USB 2.0 PCI Boards

I'm looking into getting a USB 2.0 PCI board to install in my comp for use with my soon to be had F717 and need a few questioned answered...

1. If i do install a 2.0 board will my remaining USB 1.0 ports still in my comp work or will they be disabled?
2. What USB boards have proven to be reliable...What company?
3. Have there been any problems with USB 2.0 and F717 conectivity?
4. Anything else needs to be considered about USB 2.0?

foxtrot said:

I'm looking into getting a USB 2.0 PCI board to install in my comp
for use with my soon to be had F717 and need a few questioned
answered...
1. If i do install a 2.0 board will my remaining USB 1.0 ports
still in my comp work or will they be disabled?
2. What USB boards have proven to be reliable...What company?
3. Have there been any problems with USB 2.0 and F717 conectivity?
4. Anything else needs to be considered about USB 2.0?

Click to expand...

USB 2.0 is downward compatible with 1.1, so you shouldn't have any problems with the F7x7. Stick with a brand name.

Chuck

foxtrot said:

I'm looking into getting a USB 2.0 PCI board to install in my comp
for use with my soon to be had F717 and need a few questioned
answered...
1. If i do install a 2.0 board will my remaining USB 1.0 ports
still in my comp work or will they be disabled?
2. What USB boards have proven to be reliable...What company?
3. Have there been any problems with USB 2.0 and F717 conectivity?
4. Anything else needs to be considered about USB 2.0?

Click to expand...

I read somewhere that USB 2 on the 717 will download pictures up to 1.5x as fast as the 707. That hardly seems a big gain to pay money for, when you consider some claims that USB2 is 40x faster than USB1.
--
ken from the UK

As probepro mentions, USB 2.0, correctly implemented, is backward compatible with 1.1 so you shouldn't have any worries going this way. I decided on a PCI card rather than a hub because the latter have been too temperamental from a lot of reports. Mine is a 5-port "Highlight" brand (you might as well say "no name" Taiwanese creation -- just standard fare that my local dealer gets from his regular wholesaler, but installation was a non-event and everything I've tried in it so far works without the slightest hitch. It was only AU$54 -- same ballpark as a hub, and a neater solution with the growing number of USB peripherals that seem to be cluttering our desks these days.

Mike
Melbourne

foxtrot said:

I'm looking into getting a USB 2.0 PCI board to install in my comp
for use with my soon to be had F717 and need a few questioned
answered...
1. If i do install a 2.0 board will my remaining USB 1.0 ports
still in my comp work or will they be disabled?
2. What USB boards have proven to be reliable...What company?
3. Have there been any problems with USB 2.0 and F717 conectivity?
4. Anything else needs to be considered about USB 2.0?

Click to expand...

And.. VERY IMPORTIANT:

Make sure you upgrade to service pack 1 for XP and the latest service pack for 2000 BEFORE installing you pci card..

You will find that all ports will be working, but ONLY at USB 1.1 until you do..

It took me a little while before I realized this little snafu

Adaptec boards are rock solid !

I tried comparing download speed between a straight USB 1.1 connection from the 717 vs. a memory stick to multifunction CF adapter to a Firewire CF reader. It is a bit quicker using the adapter and Firewire reader. It is not a big difference. Unless you had some other devices that can utilize the USB 2.0 ports, I think it would be a waste of money. I only kept my adapter and reader because I need to read SD, memory stick, and CF. Sheesh, too many memory formats!

Come on Sony, it's time to up that transfer rate on those memory sticks not to mention stick sizes!

Well I have seen a Belkin 2.0 PCI Card being sold at Wal-Mart here locally for $29.95. I may get one for future capability of my computer. Lucky me I have a Vaio computer so it has a MS slot your plug it in and it sees it as a removeable hard drive. Very Nice. But for the money could you buy one of those all in one readers, from Lexar or Scandisk. I think they are ony usb 1.0 but would you still have to wait for your photos to download or does it work like a external drive like on my Vaio. maybe one of the other STFer's could elaborate on these readers.

Remember that you have to use the new usb 2.0 cables as well.

Thanks
JoeMin

RK said:

I tried comparing download speed between a straight USB 1.1
connection from the 717 vs. a memory stick to multifunction CF
adapter to a Firewire CF reader. It is a bit quicker using the
adapter and Firewire reader. It is not a big difference. Unless
you had some other devices that can utilize the USB 2.0 ports, I
think it would be a waste of money. I only kept my adapter and
reader because I need to read SD, memory stick, and CF. Sheesh,
too many memory formats!

Come on Sony, it's time to up that transfer rate on those memory
sticks not to mention stick sizes!

Click to expand...

Joe M. said:

the 2.0 usb pci boards really shine with a 2.0 printer and especially the scanner. My cannon scanner iis very quick and the 2200 is fairly fast

Click to expand...

downloading the 717 is a moderate improvement...

foxtrot said:

I'm looking into getting a USB 2.0 PCI board to install in my comp
for use with my soon to be had F717 and need a few questioned
answered...
1. If i do install a 2.0 board will my remaining USB 1.0 ports
still in my comp work or will they be disabled?
2. What USB boards have proven to be reliable...What company?
3. Have there been any problems with USB 2.0 and F717 conectivity?
4. Anything else needs to be considered about USB 2.0?

Click to expand...

This is what I have. My exiting ports 1.0 still work. It is backward compatible with 1.0. Don't have any problems. The usb 2.0 drivers come with it. It can be found here: http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=289091

wildbill

Joe

the usb 2.0 cables are a joke and nothing more. the speed for a usb 2.0 device comes from the controller card and the host driver, the cable has nothing to do with it, it may be a higher quality cable then normal but that would be it. the only thing that would slow the transfer rate down would be the resistance of the material used i nthe cable, being that silver would be the best avaialable followed by gold for consumer cables, at the extreme high end would be plantinum cables and you would want to by those because of the range of 100 - 1000 dollars per foot

Joe M. said:

Remember that you have to use the new usb 2.0 cables as well.

Thanks
JoeMin

RK said:

I tried comparing download speed between a straight USB 1.1
connection from the 717 vs. a memory stick to multifunction CF
adapter to a Firewire CF reader. It is a bit quicker using the
adapter and Firewire reader. It is not a big difference. Unless
you had some other devices that can utilize the USB 2.0 ports, I
think it would be a waste of money. I only kept my adapter and
reader because I need to read SD, memory stick, and CF. Sheesh,
too many memory formats!

Come on Sony, it's time to up that transfer rate on those memory
sticks not to mention stick sizes!

Click to expand...

Click to expand...