Doom9
11th November 2004, 10:26
I've had this for a while, and it's a really weird thing for which I don't have a suitable explanation, but perhaps you do.
I have a sweet little portable 2.5" drive with an USB2 connector. I've had this drive for a while and it's been used on a small number of computers, both with USB1.1 and USB2 connectors. So far I've had no problems. But ever since I got a new PC (Shuttle SN95G5 barebone), the drive no longer works. Basically what happens is that I plug it in, and it doesn't properly spin up.. it makes a sound like trying to spin up, but it never quite gets there. So I figured the USB ports on the new PC did not supply enough power. USB modems some time have the same problem and the solution is to buy a separately powered USB hub. My flatscreen already has such a hub built-in, but connecting the drive to it yielded the same result as pluggin in the drive directly.
I also have another USB2 hub (also actively powered), but again, the drive would not spin up. Then I connected the power connctor (there's a USB -> 5V 1A cable in the kit as the drive does only have a small USB connector, not the large standard format you find in PCs) to my notebook, and the actual USB data connection from my other PC to the drive.. having power from the notebook makes the drive spin up, and then it's only a matter of connecting the data port on the drive to a USB port.
So far, it is theoretically possible that my two USB hubs and my new PC do not supply enough power via USB. Strange, but you never know with PC stuff. Here's where it gets weird: if I plug the uplink port from the USB hub into the notebook rather than my barebone, the drive does spin up. Disconnect the uplink port, and the drive can no longer spin up. Connect the uplink port to the barebon and the drive can also not spin up.
The only idea I can come up here is that the power supplied via uplink port has some kind of effect on the power supplied to the other ports on the USB hubs, and as the notebook supplies more power than the barebone... though imho that should never happen to a USB hub that has a separate power supply.
What do you think?
I have a sweet little portable 2.5" drive with an USB2 connector. I've had this drive for a while and it's been used on a small number of computers, both with USB1.1 and USB2 connectors. So far I've had no problems. But ever since I got a new PC (Shuttle SN95G5 barebone), the drive no longer works. Basically what happens is that I plug it in, and it doesn't properly spin up.. it makes a sound like trying to spin up, but it never quite gets there. So I figured the USB ports on the new PC did not supply enough power. USB modems some time have the same problem and the solution is to buy a separately powered USB hub. My flatscreen already has such a hub built-in, but connecting the drive to it yielded the same result as pluggin in the drive directly.
I also have another USB2 hub (also actively powered), but again, the drive would not spin up. Then I connected the power connctor (there's a USB -> 5V 1A cable in the kit as the drive does only have a small USB connector, not the large standard format you find in PCs) to my notebook, and the actual USB data connection from my other PC to the drive.. having power from the notebook makes the drive spin up, and then it's only a matter of connecting the data port on the drive to a USB port.
So far, it is theoretically possible that my two USB hubs and my new PC do not supply enough power via USB. Strange, but you never know with PC stuff. Here's where it gets weird: if I plug the uplink port from the USB hub into the notebook rather than my barebone, the drive does spin up. Disconnect the uplink port, and the drive can no longer spin up. Connect the uplink port to the barebon and the drive can also not spin up.
The only idea I can come up here is that the power supplied via uplink port has some kind of effect on the power supplied to the other ports on the USB hubs, and as the notebook supplies more power than the barebone... though imho that should never happen to a USB hub that has a separate power supply.
What do you think?