USB3 for T60 and XP, anyone?

[Ogg]

Would this product work on the T60?

https://www.newegg.ca/p/2S7-07JP-11X85? ... _-Product

I am looking to provide USB3 capability on my beloved T60 (3GB ram). It's is currently still operating quite fine with XP. I recently replaced the original 250GB HDD (that was quite full) with a 1TB SSD. The two upper and lower USB2 ports on the right side seem to still cooperate at good speed. But the one USB port on the left side (near the PCMCIA slot) is kaput and falls back to something much slower than USB2 speeds. The PCMCIA slot has gone unused for anything practical.

[axur-delmeria]

What you need is an Expresscard USB 3.0 adapter. But before you go and buy one, do some research which USB 3.0 controller chips have drivers for Windows XP.

From the back of my head, I remember some controller chips commonly used in Expresscard USB 3.0 adapters:

* Asmedia ASM1042
* Fresco Logic FL1000 and FL1100
* Renesas uPD720200 and uPD720202

I've only used an Expresscard USB 3.0 adapter with the FL1100, but on Win 7 and Linux only, not on XP.

[JBUK]

I have used this type of adapter on T60 and T61 for years and they do speed things up a lot. They usually even come with a driver mini CD for XP. You can connect an extra cable, which has always been included, from another USB slot to enable powering an external HDD

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185698532459

[Ogg]

I have used this type of adapter on T60 and T61 for years and they do speed things up a lot. They usually even come with a driver mini CD for XP. You can connect an extra cable, which has always been included, from another USB slot to enable powering an external HDD

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185698532459

Thank you for your reply. The one that you provided a link for shows a 2 x USB3 card with a pin for connecting external power. Does that one include the cable to feed the extra power?

Meanwhile, I see many of these bearing the same "rabbit" logo. The one I found pictured on newegg.ca was also represented elsewhere. That design has 3 x USB3 ports (one is probably reserved for feeding power if needed). I see many of them are manufactured by SODIAL.

[Ogg]

What you need is an Expresscard USB 3.0 adapter. But before you go and buy one, do some research which USB 3.0 controller chips have drivers for Windows XP.

From the back of my head, I remember some controller chips commonly used in Expresscard USB 3.0 adapters:

* Asmedia ASM1042
* Fresco Logic FL1000 and FL1100
* Renesas uPD720200 and uPD720202

I've only used an Expresscard USB 3.0 adapter with the FL1100, but on Win 7 and Linux only, not on XP.

Thank you. I appreciate the heads-up on the controller chips. I think I've found the right card to try:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/115455105658?ha ... M_tC_hNJh

It illustrates a disc with FL1100. And researching that, it seems to indicate that XP is supported too.

Might be worth the trouble for $20 education.

[RealBlackStuff]

I think I've found the right card to try:

https://www. ebay.ca/itm/115455105658?hash=item1ae1a91a7a:g:ofIAAOSw6GFiw-bO&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4JDlgB0gaQqOMY5GbLkgafhnHapCIAzZiZxAn0z2OVzdL5my5Lo02u2BJRfOhi
RiS%2BClaKqJMTSJ%2BoGc3zv5BUbCg9MlVsG8SW0QXEk0%2BpH7dvckH%2FfyfUUEhLaCKFAMuL8DOS
qF%2Fsj%2Bx0HnlAFm1xJwqaQRCY06JIJA%2Fx3hcvUfP6CLXWS22WlZlr8cTVVFk3tvee%2B7PAdXAIbxp
m%2B0zEZR%2FtIMzBbE7tiQEhALGfavUtIbKN%2BmV6BJKvcl5DySTtzU7CrVEbGoo76aoNW7rzD6wqmd
6nm13xUUbAfLoeNA|tkp%3ABFBM_tC_hNJh

The above is what you copied from eBay, HUGE nonsense.
Next time and in future, ANY eBay link should look like this:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/115455105658
Anything from the ? question-mark after the /itm/number is gobbledegook.

[Ogg]

The above is what you copied from eBay, HUGE nonsense.
Next time and in future, ANY eBay link should look like this:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/115455105658
Anything from the ? question-mark after the /itm/number is gobbledegook.

Thanks for the reminder.. I knew about the ? marker. I meant to redit the message but had a distraction. It's been a while since I last ventured in this forum. I forgot about the different things that one should do.

[dr_st]

* Asmedia ASM1042
* Fresco Logic FL1000 and FL1100
* Renesas uPD720200 and uPD720202

All these will work. FL1100/uPD720202/ASM1042 may have slight performance advantages on faster setups, but it will not be meaningful on T60 running XP. ASM1042 specifically seemed rather weak in XP. FL1100 is a good pick, but don't expect to use all 3 ports at once. For T60 with XP uPD720202 might give the best performance but it has compatibility problems with other chipsets on other laptops.

See here:
viewtopic.php?t=127819
And here:
viewtopic.php?t=110163

You may want to find a way to disable L0s on the root port, if you want to maximize read speeds:
viewtopic.php?t=108201

[axur-delmeria]

If you intend to use USB 3.0 portable hard drives, I suggest getting a powered USB 3.0 hub, because Expresscard adapters can't provide enough current for that type of device.

[Ogg]

If you intend to use USB 3.0 portable hard drives, I suggest getting a powered USB 3.0 hub, because Expresscard adapters can't provide enough current for that type of device.

Thx for the heads-up on that. I have USB A-A splitter cable that I have used for an old power hungry external 2.5" HDD. I will probably need that when using the original 250GB HDD from the T60 that I just put in an external USB3-supported case.

I am just primarily interested in supporting a couple of 64GB 3.0 usb drives that I have. One of them, a Phillips brand, on sale for under $15 several years ago, simply does not want to cooperate on the standard USB2 ports of the T60. Sometimes it gets detected, sometimes it does not.

[Ogg]

* Asmedia ASM1042
* Fresco Logic FL1000 and FL1100
* Renesas uPD720200 and uPD720202

All these will work. FL1100/uPD720202/ASM1042 may have slight performance advantages on faster setups, but it will not be meaningful on T60 running XP. ASM1042 specifically seemed rather weak in XP. FL1100 is a good pick, but don't expect to use all 3 ports at once. For T60 with XP uPD720202 might give the best performance but it has compatibility problems with other chipsets on other laptops.

See here:
viewtopic.php?t=127819
And here:
viewtopic.php?t=110163

You may want to find a way to disable L0s on the root port, if you want to maximize read speeds:
viewtopic.php?t=108201

Excellent info. Thx for describing those. I did not realize that the T60 could even support ExpressCard, and that is why my searches here for just "XP T60 USB3" didn't pull up very much.

[axur-delmeria]

Thx for the heads-up on that. I have USB A-A splitter cable that I have used for an old power hungry external 2.5" HDD. I will probably need that when using the original 250GB HDD from the T60 that I just put in an external USB3-supported case.

If that splitter cable was for a USB2 device, it won't give you USB 3.0 speeds. USB 3.0 has additional pins and signals not present in USB2 cables.

[Ogg]

Thx for the heads-up on that. I have USB A-A splitter cable that I have used for an old power hungry external 2.5" HDD. I will probably need that when using the original 250GB HDD from the T60 that I just put in an external USB3-supported case.

If that splitter cable was for a USB2 device, it won't give you USB 3.0 speeds. USB 3.0 has additional pins and signals not present in USB2 cables.

Ah.. but can't I just use the "power" part of that cable to the ExpressCard independently? It would be the same thing if I just had one double ended A-A cable anyway.

[axur-delmeria]

Back when I still used the USB 3.0 Expresscard, I had a cable like this (but shorter) to use with my external hard drive.

[Ogg]

Back when I still used the USB 3.0 Expresscard, I had a cable like this (but shorter) to use with my external hard drive.

Yes.. I have something like that Y cable for an old external Sandisk 2.5" HDD. But the cable is probably not rated/labled as USB3 like that one.

Couldn't the ExpressCard be powered with a short independent A-A cable and taking it's power from the USB port next to the PCMCIA slot?

[axur-delmeria]

Couldn't the ExpressCard be powered with a short independent A-A cable and taking it's power from the USB port next to the PCMCIA slot?

I actually tried that but it didn't work consistently-- the USB HDD would power down and disconnect from time to time.

[dr_st]

I actually tried that but it didn't work consistently-- the USB HDD would power down and disconnect from time to time.

Some 2-port 54mm adapters, like the uPD720202,have a special DC-in jack and they come with a USB-to-DC cable. However, I suspect the behavior will be the same as with your USB A-to-A.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/123207401660

[Ogg]

I actually tried that but it didn't work consistently-- the USB HDD would power down and disconnect from time to time.

Some 2-port 54mm adapters, like the uPD720202,have a special DC-in jack and they come with a USB-to-DC cable. However, I suspect the behavior will be the same as with your USB A-to-A.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/123207401660

I saw that one two. Didn't know that design was uPD720202-based. Anyway.. my main goal is to just support the larger USB3 mem sticks, 64GB+ I don't imagine that those would need extra DC to operate.

[Ogg]

What you need is an Expresscard USB 3.0 adapter. But before you go and buy one, do some research which USB 3.0 controller chips have drivers for Windows XP.

From the back of my head, I remember some controller chips commonly used in Expresscard USB 3.0 adapters:

* Asmedia ASM1042
* Fresco Logic FL1000 and FL1100
* Renesas uPD720200 and uPD720202

I've only used an Expresscard USB 3.0 adapter with the FL1100, but on Win 7 and Linux only, not on XP.

Thank you. I appreciate the heads-up on the controller chips. I think I've found the right card to try:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/115455105658?ha ... M_tC_hNJh

It illustrates a disc with FL1100. And researching that, it seems to indicate that XP is supported too.

Might be worth the trouble for $20 education.

UPDATE.. ExpressCard arrived.

https://kolico.ca/tmp/usb3.jpg

There was some awkwardness in getting the drivers installed. I think it expected the card in place before installing the FL1100 driver. Anyway, it all settled down eventually. When I first plugged in my USB3 64GB thumbrive, Windows warned "This device can operate faster on a higher-speed port". Then, I conducted some speed tests..

[1] a 1.8GB file transferred to my USB3 drive in 1m 30s. That's 1.8GB in 1.5min == 1.2GB/min == 20MB/s.

[2] a 4.88GB transfer was 4.88GB/2.67min == 1.827GB/min == 30.45MB/s

[axur-delmeria]

It could be a software issue. If you can boot from a Linux live USB, you can test if the USB 3.0 Expresscard behaves the same, or it achieves USB 3.0 speed.

Do note that the writing speed is limited by the USB flash disk itself. Using a much more performant device (like an external SSD) would be a better test IMO. That said, compare the write speed on USB 3.0 vs USB 2.0.

[Ogg]

It could be a software issue. If you can boot from a Linux live USB, you can test if the USB 3.0 Expresscard behaves the same, or it achieves USB 3.0 speed.

Do note that the writing speed is limited by the USB flash disk itself. Using a much more performant device (like an external SSD) would be a better test IMO. That said, compare the write speed on USB 3.0 vs USB 2.0.

That I can do.

Meanwhile.. I noticed THIS:

https://kolico.ca/tmp/fff.jpg

The other "root" hubs have that disabled too.

Maybe I'll need that tool to disable the sleep mode that was mentioned earlier.

[dr_st]

When I first plugged in my USB3 64GB thumbrive, Windows warned "This device can operate faster on a higher-speed port".

Make sure you plug the thumbdrive firmly all the way in, in one insert. If not plugged all the way in, it will make contact with the USB2.0 pins first, which will make it operate as a USB2.0 device.

Do note that the writing speed is limited by the USB flash disk itself. Using a much more performant device (like an external SSD) would be a better test IMO.

That is also correct. It is better to test the read speed of the USB3.0 thumbdrive, because most of them have read speeds way over the USB2.0 ability, but not necessarily the write speed to match.