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USB 2.0 5 Port Kit
Introduction
Most
USB 2.0 upgrade kits on the market consist of a PCI/USB 2.0, 2-port card with
a USB 2.0 hub. These kits provide the user with six USB 2.0 ports, two root
ports and four hub ports. Connecting the hub to one of the two USB 2.0 root
ports leaves four hub ports and one root port for a total of five available
ports for use by devices. Having four
of the five available ports as hub ports can be a problem for
users with some older USB 1.1 devices. A few (not all) older USB 1.1 devices, the
ones that don’t like to be connected by USB 1.1 hubs, don’t like USB 2.0
hubs either.
My HP
USB 1.1 scanner will NOT function at all on a USB 1.1 hub port nor will my
Logitech web cam. Although, both these devices are recognized and work when
attached to a USB 2.0 hub, they occasionally display annoying errors,
re-enumerating and disappearing are the most prevalent problems. When connected to a USB 2.0 root port both the scanner and the camera work
without fault. I’m not condemning USB 2.0 hubs, not at all, they work
fine with USB 2.0 devices and many 1.1 devices. However, there is a
glitch and it needs to be
mentioned.
The
Ratoc USB 2.0, 5 Port Kit sets itself apart from the other kits by providing
five USB 2.0 root ports. The up front bay is NOT an internal hub like some other front
bay products but, an extension of the card itself. As such, the Ratoc kit
provides two, USB 2.0 root ports in the back of the computer and three
additional USB 2.0 root ports at the front of the computer.
Technical
Specifications
System
Requirements
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Windows PC with one free PCI 2.1/2.2 compliant slot.
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Windows XP/Me/2000/98SE
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ACPI BIOS
Specifications Bus Interface
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PCI Local Bus Rev.2.2 Data transfer rate 480/12/1.5Mbps
Physical
Dimensions
-
119.91L x 64.41W mm (Half size and Low Profile PCI) Electrical +3.3v/+5V
Package Includes
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PCIU2U USB2.0/1.1 host adapter, low profile PCI board with two (2) USB2.0
(Type A) ports
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Front-Bay attachment with three (3) USB2.0 (Type A) ports.
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USB2.0 EHCI Driver Software CD-ROM. Installation guide.
Operating Requirements
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Power Consumption. +3.3V 100mA (idle), 200mA (Max) +5V 1A (2ports,Max)
depends on USB Bus Power.
Documentation
Warranty
Installation / How I did it (Step by Step)
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Power OFF
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Unplug the power supply. Wait 15 seconds
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Open the case
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Lay the card inside the case. Do NOT install the card into PCI slot or
connect the cable yet.
-
Choose an appropriate PCI slot. Check your motherboard manual. (USB 2.0
cards work best when installed in a PCI slot that does NOT share its IRQ
with another device or in the slot that shares its IRQ with onboard USB.)
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Assemble the front ports by snapping the parts together.
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Connect the cable to the front bay assembly
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Feed the connector up through the drive bay opening
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Slide the front port assembly into the case opening
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Connect the other end of the connector to the PCI card
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Install the PCI card into the proper PCI slot.
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Check the connection and make sure the card is fully seated.
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Secure the card to the case with a screw
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Secure the front bay port assembly
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Check your connections again at both ends
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Plug the power supply cable back into the computer
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Power up
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Windows will recognize a new device and ask for the drivers.
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For Windows XP and Windows 2000 Click Cancel when the installation asks for
drivers
- Go
to the
Windows Update site and scan for updates.
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Follow the directions to install the USB 2.0 drivers from Microsoft
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For Windows ME and 98SE, point the hardware installation wizard to the CDROM
drive and use the driver on the installation CD that is included in the
box.
- If
everything is working, close up the box, you’re done.
USB Function Test
|
Test |
Pass |
Fail |
N/A |
|
Supplied Software
Installation Win98Se, Me * |
|
|
X |
|
Demonstrated Operation |
X |
|
|
|
Suspend |
X |
|
|
|
Wakeup |
X |
|
|
|
Operation After Resume |
X |
|
|
|
Hot Plug / Unplug |
X |
|
|
|
USB 2.0 Devices
Operate Correctly |
X |
|
|
|
USB 1.1 Devices
Operate Correctly |
X |
|
|
|
Cold Boot |
X |
|
|
|
Warm Boot |
X |
|
|
|
* MS Drivers used for
Win2000 and WinXP. Windows Me & 98SE NOT tested. |
|
Test
System |
|
Operating System |
Windows XP Pro & Windows 2000 Pro SP2 |
|
USB 2.0 Drivers |
Microsoft USB 2.0 Certified Drivers |
|
Motherboard |
Intel D850MVSE with onboard USB 2.0 |
|
Memory |
Kingston Rambus
4x256 800 MHz |
|
Processor |
Intel Pentium 478 2.0 GB |
|
HDD |
IBM DTLA-307030 |
|
CDRW IDE |
TEAC CD-512WEB |
|
Floppy |
1.44 MB Panasonic |
|
Other Floppy IDE |
Iomega Zip 250 IDE |
|
Video |
Gainward Geforce 3 Ti500 |
|
Audio |
Onboard sound |
|
Ethernet |
Motorola Surfboard USB |
|
USB Devices Other |
Belkin Ergo Pro Keyboard |
|
|
Microsoft Optical Mouse |
|
|
Logitech Wingman |
|
|
HP DeskJet 970 Cse |
|
|
HP 5200 Cse Scanner |
|
|
Belkin UPS |
|
|
OnStream ADR2 USB 2.0 60GB Tape Backup |
|
|
USB Gear USB 2.0 6GB NoteDrive HDD |
|
|
SanDisk ImageMate USB Card Reader |
|
|
Logitech 3000 Pro Web Camera |
|
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Device Manager of our Test
System
Conclusion
The
Ratoc USB 2.0, 5 Port Kit provides five USB 2.0 root ports. The front
bay adapter can be adjusted to install in either a 3.5” or 5.25”
drive bay opening. The front ports of the kit are an integral part of the
PCI card that extend to the front bay panel of the computer. Therefore, the
up front panel connector will not attach
to a standard onboard USB 2.0 motherboard header or another brand of USB 2.0 PCI card.
This
device passed all tests on our test system running Windows XP and Windows
2000. I did not test this device with Windows 98SE or Me.
I
like the thinking that went into this product. The idea of having five root
ports divided into two locations is a good one.
From
the packaging to the device itself, everything about the Ratoc kit is first
quality. I’ve yet to see a USB/PCI upgrade device that is built better
than this one. The front bay portion is well designed and constructed of
heavy plastic. The USB ports both on the card and on the bay adapter are snug and remained so after many, many
plug/unplugs. This upgrade solution was built to last and I have no doubt it
will. On a scale of 1 to 10 the Ratoc USB 2.0, 5 Port Kit is a solid 10.
If
you’re looking to upgrade your system to USB 2.0, the Ratoc USB 2.0, 5 Port
Kit should be on your short list of products to consider.
Warranty - 5 Years from the Manufacturer
MSRP -
$69.00
Best
Price Online -
$59.00
Ratoc
Store
Links
USBMan
Tested and Approved USB 2.0 Cards
USB
2.0 News and Information
Ratoc
Web Site
Stephen Roberts / Hardware Editor A+
USBMan
08/27/2002
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