USB 3.x PCIe Cards for Classic Mac Pro

[Snow Tiger]

Maybe I misinterpreted your question. Were you suggesting to add the card (indicating the controller + hub configuration) to the first post or just the hub chip?

I think the confusion was caused by me inadvertently , as I tend to post things before I fully understand them and then edit afterwards for the benefit of future readers .

I thought the Inateck card had two different host controller chips , which is what excited me at first . But after I researched it one of the chips was discovered to actually be a hub controller chip . The host controller generates USB ports from PCIe , whereas the hub controller chip simply splits up , I guess , a single port of USB generated from the host controller chip .

 

[crjackson2134]

I think the confusion was caused by me inadvertently , as I tend to post things before I fully understand them and then edit afterwards for the benefit of future readers .

I'm guilty of this too at times... Way back in the day, we (mostly) were only concerned with ANY PCIe card that could provide USB3 support OOTB (especially w/o extra power connectors needed). Then third party support got a little better as did Apples inclusion of drivers. At that time, it was of no concern, one way or the other, if said PCIe card made use of a hub controller chip or not.

The driving factor was easy USB3 on a cMP, from ANY PCIe card.

Focus has shifted a bit now. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Snow Tiger]

I'm guilty of this too at times... Way back in the day, we mostly were only concerned with ANY PCIe card that could provide USB3 support OOTB (especially w/o extra power connectors needed). Then third party support got a little better as did Apples inclusion of drivers. At that time, it was of no concern one way or the other if said PCIe card made use hub controller chip or not.

The driving factor was easy USB3 on a cMP, from ANY PCIe card.

Focus has shifted a bit now. I wouldn't worry about it.

Well , yeah . And Apple is still the only writer of USB drivers in macOS . I can't recall the last time I needed to install an USB driver for an macOS / Mac OS X computer .

And they actually are doing a stellar job of it . I'm getting some awesome bandwidth ( in the 750 - 850 MB/s range ) with the later macOS versions and 10 Gbps USB Cards when connected to NVMe based USB thumb drives in the cMPs . Almost as good as found on the PC side , so there are some silent heroes over at Cupertino .

 

[joevt]

And they actually are doing a stellar job of it . I'm getting some awesome bandwidth ( in the 750 - 850 MB/s range ) with the later macOS versions and 10 Gbps USB Cards when connected to NVMe based USB thumb drives in the cMPs . Almost as good as found on the PC side , so there are some silent heroes over at Cupertino .

Those look like ASM1142 numbers (PCIe 2.0 x2 (8 Gbps) or PCIe 3.0 x1 (7.877 Gbps) limited).
980 MB/s is ASM2142 or ASM3142 or Alpine Ridge or Titan Ridge (USB 3.1 gen 2 (10 Gbps) limited).

 

[jvlfilms]

Hey guys, maybe someone can help me out. I’m having issues getting my 1TB SanDisk SSD to read in my Inateck USB 3.0 card - I have a USB C adapter in there which I thought would make the drive visible but I guess not? I’m guessing it has to do with the power required for the drive but I’m not entirely sure.

 

[crjackson2134]

I’m guessing it has to do with the power required for the drive but I’m not entirely sure.

I’m guessing You’re probably correct. You might try testing that drive on a USB hub With a power supply attached. No harm in testing.

 

[jvlfilms]

I’m guessing You’re probably correct. You might try testing that drive on a USB hub With a power supply attached. No harm in testing.

In an ideal world that would be great! (If I had a USB hub ?) I have used portable external drives with this card installed before so I’ll try one of those before I explore other options.

 

[krakman]

Hey guys, maybe someone can help me out. I’m having issues getting my 1TB SanDisk SSD to read in my Inateck USB 3.0 card - I have a USB C adapter in there which I thought would make the drive visible but I guess not? I’m guessing it has to do with the power required for the drive but I’m not entirely sure.

I have a Sandisk 1TB SSD in an Inateck 2.5inch usb3 enclosure, never had any problems when i used the Inateck USB3 PCI card. I upgraded to a Sonnet USB-\C PCIe card and it works fine.

I wonder if your enclosure is at fault?

 

[Niek D]

My Nanotech 4-port USB 3 card in a MP 5.1 with Mojave works like a charm with all my enclosures and card readers except with a Fantec raid enclosure. With the Fantec it always uses USB-2 speeds, around 25-35 MB/sec. But when I connect the Fantec to the Nanotech card via the USB-3 hub in my Nec monitor it works at USB 3 speed, around 220 MB/sec.

Problem is that it is a very power-hungry monitor (about 100 W) so I put it to sleep after 10 minutes idle time. But then the connection with the Fantec is lost and after waking up the Fantec goes back to USB-2 speeds.

So my question is what does the hub do so that my Fantec sees it as a USB-3 connection instead of a USB-2 connection? Will an external (powered) USB-3 hub do the same or will only the Nec monitor works this way? ( It is the PA 322 UHD, a 3000 euro monitor so maybe it is not a 'regular' hub they build in..) Or do I need a certain brand or model USB-hub?

Well, hope that one of you guys knows the trick that solves this problem so that I am not ordering and returning a series of USB-hubs the coming days...

 

[egoulet]

I recently installed a KT4004 in a MP 5,1 Mojave. My Bluetooth keeps turning in and out. Is there a fix for this?

 

[tommy chen]

I recently installed a KT4004 in a MP 5,1 Mojave. My Bluetooth keeps turning in and out. Is there a fix for this?

this is the inatek problem > scrap
buy another card with asmedia controller

 

[egoulet]

this is the inatek problem > scrap
buy another card with asmedia controller

Ok, do you I have recommendations?

 

[crjackson2134]

I recently installed a KT4004 in a MP 5,1 Mojave. My Bluetooth keeps turning in and out. Is there a fix for this?

It's a common problem, many have people solved this issue (present on MANY machines, regardless of your USB3 card choice) by adding an external BT antenna or relocation of the USB card/slot and devices.

It's not because the KT4004 is any worse than any other USB3 card. I don't have this issue with my KT4004 and any devices. Mainly because the only BT device I use is my MagicMouse, and my MP51 is on top of my desk right next to the mouse.

Switching the antenna or shielding USB3 connections are also common was to minimize or eliminate the problem.
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this is the inatek problem > scrap
buy another card with asmedia controller

asmedia controlled cards can and do have the same issue. I have tested and own MANY of them. That may have been a workable solution for you, but it's not a cure-all.

 

[tommy chen]

asmedia controlled cards can and do have the same issue. I have tested and own MANY of them. That may have been a workable solution for you, but it's not a cure-all.

all of my cards from $17 to $200 are with asmedia controller
and none has problems with BT if the original antenna is used

 

[crjackson2134]

all of my cards from $17 to $200 are with asmedia controller
and none has problems with BT if the original antenna is used

Yes, I understand that. It’s good anecdotal information. That doesn’t mean that your experiences hold true for everyone. You can’t hold you anecdotal experience as a hard absolute.

It isn’t.

I have many asmedia cards too. That’s not a guarantee that it will fix the problem. It’s just one more thing to try. I have a KT4004 that has no problems, and asmedia cards that have to be fiddled with to eliminate problems. None of this information holds a hard guarantee to cure anyone else’s problems, and offering it as an absolute should be avoided.

The problem is rather an inherent issue between USB3/BT Signals.

 

[egoulet]

Yes, I understand that. It’s good anecdotal information. That doesn’t mean that your experiences hold true for everyone. You can’t hold you anecdotal experience as a hard absolute.

It isn’t.

I have many asmedia cards too. That’s not a guarantee that it will fix the problem. It’s just one more thing to try. I have a KT4004 that has no problems, and asmedia cards that have to be fiddled with to eliminate problems. None of this information holds a hard guarantee to cure anyone else’s problems, and offering it as an absolute should be avoided.

The problem is rather an inherent issue between USB3/BT Signals.

I upgraded the WIFI BT card to 4.1 to get hand off. The antenna with the kit is for WIFI. How to I get better BT signal? The upgrade card come OSXWIFI Mac Pro 2009 (4,1) and Mac Pro 2010-2012 (5,1) - Apple Broadcom BCM943602CDP - 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with Bluetooth 4.2Upgrade Kit - Limited Edition

 

[tommy chen]

with the wifi/BT upgrade card you have four connections
so, you can change the cables 2 and BT on the card,
and then it will work with your USB3.x card

 

[egoulet]

with the wifi/BT upgrade card you have four connections
so, you can change the cables 2 and BT on the card,
and then it will work with your USB3.x card

I don't understand "change the cable 2 and BT on the card"

 

[w8ing4intelmacs]

Hi. I’m not sure if this is the right place for a question so please let me know if I should post it somewhere else.

I’m trying to install a USB 3 PCIe card in my Mac Pro 4,1 (flashed to 5,1 running Mojave). The card appears in System Report and seems to be recognized fine by my Mac, but it doesn’t register anything when I connect a USB device (notably an external drive). I’m thinking the problem is that the card needs AUX power (it has what appears to be a 15 pin SATA power port)

question: what cable do I use and where do I plug it in? My GPU uses both the six pin power ports on the motherboard. I’m not sure how to connect the optical drive power cable to the card.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[iluvmacs99]

Hi. I’m not sure if this is the right place for a question so please let me know if I should post it somewhere else.

I’m trying to install a USB 3 PCIe card in my Mac Pro 4,1 (flashed to 5,1 running Mojave). The card appears in System Report and seems to be recognized fine by my Mac, but it doesn’t register anything when I connect a USB device (notably an external drive). I’m thinking the problem is that the card needs AUX power (it has what appears to be a 15 pin SATA power port)

question: what cable do I use and where do I plug it in? My GPU uses both the six pin power ports on the motherboard. I’m not sure how to connect the optical drive power cable to the card.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Under the system report, did it say the driver was loaded? It should say "yes". If it's a "no", then you need to have the driver separately installed if the card is not meant to be natively supported under Mojave.

 

[w8ing4intelmacs]

Under the system report, did it say the driver was loaded? It should say "yes". If it's a "no", then you need to have the driver separately installed if the card is not meant to be natively supported under Mojave.

it says yes which was promising.

the card I’m trying to install is this one:

PCI-E to USB 3.0 Type C +3 Type A Expansion Card - Interface USB 3.0 4-Port Express Card Desktop with 15 pin SATA Power Connector [ Include with A 4pin to 2x15pin Cable + A 15pin to 2x 15pin SATA Y-C https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077VRWZPK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JmN2Eb0DVGCZS

neither of the supplied power cables fit anything in my Mac Pro, at least that I’m aware of. I tried the card thinking that the motherboard itself would supply enough power through the PCI slot. So, I’m hoping someone can give me some pointers to the type of power cable I should buy before I buy the wrong one (my initial thought is to buy some kind of six pin splitter).

 

[iluvmacs99]

it says yes which was promising.

the card I’m trying to install is this one:

PCI-E to USB 3.0 Type C +3 Type A Expansion Card - Interface USB 3.0 4-Port Express Card Desktop with 15 pin SATA Power Connector [ Include with A 4pin to 2x15pin Cable + A 15pin to 2x 15pin SATA Y-C https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077VRWZPK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JmN2Eb0DVGCZS

neither of the supplied power cables fit anything in my Mac Pro, at least that I’m aware of. I tried the card thinking that the motherboard itself would supply enough power through the PCI slot. So, I’m hoping someone can give me some pointers to the type of power cable I should buy before I buy the wrong one (my initial thought is to buy some kind of six pin splitter).

It came with a SATA Y splitter power cable, so you don't need to buy any extra cable. That cable goes onto one of your Mac Pro's SATA drive power port. Basically, you have to sacrifice one of the 4 drive bays to connect the power to your USB 3 card. Then move the drive that you had on that bay onto the DVD bay which can hold another drive underneath your DVD if you hadn't already installed one.

 

[w8ing4intelmacs]

It came with a SATA Y splitter power cable, so you don't need to buy any extra cable. That cable goes onto one of your Mac Pro's SATA drive power port. Basically, you have to sacrifice one of the 4 drive bays to connect the power to your USB 3 card. Then move the drive that you had on that bay onto the DVD bay which can hold another drive underneath your DVD if you hadn't already installed one.

hey. Thanks for the responses. Very helpful.

So with the Y cable, there’s these black tabs on the sides of the connector that impede it from plugging fully into the sata power port. These tabs stop the cable from plugging into the power cable coming directly from the power supply. It feels like i could just break them off but it would be nice to get confirmation from a human being before I do something like that

 

[iluvmacs99]

hey. Thanks for the responses. Very helpful.

So with the Y cable, there’s these black tabs on the sides of the connector that impede it from plugging fully into the sata power port. These tabs stop the cable from plugging into the power cable coming directly from the power supply. It feels like i could just break them off but it would be nice to get confirmation from a human being before I do something like that

If it doesn't fit well, don't force it. What you can do is to get a SATA extension cable like the one I linked below as a backplane adapter with the end that shapes like a normal SATA hard drive/SSD connector, but on the other end is a more open port. Then you should snap the other end to the USB card or with its Y splitter cable included with the extra data pins exposed.

zdyCGTime 22-pin (7+15) Sata Male to Female Data and Power Combo Extension Cable - Slimline Sata Extension Cable M/f - 20inch (50cm)

15 pin 7 pin SATA male to 15 pin 7 pin SATA female power data extension cable. The SATA 15+7 Pin Power Cable connects any Serial ATA drive to any standard internal power connector. This SATA 15+7 Pin Male to Female Cable offers easy installation and comes with 15 pin 7 pin male to female connecto...

www.amazon.ca

 

[w8ing4intelmacs]

If it doesn't fit well, don't force it. What you can do is to get a SATA extension cable like the one I linked below as a backplane adapter with the end that shapes like a normal SATA hard drive/SSD connector, but on the other end is a more open port. Then you should snap the other end to the USB card or with its Y splitter cable included with the extra data pins exposed.

zdyCGTime 22-pin (7+15) Sata Male to Female Data and Power Combo Extension Cable - Slimline Sata Extension Cable M/f - 20inch (50cm)

15 pin 7 pin SATA male to 15 pin 7 pin SATA female power data extension cable. The SATA 15+7 Pin Power Cable connects any Serial ATA drive to any standard internal power connector. This SATA 15+7 Pin Male to Female Cable offers easy installation and comes with 15 pin 7 pin male to female connecto...

www.amazon.ca

great. Itll take a couple of days to arrive but I’ll try that and let you know how it goes. I love the MR community!

by the way, these are the tabs I’m talking about. I’m so tempted to just clip them off.

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