STARVIEW 4 usb port faulty - Techwatch Support Forums: Digital & Satellite TV, FTA, Cable, Computers, Mobile Phones, Apple and General Tech Forums

green22 · 23-01-09, 10:15 AM

Good morning all. Received my replacement HDD for my Starview 4 USB and all worked fine for 5 days. Started beeping again last night, tried it connected to my laptop, all fine, 2 x different cables worked okay etc. Two different USB Flash drives will work in the back of the starview but not the HDD and lead?? Thinking it must be a faulty usb port in the back of the box as if you wiggle and hold the end of the usb lead around in certain positions into the port, it will work occasionally. Not sure where I stand with my warranty on the box as it has obviously been flashed with the latest firmware etc and is not FTA as it was when they sent it to me. Was going to have a go at replacing the USB port in the back of the starview. Is this going to be something I can do or has anyone done it? Or shall I just buy a bigger Flash Drive

Any help appreciated folks!

TheOmegaMan · 23-01-09, 02:18 PM

How long is the lead from the Starview to your HDD?
- Some external USB HDDs only get supplied with a short USB lead because of data corruption & other issues. I'm sure the USB driver on the Starview 4 is built-in to the processor so not something you can change. It is possible that there's a soldering or poor contact issue with the USB connector, but you would probably see similar intermittent issues when using your memory sticks.

There is a USB supply driver chip in the Starview 4 that provides the power to the external memory etc & that might be struggling to supply enough current to your HDD, so my next question is...

Does your HDD have its own power supply?
- If you're trying to power the HDD from the Starview's USB port then that might be the cause of your problems. There is only limited current available from the USB supply driver chip in the Starview 4.

green22 · 23-01-09, 02:30 PM

Hiya

The usb lead is about 20 cms long. I have tried an alternate lead too about the same length but no joy. To be fair, I have only put the flash drive in to download software and to record for half an hour, so if left in I might experience a problem with this too. The HDD is powered by the USB in the Starview. Both box and HDD were bought at the same time through the same company. They have already replaced the HDD. The USB port in the Starview does seem a bit wobbly too. Thanks for your help in this, its all a bit above my knowledge level!!

TheOmegaMan · 23-01-09, 04:54 PM

That lead length should be fine.

Do you have a make & model number for your HDD? It would be interesting to know the spec to see if it may be drawing too much current from the Starview's USB port.

green22 · 23-01-09, 11:27 PM

Hiya

Its a seagate momentus 5400.3 160gb HDD. It comes with a black metal case consisting of a top and bottom cover which the smaller end of the USB lead attaches to.

TheOmegaMan · 24-01-09, 02:37 PM

As far as I can tell, the spec for that drive says it draws upto 1000mA at startup and the general read/write requirements are about 400mA. This is for the drive only & not the additional USB electronics built in to the enclosure, so you could assume the total to be a little higher.

The spec for the Starview 4's USB port is only 100mA MAX.

This is in keeping with other USB specifications (eg on your PC). When a device is connected to a USB port there's an enumeration process that's carried out to let the PC know how much current the external device needs. In generel this is limited to 100mA at first but can be negotiated, via software, upto 500mA.

I don't know (and haven't checked) whether that Starview 4 does this enumeration, but I do know the USB supply chip it uses. That chip has a maximum output current of 1000mA, so you would think therefore that your drive should be fine.

However, there's no heatsinking on the driver chip so it may be getting too warm. There may be other components there that are limiting the output current below what the chip can provide. There may also be a limitation from the Starview's main power supply as to how much current it can provide to the chip in the first place.

I know none of this will solve your problems but it says to me that your HDD may be trying to draw too much current from the USB port, and certainly far more than the Starview's specification. Other people use USB-powered drives quite happily, but I don't know their spec so can't compare.

If you know someone with a self-powered HDD (i.e. has its own external supply), give that a try and see if the problem clears.

p.s. For this very reason I've only used self-powered HDDs rather than USB-powered.

green22 · 24-01-09, 02:52 PM

HI

Wow, thanks for all your help with this. I will try and find someone with a HDD that has an external power supply and see if that works. Will keep you posted.

green22 · 12-02-09, 11:58 AM

Morning all. Ordered a Trekstor 160gb HDD with external power supply on the recommendation of TheOmegaMan, set it up last night and all is working beautifully (touch wood, ha ha!) Sure, it is a little bulky but was a great price too so if any of you are looking for external HDD that will work with your STV4 this is defo one I would recommend : >

23-01-09, 10:15 AM	#1 (permalink)
green22 Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sunny Westcountry Posts: 92 Thanks: 11 Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts	STARVIEW 4 usb port faulty Good morning all. Received my replacement HDD for my Starview 4 USB and all worked fine for 5 days. Started beeping again last night, tried it connected to my laptop, all fine, 2 x different cables worked okay etc. Two different USB Flash drives will work in the back of the starview but not the HDD and lead?? Thinking it must be a faulty usb port in the back of the box as if you wiggle and hold the end of the usb lead around in certain positions into the port, it will work occasionally. Not sure where I stand with my warranty on the box as it has obviously been flashed with the latest firmware etc and is not FTA as it was when they sent it to me. Was going to have a go at replacing the USB port in the back of the starview. Is this going to be something I can do or has anyone done it? Or shall I just buy a bigger Flash Drive Any help appreciated folks!

23-01-09, 02:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
TheOmegaMan Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 28 Thanks: 0 Thanked 15 Times in 13 Posts	Re: STARVIEW 4 usb port faulty How long is the lead from the Starview to your HDD? - Some external USB HDDs only get supplied with a short USB lead because of data corruption & other issues. I'm sure the USB driver on the Starview 4 is built-in to the processor so not something you can change. It is possible that there's a soldering or poor contact issue with the USB connector, but you would probably see similar intermittent issues when using your memory sticks. There is a USB supply driver chip in the Starview 4 that provides the power to the external memory etc & that might be struggling to supply enough current to your HDD, so my next question is... Does your HDD have its own power supply? - If you're trying to power the HDD from the Starview's USB port then that might be the cause of your problems. There is only limited current available from the USB supply driver chip in the Starview 4.

23-01-09, 02:30 PM	#3 (permalink)
green22 Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sunny Westcountry Posts: 92 Thanks: 11 Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts	Re: STARVIEW 4 usb port faulty Hiya The usb lead is about 20 cms long. I have tried an alternate lead too about the same length but no joy. To be fair, I have only put the flash drive in to download software and to record for half an hour, so if left in I might experience a problem with this too. The HDD is powered by the USB in the Starview. Both box and HDD were bought at the same time through the same company. They have already replaced the HDD. The USB port in the Starview does seem a bit wobbly too. Thanks for your help in this, its all a bit above my knowledge level!!

23-01-09, 04:54 PM	#4 (permalink)
TheOmegaMan Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 28 Thanks: 0 Thanked 15 Times in 13 Posts	Re: STARVIEW 4 usb port faulty That lead length should be fine. Do you have a make & model number for your HDD? It would be interesting to know the spec to see if it may be drawing too much current from the Starview's USB port.

23-01-09, 11:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
green22 Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sunny Westcountry Posts: 92 Thanks: 11 Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts	Re: STARVIEW 4 usb port faulty Hiya Its a seagate momentus 5400.3 160gb HDD. It comes with a black metal case consisting of a top and bottom cover which the smaller end of the USB lead attaches to.

24-01-09, 02:37 PM	#6 (permalink)
TheOmegaMan Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 28 Thanks: 0 Thanked 15 Times in 13 Posts	Re: STARVIEW 4 usb port faulty As far as I can tell, the spec for that drive says it draws upto 1000mA at startup and the general read/write requirements are about 400mA. This is for the drive only & not the additional USB electronics built in to the enclosure, so you could assume the total to be a little higher. The spec for the Starview 4's USB port is only 100mA MAX. This is in keeping with other USB specifications (eg on your PC). When a device is connected to a USB port there's an enumeration process that's carried out to let the PC know how much current the external device needs. In generel this is limited to 100mA at first but can be negotiated, via software, upto 500mA. I don't know (and haven't checked) whether that Starview 4 does this enumeration, but I do know the USB supply chip it uses. That chip has a maximum output current of 1000mA, so you would think therefore that your drive should be fine. However, there's no heatsinking on the driver chip so it may be getting too warm. There may be other components there that are limiting the output current below what the chip can provide. There may also be a limitation from the Starview's main power supply as to how much current it can provide to the chip in the first place. I know none of this will solve your problems but it says to me that your HDD may be trying to draw too much current from the USB port, and certainly far more than the Starview's specification. Other people use USB-powered drives quite happily, but I don't know their spec so can't compare. If you know someone with a self-powered HDD (i.e. has its own external supply), give that a try and see if the problem clears. p.s. For this very reason I've only used self-powered HDDs rather than USB-powered.

24-01-09, 02:52 PM	#7 (permalink)
green22 Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sunny Westcountry Posts: 92 Thanks: 11 Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts	Re: STARVIEW 4 usb port faulty HI Wow, thanks for all your help with this. I will try and find someone with a HDD that has an external power supply and see if that works. Will keep you posted.

12-02-09, 11:58 AM	#8 (permalink)
green22 Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sunny Westcountry Posts: 92 Thanks: 11 Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts	Re: STARVIEW 4 usb port faulty Morning all. Ordered a Trekstor 160gb HDD with external power supply on the recommendation of TheOmegaMan, set it up last night and all is working beautifully (touch wood, ha ha!) Sure, it is a little bulky but was a great price too so if any of you are looking for external HDD that will work with your STV4 this is defo one I would recommend : >

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