USB Problems

Hardware Hub
1

System specs:
Ryzen 5600X
Biostar B550T Silver
RTX 3060 TI
Windows 10 Pro

My keyboard and mouse are connected through a 4 PC USB switch so I can share them with another PC on the side.
Whenever I switch to/from this PC, or plug/unplug the cable from this PC while it is selected, all other USB devices, especially audio output devices stutter for around 0.5 seconds. It doesn’t happen on my secondary system (specs below). How do I solve this?

Secondary System:
Intel i7-3770
Gigabyte Z77P-D3
RTX 3060
R9 290
Windows 10 Pro

2

It’s likely cheaper to buy another brand (and try your luck) than spending the effort to find a fix.

Could you name the brand, vendor id and device id for your USB switch? I’m in the market for one too. So that I can avoid yours (sorry to say that).

EDIT:

For those interested, you perhaps should avoid Aliexpress cheapskate or products with this chipset:

Vendor id: 0x1a40 (Terminus Technology Inc)
Device id (aka Product Id): 0x0101

3

I don’t think there’s much you can do about it unfortunately. I think it’s an issue with AMD and their USB implementation. I’ve experienced some weirdness with USB to SATA adapters, for example. If your AGESA is to the latest update and all your AMD platform drivers are up to date aswell you gotta take the delay.

4

I’m not so sure OP’s issue has anything to do with AMD’s USB controller than the 4-port USB switch. Based on my previous response, you can tell I’m betting on the fault of the USB switch.

I’m experiencing very similar issue like OP. It’s the other way round though. The AMD PC is instantly responsive at the flip of the switch and performs ok. The Intel PC is delayed by up to 10s on the other hand. But that’s not the only issue I figured.

Upon much deliberation on my issue, I’m not blaming the Intel PC (and its built-in USB controller). But rather my USB switch.

I probably won’t blame the sweatshop like Chinese manufacturers either who sell these products at perhaps very thin margin. Rather I’m in a hope to name and shame the USB chipset manufacturers. These firms know much better what’s happening. They provide reference designs to product manufacturers who probably loyally copy down to every detail from the reference designs.

Perhaps some product manufacturers cheap out on a few components. That I can’t rule out. But mostly it’s the issue of the chipsets and their reference designs. Not well thought and not well tested.

1 Like
5

No. The one having problems is the AMD system while the Intel system behaves completely fine.

The switch shows up as a Hub from Genesys logic in Windows.
This is the product page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092YSB89D?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

6

Your issue look similar, but are is of entirely different magnitude compared the one OP is describing. I attributed the 0.5s delay to the system because I know about the kinks AMD never fully ironed out when it comes to USB reliablity on AM4. I bet that connecting another Intel machine (or an updated AMD one, who knows) would not show the issue.

In your case I totally agree.

They’re probably slighty out of the USB standard so that’s why you’re having issues. Reviews on the item seem positive all around so I don’t think the hub is to blame.

Have you tried switching the cables to the hosts and see what happens?

7

While I haven’t tried the exact same ports, I connected one of the channels I am not using to my AMD system and it exhibits the exact same behavior. I also tried running it through a powered hub to make sure it wasn’t power related. That didn’t help either.

2 Likes
8

Read carefully or slowly. I was referring to my issue with my switch in my reply to “MetalizeYourBrain”

I understand you have problem with your USB Switch on your AMD PC not your Intel PC.

Thanks. Usually a fabless design house will have some good products and some bad products. Base on your available info, personally then I will try to avoid end-products based on Geneys Logic.

The issue of mine and OP look very similar. I don’t get your conclusion of “entirely different magnitude” except I was telling you mine is “up to 10s” delay.

Also how could you conclude again it’s a kink of AMD USB controller?

Mine is AM4 too. Personally I haven’t experienced on such a kink on whatever USB devices that I plugged in. Except this USB switch of mine.

AMD also doesn’t design their own USB controller. It’s standard IP from other design houses, likely DesignWare from Synopsys.

This is a valid experiment if OP has another Intel PC.

However, even without a second Intel PC. OP can test to validate your claim it’s an AMD USB controller issue or not.

Thank you

This assessment sounds hollow and empty. Based on what I told you there is nothing for you to conclude “out of USB standard.” Nor does “out of USB standard” sound like any useful and additional information than not saying it.

Haven’t dug into the Genesys Logic product provided by OP. I withhold my judgement of other people’s saying on Amazon. Based on what OP described alone, it’s sufficient enough for me to skip it for now.

Just to be clear. Do you supply power to your 4x4 USB Switch?

Have you tried swapping the output ports on your USB switch connected to your PCs. A swap of two PCs not a different output port for the AMD PC only.

Also, by disconnecting the output port to the Intel PC, do you see the same issue on the AMD PC? I.e. only with your AMD PC connected to your USB Switch.

9

I don’t supply power to the USB switch in my original setup. As a debugging step I connected the switch’s power input to an external power source and the behavior persists.

I just tried a direct swap between the ports used by the 2 systems. The issue persists.

I tried this as per your suggestions and the issue still persists.

One thing I stumbled upon though while trying to swap out the switch for a normal hub and see if the issue persists is that connecting / disconnecting my keyboard (ROG Strix Flare 1st generation) would cause this issue, even directly to a port on my motherboard.

10

Sounds good. We’re narrowing down the problem…

With some digging, you should be able to identify which on-board USB ports connected to CPU, and which ports connected to the so-called platform chipset.

Now repeat your tests…you need a bit creativity…to observe under what sort of combination of devices connected directly to your on-board USB ports, you see the issue.

I suggest you separate the experiment into three groups: 1) only onboard ports to the platform chipset; 2) only onboard ports to AMD CPU; 3) a mix of chipset and CPUU

11

With the help of USB Device Tree Viewer and online databases I was able to narrow down which controllers had which devices.

All devices connected:

  • ROG Strix Impact II (Mouse)
  • ROG Strix Flare (Keyboard)
  • Logitech C922 (Webcam)
  • Edifier G2000 (Speakers)
  • Intel Wireless Bluetooth (Bluetooth, part of AX200)

Sanity check to make sure it was only related to USB:
3.5mm audio jack wasn’t affected by any of this.

The USB lines for bluetooth controller’s m.2 slot is hard wired to the controller on the Chipset on my motherboard so I won’t be able to move it around or remove it (Otherwise I’d have no internet since I don’t have Ethernet here)
The BT card will be present on the chipset controller at all times in the test below

Original setup had the following:
CPU Controller: Mouse and Keyboard (Via switch)
Chipset Controller: Everything Else

Results:
[Before removing any devices]
If I have everything on the chipset controller it exhibits the same behavior.
If I have everything except bluetooth on the CPU it also exhibits the same behavior

[Removed everything except BT, Keyboard and Speakers]
Everything to CPU → same behavior
Everything to Chipset → same behavior

Another Accidental Discovery:
It exhibits the same behavior with only my Mouse (through the switch to CPU port) and my speakers (Direct to CPU port)

Doing everything I did with the keyboard except with the mouse also recreates the exact same behavior.

12

Nice details. Seemed to me you had done a lot of experiment before creating this thread. That’s great.

By reading through what you’ve tested, I got the impression that in your experiment, you always had the 4x4 USB Switch in the equation. If that’s not the case, then clarify. So…up to now, I still think the 4x4 USB Switch is the culprit.

So to isolate one key “controversy” in this thread (i.e. the problem is your AMD CPU USB controller, AM4 platform chipset USB controller or the 4x4 USB Switch), you have to repeat some of your tests (or all of your tests) by taking the 4x4 USB Switch out of the equation. This will also help you to better isolate the cause of your problem.

If there are not enough onboard ports for all USB devices, you can creatively take more devices out of the equation. For example, pick only Mouse or Keyboard, and pick Webcam or USB Speakers.

13

I already took the 4x4 switch out of the equation in the following tests:

  1. Speakers and Keyboard Only on both controllers
  2. Speakers and Mouse Only on both controllers

As per my thread, removing the switch and testing with ONLY my speakers and bluetooth connected + one other device I would plug and unplug directly into my motherboard exhibits the same stuttering behavior.

14

Just for lulz I tried doing the same with my webcam. I can plug/unplug my webcam all day long without any issues.

Trying out the same thing with my phone (iPhone 13 Mini) just for lulz also doesn’t affect anything.

15

Very good and yet not.

The 4x4 USB Switch description is red herring in your original post. Should have been taken out of the problem statement to begin with !!

Isn’t the cause of you problem obvious now then…?

16

Well at this point it sounds like the USB controllers on my PC not liking certain devices and I don’t think there’s really anything I can do about it.

17

If I read your tests correctly, the culprits are your Mouse & Keyboard.

Now it reminds me both are fancy ASUS ROG. Perhaps come with fancy ASUS software with them.

So check on that software. Remove them, try newer version. Or replace Mouse & Keyboard…LOL

Have a nice day.

18

Did you find anything suspicious related to the quoted above?

Do you have another keyboard to try?

Have you had the same ASUS ROG driver/software installed on your Intel PC?

19

I don’t have any ROG software installed on either PC. I also don’t have any spare mouse or keyboards to try out.