Michael, It was early. I didn't re-read the post like I should have. ;-)
The reason I asked is that a lot of laptop manufacturers, in the effort to save money, are starting to use the USB bus rather than the PCI/PCIe bus for connecting internal or integrated peripherals. I suspect the mass storage device is the integrated card reader. That is better than it being the hard drive :-) On the subject of keyboards, the gaming keyboards are worse for polling rapidly since gamers tend to beat incessantly on the keys necessitating the requirement for high polling rates. If you don't have any issues with the 1500 with "crackling audio" when using the keyboard or mouse, then you are probably OK. There is a Win7 hot fix for USB, but the Win7 Service Pack 1 is due out shortly so I would not advocate a hotfix unless it is absolutely necessary. http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-20031233-75.html I have been running the RC version of Win7 SP1for the last month or so and it did seem to help with USB performance. -Tim -----Original Message----- From: Michael Tondee [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 6:35 AM To: Tim Ellison Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Flexradio] 1500 on the way today...USB concerns? No, not a laptop. Desktop HP, specs stated below in original post. It had four USB ports on the back and two on the front. All appear to be on "hub 0" from my testing. One device listed that I'm not sure what it is, it's not something I can physically plug and unplug, is listed on "hub 1" Generally speaking, the only devices physically plugged into USB during radio operation would be the MS keyboard, a Prolific USB to serial adapter that goes to my homebrew Basic Stamp based rotator control box and the radio itself. So far, in very limited testing the only bad behavior I have noticed so far is a tendency for PSDR audio to cut out and the panadapter display to freeze every once in awhile for varying lengths of time but it usually comes back. This is with the keyboard and radio connected. Have not gotten far enough to try the rotator controller yet. Also have not really played with tweaking any settings yet. I'm very attached to this particular type of keyboard, it is called a "comfort curve" keyboard and I'm so spoiled by it that I have a hard time typing on a straight keyboard. Unfortunately, as far as I know, it's only available with a USB connection and not the more traditional mini DIN type. I have not been able to lay my hands on the USB card I have but I'd have no problem purchasing another PCI based one if that would give me the separate hub that I need to avoid issues. I don't have any available PCIE slots so it would have to be PCI only. 73, Michael On 2/11/2011 5:31 AM, Tim Ellison wrote: > The FLEX-1500 is a USB 1.1 device so you would be OK. Is the PC by chance a > laptop? > > > -Tim > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Michael Tondee [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 12:38 AM > To: Tim Ellison > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Flexradio] 1500 on the way today...USB concerns? > > Did some testing and apparently my PC has only one USB hub or only one that > is available to me. No matter where I hook up the 1500 or the keyboard in my > available front and rear panel USB ports, they both always come up on "Hub 0" > There is a device that says it is "mass storage" showing hooked up to "Hub 1" > but I have no idea what it is or how to access "Hub 1". I have no USB drives > or anything of that nature unless it's the SD card reader ports or the "HP > pocket media drive bay" > on the front panel of the computer. I think I have an old USB PCI card lying > around here somewhere but I'd bet anything it's USB 1.1 if I could even lay > hands on it. > 73, > Michael > On 2/10/2011 1:17 PM, Tim Ellison wrote: >> Unless you have a "soft" USB controller that seem to crop up in some of the >> new "I" versions of Intel processors, the only thing of real concern with >> USB is to make sure you do not have a low speed polling device (keyboard/ >> mouse) or a very high bandwidth USB device like a Wireless card or hard >> drive connected to the same USB controller as the FLEX-1500. >> >> You want to look at this KB article >> http://kc.flexradio.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50459.aspx >> >> If you do have one of the "soft" USB controllers, then there are some >> enhancements in the upcoming beta version of PowerSDR that help mitigate the >> controller issues. >> >> >> -Tim >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] >> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Michael >> Tondee >> Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 12:44 PM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: [Flexradio] 1500 on the way today...USB concerns? >> >> I'm waiting on my 1500 to be delivered today. Meantime, I've been reading >> the forums and scouting around in the KB articles. I've read a couple of >> things about USB issues that give me pause. >> MY PC is an HP a6333w desktop with an Athlon 64 X2 4800+ 2.5Ghz >> processor.. Chipset is identified as GEforce 6150SE n Force430. It has 3GB >> of memory and is running 32 bit Windows 7. It has USB 2.0 and I use a MS >> comfort curve 2000 keyboard that hooks up through USB. I have added a dual >> port PCIE video card that I believe has an Nvidia processor. This PC >> performed near flawlessly through a firewire hookup to a 5k but I have been >> unable to garner much info on it as far as how the USB controller is >> configured, perhaps I'm not looking in the right place. The device manager >> doesn't really seem to give that much info. >> I'm not trying to borrow trouble here but I read something in a post >> about the fact that a USB keyboard hooked to the same controller as >> the >> 1500 could slow the USB speed down and cause issues with the 1500. Any >> thoughts or am I just jumping the gun a bit here? >> >> _ >> > > > > > > _______________________________________________ FlexRadio Systems Mailing List [email protected] http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ Knowledge Base: http://kc.flexradio.com/ Homepage: http://www.flexradio.com/
