Do _any_ USB 3.0 cards actually work?

[Warren Block]

On Tue, 27 May 2014, Julian H. Stacey wrote:

> Warren Block wrote:
>> On Mon, 26 May 2014, Julian H. Stacey wrote:
>>
>>>> Does FreeBSD *ever* work with *any* USB 3.0 equipment?  Or is this
>>>
>>> Yes it works. Tue, 12 Jun 2012 I filed a success report:
>>> http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-usb/2012-June/011283.html
>
>> I remember looking it up at the time, and this
>> appears to be the same card from Newegg:
>>
>> www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815158297
>
> Newegg looks similar to Conrad
>
> http://conrad.de/ce/de/product/973583/2-PORT-USB-30-PCI-EXPRESS-CONTROLLER
...
> It's not identical.
>  The white paint of the silk screen on PCB ends with:
> 	Conrad.de  :  8-00B MADE IN TAIWAN	(no preceeding 1122 )
> 	Newegg.com : 08-00D MADE IN TAIWAN	(+ preceeding 1122 )
> Electricaly I don't know.

Those are likely date codes: 2011, week 22.  And possibly 8-00B or 
-00D are board revisions.  They may not be identical, but all the 
components are in the same place and I'd bet software will consider them 
the same thing.

> My posting
>  http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-usb/2012-June/011283.html
> Lists all numbers off top of chips, (it was very hard to read one
> chip, even with magnifying glass & good light, I wouldnt want to
> try to read pcture on newegg web page, but people have my IC numbers
> for Conrad).

The Startech USB chip is the same, a D720200F1.  A much better 
picture of the Vantec version:
http://www.expreview.com/9741-7.html

Newegg does not have the Vantec any more, but they did:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815287007&cm_re=ugt-pc302-_-15-287-007-_-Product

Anyway, the eight-pin IC is an Atmel 25F512B, a 512K-bit flash ROM for 
firmware.  It's possible there are firmware updates for these cards, but 
unlikely the vendors have them for end users.

> Newegg.com page has:
>  "With a built-in SATA power connector, each USB port can deliver
>  up to 900mA of power"
> That's too low, should be 1.0 Amp I believe for USB3 spec.

> http://www.conrad.com/ce/en/product/973583/ (english page BTW) clicks to
> http://www.produktinfo.conrad.com/datenblaetter/950000-974999/973583-an-01-ml-2_PORT_USB_3_0_PCI_EXPRESS_C_de_en_fr_nl.pdf
> Page 2 says:
> "each USB port of the plug-in card can deliver a current of up to
> 1.5A (SATA power unit must be connected to the plug-in card!),"

One engineer is honest, the other is optimistic. :)