You are not logged in.

#1 2010-05-05 23:52:03

stozi
Member
Registered: 2010-03-02
Posts: 149

USB storage disk not powered enough

Since I installed Arch my USB disk no longer gets enough power to use. My flashdrive does, just not the 2.5" disk. I wonder if there's any chance there's a setting I could adjust somewhere to make it work. Didn't find anything in the Wiki, I guess it could also be a hardware problem. Thanks!

Offline

#2 2010-05-06 02:35:27

perbh
Member
From: Republic of Texas
Registered: 2005-03-04
Posts: 765

Re: USB storage disk not powered enough

I occasionally have the same problem - in my case it is decidedly bad contact (on the PC-side). If I wriggle the usb-contact, I can make it spin up.
If I try it on another computer, it's ok.

Offline

#3 2010-05-06 02:56:46

anonymous_user
Member
Registered: 2009-08-28
Posts: 3,059

Re: USB storage disk not powered enough

You could try using a "Y" USB cable like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … -_-Product

Offline

#4 2010-05-06 03:33:34

cesura
Package Maintainer (PM)
From: Tallinn, Estonia
Registered: 2010-01-23
Posts: 1,867

Re: USB storage disk not powered enough

anonymous_user wrote:

You could try using a "Y" USB cable like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … -_-Product

I believe Chris Pirillo just recently reviewed something similar to that.

Offline

#5 2010-05-06 10:48:03

Mr.Elendig
#archlinux@freenode channel op
From: The intertubes
Registered: 2004-11-07
Posts: 4,092

Re: USB storage disk not powered enough

A single usb port is not enough to reliable power a 2.5" disc. One usb port can only deliver a maximum of 500mA(acording to the standard), and often they deliver less.
Your external should have been delivered with a Y cable or a seperate usb->power cable.

Edit mW -> mA  Broken brain/finger interface is broken.

Last edited by Mr.Elendig (2010-05-07 13:50:30)


Evil #archlinux@libera.chat channel op and general support dude.
. files on github, Screenshots, Random pics and the rest

Offline

#6 2010-05-06 18:45:38

stozi
Member
Registered: 2010-03-02
Posts: 149

Re: USB storage disk not powered enough

strange, it used to work fine. Thanks for the help!

Offline

#7 2010-05-07 01:37:44

ewaller
Administrator
From: Pasadena, CA
Registered: 2009-07-13
Posts: 19,740

Re: USB storage disk not powered enough

Mr.Elendig wrote:

A single usb port is not enough to reliable power a 2.5" disc. One usb port can only deliver a maximum of 500mW(acording to the standard), and often they deliver less.

stozi wrote:

strange, it used to work fine. Thanks for the help!

USB ports can deliver up to 500mA (2.5W at 5Volts) -- but -- They have to negotiate for it.  They are supposed to not draw more than 100mA when first connected.  During negotiation, the device and the host are supposed to agree as to how much power may be used.  Not all devices behave themselves, and some, but not all hosts, detect the over current.

You can see what your device has negotiated by studying the output of lsusb -v

Here is an excerpt for my system:

Bus 002 Device 011: ID 13fe:1e00 Kingston Technology Company Inc. 
Device Descriptor:
  bLength                18
  bDescriptorType         1
  bcdUSB               2.00
  bDeviceClass            0 (Defined at Interface level)
  bDeviceSubClass         0 
  bDeviceProtocol         0 
  bMaxPacketSize0        64
  idVendor           0x13fe Kingston Technology Company Inc.
  idProduct          0x1e00 
  bcdDevice            1.10
  iManufacturer           1         
  iProduct                2 Patriot Memory
  iSerial                 3 07930BBD0005
  bNumConfigurations      1
  Configuration Descriptor:
    bLength                 9
    bDescriptorType         2
    wTotalLength           32
    bNumInterfaces          1
    bConfigurationValue     1
    iConfiguration          0 
    bmAttributes         0x80
      (Bus Powered)
    MaxPower              200mA
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        0
      bAlternateSetting       0
      bNumEndpoints           2
      bInterfaceClass         8 Mass Storage
      bInterfaceSubClass      6 SCSI
      bInterfaceProtocol     80 Bulk (Zip)

In this case, my thumb drive has negotiated 200mA.  It is possible that, for some as yet unknown reason, your system doesn't allocate as much power as it used to.  I suppose that could be a function of the kernel mode driver.  If you would, check to see what is being negotiated and report back.


Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
---
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

Offline

#8 2010-05-07 05:24:04

stozi
Member
Registered: 2010-03-02
Posts: 149

Re: USB storage disk not powered enough

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Device Descriptor:
  bLength                18
  bDescriptorType         1
  bcdUSB               2.00
  bDeviceClass            9 Hub
  bDeviceSubClass         0 Unused
  bDeviceProtocol         0 Full speed (or root) hub
  bMaxPacketSize0        64
  idVendor           0x1d6b Linux Foundation
  idProduct          0x0002 2.0 root hub
  bcdDevice            2.06
  iManufacturer           3 
  iProduct                2 
  iSerial                 1 
  bNumConfigurations      1
  Configuration Descriptor:
    bLength                 9
    bDescriptorType         2
    wTotalLength           25
    bNumInterfaces          1
    bConfigurationValue     1
    iConfiguration          0 
    bmAttributes         0xe0
      Self Powered
      Remote Wakeup
    MaxPower                0mA
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        0
      bAlternateSetting       0
      bNumEndpoints           1
      bInterfaceClass         9 Hub
      bInterfaceSubClass      0 Unused
      bInterfaceProtocol      0 Full speed (or root) hub
      iInterface              0 
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x81  EP 1 IN
        bmAttributes            3
          Transfer Type            Interrupt
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0004  1x 4 bytes
        bInterval              12
can't get hub descriptor: Operation not permitted
can't get device qualifier: Operation not permitted
can't get debug descriptor: Operation not permitted
cannot read device status, Operation not permitted (1)

Interesting. My flashdrive & keyboard are clear, but everything else looks like this.
It just click click clicks like it can't even spin all the way around. It works on our Mint Linux laptop, though.

Last edited by stozi (2010-05-07 05:26:29)

Offline

#9 2010-05-07 18:02:17

ewaller
Administrator
From: Pasadena, CA
Registered: 2009-07-13
Posts: 19,740

Re: USB storage disk not powered enough

Something looks wrong with that.  What if you run lsusb with root privileges?


Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
---
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

Offline

#10 2010-05-07 19:39:41

trusktr
Banned
From: .earth
Registered: 2010-02-18
Posts: 907
Website

Re: USB storage disk not powered enough

wow, that's wierd!


joe@trusktr.io - joe at true skater dot io.

Offline

#11 2010-05-08 04:19:20

stozi
Member
Registered: 2010-03-02
Posts: 149

Re: USB storage disk not powered enough

Still the same!

but whenI plugged it in this time it decided not to click.

I think it could be that my DC converter's going south.

Last edited by stozi (2010-05-08 04:50:46)

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB