USB Hub & USB Daq Device Issue/Chipsets used in USB Hubs

[J Bowen]

I've run into an issue where DaqMX didn't recognize my USB DAQ devices when I plugged them through a Belkin USB hub.  Either the device wouldn't register or the installation of the drivers would fail.  I did some research and found the following Knowledge Base article about how NI's USB DAQ devices don't work so well with some chipsets used in USB hubs. 

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/22E3AA18078CEDA886257195005574A4

Anyways I cracked open my Belkin and saw that it wasn't an VIA, NEC, or Intel chipset (looked like SMSC), as reccomended by the article.

Does anyone have any idea what brands of USB hubs use which chipsets?  I've searched around the internet for awhile but haven't had any promising leads?  Am I just going to have to go to radioshack and crack some open?

Thanks for any help,

[Sandra_T]

Hello J Bowen,

What USB device are you using? What model of Belkin USB hub do you have? Are you using multiple USB hubs? How many devices are you planning to plug into the hub?
Have you tried plugging your device into the USB port of your PC? Can they be detect the individual devices in Measurement and Automation Explorer?
Do you have the correct driver for you USB device? Check the following resource:

Data Acquisition (DAQ) Installation/Configuration Troubleshooter NI-DAQ Driver Support

One consideration when using a USB hub and DAQ devices is the power. Take a look at the followind KnowledgeBase:

Why Will USB-Based Devices Not Run on Bus-Powered Hubs?

You are also correct about the chipset consideration. I am still looking into this issue.
Please try the above recommendations first and let me know if your system can detect just one of your devices with out the hub.

Regards,
  Sandra T.

Applications Engineer | National Instruments

[J Bowen]

Only using one hub : Belkin F5U234 with AC power adapter

Using NI 9221A and NI 9481

Using DAQMX 8.5

It will work when I plug directly into the USB ports on the computer.

When I first plugged in the NI devices into the USB Hub the NI devices installed fine (just like if you plug into a different USB Port on your computer) and they functioned fine.  However when I plugged the NI deviced in a different port on the USB hub, it started the installation and then came up with this error: "The name is already in use as either a service name or a service display name."  (picture included below).  Now when I plug it back into the orgininal slot on the USB hub it works and shows up in MAX.  This leads me to believe that it is something to do with how the USB hub is addressing the different slots which is making the computer think there is some type of duplicate (I'm not a usb expert so I don't know the lingo...).  So I did research on the KB and found the article talking about chipsets, cracked open the Belkin and found that it wasn't one of the recommended chipsets.

I don't think its a power issue as the hub was externally powered.  And the fact that the devices work in the orginal slot they were installed on makes me think its something specific to the hub. 

[J Bowen]

Only using one hub : Belkin F5U234 with AC power adapter

Using NI 9221A and NI 9481

Using DAQMX 8.5

It will work when I plug directly into the USB ports on the computer.

When I first plugged in the NI devices into the USB Hub the NI devices installed fine (just like if you plug into a different USB Port on your computer) and they functioned fine.  However when I plugged the NI deviced in a different port on the USB hub, it started the installation and then came up with this error: "The name is already in use as either a service name or a service display name."  (picture included below).  Now when I plug it back into the orgininal slot on the USB hub it works and shows up in MAX.  This leads me to believe that it is something to do with how the USB hub is addressing the different slots which is making the computer think there is some type of duplicate (I'm not a usb expert so I don't know the lingo...).  So I did research on the KB and found the article talking about chipsets, cracked open the Belkin and found that it wasn't one of the recommended chipsets.

I don't think its a power issue as the hub was externally powered.  And the fact that the devices work in the orginal slot they were installed on makes me think its something specific to the hub. 

[Sandra_T]

Hello J Bowen,

Thank you for posting a screen shot of the error. I need some more information from you to trouble shoot the issue.

Are you connecting the hub to a desktop PC or laptop?

When you unplug the USB device and try to plug it into a different port, this is when you get the error as it is trying to load the correct driver. When this occurs, are you able to see the USB devices in the Windows' Device Manager? Does it appear with a yellow exclamation mark? Can you click on it and try to update the driver?

Regards,
  Sandra T.

Applications Engineer | National Instruments

[J Bowen]

This was to a laptop.  I did check in the device manager and saw the USB devcie with the yellow exclamation point and tried to update the driver at which point I got the same error message.

Actually over the weekend I believe I was able to resolve the issue.  Basically my thougth was to "reset" the identified USB devices.  I went into the registry and deleted the instances of the NI USB Devices from the following:

HKey_Local _Machin\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB

I also discoverd that I needed to delete the service name (since this was a service name error, in this case USB Device, NI 9162) from the following:

HKey_Local _Machin\System\CurrentControlSet\Services

After that, and using a different USB Hub (Gigaware 4-Port USB 2.0 Desktop Hub 26-160, w/ AC adapter) I was able to reinstall the hardware with no issue.  When I did the install I first did the 2 primary ports on my laptop, then plugged in the hub and went through the next 8 ports (2 primary ports X 4 hub ports).  After that the carrier is recognized at each port, and it is just a matter of isntalling the actual USB modules as I require.  So far so good!! 

I guess it has something to do with how the hub addressed its ports which confused windows into thinking it had a duplicate service name (for the 9162 carrier).  Reseting the USB instances and the service name for it seemed to fix it.  What do ya think??

[Sandra_T]

Hello J Bowen,

You may be correct, this could be cause by the way the hub is addressing the different ports. Each of our USB devices has a serial number that identfy them in the system. Normally the system would be able to detect the device. In the case of the hub it may still think the device is still plugged into the system and has the service or service name reserved. I'm uncertain how the USB hub operates. I am glad to see that you were able to get a workarround with the other device.

Regards,
  Sandra T.

Applications Engineer | National Instruments

[Steven Horbal]

Hi J Bowen,

This is the second time I have encountered this problem.  The first time I eventually solved it after speaking with the NI rep on the phone over a week, by uninstalling and then re-installing DAQ mx 8.5 (takes over an hour). 

This time I was very happy to see your detailed post.  It worked without issue.

FYI:  My registry had 32 different ni-usb items in the sub list.  I only own 7 units that use the carrier (2 bus powered units that always work perfectly).  The registry items were all in a sub list named '.......\USB\vid_3929&PID_719a\'.

I never found any difference using any number of different hubs (or direct).  Your solution works fine with my Belkin ac powered hubs(even with a hub into another hub breaking out into 3 hubs, which then all connect to my daq equipment).

Hope NI comes out with an update to incorporate your solution into the application.

Thanks,

[Joe_Gerhardstein]

Same problem with Dell Optiplex GX620 (desktop).  I had 3 brand new USB-9162s come in this morning.  First one goes in fine, the 2nd and 3rd give me the "The name is already in use as either a service name or a service display name."  All are plugged directly into the computer (no external hubs).  Cards work find in a laptop.




Message Edited by Joe Gerhardstein on 11-26-2007 01:45 PM

[Joe_Gerhardstein]

Update:

I found that I only needed to delete the items from

HKey_Local _Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services

then restart.  After reinserting the USB-9162s, everything is detected fine.  Doesn't seem to matter whether you put in an empty 9162 then put a card into the 9162, or go straight to the 9162 with the card already inserted.



Message Edited by Joe Gerhardstein on 11-26-2007 02:06 PM