Limit on firewire devices

[Loren Pechtel]

I'm going nuts here. I seem to have hit a limit in Windows on
firewire devices but I can't find anything about it on the web.

I have found article 830987, it looked like my answer--except this
machine was SP2 from the start. I've checked the driver, it's later
than the one listed as when the problem was fixed.

There are 11 similar firewire devices connected to this machine. A
set of three is connected to a firewire port on the motherboard. This
group doesn't have any problems. The problem lies with the other
devices, groups of 4, 2 and 2 connected to a 3-port firewire card. Any
two groups will work, the third will not. It's based on the order of
powering up the devices--the last ones usually win although sometimes
both sets fail instead. Windows still has some communication with the
inoperative devices--power them down and Windows will realize they
vanished even though Windows wasn't able to communicate with them.

It's not the firewire card at fault, I observed basically the same
behavior when everything went through a hub and I thought it was some
sort of timeout due to messing with that many devices all at once.
Thus I added the card to isolate the groups but it only seems to have
isolated the group that's not on it.

Multiple cards are not an option, there are no useable slots left.
(There are slots but they're blocked by cooling fans on adjoining
cards.)

 

[Jim Macklin]

Try using a powered Firewire hub on the mobo ports


message | I'm going nuts here. I seem to have hit a limit in
Windows on
| firewire devices but I can't find anything about it on the
web.
|
| I have found article 830987, it looked like my
answer--except this
| machine was SP2 from the start. I've checked the driver,
it's later
| than the one listed as when the problem was fixed.
|
| There are 11 similar firewire devices connected to this
machine. A
| set of three is connected to a firewire port on the
motherboard. This
| group doesn't have any problems. The problem lies with
the other
| devices, groups of 4, 2 and 2 connected to a 3-port
firewire card. Any
| two groups will work, the third will not. It's based on
the order of
| powering up the devices--the last ones usually win
although sometimes
| both sets fail instead. Windows still has some
communication with the
| inoperative devices--power them down and Windows will
realize they
| vanished even though Windows wasn't able to communicate
with them.
|
| It's not the firewire card at fault, I observed basically
the same
| behavior when everything went through a hub and I thought
it was some
| sort of timeout due to messing with that many devices all
at once.
| Thus I added the card to isolate the groups but it only
seems to have
| isolated the group that's not on it.
|
| Multiple cards are not an option, there are no useable
slots left.
| (There are slots but they're blocked by cooling fans on
adjoining
| cards.)

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Try using a powered Firewire hub on the mobo ports

Note the issue--everything connected is powered, nobody's trying to
draw from the cables.

 

[Jonny]

I'm going nuts here. I seem to have hit a limit in Windows on
firewire devices but I can't find anything about it on the web.

I have found article 830987, it looked like my answer--except this
machine was SP2 from the start. I've checked the driver, it's later
than the one listed as when the problem was fixed.

There are 11 similar firewire devices connected to this machine. A
set of three is connected to a firewire port on the motherboard. This
group doesn't have any problems. The problem lies with the other
devices, groups of 4, 2 and 2 connected to a 3-port firewire card. Any
two groups will work, the third will not. It's based on the order of
powering up the devices--the last ones usually win although sometimes
both sets fail instead. Windows still has some communication with the
inoperative devices--power them down and Windows will realize they
vanished even though Windows wasn't able to communicate with them.

It's not the firewire card at fault, I observed basically the same
behavior when everything went through a hub and I thought it was some
sort of timeout due to messing with that many devices all at once.
Thus I added the card to isolate the groups but it only seems to have
isolated the group that's not on it.

Multiple cards are not an option, there are no useable slots left.
(There are slots but they're blocked by cooling fans on adjoining
cards.)

Just a guess. Can't see your PC and stuff from here. How about the overall
length of the cable including the devices inbetween. 6' is maximum. A
powered repeater, not a hub, in that case is the only solution.