USB Adapter

[E55BOF]

Good evening, gentlemen. My I.T. Works USB adapter hub is rather worn, and I need to replace it. I use it mostly for SD cards or flash drives, but I also use it for a CD/DVD drive occasionally, and that has a power consumption of 1.5 amps at 5 volts.

Would this, or something like it, be suitable? And am I right in thinking that the powered charging port functions as a normal USB port most of the time, but can supply the higher power needed for the CD/DVD drive when required?

Atolla USB Hub Powered, 4-Port USB 3.0 data Hub+1 Smart USB Charging Port with 659103623939 | eBay

Click here to see description.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[markjay]

Firstly, many USB hubs will have al built-in n SD-Card slot, which means less clatter.

Then, the large USB3 connector is a bit archaic, you'll be better-off with a hub that has USB-C on the hub side.

And last, a USB hub that is powered by the PC will not have more power than the PC does, but a hub powered from the mains by AC adaptor (less neat in terns if cables) will have more power.

 

[E55BOF]

Thank you for that. Everything I plug into the hub (including my SD card reader) is USB, so I'll stick with that for the moment. Think of it as an I.T. W124; archaic perhaps, but does the job...

Do you know whether the powered charging port also functions as a normal USB port when the extra power is not needed? I presume it does, but I don't know for a fact.

 

[MercedesDriver]

Yes, it works just as normal USB ports. I have a similar 4-port USB hub for powered USB which I'm using for wireless keyboard, USB stick and charging a phone. Occasionally I plug a cd/dvd to it and it works just normal. This is the one:
Sabrent 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub with Individual LED Power Switches (HB-UM43): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

 

[E55BOF]

That one is not the same as the one I posted; mine has a separate power supply (via a mains adaptor) for higher-consumption devices plugged into the red port.

The reason I ask is that all those like the Sabrent item, and there are myriads of them for sale online, are rated at 900mA maximum, while the DVD player is rated at 1.5A. I'm concerned that if I use the DVD player in a 900 mA port, I may eventually damage the computer.

 

[Doodle]

The reason I ask is that all those like the Sabrent item, and there are myriads of them for sale online, are rated at 900mA maximum, while the DVD player is rated at 1.5A. I'm concerned that if I use the DVD player in a 900 mA port, I may eventually damage the computer.

If everything is adhering to USB specification, that won't happen. 1.5A is the ballpark for downstream/dedicated charging (USB PD) - if the port doesn't support that it will simply say no.

 

[markjay]

If everything is adhering to USB specification, that won't happen. 1.5A is the ballpark for downstream/dedicated charging (USB PD) - if the port doesn't support that it will simply say no.

The issue with USB hubs is that they share the output of a single USB port on the PC - so if the hub isn't AC-powered (via adapter), then the total power budget for all ports together might still be only 1.5A.

 

[E55BOF]

Ah! All clear now. The only things I ever use it for are the CD/DVD drive, the SD card reader and at most two USB sticks, so I think I should be OK with a non-powered hub. I'll suck it and see...

 

[Doodle]

Mark, I think you've misunderstood my post, which was specifically aimed at Dennis's "will it damage my computer"?

As you are doubtless aware, to extend beyond 900mA requires the port to support downstream charging, for which there are specific detection processes.