007 at 02:39 PM.
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,759
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From: Pleasant Hill, MO
do me a favor... Open the side of your case and look at your power supply.
Look at the +12v reading, and tell me what it says. There may be a +12V1 and +12V2, and so on.
Tell me how many amps you have TOTAL on your 12v rails.
Ryan
Look at the +12v reading, and tell me what it says. There may be a +12V1 and +12V2, and so on.
Tell me how many amps you have TOTAL on your 12v rails.
Ryan
Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Likes: 45
From: Central NY
will have to open the case later....but in the system properties, i show
cooling pad, which says, "this hub is self powered. Total power available 500 mA per port.
scanner 48mA
printer support 2 mA (must be my printer, but isn't that low???)
mass storage (for my card readers i never use, along with the USB cable that runs from the cooler into the power supply of the cooler) 500 mA
mouse 100 mA
Mass Storage 100 mA
now i'm confused LOL. The cooling pad is equiped to run off household current instead of the laptop's USB port...but i misplaced it when i got home from Iraq....might be around here somewhere.
cooling pad, which says, "this hub is self powered. Total power available 500 mA per port.
scanner 48mA
printer support 2 mA (must be my printer, but isn't that low???)
mass storage (for my card readers i never use, along with the USB cable that runs from the cooler into the power supply of the cooler) 500 mA
mouse 100 mA
Mass Storage 100 mA
now i'm confused LOL. The cooling pad is equiped to run off household current instead of the laptop's USB port...but i misplaced it when i got home from Iraq....might be around here somewhere.
Last edited by rsylvstr; Feb 24, 2007 at 02:35 PM.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,692
Likes: 1
usb posts moved to a new thread, good.
rsylvstr, a decent PSU built in the last few years will have a +5V rail above about 30A or so and should be plenty. (My PowerStream 520W is +3.3V 28A, +5V 40A, +12V1 33A has plenty to spare, never maxed it out.)
USB devices don't draw much, but if using a lot of them you should find that adapter to plug in the cooling pad, or get a self-powered USB 'hub'. Six USB ports are prolly split between three hubs, so you can move the devices around the hubs to get a balanced power draw.
Your printer at 2mA is just what the USB draws to carry the data, the printer has its own power supply for the actual printing operation.
Welcome back from Iraq, that is much tougher than Gulf I which I had, my sort of stepson been there twice now. Thank you and your comrades.
rsylvstr, a decent PSU built in the last few years will have a +5V rail above about 30A or so and should be plenty. (My PowerStream 520W is +3.3V 28A, +5V 40A, +12V1 33A has plenty to spare, never maxed it out.)
USB devices don't draw much, but if using a lot of them you should find that adapter to plug in the cooling pad, or get a self-powered USB 'hub'. Six USB ports are prolly split between three hubs, so you can move the devices around the hubs to get a balanced power draw.
Your printer at 2mA is just what the USB draws to carry the data, the printer has its own power supply for the actual printing operation.
Welcome back from Iraq, that is much tougher than Gulf I which I had, my sort of stepson been there twice now. Thank you and your comrades.
Last edited by RexB; Feb 24, 2007 at 03:55 PM.
Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Likes: 45
From: Central NY
Originally Posted by RexB
usb posts moved to a new thread, good.
rsylvstr, a decent PSU built in the last few years will have a +5V rail above about 30A or so and should be plenty. (My PowerStream 520W is +3.3V 28A, +5V 40A, +12V1 33A has plenty to spare, never maxed it out.)
USB devices don't draw much, but if using a lot of them you should find that adapter to plug in the cooling pad, or get a self-powered USB 'hub'. Six USB ports are prolly split between three hubs, so you can move the devices around the hubs to get a balanced power draw.
Your printer at 2mA is just what the USB draws to carry the data, the printer has its own power supply for the actual printing operation.
Welcome back from Iraq, that is much tougher than Gulf I which I had, my sort of stepson been there twice now. Thank you and your comrades.
rsylvstr, a decent PSU built in the last few years will have a +5V rail above about 30A or so and should be plenty. (My PowerStream 520W is +3.3V 28A, +5V 40A, +12V1 33A has plenty to spare, never maxed it out.)
USB devices don't draw much, but if using a lot of them you should find that adapter to plug in the cooling pad, or get a self-powered USB 'hub'. Six USB ports are prolly split between three hubs, so you can move the devices around the hubs to get a balanced power draw.
Your printer at 2mA is just what the USB draws to carry the data, the printer has its own power supply for the actual printing operation.
Welcome back from Iraq, that is much tougher than Gulf I which I had, my sort of stepson been there twice now. Thank you and your comrades.
I am keeping my 250GB EHD unplugged because now that i transferred, i should be good to go....essentially, the one USB i was worried about was the one to the cooling pad, but the more i think about it, the more i shouldn't worry, the scanner and printer are the only two plugged in and they both have their own power supply...the third one plugged into the cooling pad, plugs into the cooling pad power...which, i'm not using the car readers and like you said, the printer (and scanner) both have their own power supply....
thanks again.
Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Likes: 45
From: Central NY
Originally Posted by RexB
usb posts moved to a new thread, good.
rsylvstr, a decent PSU built in the last few years will have a +5V rail above about 30A or so and should be plenty. (My PowerStream 520W is +3.3V 28A, +5V 40A, +12V1 33A has plenty to spare, never maxed it out.)
USB devices don't draw much, but if using a lot of them you should find that adapter to plug in the cooling pad, or get a self-powered USB 'hub'. Six USB ports are prolly split between three hubs, so you can move the devices around the hubs to get a balanced power draw.
Your printer at 2mA is just what the USB draws to carry the data, the printer has its own power supply for the actual printing operation.
Welcome back from Iraq, that is much tougher than Gulf I which I had, my sort of stepson been there twice now. Thank you and your comrades.
rsylvstr, a decent PSU built in the last few years will have a +5V rail above about 30A or so and should be plenty. (My PowerStream 520W is +3.3V 28A, +5V 40A, +12V1 33A has plenty to spare, never maxed it out.)
USB devices don't draw much, but if using a lot of them you should find that adapter to plug in the cooling pad, or get a self-powered USB 'hub'. Six USB ports are prolly split between three hubs, so you can move the devices around the hubs to get a balanced power draw.
Your printer at 2mA is just what the USB draws to carry the data, the printer has its own power supply for the actual printing operation.
Welcome back from Iraq, that is much tougher than Gulf I which I had, my sort of stepson been there twice now. Thank you and your comrades.
then there's a note that says it may not work with laptops, try on a desktop....
i moved my stuff around, printer, scanner, 250GB external, cooling pad w/ mem card readers and wireless mouse....
that hub was junk! tried the printer and scanner in the hub, neither would work, rebooted 10 times, nada....tried plugging the cooling pad into it and then the printer scanner into the pad, one would work, blah blah...
went back to the original configuration, no problems....i just ensure i have the 250GB external plugged directly into the laptop, i'm assuming this draws more juice than anything else.
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Posting Guru
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Yes, the HDD would draw the most of those devices.
If you shop for another powered USB Hub, I've been using a D-Link USB H4 for years...four loads...there's prolly a later model out now.
If you shop for another powered USB Hub, I've been using a D-Link USB H4 for years...four loads...there's prolly a later model out now.
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