Question re GGG USB controls and Hubs

[ex_directory]

Anyone know if the controls (I have just purchased the ice trackball and tt2 spinner) come with USB leads already or do I need to get these separately?

[wp34]

I recently ordered those myself.  They came with the USB cables.  Just plug and play.

[ex_directory]

Cool, saves me a few extra quid 

[ex_directory]

Doh! Just realsied I am out of USB connections on my pc. So to be environmentally friendly I am going to re-use this thread....

If I use a USB 2.0 hub for items such as the LED-WIZ, TT2, Electric Ice Trackball, Act-Labs USB Gun etc, presumably I need to work out the power usage to see if it is likely to use more than 500mA? I know I can work this out for the LED's but not sure what the other controls usage would be?

Would a USB hub with PSU be safer, saw one that supports up to 2000ma with psu connected, also controls overcurrent etc.

[Franco B]

IIRC the ultrabright LEDs that you are going to use draw about 30mA so if im right the LED-WIZ will draw about 960mA alone if all the outputs are on.

Also, the LED-Wiz install docs recommend that you use a powered hub so I would say yes 

[u_rebelscum]

If I use a USB 2.0 hub for items such as the LED-WIZ, TT2, Electric Ice Trackball, Act-Labs USB Gun etc, presumably I need to work out the power usage to see if it is likely to use more than 500mA? I know I can work this out for the LED's but not sure what the other controls usage would be?

Would a USB hub with PSU be safer, saw one that supports up to 2000ma with psu connected, also controls overcurrent etc.

I suggest powering that hub from the wall.

You'll need less than 400mA on the devices plugged into an unpowered hub.  500mA is the max per port.  USB allocates 100mA at a time, and the hub itself is given 100mA.  Which is why you only have 400mA (500 - 100) for the other devices, and since the power has to be doled out in 100mA parts you can plug in a max of 4 devices, which is why almost all hubs have 4 ports.

Some MBs and hubs are more flexible than others at the power provided, and how sensitive to spikes.  The biggest draw of a device is almost always the spike at first plug in, or computer turn on, which means when you turn on the computer, all USB devices spike at the same time (unless you have a very good hub that turns on the ports in order instead of at once), so even just 4 devices is pushing it.  (OTOH, the LED-wiz might be an exception on when it's highest draw is.)

[ex_directory]

Did a search on ebay uk, seems there are 2 main offereings available, one 4 port and a 7 port with psu's.



It says "The power adapter is not neccessary, the hub offer offers 500mA stream without, and with power adapter it offers up to 2000mA stream, supports to connect with large power hardwares Expand your existing USB port to 7 easily"

The 4 port makes no mention of ma. So I guess the 2000ma is shared between the 7 ports still not guaranteeing the 500ma per port?

Anyone know the power requirements for GGG trackball, TT2 spinner. I think to be on the safe side I will run the led-wiz of a regulated 5v supply from the computer psu.

[Stub]

Anyone have a suggestion on a product that not only guarantees 500ma per port, but is made to be bolted in a case? And 12 ports would be nice.

Second related question: I am building my cp modular. I am looking to buy a Female standard USB on a flush mount plate to put on the back of my cp. Suggestion on where to look?

[u_rebelscum]

It says

I'll translate the marketspeak to real english ( )

"The power adapter is not neccessary,

Sometimes if you plug a USB device in without the hub's power adapter plugged in, it'll work.  (And if it's only one device at a time, it's closer to "usually".)

the hub offer offers 500mA stream without,

The hub gets 500mA from the computer through the USB cable, which can be used by the USB devices. 
Of course the hub is a USB device so is allocated 100mA, but uses less.  The hub (probably) cheats around the standards, and try to hook up more than the number of devices it should by saying it can allocate more than it can, and prays that most devices don't use all they are (falsely) allocated.

and with power adapter it offers up to 2000mA stream,

The wall wart says "Output: 5 volts, 2 Amps" on it.  The max USB standard power per port is still 500mA, and you still can't hook up more than four 500mA USB devices to the hub (4 x 500 = 2000).

supports to connect with large power hardwares

Supports the max allowed, 500 mA, USB devices, which would be impossible without the wall wart.

Expand your existing USB port to 7 easily"

If you use this hub and try to plug 7 USB devices into at the same time, it might work.  Can say this 'cause it happened at least once in the labs.  (Okay, more often than that , but no guarantee that all cases of any combinations of all USB devices will work.)

Anyone know the power requirements for GGG trackball, TT2 spinner.

TT2 spinner is allocated 100mA on my computer, but I'm sure it actually uses less than that.  But the standard minimum is 100mA.  Don't have the TB to test, sorry, but I'd guess 100mA, but not sure about with the color lights.

 

I think to be on the safe side I will run the led-wiz of a regulated 5v supply from the computer psu.

Good call. 
(In case you couldn't tell, I am very um, skeptic, about USB power.  OTOH, devices may have greatly improved from when I ran into my problems, though there still are the laws of electronics that have to be followed.)

[psychotech]

Oh, u_rebelscum, U!

U're so right. Good advice to (us) all.

 

[ex_directory]

Thanks u_rebelscum, all crystal clear now!