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Epson Devices Not Meeting USB Standard? [telecom]

I just got off the phone with Epson technical support for my scanner.

I can't believe what they just told me.

According to what I've read, the USB standard is for five meters in length. Converting that to British units, that yields just shy of sixteen and a half feet.

I have an Epson V39 Perfection scanner. I got a fifteen foot USB cable to connect it to my new supercomputer.

The supercomputers support four monitors. So I got a work station that has two shelves on it wide enough to hold two wide screen monitors each. The work station is six feet wide.

Since the computer is to the right of my work station and I have a small table to the left of it for my scanner and a few other things, I need to run the cable to the back of the work station (a couple of feet) the all the way behind the work station (six feet) and then to the scanner on the table (about four to five more feet).

This should have worked just fine. It doesn't. Sometimes the scanner works. Sometimes it does not.

When I was on the phone with Epson technical support, they told me I needed to change it to a USB cable with a maximum length of three to six feet.

I explained to them why I couldn't do that. I told them we needed to come up with a solution (some type of inline booster device that would work to resolve my issue).

They said they are going to let the higher level support research it and call me back. I will believe that if/when it happens.

I also asked them if this maximum six foot USB length was true of all Epson USB products. I was absolutely shocked when they told me it was.

It seems to me that this may be representing their device(s) as USB when it can't support the sixteen foot plus limit that I understand is part of the USB standard.

Can anyone enlighten me on this?

Also, if anyone knows of a solution [short of having to lay a bulky USB hub on the floor under my computer work station] to my dilemma, I would appreciate you sharing it with me.

Fred

Reply to
Fred Atkinson
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+--------------- | According to what I've read, the USB standard is for five meters | in length. ...sixteen and a half feet. ... | When I was on the phone with Epson technical support, they told | me I needed to change it to a USB cable with a maximum length of three | to six feet. | | I explained to them why I couldn't do that. I told them we | needed to come up with a solution (some type of inline booster device | that would work to resolve my issue). ... | Also, if anyone knows of a solution [short of having to lay a | bulky USB hub on the floor under my computer work station] to my | dilemma, I would appreciate you sharing it with me. +---------------

A small USB hub? Only half kidding. A USB hub *is* an "in-line booster device". They're cheap, and fairly small. Do spring for a powered one, though. I suspect you will have less trouble with it in the long run, even though I understand that supplying external power to it is a slight hassle. Oh, and make sure the hub supports the higher of the USB levels [USB-1.0, -1.1, -2.0, -3.0] of the scanner & the computer.

-Rob

+--------------------------------------------------------------+ Rob Warnock 627 26th Avenue San Mateo, CA 94403
Reply to
Rob Warnock

Do a Google search for "USB extenders over CAT5", minus the quotes as one way of making things work.

If you purchase one of these be sure to check out their return policy in case a compatibility problem turns up during testing.

Another option would be to put a AC powered USB hub at the PC end and one at the Printer. That way both of them are using the external power supplies to power or "boost" the signal both ways. Not my first choice.

If it was me I'd go for the cat5 solution or change [scanner] brands.

Reply to
GlowingBlueMist

I'd suggest that the USB hub is the easiest way to deal with this problem. Most USB hubs aren't all that bulky, and it could be secured to the back of the workstation or the underside of one of the table parts with either velcro or doublesided foam tape, if it doesn't have screw keyholes.

No, you shouldn't have to, but not every battle is worth fighting.

Reply to
Dave Garland

[Moderator Snip]

Well, I solved my immediate issue with this:

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.

I am sending Epson an invoice for it. I will be most interested in their reaction to this. It was a ten dollar part to solve the issue.

My PC is now having no difficulty communicating with my scanner even though the cable is over fifteen feet.

I still maintain that since the USB standard is five meters and since Epson sells products as "USB" that cannot meet this requirement that they are inaccurately representing their product(s).

As someone who chooses hardware, I will have to ask myself if I can believe it when a vendor advertises their product(s) as meeting an industry standard when it doesn't do that.

Epson USB products will be eliminated from my choices for this reason. And I am going to have to ask myself if can trust Epson when I read their product descriptions that represent as meeting other standards.

Fred

Reply to
Fred Atkinson

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