Slow boot with USB hub connected + 100% CPU on one core.

What I seem to have found is that it boots fine with one device in the hub.
Also there seems to be a bad port or two on the compuer
as neither device worked connected directly to the computer.
I have always had problem with some of the ports.
However the hub ports all work fine, but that has always been connected
to the same usb port.
Bit of a confusing picture. That is made worse by the fact it can be rather
inconsistant.

I prefere not using the computer port because the hub ones seem to work
better and also I would rather damage or cause wear to theports on the hub
than
the computer.

Indeed I had a TV a while back with 5 port on it and they seemed to
'wear out' ie the picture quality deterioated afer several insertions.

Whilst trying to fix the problem I manager to break the TV which was
just as well as it was underwarrenty, so I got my money back,
and banned from the store in the process!!! ( for swearing at a guy
who wanted to give me a gift voucher instead of my money back), I got a new
TV from very same store as well, so so much for the ban.

So I wonder if the ports could be worn or dirty?

 

Based on the general design of the USB connector, I'd say it is
designed for a high cycle count. Where a USB can sometimes foul
up, is if the metal parts get "torqued" by a user pulling at
an angle, instead of straight out. Since the metal parts may have
a seam, you could pull the metal apart and make the connector loose.

On USB flash sticks, the weak point seems to be where the USB connector
is soldered to the PCB. You don't find very many designs with good strain
relief, so the stress is all concentrated at one point, and that's where
it can snap.

But the connector design itself seems to be pretty good. It should have
the same qualities as ESATA, which also uses metal for structural parts.

OK, I found a manufacturer data sheet for one of their USB jacks
and it was rated for 1500 cycles (insertion/removal). Whereas
ESATA is rated for 5000. The internal SATA connector in your
computer is rated for 50 cycles. The external interfaces
generally have a higher rating than internal ones.

*******

Based on some of your ports being broken, I'd say you were
definitely in the market for a PCI USB2 card.

Here is a card for $12.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815104216

"Cons: 4+1 is inaccurate and misleading. It is more accurately described
as "3+1 split". The internal port is just a tap off one of the external
ports. Only one of the split ports can be used at any given time. But
then again, all of the 4+1 PCI to USB cards seem to work this way."

That means, a 4+1 card is just a four port card. I can't find a user manual,
so it's hard to guess which external connector shares electrical lines
with the internal connector. It may be obvious by looking at the signal
routing on the card itself. This is only a concern, if you insist on using
the internal connector. I would expect the four externals to work as long
as you aren't using the internal one.

On the Koutech site, the chip brand is NEC. It's too hard to see in the Newegg picture.
NEC Electronics merged with Renesys, so at some point the logo on the chip may
be changed. The NEC chip is noted for good compatibility (the original
Microsoft provided USB2 driver, was tested with their chip). On the
other hand, the ports are susceptible to ESD, so if you have bad
static zap habits (scuff over carpet and somehow touch D+, D- pins
inside the connector), the ports blow out. If the faceplate of the
card is grounded to the chassis, that tends to deflect some of that
kind of energy (it goes into the ground shield instead).

http://www.koutech.com/images/PU520_Top.jpg

Paul

 

Thanks for that,1500 cycles is really not that high, especially when as is
the case with me, you have had problematic devices which meant several
reinsertions a day on a fairly frequent basis. (the USB TV stick I had had
a dodgy/broken connection to the TV aerial.
So I should try and find which ports work properly, however that is a bit
difficult when it is inconsistant.

Also I noted on the TV I had that the USB connections were part of a small
circuit board which probably got stressed..

I am in the UK by the way but I can get this one from a local store


http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/dynamode-pci-usb-card-5-port-00852727-pdt.html

for £12 which is about $18

However I can also get one from Ebay from about £2!!
Note one listed there is a staggering £98!!!

They are a neater solution than my USB hub which dangles from a short lead.
Here it is:-
http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/mice-k...wjFHaKAWtSlQfexqzXfApqpCPM5S32g5 caPSDTXNNw==


There are plenty of even cheaper ones on ebay, but if you go to cheap you
wonder about quality.

So I have some options there, but not really a clear diagnosis of the
problem.

However I am in no great rush to sort it out as it is a pretty minor issue,
but I will still look into it and try and get a better idea as to what is
going on.

I think I will use the UBS TV dongle to see which port work best, I think I
can hot plug that. I would use the webcam but that seems to
require rebots.

 

For reference, something about an interupt storm here, seems similar.]

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...phone-is/e1918441-2523-4a67-830e-17ad27a32785

 

Not so fast, Grasshopper...

I thought the problem was with re-awakening after the machine went to sleep.
If so, then you have to let the maching boot normally, start an app, or two,
walk away for a while and come back.

 

Okay, something to consider is that the USB draw on voltage is high with the
devices connected. USB specification is for 5vdc, but I forget the power
(watts, or amps) that is supplied. If you added a non-powered hub, then
populated it with devices, then the power draw can exceed the supply, the
result will be a slow boot experience.

They make USB hubs that have their own external power supply, this might
solve your problem. If you machine boots properly with no devices connected
to the hub, then this points to the power demands exceeding the supply -- a
powered hub should solve this issue. A new power supply for the machine can
solve this problem too... You have to know what the current power supply's
specification is for the USB power, then be sure that the replacement power
supply provides more power.

You can connect one device and observe the response several times, then
connect the OTHER device BY ITSELF and observe the response again. One of
them might be okay, and the other is connected on demand. I suspect you have
too many USB devices connected at once, and this indicates you need more
power from the power supply, or that you need a powered hub that drives some
of the devices so that the power supply is not called upon to drive
everything.

 

No other way round, putting the machine to sleep and then waking it
again woudl *cure* the 100% cpu on one core problem.



Any how I noticed recently that the problem seem to have disappeared!!
I have not made any changes.
Maybe a virus fixed it. I noticed I hd more stuff running at startup,
some adobe stuff (which I installed) and some 'pixelart' stuff from
a screen rular, don't know why that is there as I have not touched it
to my knowledge.

I will let you know it it returns

 

Oh I just remembered oneother thing I changed, I switched from a USB
internet connection to a ethernet one. Not sure if that coincided with the
'fix'.

The usb internet connection never went via the hub rather straight from a PC
USB port.

Might have been that, could tally in with power consmption perhaps.