front panel USB ports

[CityK]

This is something that I've been curious about for a while:

You know the front panel USB ports that many cases come with (example), is there anything about them that inherently makes them "2.0" or are they all just a conduit to the motherboard (whose controller would then determine whether it functions as a 1.1 or 2.0 port)?

Certainly marketing types love to make claim of "USB 2.0" capability, but I have honestly never seen any definitive proof either way that older cases with such front ports aren't already 2.0 capable themselves.

On one hand I recall Antec made a 2.0 upgrade available to customers last year for some of their cases, but on the other hand, I have also seen, on numerous occasions, a manufacturer or retailer state that there is nothing inherently "2.0" specific about the case front connectors.

Anyone know for sure?

 

[Tannin]

Not 100% for sure, but I can't imagine what could be differrent. Suck it and see, I suppose.

 

[Mercutio]

I can tell you that there's a difference between USB1.1 and USB2.0 cables. If I plug one of my USB2 portable drives in with the cable that goes to my HP932 it works at 1.1 speeds.

 

[CityK]

I can tell you that there's a difference between USB1.1 and USB2.0 cables. If I plug one of my USB2 portable drives in with the cable that goes to my HP932 it works at 1.1 speeds.

Hmm, interesting. I wonder if its all a question of caballing.

 

[blakerwry]

The antec 3700AMB I purchased came with front USB ports that were only USB 1.1 compatible. I sent Antec an email and they sent me some new ports that were USB 2.0 compliant.

I supose it's just about signal integrity (like the difference between cat3 and cat5) I havent heard about any wiring difference, although one may exist.

 

[CityK]

or maybe its that pesky cabling instead

 

[Onomatopoeic]

Yes, just maybe it is the cabling instead. Yes, just like CAT3 Ethernet cabling versus CAT-5 versus CAT-6: different impedance, different capacitance, different twist ratio, etc.

One other thing to remember about the fraud that is called USB2, is that it can mean s-l-o-w OR fast throughput. The key is understanding the misleading descriptors "full speed" and "high speed." So-called "Full Speed" USB2 is just USB 1.1 in new clothing -- 12 Mb/s. "High Speed" USB2 is just what you'd expect USB2 to be -- 480Mb/s.

PS: Of the many USB drive bay panels on the market, I like the Koutech offerings the best.

 

[CityK]

One other thing to remember about the fraud that is called USB2, is that it can mean s-l-o-w OR fast throughput. The key is understanding the misleading descriptors "full speed" and "high speed." So-called "Full Speed" USB2 is just USB 1.1 in new clothing -- 12 Mb/s. "High Speed" USB2 is just what you'd expect USB2 to be -- 480Mb/s.

Yep. Learned that one a while back when Mercutio had posted a link to the USB org. According to their desires, the correct nomenclature for low speed or full speed devices is should simply be "USB", while high speed devices should recieve a "High-Speed USB" designation.