USB Hub issue

MassiveJim

MassiveJim

MassiveJim

Soldato
Joined
22 Feb 2014
Posts
2,771
I have a powered 7 port TP link hub, that works fine, using an amazon basics USB to micro USB cable, but the issue is that the slightest movement and the stupid connector pulls out of the back of the hub (it is mounted to my Sim Rig)

so I bought this from ebay
www.ebay.co.uk

USB-B 3.0 Female to Micro-B USB Male Panel Mount Cable Right Angle - 0.3m | eBay

USB 3.0 Type B Female to Micro B Male 10pin 90 degree cable With Panel Mount Screw Holes 2. 1 x 30cm USB 3.0 Type B Female to 90 Degree Micro B Male Panel Mount Cable. USB 3.0 A Female to USB 3.0 A Female Panel Mount Extension Coupler Adapter.
www.ebay.co.uk
that way I can wrap a zip tie around the hub and physically stop it pulling out the back of the hub.

and then connected it to the PC with a 3m USB 3.0 a>b cable and my wheelbase just wouldn't stay connected longer than a few seconds
so I changed the cable to a 2m'ish one and it works fine.
so then ordered a rhino cables 3m cable and having the same issue as the first 3m cable.

is this issue likely to be the 3m cable or the adapter I bought off ebay ?


I'm thinking at this point of just getting a new USB hub, but I was trying to avoid spending £50 when I have a perfectly working USB hub already.
 
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3m is THE max that a USB 3.0 cable can be at the max speed, from memory. Even though there should be some tolerance in the standard, it usually doesn't work that way in practice. If 2m works and 3m doesn't then it's the length of the cable I'd say. You can get powered (active) / repeater USB cables that might work OK if the ones you're using now just don't cut it, but they get expensive for USB 3.0 compared to 2.0 ones.
 
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MassiveJim said:
So in theory it should still work but not at full speed?

None of the devices connected to the hub are USB 3
Click to expand...
This is where standards say yes but in practice I'd say no. We have some lab instruments / kit at work that connect via USB and the kit says it's 2.0 but we struggle with cables above 2m on them. Sometimes a 3m cable will work and other times we have to use a 5m active USB cable to get them to work properly.

What hub do you have? Model wise as that could be USB 3.0 or possibly the powered part of it isn't working right and it's pulling power from the USB cable as well?

Active USB cables work the best and I think we paid about £65 for a 5m one once to get the kit working properly. This is probably more than a new USB hub would cost you though. :(
 
The USB 3 spec doesn't actually specify a maximum length, it instead provides the maximum characteristics that a cable cannot exceed. In theory it is instead supposed to fall back to older USB standards but not all devices go back very far as the data rate becomes too low for them to actually perform their role.

At work we had all sorts of issues with this and ended up using the cable with the largest power wire sizes we could get our hands on and a USB repeater if the overall length went above a certain amount (can't recall what that was as it was about 6 years ago).

It doesn't help that our testing was for in service for >10 years aiming for 1 failure in a million and what works now may not work after ageing.
 
MassiveJim said:
www.tp-link.com

USB 3.0 7-Port Hub

The USB Port Hub, UH700, makes it easier to access additional ports without switching devices. It delivers up to 5V/1.5A output that charges 50% faster.
www.tp-link.com www.tp-link.com

This is the hub.
Click to expand...
Thanks, even though the devices going to the hub might be USB 2.0, my guess is that hub is expecting to be connected to a USB 3.0 port with a 3.0 cable and doesn't play nice with anything outside the recommendations.

I see what you mean about the adapter being the issue, it could be causing a massive signal drop, potentially.

I don't see these being a competitor so hopefully the link is OK, but you might get closer to 3m if it's a single cable without and joins or connectors.

itm-components.co.uk

USB 3.0 Type A straight to Micro B left angle exit 3M

Product Datasheet L-com's Angled USB 3.0 Cable Assemblies are perfect for high speed data transfer in tight spaces. These cables utilize a straight type A connector on one end, and a left exit type Micro B connector on the other. Features Fully shielded to provide maximum protection against...
itm-components.co.uk itm-components.co.uk

Edit: I'm not recommending this particular cable, just that ones like this exist and might work better without a joint in the line.
 
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Thinking about it it may be polling rate vs available bandwidth on USB2, I know that has been an issue for some custom flight sim switch panels.

If I get chance I'll try a usb 2 lead between my PC/monitor and hub and see if it works as a second data point, though I don't think the hub would have an issue with that
 
Seems to work with a 1m extension lead, a 1.4m USB2 micro USB lead and then the HOTAS plugged in after several hours of use on my UH700 (the UH700 is attached to my U2715H's hub)
 
ok, so I might have come up with a solution.
the wheelbase is now connected to the built in USB hub in my monitor and using the original 3m USB cable it works (2nd cable doesn't appear to work at all though)
Then my TP-link USB hub is plugged into the 2nd USB port on my monitor using the shorter cable.

I'm nursing a hangover today so won't be sim racing to fully test it out, but for now at least I have had no disconnects and the moza pithouse software is reporting feedback from the wheel, base and handbrake.
 
Sometimes in IT, there is no solution... just a workaround! :D

If that works and doesn't cost you any money to implement then it's all good.
 
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