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Date:      Wed, 20 Apr 2022 12:34:02 +0000
From:      "Brian McGovern (bmcgover)" <bmcgover@cisco.com>
To:        Chris Hill <chris@monochrome.org>
Cc:        "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: Number of USB devices limited?
Message-ID:  <BL1PR11MB55096D7496B9E6449ACD6B89C5F59@BL1PR11MB5509.namprd11.prod.outlook.com>
In-Reply-To: <alpine.BSF.2.20.2204192304410.2458@tripel.monochrome.org>
References:  <BL1PR11MB550957CB5932655D66799676C5F29@BL1PR11MB5509.namprd11.prod.outlook.com> <alpine.BSF.2.20.2204192304410.2458@tripel.monochrome.org>

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> Not specific to FreeBSD, but to the USB standard itself (I think). There =
is a limit to the number of endpoints, as you describe, but there is also a=
 limit to the number of > hubs you can cascade. The number is low; I think =
it's 7. If you have more than $NUMBER of hubs in a row, you will get errati=
c behavior from your USB endpoints. And
> many things count as a "hub" - your computer probably takes up two, for e=
xample.

Thanks. I'll take a look when I get online and see if I can figure out what=
 the hub[s] is[are]  adding to the overhead.

              -Brian
________________________________
From: Chris Hill <chris@monochrome.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2022 11:09 PM
To: Brian McGovern (bmcgover) <bmcgover@cisco.com>
Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Subject: Re: Number of USB devices limited?

Not specific to FreeBSD, but to the USB standard itself (I think). There
is a limit to the number of endpoints, as you describe, but there is
also a limit to the number of hubs you can cascade. The number is low; I
think it's 7. If you have more than $NUMBER of hubs in a row, you will
get erratic behavior from your USB endpoints. And many things count as a
"hub" - your computer probably takes up two, for example.


On Tue, 19 Apr 2022, Brian McGovern (bmcgover) wrote:

> Looking at the FreeBSD handbook, Chapter 13, it looks like the
> expectation is that I should be able to attach "the maximum of 126
> devices". Unfortunately, it seems I'm getting in the low 20s (21 FTDI
> serial cables, USB keyboard, and mouse), after which I start getting
> the following in the logs:
>
> "Error initializing deviceusb_alloc_device: device init 34 failed
> (USB_ERR_IOERROR, ignored)"
>
> and
>
> "uhub_reattach_port: could not allocate new device".
>
>
> If I look at /dev/ugen*, there are the ugen devices for 0.1->0.33; so
> its feeling like there may be limit in the serial port driver for the
> number of /dev/cua* devices, which presently only number
> cuaU0->cuaU20. So, I'm assuming this may not be a "USB" issue as much
> as the number of USB serial ports (ucom?) that can be connected.
>
> Before I go on a code crawl to figure out how this is failing and if
> it can be scaled up, I'm curious if anyone is aware of a coded limit
> for the number of USB serial devices (or USB devices in general) that
> can be connected before running in to this? I'm looking to push
> upwards to _maybe_ 40 FTDI devices.
>
>          -Brian
>

--
Chris Hill               chris@monochrome.org

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<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dus-ascii"=
>
<style type=3D"text/css" style=3D"display:none;"> P {margin-top:0;margin-bo=
ttom:0;} </style>
</head>
<body dir=3D"ltr">
<div style=3D"font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size=
: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<font size=3D"2"><span style=3D"font-size:11pt">&gt; Not specific to FreeBS=
D, but to the USB standard itself (I think). There is a limit to the number=
 of endpoints, as you describe, but there is also a limit to the number of =
&gt; hubs you can cascade. The number is low;
 I think it's 7. If you have more than $NUMBER of hubs in a row, you will g=
et erratic behavior from your USB endpoints. And
<br>
</span></font></div>
<div style=3D"font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size=
: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<font size=3D"2"><span style=3D"font-size:11pt">&gt; many things count as a=
 &quot;hub&quot; - your computer probably takes up two, for example.</span>=
</font></div>
<div style=3D"font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size=
: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br>
</div>
<div style=3D"font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size=
: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<font size=3D"2">Thanks. I'll take a look when I get online and see if I ca=
n figure out what the hub[s] is[are]&nbsp; adding to the overhead.
<br>
</font></div>
<div style=3D"font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size=
: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br>
</div>
<div style=3D"font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size=
: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<font size=3D"2">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -Brian</font><br>
</div>
<div id=3D"appendonsend"></div>
<hr style=3D"display:inline-block;width:98%" tabindex=3D"-1">
<div id=3D"divRplyFwdMsg" dir=3D"ltr"><font face=3D"Calibri, sans-serif" st=
yle=3D"font-size:11pt" color=3D"#000000"><b>From:</b> Chris Hill &lt;chris@=
monochrome.org&gt;<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, April 19, 2022 11:09 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Brian McGovern (bmcgover) &lt;bmcgover@cisco.com&gt;<br>
<b>Cc:</b> freebsd-questions@freebsd.org &lt;freebsd-questions@freebsd.org&=
gt;<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Number of USB devices limited?</font>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<div class=3D"BodyFragment"><font size=3D"2"><span style=3D"font-size:11pt;=
">
<div class=3D"PlainText">Not specific to FreeBSD, but to the USB standard i=
tself (I think). There
<br>
is a limit to the number of endpoints, as you describe, but there is <br>
also a limit to the number of hubs you can cascade. The number is low; I <b=
r>
think it's 7. If you have more than $NUMBER of hubs in a row, you will <br>
get erratic behavior from your USB endpoints. And many things count as a <b=
r>
&quot;hub&quot; - your computer probably takes up two, for example.<br>
<br>
<br>
On Tue, 19 Apr 2022, Brian McGovern (bmcgover) wrote:<br>
<br>
&gt; Looking at the FreeBSD handbook, Chapter 13, it looks like the <br>
&gt; expectation is that I should be able to attach &quot;the maximum of 12=
6 <br>
&gt; devices&quot;. Unfortunately, it seems I'm getting in the low 20s (21 =
FTDI <br>
&gt; serial cables, USB keyboard, and mouse), after which I start getting <=
br>
&gt; the following in the logs:<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; &quot;Error initializing deviceusb_alloc_device: device init 34 failed=
 <br>
&gt; (USB_ERR_IOERROR, ignored)&quot;<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; and<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; &quot;uhub_reattach_port: could not allocate new device&quot;.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; If I look at /dev/ugen*, there are the ugen devices for 0.1-&gt;0.33; =
so <br>
&gt; its feeling like there may be limit in the serial port driver for the =
<br>
&gt; number of /dev/cua* devices, which presently only number <br>
&gt; cuaU0-&gt;cuaU20. So, I'm assuming this may not be a &quot;USB&quot; i=
ssue as much <br>
&gt; as the number of USB serial ports (ucom?) that can be connected.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt; Before I go on a code crawl to figure out how this is failing and if <=
br>
&gt; it can be scaled up, I'm curious if anyone is aware of a coded limit <=
br>
&gt; for the number of USB serial devices (or USB devices in general) that =
<br>
&gt; can be connected before running in to this? I'm looking to push <br>
&gt; upwards to _maybe_ 40 FTDI devices.<br>
&gt;<br>
&gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -Brian<br>
&gt;<br>
<br>
-- <br>
Chris Hill&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; chris@monochrome.org<br>
</div>
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</body>
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