Chaining USB Hubs.....possible?

[unclet]

I already have a 4-port USB hub but it only has one (or two) free USB ports left.  I am expanding my Mame cabinet by adding many driving controls (see my other posts in this forum) and will be trying to connect all of them up via USB Dual Strike gamepad hacks.    I was thinking I need to get another 4-port USB hub in order to allow for all the connections so my question is can a new 4-port Usb hub connect into my existing USB hub successfully (ie: will all USB ports function without any problems).   In other words can I chain USB Hubs together successfully with no problems or should I toss my existing 4-port hub and upgrade to an 7 port Usb Hub (which is more expensive).

uncleT

[rampy]

the trick with USB hubs, is to get the more annoying but better for "stability" (for lack of a better term) USB hubs that are self powered (i.e. do NOT rely on power from the USB port...)

I would think chaining to 4 port hubs that were powered by the USB port alone is asking for trouble/headaches...  but *should* be fine if yo uhave the kind of hubs that use an external AC/wallwart adapter...

Does that make sense?

good luck!

rampy

[unclet]

My current 4-port USB hub has this external power supply which I simply plug into my power strip.    

However realizing my first USB hub has this power supply I am not sure whether the second USB 4-port Hub (ie: the hub I want to connect to the first hub) needs to also have a "separate" power supply.   I would not think so, but maybe you would care to confirm.......

[Distortion]

either that or you can just spend the 50 bucks to get an i-pac

[rampy]

either that or you can just spend the 50 bucks to get an i-pac

the ipac won't help him with his ANALOG star wars yoke will it?  =P

rampy

[Nyrine]

USB supports 127 devices on a chain - kind of tricky to do that without some form of chained hub.

[Brax]

I dunno, people around here have built wackier things....

127 port USB Hub anyone?  

[u_rebelscum]

My current 4-port USB hub has this external power supply which I simply plug into my power strip.    

However realizing my first USB hub has this power supply I am not sure whether the second USB 4-port Hub (ie: the hub I want to connect to the first hub) needs to also have a "separate" power supply.   I would not think so, but maybe you would care to confirm.......

Depends on the devices power drain that connected to the hubs.  It's safer to have two self powered hubs, but if it's just digital joypads connected you should be fine.  Devices with analog sticks usually drain a littler more, and you might get in to some trouble.  Note that most self powered hubs supply more power than just the USB straight out of the computer.

[1UP]

Also, most PCs have more than one USB outlet.  You can always have each hub connected to a separate PC outlet.  I'm planning to just chain a second hub into my primary hub inside my CPs, one less wire to feed out the side...

[eightbit]

Another option is a PCI USB card. Gives you more ports and more points to plug in hubs.

Though I'm interested in seeing how many joystick devices you can have plugged in and configured at a time.

[BASSOFeeSH]

Well, I finally chained enough stuff directly to my USB ports to make Windows take notice.

Port 1 -> M$ Optical USB mouse

port 2-> USB hub #1 (powered)

port 3-> M$ usb keyboard(with built in hub #2) unpowered

port 4 -> USB hub #3(unpowered)

hub#2, port 1 -> M$ sidewinder joystick

hub#2, port 2 -> PDA cradle

hub#3, port 1 -> IPAC-4

hub#3, port 2 -> Happs trackball 2 1/4" USB


At this point everything worked fine.  Next I plugged a Playstation to USB adapter into the 3rd port on hub#3(unpowered).  Windows(XP) aknowleded that something had been plugged in, recognized it, then politely told me that the power limit of the USB bus had been reached and that the last device would NOT be active.

I thought  that was pretty cool, because everything else I had attached STILL worked flawlessly.