are there any limitations to using an external powered usb hub?

[SpatzST]

I just got one today, a 7 port, powered.  I plugged in 2x GP-Wiz40's (Device ID 1 and 2), 2x Aimtrak lightguns (Device ID 1 and 2), and the aimtrak sensor bar which I don't think does anything besides be powered.  It seems like every so often a gun will disconnect and I have to replug it in to make it recognize again.  I also installed the "TroubleSHOOTER" software to try and play house of the dead 3 with two light guns and so far that is a complete failure, I can't get either gun to shoot at all.  But my point is maybe that software is interfering with the light guns.

So are there any limitations, as far as how many unique ID'd devices I can hook up to one hub? Should I remap the lightguns to 3 and 4? I also have two LED-Wiz's with ID's 1 + 2, will this conflict with anything?

thanks for the info.

Also, for anyone with an LED-Wiz powering their RGB's externally, I am silghtly confused at how to wire this correctly.  Black from the buttons goes to the +5v external power, ground from the LED-Wiz board goes to the external ground? and where do the Power Banks play into this? Power banks also go to external 5v, or do the black wires also go into the power banks? or neither! I'm not sure!

[spoot]

Guess I'd check to see if you're drawing more power than the powered hub can provide as you have quite a few items hooked up to it.

[dkersten]

I can't answer your LEDwiz question as I use the ipac ultimate, but I just installed my light guns last night and I have the same issue.. They seem to disconnect sometimes, and unplugging and replugging them in sometimes works to get them working again.. the problem is, they now show up as gun5 and gun6, and if I disconnect one to get it working again, they swap numbers and I have to reconfigure mame again.

I also had to change ID's back and forth to get them to start responding again a few times. 

So far, not impressed with these, having too many issues.  Not sure if it is related to the hub, I installed one because I just ran out of ports (now have 8 usb's coming from my CP, lol.)  I have 8 usb ports on my PC, 4 pairs on 4 different headers that show up as 4 different controllers in Windows.  So I put the keyboard and mouse on one pair of ports on the motherboard, the two U360's on another pair, then plugged the 4 port USB hub (powered) into another, and used one of the 4th pair (front mounted on my case) for a wifi adapter.  The aimtrak guns, the sensor, and the ipac ultimate are all running off the hub.  The ipac ultimate has a separate 5v input for the LED's, so I don't think it draws much juice.  The sensor probably draws a fair amount, but the guns themselves shouldn't, so I can't see the hub as the problem here..

[yotsuya]

I can't answer your LEDwiz question as I use the ipac ultimate, but I just installed my light guns last night and I have the same issue.. They seem to disconnect sometimes, and unplugging and replugging them in sometimes works to get them working again.. the problem is, they now show up as gun5 and gun6, and if I disconnect one to get it working again, they swap numbers and I have to reconfigure mame again.

Many of us who add guns or who have done gun cabinets suggest leaving them always plugged in for this very reason.

[SpatzST]

So aside from power, is there some kind of limit as to the number of unique devices I can use for 1 usb port? Is there some kind of threshold that a USB can hit concerning how much data is going through it? I would imagine that just having 2 keyboards and 2 lightguns isnt hitting any data transfer threshold, but just asking.

[TopJimmyCooks]

I don't know the technical reasons for this, but for some reason, the aimtraks work better if plugged into the motherboard usb ports (lowest numbered) rather than a hub.  the light bar doesn't matter.  Also, as yotsuya noted do not unplug them no way no how.  even if the pc is off.  I'm not kidding. 

[SpatzST]

Ok, maybe I'll leave them plugged in the other mobo slots and put the gp-wizs and led-wizs on the external. I'm using a laptop so I'm limited on USB ports, only have 3.

[dkersten]

So aside from power, is there some kind of limit as to the number of unique devices I can use for 1 usb port? Is there some kind of threshold that a USB can hit concerning how much data is going through it? I would imagine that just having 2 keyboards and 2 lightguns isnt hitting any data transfer threshold, but just asking.

I have always avoided loading up devices on a USB port, but when USB came out it was touted as a serial bus with a device limit of 256.  So TECHNICALLY you can put 256 devices on ONE USB port.  The problem becomes one of power.  Most USB devices require power from the USB port, and even a powered USB hub may not be able to supply all the needs of the devices connected.

My recent experience with a hub and controllers and light guns is that they are NOT well suited for it and cause all kinds of issues.  If you have to get one, don't skimp.. there is a difference between the $50 ones and the $10 ones..