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I have a new laptop with 2 USB2 ports and 2 USB3 ports. I have to use an USB2 RGB-D camera, namely the Softkinetic DS325. On my old laptop (only USB2 ports) everything is running as it should. On the new laptop, I cannot stream at the same time both RGB and Depth data. The reason for this is mentioned here
USB 3.0 "technically" is backward compatible to USB 2.0. However, the USB3.0 standard uses up part of the bandwidth to create backward compatibility, so there is actually less bandwidth on a USB3.0 port in back-compatible mode to USB2.0. This is a known problem with the USB3 spec.
The error messages that I get because of this issue are:
“usb controller bandwidth exceeded”
“the usb controller does not have enough bandwidth”
“could not register node couldn't start streaming”
This behavior is observed on ALL ports of the new laptop (no matter if it is USB2 or USB3, probably it has to do with the controlers).
Since I lack the necessary hardware knowledge, does anyone have an idea about what can be done as a solution for this problem? I don't really care about the USB3 ports, but the camera has to work on the USB2 ports, if possible.
dim_tz
Posted 2014-01-20T19:35:01.200
Reputation: 131
1Even if your first block was true, USB 3.0 has 5Gbps of bandwidth and should easily work. Try updating the BIOS and the USB drivers. Even if the whole 480Mbps was reserved 4000+Mbps should remain available. Also none of this is any excuse for you USB 2.0 ports not working. – cybernard – 2014-01-20T19:43:29.817
I would also try getting a USB 3.0 hub with USB 2 and 3 ports and seeing if that helps. – cybernard – 2014-01-20T19:44:58.230
Try disconnecting any additional USB devices you may have plugged in, try a powered USB hub. – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2014-01-20T19:47:41.857
Hi cybernard, I know this sounds a bit of a paradox, but the first block is true because it is posted by the manufacturer (also mentioned at various places online). The device kind-of-works, but it cannot send the 'full' data. Not-working properly on a usb3 port is expected, based on the first block, the main question is why it doesn't work on the usb2 ports of the same computer and if something can be done for this. It's the first time I see such a problem, I was really surprised by this. – dim_tz – 2014-01-20T19:49:29.023
Hi techie007 (and cybernard again), actually I didn't think of using a powered USB hub. However the problem seems to be bandwidth and power related, I'm not sure if you agree with this. PS - no other usb device is connected, and I've tried rebooting and plugging again fresh to a usb2 port. – dim_tz – 2014-01-20T19:52:45.540
The powered USB hub has its own hub chip inside and may react differently. – cybernard – 2014-01-20T19:53:42.653
Cool, didn't know about this. So it might react differently even though the hub is connected again to one of the laptop's usb port? – dim_tz – 2014-01-20T19:57:31.580
The manufacturer may have an issue with there device using USB 3.0 in compatibility mode, but that is there fault and not USB as a whole. Opinion: I think the manufacture is trying to blame USB for something that is really there fault End Opnion – cybernard – 2014-01-20T19:57:38.217
Before I would believe the manufacture I would insist on a document from USB.org proving there point any other data source is questionable. – cybernard – 2014-01-20T19:59:48.053
I'm not sure if I can blame them cybernard, when I was first googling for the problem I saw that others had the same issue with different devices. It might be true, my knowledge is limited on this domain. So what the manufacturer suggests is either to compress the color data, or just stick to usb2 ports. But still, usb2 ports result in the same problem, which is exactly the paradox. My guess is that it has to do with the hub, but again, my knowledge is very limited on such issues. – dim_tz – 2014-01-20T20:04:23.607
The controller chip in your laptop or in your camera could have a bug like this, but that is not how is supposed to work. First update your drivers and some USB controllers have upgradeable firmware. Then the powered USB hub. – cybernard – 2014-01-20T20:12:16.783
(@cybernard) Ok, your suggestions are noted down and they will be tried. Thanks very much for the info! I have just found out a hidden option which does rgb-compression (jpg) and it indeed works fine (rgb&depth transmission). So the problem is with the uncompressed data that need more bandwidth. the "happy accident" is that depth data are more important that super-noise-free color data. – dim_tz – 2014-01-20T20:17:59.127
If the latest USB3 driver doesn't work, try downgrading to latest USB2 driver. It could be that a timing loop in the USB3 driver is expecting speeds it's not getting and throwing the errors. – DocSalvager – 2014-01-22T23:57:14.173