Usb Host Support - Will Pandora Support This?

[chad78]

I certainly hope so. It's probably the only way I'll be able to plug everything into it that I need to - without daisy-chaining a bunch of 4-porters.

http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2008/...16port_hub.html

 

[atomicthumbs]

yes

 

[Tashi]

MWeston says its only for hispeed devices or something like that. Can someone explain that? Maybe I understand something wrong.

 

[icurafu]

MAybe someone else can explain it better. http://beagleboard.org/ offers the following description.

QUOTE
"Initial availability will be for Rev. B boards, with support for a single USB port (OTG). ... The Rev. B boards may use the USB port to provide power to the board or to act as a USB host, but not both at the same time."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_On-The-Go

 

[theoddbot]

MAybe someone else can explain it better. http://beagleboard.org/ offers the following description.

QUOTE
"Initial availability will be for Rev. B boards, with support for a single USB port (OTG). ... The Rev. B boards may use the USB port to provide power to the board or to act as a USB host, but not both at the same time."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_On-The-Go


Pandora has both OTG port and a USB 2.0 port, details will be quite similar to the beagle board.

The only tricky thing is that the host only support high speed devices, though a complaint hub will let you use most low/full speed stuff.

 

[fusion_power]

The only tricky thing is that the host only support high speed devices, though a complaint hub will let you use most low/full speed stuff.

I really hope, they have fixed this problem. It would kill alot of the Mobility of the Pandora, if we always need a hub to put a Mouse or a external Keyboard onto the Device. USB is old, matured and a common technique, so it shouldn't be to hard to make it work like every other (PC) USB Connection.

 

[chad78]

This is very confusing. You're saying I can't plug a hub into the Pandora and run a mouse and keyboard off of it because they are low speed? So any device I use would have to be USB 2.0 - even game pads and stuff like that?

 

[AireTamStorm]

I certainly hope so. It's probably the only way I'll be able to plug everything into it that I need to - without daisy-chaining a bunch of 4-porters.

http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2008/...16port_hub.html



Yeah, hubs are just the physical part of dividing up the addressing scheme in USB. Problem is, you're dividing that 480Mbit connection into 16, which some devices probably will not like.

Edit: Chad, I believe the USB 2.0 problem has a workaround from what I gather in the "Hardware updates" sticky.

Edit2:

QUOTE
6/17 USB problem solved

 

[theoddbot]

Edit: Chad, I believe the USB 2.0 problem has a workaround from what I gather in the "Hardware updates" sticky.

Edit2:

QUOTE
6/17 USB problem solved



I believe this is a reference to earlier revision boards where the host-only port did not work at all. This has been resolved.

The host-only port only supports 480mbit usb. This is a restriction of the 3430 processor and not something that can be easily worked around. The dropping extra logic to support low-speed devices on this port was a decision made by TI, and not something that can be changed without adding extra hardware to the pandora.

To use low speed devices you will either need a high-speed hub which can do the required translation from 12mbit to 480mbit for the host port, or usb a mini-a to a adapter connected to the OTG port, which supports all 3 usb speeds.

 

[quadomatic]

Wait...so 4 port manipulators will work on the Pandora USB port but it will reduce the speed at which data is transferred to the individual devices that are connected?

I suppose that's okay for game controllers. I was hoping to plug in multiple SNES USB controllers into the Pandora along with TV-Out for ultimate retro gaming.

 

[Tashi]

MAybe someone else can explain it better. http://beagleboard.org/ offers the following description.

QUOTE
"Initial availability will be for Rev. B boards, with support for a single USB port (OTG). ... The Rev. B boards may use the USB port to provide power to the board or to act as a USB host, but not both at the same time."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_On-The-Go


Pandora has both OTG port and a USB 2.0 port, details will be quite similar to the beagle board.

The only tricky thing is that the host only support high speed devices, though a complaint hub will let you use most low/full speed stuff.


Thank you for our clarification!

Short summary for myself about slave mode for peripheral devices:
The Pandora has two usb ports, one with a mini-a connector, for plugs like this:

This mini-a connector supports all usb speeds, means all devices. But to plug in common usb devices we need a adapter like this one:

The other usb connector (like the common one on laptops and pc) supports only hispeed usb devices. Means no (low speed) keyboards, mouse and such things. Its possible to connect a USB Hub for "Speed Management" and connect low speed devices to the usb hub.

Then when I want to connect a usb mouse to the pandora, I need a adapter for the mini-a usb port, or a usb hub to the other port.

Right?

Or I`m wrong and mix some information from host mode with slave mode :blink:

 

[AireTamStorm]

I believe this is a reference to earlier revision boards where the host-only port did not work at all. This has been resolved.

Ah yes, I remember something of the sort.

To use low speed devices you will either need a high-speed hub which can do the required translation from 12mbit to 480mbit for the host port, or usb a mini-a to a adapter connected to the OTG port, which supports all 3 usb speeds.

That right there is a half-decent workaround, although it is slightly annoying that FullSpeed devices do not work on that standard port. However, if you consider the devices that actually require a backdrop to 1.1, it really does not adversely affect anything, as nobody is going to be lugging around a clunky keyboard / mouse and complain about having to use a small adapter when the time comes.

 

[God Ginrai]

It would kill alot of the Mobility of the Pandora, if we always need a hub to put a Mouse or a external Keyboard onto the Device.

Do you realize what you're saying? o_ô

You are already killing the mobility of the Pandora by plugging in a mouse and/or keyboard. The hub doesn't matter.

EDIT: OFFTOPIC: Speaking of keyboards... Anyone know of a Dreamcast-to-USB connector so that I can plug my nice little DC keyboard into my Pandora? (Kindof the opposite of what those other people are doing by plugging computer keyboards into DCs.)

-God Ginrai

 

[Prometheus]

EDIT: OFFTOPIC: Speaking of keyboards... Anyone know of a Dreamcast-to-USB connector so that I can plug my nice little DC keyboard into my Pandora? (Kindof the opposite of what those other people are doing by plugging computer keyboards into DCs.)

-God Ginrai

Is this any good?

 

[God Ginrai]

EDIT: OFFTOPIC: Speaking of keyboards... Anyone know of a Dreamcast-to-USB connector so that I can plug my nice little DC keyboard into my Pandora? (Kindof the opposite of what those other people are doing by plugging computer keyboards into DCs.)

-God Ginrai

Is this any good?


It sounds nice, but I've heard it doesn't work well with Vista. And I don't see anything about Linux support. :\

-God Ginrai

 

[efegea]

QUOTE

Is this any good?



It sounds nice, but I've heard it doesn't work well with Vista. And I don't see anything about Linux support. :\

-God Ginrai


Doesn't work. I have a trio linker plus II and a dc keyboard. Tried it on my linux desktop. Not luck.

The adapter works on linux, but only for official gamepads and some other peripherials, and some non-official ones. A tip: never buy one for using with a Thrustmaster Ferrari wheel. I bought the wheel and the dc-to-usb adapter thinking it was going to work. It didn't work. I asked on the adapter's official forums and they said it was a hardware bug that doesn't have a fix. Another tip: don't buy it for using a keyboard, but I already have said that :lol:

 

[God Ginrai]

QUOTE

Is this any good?



It sounds nice, but I've heard it doesn't work well with Vista. And I don't see anything about Linux support. :\

-God Ginrai


Doesn't work. I have a trio linker plus II and a dc keyboard. Tried it on my linux desktop. Not luck.

The adapter works on linux, but only for official gamepads and some other peripherials, and some non-official ones. A tip: never buy one for using with a Thrustmaster Ferrari wheel. I bought the wheel and the dc-to-usb adapter thinking it was going to work. It didn't work. I asked on the adapter's official forums and they said it was a hardware bug that doesn't have a fix. Another tip: don't buy it for using a keyboard, but I already have said that :lol:


I found another one that seemed to have better compatibility, but it seems to be out of stock everywhere. It's the Mayflash PC 3in1 or something like that. (Yet that doesn't mention Linux either, and I don't know if it will work with DC keyboards)

-God Ginrai

 

[quadomatic]

EDIT: OFFTOPIC: Speaking of keyboards... Anyone know of a Dreamcast-to-USB connector so that I can plug my nice little DC keyboard into my Pandora? (Kindof the opposite of what those other people are doing by plugging computer keyboards into DCs.)

-God Ginrai

Is this any good?


Niiiiiice

 

[AireTamStorm]

Game Controller => USB adapters tend to have mixed results.

You're best off sticking with a DreamCast => USB, or a PS2 => USB Converter, rather than an all-in-one, from my experience. Most of the ones I've used simply masquerade as a generic joystick device which from my knowledge will work anywhere.

Edit: Oh, you're using a DC Keyboard. Better off just going the standard USB keyboard route, I believe the converters will make your keyboard look like a 104 button joystick rather than an actual keyboard.

 

[God Ginrai]

Game Controller => USB adapters tend to have mixed results.

You're best off sticking with a DreamCast => USB, or a PS2 => USB Converter, rather than an all-in-one, from my experience. Most of the ones I've used simply masquerade as a generic joystick device which from my knowledge will work anywhere.

Edit: Oh, you're using a DC Keyboard. Better off just going the standard USB keyboard route, I believe the converters will make your keyboard look like a 104 button joystick rather than an actual keyboard.

I can't find a straight DC to USB converter. Second, I love my DC keyboard...

-God Ginrai