Trouble with USB Hub v2.1 in MiSTer case

[PQR]

Hi everyone!

First time poster here. I've been reading this forum with interest for some time and now I could use some help.

Back in March I got myself a MiSTer kit including I/O Board, 128 MB SDRAM, RTC, USB Hub v2.1, 5VDC 4A adapter and a Stormtrooper case.

I am not into soldering and electronics but from all the stories online I understood that assembly is pretty straightforward. And indeed it only took some simple tools to put everything together. Thanks to the excellent information in the Wiki I've been able to install many cores and play CPS1, NeoGeo, SNES, Megadrive and PC Engine games.

mister-stormtrooper-case.jpg (585.18 KiB) Viewed 13239 times

However from day one I've been having trouble getting the USB Hub to work properly.
Time and again the USB devices I have connected (an 8Bitdo controller + a WiFi dongle) do not work. When that happens all the green LEDs remain off. Switching to different USB ports yields no result. Sometimes it takes a couple of minutes and they switch on automatically. Sometimes switching the MiSTer off and on again does the trick.
But lately USB has ceased to work at all. I suspect it's a power issue but I'm not sure.

The USB Hub in question does not have its own 5V connector but instead has a little "fork" that I suppose is there to draw power from the bottom of the 5V connector from the DE10 Nano board. See picture below.

mister-usbhub-fork.jpg (609.86 KiB) Viewed 13239 times

Below you can see the "fork" touching the soldered bottom of the 5DV connector from the DE10 Nano board. From what I can see it makes a connection.

mister-fork-power.jpg (417.36 KiB) Viewed 13239 times

Today I discovered upon closer inspection that another part of the soldered bottom of the 5DV connector is touching one of the USB connectors. It that supposed to be that way?

mister-usb-power.jpg (422.4 KiB) Viewed 13239 times

Are there other people out here with the same hardware setup? Is this the correct way to connect the USB Hub?
Any help or pointers greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[legacypixels]

Not a fan of the fork method to power the USB Hub.
That said, the simple solution for you is to trim the power connector pins not needed for the fork, so they don't touch the USB jack.
Definitely inspect for any other contact points.

[PQR]

Thanks for the reply!

Are you 100% postive that the part touching the USB connector should not do so?
I don't want to remove something essential.

I don't know much about micro electronics but should power not always have both + and - poles?
The fork is only one pole I guess.

[FPGA64]

That was my thought too. The pole can only be one part. I would have thought the outer shield of the USB was an Earth and so the touching part is a return but thats only a guess. Either way its a terrible design and relying on friction is never good for long term.

I would get a case that allows for a proper power jack to the USB and solder a power plug to the USb board.

[legacypixels]

I just double checked a DE-10, both of those tabs are ground, so you do need them, but that sure is super sketchy.

[legacypixels]

So, its hard to be definitive remotely, but I agree that power is a likely culprit. The friction connection with the fork and grounding to the USB shell is sub-optimal, it likely can't support the power draw needed. Also, If that ground to USB shell isn't good, power might have to flow back through the L bridge, which also can't carry a large load and give you an intermittent ground loop. I know some sellers swear the fork power method is fine, but I believe it is not a good solution.

[rickdangerous]

Not related to power. I fix that. Check e-mail.
We give lifetime warranty to all our products (except DE10nano).

[PQR]

Not related to power. I fix that. Check e-mail.
We give lifetime warranty to all our products (except DE10nano).

Thank you. Looking forward to your email!

[aberu]

Not related to power. I fix that. Check e-mail.
We give lifetime warranty to all our products (except DE10nano).

It's soldered to where the power jack goes, which the board doesn't have installed for some reason (if powered by the DE10-nano, this could lead to undervolted components or even undervolting the FPGA which is not good). From my understanding of the schematics, J1 isn't optional.

[rickdangerous]

You're not correct. Me and Sorgelig have tested this multiple times and have been using this for years with official case. We are pushing 5V direcly from DC power of DE10nano and not from the USB. Unstable is if you use different PSU (one for Hub other for DE10nano).

[PQR]

[Update after several months]
Rick sent me a replacement USB Hub indeed and that one seems to work fine.
Still no idea what the cause of the issue was.

[ADV7842]

[Update after several months]
Rick sent me a replacement USB Hub indeed and that one seems to work fine.
Still no idea what the cause of the issue was.

so you're still using a USB Hub with USB Powerin?

If there is 14mm space it shouldn't cause any shortage problems right?

[PQR]

[Update after several months]
Rick sent me a replacement USB Hub indeed and that one seems to work fine.
Still no idea what the cause of the issue was.

so you're still using a USB Hub with USB Powerin?

If there is 14mm space it shouldn't cause any shortage problems right?

I got a replacement USB hub that’s exactly similar to the one in my pictures above. It works fine for me now.

[ADV7842]

[Update after several months]
Rick sent me a replacement USB Hub indeed and that one seems to work fine.
Still no idea what the cause of the issue was.

so you're still using a USB Hub with USB Powerin?

If there is 14mm space it shouldn't cause any shortage problems right?

I got a replacement USB hub that’s exactly similar to the one in my pictures above. It works fine for me now.

ok what spacer do you use in between upwards to the DE10 Nano board? As I said a 14mm would be a safe distance but Some Cases may require the only 10mm spacer?!

[PQR]

so you're still using a USB Hub with USB Powerin?

If there is 14mm space it shouldn't cause any shortage problems right?

I got a replacement USB hub that’s exactly similar to the one in my pictures above. It works fine for me now.

ok what spacer do you use in between upwards to the DE10 Nano board? As I said a 14mm would be a safe distance but Some Cases may require the only 10mm spacer?!

I don’t know the length of the standoffs as they came with the kit itself.
Since the case is fully assembled again it is hard to check I’m afraid.

[KingofWeebz]

I just got one of these USB hub boards myself from Ultimate Mister, not realize there was a difference with this one not using a DC in like the ones on MisterAddons. I also got a digital IO board to go with it. Since it lacks the DC jumper between the DE10 and the USB Hub does that mean I should use a Y splitter to both the DE10 and the IO board or?