External SuperDrive Problem

1

Just installed a Plugable USB3 Hub, Model USB3-HUB7-81X to a new MacMini (late 2012 model) and I keep getting an error message when plug my external SuperDrive DVD. The error message is there is insufficient power to use the device. The power supply that came with the hub is plugged in, the green power light is on, and the blue light on what ever port I use is illuminated when I plug it in. I have used an iPhone5 and a thumb drive with it and they seem to work fine. The software version of my Mac Mini is IS X 10.8.2 build 12C2034.

2

Hi Mike,

Thanks for posting your question here, we’d be glad to help! Here are a couple of possibilities and questions to help us narrow down the issue:

  1. Do you have other high power devices connected to the hub as well when you connect the SuperDrive DVD? The max amount of power the hub can supply is 4A and that’s shared between all connected devices on the hub.

  2. What’s the make and model# of your SuperDrive? USB 3 allows a maximum of 900mA per port, it’d be useful to see if the specifications of the device indicates how much power it requires.

  3. If you connect the SuperDrive directly to a USB port on your MacMini, do you get the same error?

You can e-mail us back directly at support@Plugable.com and we’ll get to the bottom of it!

Thanks,
Ellen

3

  1. I did not have any other devices connected to the hub, only the SuperDrive.

  2. I do not know the model number of the SuperDrive. according to the sales receipt the part number is: MD564ZM/A. It is an Apple product sold by Apple specifically for the Mac Mini and Mac notebooks.

  3. No, I do not get the error when I plug the SuperDrive directly in the Mac Mini.

4

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the additional details. Unfortunately I think the SuperDrive might not be capable of running through a hub. According to posts on macrumors.com it looks like Apple has designed the SuperDrive to require a proprietary USB power design that is present in some of Apple’s machines, but not in standard USB ports.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthrea…

We haven’t tested a SuperDrive yet on our 7 port USB 3.0 hub, but if your hub is functioning correctly otherwise – it’s very likely that your SuperDrive isn’t compatible with standard USB ports.

Please forward your Amazon Order Id along with a link to this thread and serial number of your device over to support@plugable.com and we’ll figure out the best next step.

Thanks,
Jerome.

5

This is disappointing.

I’d like to buy a drive that works with your hub, so is this an issue with other brands of USB DVD RW optical drives?

Thank you,

Stan

6

Hi Stan - It’s a unique issue for Apple Superdrives.  Other USB DVD RW optical drives will not have the same problem (where they won’t work at all unless connected directly to an Apple Mac system)

Writing DVDs takes quite a bit of power (probably up to 1A or a little more), but if the drive will pull that amount, our hub won’t have a problem delivering it (it has a 4A power input). 

We don’t have reports at this point of any other USB DVD RW drive having trouble, other than the Superdrive.  Hope that helps!

Bernie

7

Thanks, Bernie!

That does help and thank you for the quick reply!

Stan