Internal USB3 motherboard header NUC7i7DNBE doesn't work with passive cable properly, but works with active adapter, is that intended?

[Russell]

Hi,

A while ago I purchased the recommended Gorite USB3 motherboard header to female USB3 port cable here: https://www.gorite.com/dawson-canyon-usb-3-0-female-to-10-pin-header-cable

I wasn’t able to get any USB3 devices to work with this cable, only USB2, but USB3 devices worked fine with the onboard NUC USB3 ports.

I posted in the forum about that issue, but was unable to resolve it.

I gave up on that and purchased a different adapter from the same recommended Gorite manufacturer: https://www.gorite.com/dawson-canyon-audio-bracket-with-usb-3-0-port

This adapter does work! But it has onboard electronics - its not a passive adapter. The onboard NUC USB3 header connects to the adpater which has a small IC chip which then goes to a female USB3 port. While I'm happy it works, I don't really understand why in IC is needed (I would rather use a passive cable than a chunky active adapter). Can you confirm that the USB3 motherboard header pinout is designed to feed straight into a regular cable and not via some kind of IC?

Thanks,

Russell

[LeonWaksman]

Hi Russell,

There is electronics on the bracket this bracket, since this bracket include the audio port. I don't know why the cable you tried first didn't work. Could be some failure or wrong installation. Here you have another and better option without electronics: https://www.gorite.com/intel-nuc-dawson-canyon-expansion-usb-bracket

https://techsterweb.com/2018/03/13/dawson-usb/

Regards

Leon

[Russell]

I don't believe the electronics I'm referring to are for the audio, as the audio IC is fed from a separate USB2 connection which connects to the USB2 motherboard header on the NUC.

I might try purchasing that bracket as well as a test, although it looks suspiciously identical to my two that don't work (Just without being attached to a bracket).

What I don't get is why the audio bracket has an USB3 grounding cable and the other USB3 cables/brackets don't.

[n_scott_pearson]

The NUC offers only a single USB 3.0 port via the internal header. In order to support both the external USB 3.0 port as well as the Audio IC, a USB 3.0 Hub is included in the bracket's electronics.

I do not know why you had issues with the original cable. Perhaps it was bad. I would have GORITE replace it and find out.

Hope this helps,

...S

P.S. I like the idea of this audio bracket, but I would really like to see them offer one that provided me with 5.1 channel audio support and included a TOSLink output.

[Russell]

Sorry, I forgot to mention the Audio IC has its own USB2 connector which connects to the USB2 header on the NUC. Although theree's always a chance that its using USB3's power supply to supplement the Audio IC or something crazy.

I actually bought two of the cables so I'm not sure if a replacement would behave any different, but I have written to GORITE detailing the issue - we'll see what they say.

[n_scott_pearson]

I have the USB expansion brackets that Leon pointed to in my DN NUCs, BTW. They have worked ok for me, though I have only used the USB3 port for flash drives so far.

...S