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USB dropping - fixed!

USB dropping - fixed!
« on: January 25, 2015, 03:31:12 pm »
Motherboard Z87X-UD7 TH

After researching numerous hours, trying different fixes, I found the fix for my USB dropping and this is something that has not been discussed previously to my knowledge.

The problem became noticeably worse when I moved my computer to a much older house.
Checked the power at the house - properly wired and grounded.
Purchased a high quality power conditioner - no change.
Then noticed when I plugged in my ipad to my charger (charger only - not hooked up to the computer) that sometimes a USB would drop (very odd).
Powered my computer via UPS battery powered mode and plugged in my ipad (connected to the wall power) and still occasionally I would have a USB drop.

This caused me to look at EMF problems and I tried different shielding to the computer with no changes (poor shielding testing).
One item that caused a small degree of change was when I unplugged my USB 2.0 motherboard header connector cable (the USB 2.0 end port had nothing plugged into it anyways) I noticed that the frequency of USB drops decreased.

Then I looked at which devices specifically were being dropped and I noticed 2 devices in general.
My mouse (wired) and headset (wired) - both used very thin USB cables.

I connected a USB extension cable that included a ferrite core and connected this cable between the mouse and the computer and immediately my USB drops have almost become non existent (extremely rare - remember that my headset is still does not have a ferrite core).

I have ordered extra ferrite cores for my USB cables.

This could explain also why the USB 2.0 header cable modulated the USB dropping problem (it did not have a ferrite core and may be feeding aberrant voltages via inducted EMF's the into the USB)

My motherboard is very susceptible to EMF interference to the USB and possibly this could be the problem that is plaguing Gigabyte's boards.
If this fixes other users' problems, then Gigabyte can redesign their boards to be more EMF resilient to the USB and possibly other components.

Hope this helps