Differences

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--- doc:appunti:hardware:x96_mini [2023/10/22 23:01] – [Connecting a 2.5" hard disk via the USB] niccolo
+++ doc:appunti:hardware:x96_mini [2023/10/22 23:32] (current) – [Ports and connectors] niccolo
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 {{.:amlogic:x96mini-ports2.jpg?direct&400|USB, SD card}}
-One USB port is **white** in color, so it should be an **USB 1.x**, the **black** USB port should be instead an **USB 2.0 Hi-Speed**.
+One USB port is **white** in color, so it should be an **USB 1.x**, the **black** USB port should be instead an **USB 2.0 Hi-Speed**. But measuring the read/write performance of an USB external disk, it turned out that both the ports are 2.0 Hi-Speed.
 ====== First boot using the toothpick trick ======
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 </code>
-The solution was to use a **externally powered USB hub**.
+Typically a 2.5" drive requires about **1 A** at startup and about **500 mA** at read/write average. It is likely that the X96 Mini's circuitry provides USB ports with barely the minimum required by the USB 2.0 standard, which is **5 V, 500 mA**, regardless the rating of the power supply (mine was rated 4A).
+Fortunately there is a solution: to use an **externally powered USB hub**. I purchased a **4 ports USB 3.0 hub** with an USB Type-C connector to supply it with power. In this new configuration a **3 A** power supply provides the power to the USB hub. The external hard disk is connected to one of the 4 ports of the hub and it takes its power from this. The X96 Mini is connected to the hub cable through the USB A connector and it takes the power from the hub too. The original power supply is not longer required and **all the system is powered by only one power supply**.
 I measured the disk performance on both the two USB ports (the white one and the black one), they measured exactly the same transfer rate. For the test I used the **hdparm** tool: