Infinite USB Plug. Someone Make This Now!
This innovative invention calls for unlimited USB devices, although that's highly unlikely.
This is certainly one of those why-didn't-we-think-of-this-before designs: Gonglue Jiang's Infinite USB plug. The concept is simply brilliant, eliminating the need for USB hubs by allowing peripherals to connect to each other at the jack level, just like you would multiple strings of Christmas tree lights. Users with limited ports (such as on a laptop) won't be forced to hot-swap devices or purchase a USB hub.
But there are also drawbacks. Obviously user's can't piggy-back an infinite number of peripherals--that could lead to a huge mess. There's also a power issue: five or six leeching devices on one port can't be highly effective, especially those connected towards the end of the train. To answer that need, Gonglue Jiang has created an external power adapter to give the line a bit more juice to work with. Most importantly though, you can only daisy chain up to 128 devices.
Jiang seems rather confident that the design won't have limitations, pointing out that a color scheme somehow makes it easier for user to recognize which plug belongs to which device. "[It] makes a series of USB plugs more vivid," Jiang said.
Currently there's no set pricing or release dates.
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'Although you can only daisy chain up to 128 devices'
Damn, and I thought the perfect solution had been invented, this is seriously going to hamper my USB efforts.
Seriously though, I probably haven't even touched a total of 128 different USB devices in my entire life.....
It's about time engineers, gosh.
What happens when your flash drive is transferring data on the end of the chain and you need to unplug your mp3 player (hypothetical situation which I think will come up)?
Damn I have 129 devices and 1 usb port. This isn't helpful at all.
Simply brilliant
I thought the actual limit was 127 since the hub acts as one device. Does putting the hub in the cable itself act as a workaround to this?
Freaking genius damn!!! Missed my chance.
Sometimes, the easiest of ideas takes a while cause people are too busy thinking outside the box. Thanks for thinking inside the box, Gonglue.
How could the data transferring onto a flash drive be less important than the mp3 player....real world scenario? JMO
whats at the end of the cable? a USB port? Or do we have to buy a specefic one of those for different devices?
probably just another USB... Just wondering.
Instead of devices with that conector, why not sell them as extension cords? you know, another female USB plug at the end of that cables.
half a great idea.
Um, how long of a cable is necessary once you daisychain that many devices together. USB can't run infinte length.
I prefer a hub as I can plug it into my PC and put it some place that might be more accessible for my devices. I have a full tower that is sitting beside my desk and to run a keyboard cable all the way behind my desk to my computer is too long for the cable. Instead I put a hub on my desktop by the monitor which is close enough for the hub to get to the computer and well accessible for my mouse, keyboard and other devices...
Just my bent $0.02
so they all plug into eachother, and then you have one MASSIVE stick of 128 usb plugs hanging off the side of your laptop, probably reaching the other end of your house / soccer field... does anybody else see a problem here??
nice going on ingenuity though!
'Users with limited ports (such as on a laptop) won't be forced to hot-swap devices or purchase a USB hub.'
Except that the Infinite USB Plug *is* a hub with only two ports. There are fairly compact hubs that might be as effective and less expensive...
the footprint of this plug would block off access to the usb next to it. Also what if I want to remove something in the middle? I have to remove everything behind it. I dont think this is practical.
What happens when your flash drive is transferring data on the end of the chain and you need to unplug your mp3 player (hypothetical situation which I think will come up)?
Unplug the mp3 player at the player side? Little peripherals have built-in cables.
Except that the Infinite USB Plug *is* a hub with only two ports. There are fairly compact hubs that might be as effective and less expensive...
Less expensive than what? There isn't a price tag on it yet.
What happens when your flash drive is transferring data on the end of the chain and you need to unplug your mp3 player (hypothetical situation which I think will come up)?
Unplug the other end???
I doubt these will be as useful as they appear. USB connectors aren't very secure and I can see the connection getting pretty flaky after several devices are daisy chained.
mostly useless, when it comes to laptops on the go, who is going to bring that many USB devices with them when traveling, not saying it will not happen i am saying it is unlikely. however in the home this is nice enough... but i would just say get a desktop for home then you do not need this anyway.
You guys are taking all the fun out of this. Live a little!
Amazing idea. Kudos
The danr thing needs a brick that has to be plugged into a source of power. There goes convenience right ou the door.
Uhhhhh. Stupid. Let's say, 1:camera 2:hdd 3:iPod 4:Midi Keyboard annnnd... I am transferring stuff to my iPod and all of a sudden I need to remove my camera USB plug. :|
Old concept... see TI-99 sidecars and PC-Jr. expansion modules.
Already seen this (real part with male/female USB plug-through) about a year ago. The idea is not new.
I might be too careful about this, but I don't want to put that much downward force on one of the USB ports on the back of my expensive X58 motherboard.
> Old concept... see TI-99 sidecars and PC-Jr. expansion modules.
Well, duh. Daisy chaining is an old concept. See electricity.
Anyway, this has multiple issues: the longer it gets, the less stable it is. You can't disconnect something in the middle. One port has limited power. The plugs will have to be built-in to devices, or you will have to carry a bunch of adapters. Etc.
However, the idea is better than nothing, and better than the status quo. Heck, even the right angle is a huge improvement over your average usb connector that wants to break off if you tug on it...unless you wanted it to bend the other way.
Its for limited situations but I can think of some situations where 2 or 3 of these things might have been handy and saved some swapping for me. I agree saying that 128 devices is a bit much and I would worry that pulling that much power from that single connect might do bad things.... So could this be modified to be a USB keyboard passthrough for capturing those naughty passwords?
funny how daisy chaining up to 128 devices was part of the original USB 1.0 spec, like what 13 or 14 years ago...and virtually no manufacturers included the extra usb port on their device to daisy chain.....sad
Good idea.
"five or six leeching devices on one port can't be highly effective, especially those connected towards the end of the train" What? Do you think the 'electricity' will be 'drained off' by the nearer devices? Do you have even the most basic understanding of electrical principles? Maybe the electrical 'pressure' will be reduced for further out devices??