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USB DVD drive 2011 MBP - single cable power

getz76

getz76

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 15, 2009
821
0
Hell, AL
Just for information, the USB ports in the early 2011 MacBook Pro (8,2) are indeed high-powered. I am able to run an external DVD drive (OWC slimline) using a single USB cable instead of the "dual USB" cable usually required for external DVD drives.

Not that big of a deal, but it is nice to not need a special cable.

Meanwhile, the Data Doubler installation went without a hitch. OCZ Vertex 2 as a boot drive and Apple SSD in the optical bay.
 
Whatever it is, it doesn't work. I can confirm that.

OS X install disc boots properly.
 
getz76 said:
Just for information, the USB ports in the early 2011 MacBook Pro (8,2) are indeed high-powered. I am able to run an external DVD drive (OWC slimline) using a single USB cable instead of the "dual USB" cable usually required for external DVD drives.

Not that big of a deal, but it is nice to not need a special cable.

Meanwhile, the Data Doubler installation went without a hitch. OCZ Vertex 2 as a boot drive and Apple SSD in the optical bay.
Click to expand...

This probably has something to do with the external optical drive you used. The ports on the MBP are standard USB 2.0 (max 500 mA) and not USB 3.0 (900 mA).

Looking at your link it says that the drive is designed to operate off of any USB 2.0 port. (ie. THERE IS NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THE USB PORT OF YOUR MAC).
 
cirus said:
This probably has something to do with the external optical drive you used. The ports on the MBP are standard USB 2.0 (max 500 mA) and not USB 3.0 (900 mA).

Looking at your link it says that the drive is designed to operate off of any USB 2.0 port. (ie. THERE IS NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THE USB PORT OF YOUR MAC).
Click to expand...

Actually, there is something special about them; see here. This was reported days ago. I was just confirming that a DVD drive which usually required a Y-cable USB in order to draw enough power to operate is working over a single cable.
 
getz76 said:
Actually, there is something special about them; see here. This was reported days ago. I was just confirming that a DVD drive which usually required a Y-cable USB in order to draw enough power to operate is working over a single cable.
Click to expand...

Did you even read your own link? The 'superslim' OWC USB 2.0 is designed to be functional with only ONE USB port. OWC lists it as compatible with PC and mac and for previous macs (2010 etc.). THIS DVD drive did not need a y-cable USB to function as is specified in the documentation you provided.

The page lists under power supply

"Bus Power via USB on most computers with standard USB 2.0 port."

I'm seeing what you are saying and you seem to be right. However, you seem to have reached your conclusion based on false data. Apple only supports this higher power USB on APPLE devices. (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4049) This link is for 2010 devices but I will assume it to be true as a non standard power cable would be needed to take the extra power. Plus how someone in the page you linked said that this only worked for his ipad and not other devices.

"It seems that this extra current is only activated when the laptop actually sees an iPad. I have other USB devises that need 1A, and they will not work. The USB port is maxing out at 500mA. What a bummer. if anyone knows how to hack this and maybe do some light terminal work, I would really appreciate it A LOT!!!"

All the articles I see seem to be with charging an ipad as fast as a wall charger on USB power. So they are high powered but only high powered for apple devices. YOUR PROOF IS WRONG! (but you were right) Unfortunately, if the proof is wrong then the answer is wrong.
 
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