Can you increase the power supply of a USB port?
newmorning Posted messages 50 Status Membre -
Hello,
My son is using the only PC in the house that can't connect with his portable scanner: it seems that its USB port isn't powerful enough for the device, which detects the connection, to be recognized back by the PC. When a powered USB hub is between the two devices, it works, but it's much less convenient to set up in class.
I ordered a cable that allows connecting the device to 2 USB ports simultaneously, like the old hard drives, but it doesn't work.
Is it possible to force, even temporarily, the power of the USB port so that the computer connects to the scanner, at least just to transfer an image?
Win10 Home
10 réponses
Hi
A question is burning on my lips...
Why a standalone portable scanner??
Smartphones do that very well these days, especially since there are tons of apps to turn your smartphone into a scanner.
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Euskadi Ta Askatasuna
Hello,
Can we increase the power supply of a USB port? The answer is no.
I use a Y-cable, provided with a USB HDD, on two USB outputs and it works perfectly.
In my opinion, it's not a detection issue by the PC, but a current supply issue from the USB ports.
Indeed, the current generally supplied by these ports is 500 mA, which means 1A when combining two USB ports.
This must be insufficient to power a scanner, which includes a motor or servo motor.
I think we should use a smartphone-type power supply, provided we choose one that delivers sufficient current. The most powerful one I found delivers 3 A (for Raspberry Pi 4), at LDLC, online or in one of their stores in the network.
Check the current required by the scanner and ensure that the port is micro-USB) or use the cable you purchased.
Thank you for this clarification, but in fact it doesn't work with this Y cable, so I'm left with the powered hub (a seller showed me that it works) but it's really not convenient for my son.
The scanner itself has a battery to operate autonomously and therefore doesn't really need a power supply, it's only a connection issue with the PC to transfer the scanned images.
If another idea is suggested, I'm all ears.
One might think of a driver problem, but then it wouldn't work with the hub. Moreover, the fact that it works this way shows that the scanner requires an external power supply.
Furthermore, you are assuming that an inappropriate Y-cable is the issue, assuming that the current provided is sufficient. The seller and I think just the opposite since the operation proves to be valid with an auxiliary power supply that the PC cannot provide.
Of course; the discussion remains open to others, but in the meantime, you could ask your seller to test with one of those 5V battery packs (charged with a smartphone charger), which would free you from any wires.
In any case, keep us updated in case of progress; it will be helpful for others.
Hi George
Personally, if I buy a USB scanner that doesn't work via USB... I'll return it to the seller.
The PC definitely doesn't provide enough power, especially when in use.
That's why there's a battery (it might be defective).
As for the external battery, I have doubts about using a Y cable.
A separator of this type would be better.
Available in type B.
See you, ciao.
Hello fmq,
Thank you for your new insights. Of course, if the scanner was purchased a long time ago, newmorning will not be able to return it. However, your suggestion of a defective battery is worth checking. And indeed, a scanner, especially a self-powered one, should work when connected to the PC via a Y cable. It's also worth checking that in the presence of USB-C ports, we can achieve better than the 1A I mentioned.
It would also be interesting to know the amperage this scanner is supposed to operate at. I wasn't aware of this cable to C, and it's worth considering (cheaper and lighter) if all the conditions are met.
See you soon,
Georges
it's a cable used by audiophiles
but it can be useful in this case
the Y cable would connect the + of the battery to the + of the USB port of the PC
what would the result be ????
edit: after asking about the cost, the cable can be made from an existing USB cable
and on a desktop PC, you can easily find 5 volts from the power supply
total cost ...... a bit of tape !!!
cia ciao
I think I've just understood your proposal: using the Y cord between the PC and the battery pack on one side, and the scanner on the other (which has only one input). That's very clever, and I will try to find my phone battery to test it out. It would indeed be better than a powered hub.
It should work; with one detail though, you might have difficulty connecting an internal phone battery (not to mention the capacity issue compared to the scanner's consumption, I was thinking of an external backup battery, called a "battery pack" or "power bank":
https://www.google.com/webhp?client=opera
Have a nice day
Hello
It's always a story about the tank and the pipe.
My small contribution regarding the 5V external battery available.
5V external backup battery 5 Ah (50,000 mAh) for €90 is reasonable considering the universality promised by the European standard.
Here is one of the largest portable tanks I know of currently, while still being of reasonable weight and volume on a student's desk.
Its advantage is that it can be charged with [The type C input 100w at the moment allows for a full charge in about 12 hours]> type C which is the only "universal" thing that the European community is in the process of making mandatory in the coming years. It also has slow charging via usb 2.4A with cable provided.
And there are multiple usb 2.4A outputs.
https://www.amazon.fr/Batterie-50000Mah-Activit%C3%A9s-T%C3%A9l%C3%A9phone-Tablettes/dp/B08LDNKV1J
However, the outputs of this external battery are usb 5V 2.4A each, the story of the pipe that this standard imposes on us (stupid but we shouldn't think that).
So, you can make a Y from 2 5V outputs, even 4 if you want, with 2.4 A each from this single external battery. The large capacity allows for them to be delivered simultaneously. 4x2.4=9.6A. 5V 48w
[In this story of pipes, the available solar charger is just a small bonus for random charging without being plugged into an outlet, it's still a gain that it exists and is not insignificant].
Hello bull,
Hello,
Thank you for this contribution (even though I don’t claim the lead on this thread). Not too expensive for a solar battery at this price and capacity, rechargeable during breaks in the sun on campus.
A small downside is the 12-hour charging time. I’d look for a package that charges faster even if it costs more (between 2 to 4 hours?), knowing that, in my experience, charging times tend to increase as usage time decreases.
So it all depends on the presence of these USB-C ports on the PC, since we would have 2.4A there instead of 1 for the USB-A (at best). But it is not clear whether this is confirmed and it might only work with the cord provided by fmq.
The coupling would probably only be necessary if the scanner’s amperage is 3A for example (I mention this for newmorning's attention).
On this subject, it may indeed be the case that entry-level scanners do not have power supplies as efficient as others.
Last point, there are of course more compact, non-solar packs that could potentially allow for fast charging.
Hello
Yes georges97
Small caveat about the charging time of 12 hours.
Be careful, 12 hours is a total fast charge of the external battery obtained from a fully discharged battery (always leave 5 or 10% to avoid killing the battery) and with a "universal" charger for the USB-C port of the external battery, as now required by the European Union. This means that everyone will either have this charger available or will need to buy one. The 12 hours are only necessary because this external battery has a huge capacity and if we want to recharge it completely. A partial fast charge of this external battery for 30 min, 1 hour, 2 hours, or 4 hours is possible whenever one is near a "universal" charger that meets the new EU standards.
The current laptop and the current scanner do not have a USB-C port, I take that into account.
I am trying to recreate the scenario where the current portable scanner and a hub, both well-supplied with 5V (as if they were connected to mains power), work with the current laptop.
The scanner is indeed 5V - 1A (it's written on it).
When a mains-powered hub is between the two devices, it works
A single USB 5V 2.4A output from the proposed external battery could therefore power the scanner alone as if it were connected to a socket.
A hub using the 5V from the proposed external battery simulating a hub with its own 220V power supply should also provide enough current to everything plugged into the hub, even if we have to use 2 or 3 USB 2.4A plugs from the external battery to power it.
There are reasonable chances that it will work, and it already deserves to be tested.
I haven't looked into the feasibility of the current portable laptop yet: the proposed external battery, even if not fully charged, has enough capacity to additionally recharge laptop batteries, even if we don't do it while using the scanner; that would be the cherry on top.
All of this at school without a 220V socket available and if the proposed external battery is not fully charged. The solar charger used on these devices works indoors with low light intensity; there's no need to wait to be outside in full sunlight. I don't rely on it to operate the setup, but it can continuously keep charging the external battery little by little as soon as it starts to discharge and as long as it's not full.
Disappointed: the Y cable + battery combo did not allow the scanner to be recognized by the computer. There's still the powered hub, unless one could manage with a hub powered by the portable battery? But the hub without power has hardly more interest than the Y cable, I suppose...
For clarification: the "scanner" is not exactly inexpensive, but portable; it's the IRIScan Book 5 portable scanner. The laptop, on the other hand, is quite low-end (HP 15S-EQ1001NFAT/4/56)
The scanner indeed operates at 5V - 1A (it's written on it), it is new and recognized without issue by other tested PCs, whether portable or not.
It's still frustrating to see that equipment that seems standard (USB) is not (different power levels).
Once again, there is no sign of the device not being recognized, but rather a lack of power available on the USB port of the scanner; otherwise, it wouldn't work with the hub.
If the scanner works with other PCs, you should either check the power provided on the USB port of the PC (it might only be 400 mA, hence 800 in coupling, which is insufficient for the scanner) or test one of these power packs, which is certainly a more expensive solution but possibly effective.
If the Y-cable is essential on the other PCs, this indicates a power supply issue.
There is not just one USB standard, but several (USB 1.0, 1.1, 2.x, 3.x, C), which have evolved over time, and nothing suggests that it is implemented at the maximum of the standard.
To convince yourself, you can try connecting one of the branches of the Y-cable to another PC (assuming you are sure that the one from your son's PC works, of course).
The issue of USB power supply strength is particularly relevant in the case cited and known with Raspberry Pi computers.
Without wanting to impose any approval on you, after 40 years of practice, I would make the following observation: I do not expect manufacturers to strictly adhere to standards, whatever they may be.
Repairs can only be achieved through trial and error, especially remotely.
I realize that my portable battery outputs just 1A, which is what the scanner requires: perhaps the result would have been better with a slightly more powerful battery? I will need to ask someone to lend me one for testing. But I fear the problem lies elsewhere, especially considering that the provided outlet itself supplies an additional 500 mA and that the scanner has its own built-in battery: Windows sees the connection but does not recognize the combo, the communication from the scanner perhaps suffering interference from the battery.
hello
you can try asking for help here
https://support.irislink.com/fr/section/120-iriscan-book-5-book-5-wifi
cia ciao
I did indeed run some tests and it turns out that adding my 1A battery to the Y cable or connecting it to the 2 USB ports makes no difference, neither for the PC that works just as well with or without it, nor for the one that doesn’t work any better with or without it. In any case, his PC connects/disconnects non-stop every second (with the annoying sound from Windows reminding me that "yes it's recognized" / "no it's not recognized anymore"... etc.)
It’s quite frustrating to think that I bought my son the only laptop I know that doesn’t recognize this scanner without adding a powered hub.
hi
you can also try this little software
https://www.malekal.com/usbdeview-gerer-ses-peripheriques-usb/
it analyzes the USB ports, fixes errors, and even shows you the power consumption of the ports
the tutorial is well done
you can test it with a working computer to see the actual consumption
ciao ciao
Hello,
Can we increase the power supply of a USB port?
The answer is always NO.
Can we manage it: YES
Windows includes basic power management:
Device Manager ==> USB Bus Controllers ==> Root USB Hub ==> Properties ==> Power tab and uncheck in power management: Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
Do you have a USB 3 port on this PC (blue color)?
Best regards
Interestingly, when I plug in the scanner after uninstalling everything, I suddenly have all of this!
And overall, that's a lot to handle if it accumulates...
Moreover, the Y cable doesn't even allow for the connection/disconnection of the single cable, as if it's not suitable.
I hope you can follow along
For me, 100 mA is fine, let's not forget that the device is portable (if I'm not mistaken)
It can operate wirelessly
If it's not a current problem, it might be a voltage issue
Don't you have a multimeter to check the 5 volts at the USB output???
If the 5 volts are correct, the data signal might be too weak
You will need to use a powered hub to boost the signal; a simple external power supply won't be enough
See you later
hello
it's difficult to answer your question sorry
try this
https://www.malekal.com/comment-afficher-la-consommation-des-peripheriques-usb-dans-windows-10-11/
otherwise you'll need to find a second hand thing like that
https://www.amazon.fr/Voltmètre-Ampèremètre-Compteur-Multimètre-Détection/dp/B08NF23M7N
it might be worth investing a few euros? you can resell it later
ciao ciao
Undoubtedly, but I haven't found an easy way for a 12-year-old who is already quite troubled by the paper/digital adaptation in a school environment. But there would probably be something to explore on that side as well.
With the device in question, it should be enough to run the ruler over the paper to get a document in the format of their choice with OCR and cropping options. I haven't found anything on a smartphone...
In fact, it's rather ultra simple with the CamScanner app + Bluetooth transfer. We'll see if it requires a paid version in the long term, but for now, my son is going to go for this solution.