USB sockets

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bill Ridgeway
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Bill Ridgeway

Some while ago I installed 2 USB PCI boards (each with 2 sockets - one of
which now doesn't appear to work) to extend the 2 sockets available on the
motherboard. Device Manager shows 1x USB2.0 enhanced host controller, 3x
universal host controllers and 4x USB root hubs. I think I may have a mix
of USB1 and USB2. How do I identify which ones are USB1 and USB2 please?

Thanks.

Bill Ridgeway
 
Bill Ridgeway said:
Some while ago I installed 2 USB PCI boards (each with 2 sockets - one of
which now doesn't appear to work) to extend the 2 sockets available on the
motherboard. Device Manager shows 1x USB2.0 enhanced host controller, 3x
universal host controllers and 4x USB root hubs. I think I may have a mix
of USB1 and USB2. How do I identify which ones are USB1 and USB2 please?

Thanks.

Bill Ridgeway
Click to expand...


Have a look at the manual for your motherboard.

If it has been built within the last few years I'd think it unlikely that
any of the ports would be USB1
 
Bill Ridgeway said:
Some while ago I installed 2 USB PCI boards (each with 2 sockets - one of
which now doesn't appear to work) to extend the 2 sockets available on the
motherboard. Device Manager shows 1x USB2.0 enhanced host controller, 3x
universal host controllers and 4x USB root hubs. I think I may have a mix
of USB1 and USB2. How do I identify which ones are USB1 and USB2 please?

Thanks.

Bill Ridgeway
Click to expand...

The USB2 enhanced host controller is the main
USB2 controller in the Southbridge, or USB2 PCI
card. It is USB2, but the other USB controllers
or hubs under it will operate in USB1or USB2
mode, as required by the attached peripherals.
 
Bill Ridgeway said:
Some while ago I installed 2 USB PCI boards (each with 2 sockets - one of
which now doesn't appear to work) to extend the 2 sockets available on the
motherboard. Device Manager shows 1x USB2.0 enhanced host controller, 3x
universal host controllers and 4x USB root hubs. I think I may have a mix
of USB1 and USB2. How do I identify which ones are USB1 and USB2 please?
Click to expand...

This is always confusing. The USB2 hardware in any USB system is physically
different to the USB1 hardware. Thus root ports and root hubs appear in the
device manager for both systems. However, as far as the user is concerned,
the actual connectors support both systems, the internal hardware routing
the connection to the appropriate root hub and port transparently.

Your reporting of the root hubs and host contollers is not entirely
consistent with your hardware fit if your PCI cards support USB2 (but it is
consistent if they are USB1 only). I would have expected 3 enhanced
controllers (one for the motherboard and one for each of your PCI cards if
they are USB2).

NOTE: It should be noted that some USB expander cards are specified as USB2
when in fact they only support the slow and fast USB speeds (what most
people call USB1). This has come about because the USB2 specification
didn't actually explicitly state that high speed mode had to be supported
but included the oldr USB1.1.

Let's hope they get the forthcoming USB3 right.
 
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