Question Issues with USB2 and USB4 motherboard headers ?

[Eaglewings]

Hello,
I have the MSI PRO B550-VC motherboard. I have come to discover that both the UCB type 2 and USB type C headers on the motherboard does not work as expected when I want to use a USB splitter cable to duplicate it.

I just changed my desktop case to an Antec P20C and the top panel 3.2 type-A motherboard header cable is the daisy-chained type. Plugging the header cable into the motherboard header resulted in having only USB Type 3.2 working. My case has one Type C USB port and 2 x USB Type A 3.2 ports. My second type A 3.2 port is not working. It seems like the motherboard header is only sending power/data through only one of the ports.

I would like to know if there is a way to resolve the issue.

Thanks

 

[Lutfij]

I just changed my desktop case to Antec P20C case and the top panel 3.2 type-A motherboard header cable is the daisy-chained type.
Can you elaborate on that? I don't see it as a daisychain connector when viewing the review for the case here;

View: https://youtu.be/R-t1ZnTTIXU?t=479


Per your manual;
https://download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe/mb/PROB550-VC.pdf
page 25, you should be using JUSB3 and JUSB4.

BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time?

 

[Paperdoc]

I suggest you check with Antec Tech Support. The single cable that plugs into the mobo JUSB3 header should deliver USB 3.2 Gen1 connections at BOTH top panel Type A sockets. You say it does not, so that indicates a flaw in either the sockets or cable of the case, OR in the mobo JUSB3 header.

By the way, have you connected the other cable from your mobo's JUSB4 header to the top panel Type C socket? That also will give you a third port there.

What do you means about using a USB Splitter Cable?

 

[Eaglewings]

I suggest you check with Antec Tech Support. The single cable that plugs into the mobo JUSB3 header should deliver USB 3.2 Gen1 connections at BOTH top panel Type A sockets. You say it does not, so that indicates a flaw in either the sockets or cable of the case, OR in the mobo JUSB3 header.

By the way, have you connected the other cable from your mobo's JUSB4 header to the top panel Type C socket? That also will give you a third port there.

What do you means about using a USB Splitter Cable?

Hello Paperdoc
Thank you for your help. I leaning towards the issue coming from the motherboard USB headers. Before I swap to my current Antec P20C case, I had connected the USB Header Splitter cable to one of the USB type 2 head and that also only worked one side of the cable. For reference, here is an image of the USB Type 2 Splitter cable:

 

[Eaglewings]

I just changed my desktop case to Antec P20C case and the top panel 3.2 type-A motherboard header cable is the daisy-chained type.
Can you elaborate on that? I don't see it as a daisychain connector when viewing the review for the case here;

View: https://youtu.be/R-t1ZnTTIXU?t=479


Per you manual;
https://download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe/mb/PROB550-VC.pdf
page 25, you should be using JUSB3 and JUSB4.

BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time?

Hi Lutfi,
Thank you for helping out. At 8.00 in that review video, hard to notice but the Header Cable that goes into Type A 3.2 port is joined together to form a single head which goes into the Type A port on the motherboard.
On the Bios version question, I am still using the Bios version that came with motherboard (ie version 1.00). A newer version is available(ei version 1.60) but you know what they say, " Do not change it until it is broken".
I might have to risk updating the Bios version to the current to see if it would address this issue.

I equally had similar problem trying to use an after market splitter header cable to duplicate the Usb type 2 header on the motherboard and now the Usb type 3,2 is giving same issue of not powering the other side of the split.

 

[Lutfij]

Each USB 2(9pin)/3(19pin) header on your motherboard will branch off into two physical headers on your case, that's not a daisychain, it's a 1:1 breakout to the front panel.

I have a sneaky suspicion that you might've swapped your motherboard in your build and migrated your older OS install onto the new platform, without reinstalling the OS. That or your case was built with the wrong wire bundle or you're hooking things in the wrong places. Pass on images of your build/connectors.

 

[Paperdoc]

Your new case has two Type A sockets on the top and one Type C. The type A sockets on there are the NEWER version for USB 3.2 systems, NOT the older version for USB2. One way to note the difference is colour: the plastic insert in the socket for USB2 is Black, but on USB 3.2 it is Blue. A more subtle difference is in the contacts inside. USB2 uses only 4 contact strips on the plastic "tongue" inside, whereas the USB 3.2 system has five added round contacts on the front edge.

Your CASE should have a cable coming down from the top with a connector that fits onto the JUSB3 header on your mobo. This is NOT the same as the two JUSB2 headers on the mobo, so that cable fits only on the correct header. Yet what you have shown us in your photo is a Splitter for use ONLY with a USB2 mobo header. I do not see how you could use that Splitter to connect anything on your case top panel to a mobo header. All that Splitter does is create two male mobo-type USB2 headers from one. What plugs into its two outputs is only what might normally plug into a common (10-1)-pin mobo header, and that is NOT what the cable from your top sockets is.

By the way, even if you do make such a connection somehow, any socket fed from a mobo USB2 header will only be able to perform as a USB2 port, no matter what socket type it is. That means lower data transfer rates and less power available for connected devices.

 

[SkyNetRising]

I leaning towards the issue coming from the motherboard USB headers. Before I swap to my current Antec P20C case, I had connected the USB Header Splitter cable to one of the USB type 2 head and that also only worked one side of the cable. For reference, here is an image of the USB Type 2 Splitter cable:

There's no need for any USB splitters.

USB 3.2 gen1 connector goes into JUSB4.
USB 3.0 connector goes into JUSB3.

 

[Paperdoc]

OP, the names and capabilities of USB systems have changed many times over the years, resulting in confusion. Some of that is apparent in your posts. So here are a few references to where we are now and were recently.

The FIRST versions (you are NOT likely to meet these today) were USB 1.0 (Low Speed) at max 1.5 Mb/s and then USB 1.1 (Full Speed) up to 12 Mb/s

The most common until several years ago were USB2 Hi-Speed up to 480 Mb/s (that's 0.48 Gb/s). Each such port from a mobo could supply power at 5 VDC up to 0.5 A current. Each mobo HEADER has 9 pins in a (10-1) arrangement and typically contains TWO actual ports, so one cable from one header normally feeds two externally-accessible sockets. YOUR mobo has two such headers called JUSB1 and 2. The cables and sockets of Type A for this have black inserts in them supporting FOUR contact strips. Your CASE does not have any sockets for this on its top.

What has become most popular now are the versions of USB3. These have gone from one version called USB3, through a two-type version called USB 3.0 and USB 3.1, to the current naming system. This is now USB 3.2, with an added phrase of "Genn" to distinguish its three versions. USB 3.2 Gen1 can move data at up to 5 Gb/s and can supply power at 5 VCD up to 0.9 A current. It can be used with the new USB3 version of Type A cables and sockets. These have Blue inserts in them supporting the same four contact strips PLUS five added contacts. USB 3.2 Gen2 can move data up to 10 Gb/s and MAY work with those Type A connections, but it is recommended that you use the newer Type C connectors and cables to ensure you do achieve that data rate. For BOTH of these the header is different from USB2. It has 19 pins in a (20-1) arrangement, and contains TWO actual ports again. YOUR mobo has one such header (of the Gen1 variety) called JUSB3. Your CASE has two Type A sockets on the top fed by ONE cable to fit this mobo header.

USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 can move data up to 20 Gb/s and REQUIRES using the Type C connectors and cables. A mobo header for this contains only ONE such port and typically uses a different board connector again, called Type E. Note, however, that some boards use that Type E header for lower-speed ports. YOUR mobo has one such header but it is only a Gen1 version. Your CASE has one Type C socket on top fed by a cable the plugs into this Type E mobo header.

In additiion and separately from the headers on the mobo, this mobo also provides several USB ports on its rear panel - see the mobo manaul p. 22. There are four USB2 Type A ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type A port, and one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C port.

The current USB standards system also DOES include the latest version, USB4, which includes sub-varieties USB4 Gen2x2 (up to 20 Gb/s) and USB4 Gen 3x2 (up to 40 Gb/s). USB4 also incudes higher max power availability. Although your mobo uses the label "JUSB4", this is NOT a USB4 port.

There is a good summary of this stuff here

https://tripplite.eaton.com/products/usb-connectivity-types-standards

Some of those data rate specs are dazzling. But do NOT expect to see those in most common uses. These systems have been designed with the intent that the max data transmission rate for the communicaions subsystem should EXCEED the actual data transmission rate of the real DEVICE they serve so that they never limit what that device can do. For example, no classic spinning disk hard drives can deliver data faster than about 3 Gb/s, the limit of the older SATA II systems and slower than USB 3.2 Gen1. There are some SSD units now that can exceed 5 Gb/s, but none commonly available that exceed 10 Gb/s (the Gen2 spec). The speeds of USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 and USB4 Gen 3x2 can serve some other types of uses like high-res video. They MAY be useful for some advanced USB 3.2 or USB4 HUBS that can support use of several fast devices sharing a single data connection to a fast USB port, but I have not seen any such Hub yet.

 

[Eaglewings]

Each USB 2(9pin)/3(19pin) header on your motherboard will branch off into two physical headers on your case, that's not a daisychain, it's a 1:1 breakout to the front panel.

I have a sneaky suspicion that you might've swapped your motherboard in your build and migrated your older OS install onto the new platform, without reinstalling the OS. That or your case was built with the wrong wire bundle or you're hooking things in the wrong places. Pass on images of your build/connectors.

I just lifted the old case and place it inside the new case which is the Antec P20C. I have only got one motherboard with OS installed in the NVME M.2 drive on the motherboard.

Your new case has two Type A sockets on the top and one Type C. The type A sockets on there are the NEWER version for USB 3.2 systems, NOT the older version for USB2. One way to note the difference is colour: the plastic insert in the socket for USB2 is Black, but on USB 3.2 it is Blue. A more subtle difference is in the contacts inside. USB2 uses only 4 contact strips on the plastic "tongue" inside, whereas the USB 3.2 system has five added round contacts on the front edge.

Your CASE should have a cable coming down from the top with a connector that fits onto the JUSB3 header on your mobo. This is NOT the same as the two JUSB2 headers on the mobo, so that cable fits only on the correct header. Yet what you have shown us in your photo is a Splitter for use ONLY with a USB2 mobo header. I do not see how you could use that Splitter to connect anything on your case top panel to a mobo header. All that Splitter does is create two male mobo-type USB2 headers from one. What plugs into its two outputs is only what might normally plug into a common (10-1)-pin mobo header, and that is NOT what the cable from your top sockets is.

By the way, even if you do make such a connection somehow, any socket fed from a mobo USB2 header will only be able to perform as a USB2 port, no matter what socket type it is. That means lower data transfer rates and less power available for connected devices.

Hi Paperdoc.
I am sorry I did not make it clear enough that picture of the splitter cable was used in my old case when I wanted to duplicate the USB type 2 header to accommodate my PCIE wifi/bluetooth card, the front panel USB port on the old case and the temperature display on my deepcool AG620 Digital Cpu cooler. I wanted to point out that the motherboard USB type 2 header did not work with the splitter cable when I tried that in the old case. The motherboard did similarly with USB type connection as it is doing with the type 3.2 connection in the new case(Antec p20)

Currently in my Antec P20C case, the two USB type 3.2 cables coming down from the top panel are connected to the only USB 3.2 header on the motherboard. The USB splitter cable is tucked away unused because the Antec P20C case does not have a USB type 2 port

The fact that the same issue I experienced when I connected USB type 2 header to the splitter cable in the old case and when I connected the USB type 3.2 in the new case makes it a motherboard issue in my judgment.
The motherboard header only powers one side of the connections.

 

[Paperdoc]

Ah, Yes! You are using the single 19-pin connector to feed both case top USB3.2 Gen1 Type A sockets, but only one works. Well, the problem could be in the mobo header and its controller, in the cable, or in one socket. Hard to tell, and I'm sure there is no way to interchange the way that cable connects to the two sockets. The only diagnostic I could suggest would be to get a unit like this

https://www.amazon.com/Antrader-Ada...prefix=usb3+rear+panel+socket,aps,118&sr=8-11

It is intended to allow you to connect a mobo USB 3.2 header to a REAR location. The metal plate with two sockets mounts in place of an unused slot cover for a PCIe slot. You have NO need for this and it costs a bit, but if you got one and tried it without mounting the plate in a slot, you could tell whether the new cable / socket set works on BOTH sockets. This would prove whether the flaw in in your mobo or in the case cable / socket system.