I just bought a solid state external hard drive, but the USB cable that came with it is only about 1 foot long.

I have a USB cable that came with a digital camera I bought years ago that seems to work fine on the solid state hard drive, but I'm a little confused about a pair of "cylinders" molded into the camera cable. There is a "cylinder" similar to those shown below a few inches from each end of the cable, and I don't know whether for data transfer between the hard drive and the computer, it would be better to have a cable with those cylinders or without.



I've seen these cylinders on USB cables before, but ONLY on USB cables meant for connecting a digital camera to a computer. USB cables meant for connecting other USB peripherals to a computer don't seem to have them.

Does anyone know what these "cylinders" are called and what they do?

I'm wanting a top quality USB cable for this solid state drive, and I don't want to use my old camera cable if those cylinders are going to introduce errors or something in the data being sent between the computer and the solid state drive.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

nestork wrote:

I just bought a solid state external hard drive, but the USB cable that
came with it is only about 1 foot long.

I have a USB cable that came with a digital camera I bought years ago
that works on the solid state hard drive, and I'd like to get another
like it so that I can keep the external hard drive plugged in, and plug
in my camera whenever I want. (Rather than unplug the hard drive
whenever I want to tranfer photos from the camera to my computer.)

The cable I have now has "cylinders" molded into the cable a few inches
from each end. I expect they clean up the signal or something. Does
anyone know what these "cylinders" are called and what they do?

The cable I have now has the following markings on it:
USB VER 2.0
28 AWG/1P
28 AWG/2C
TAIYO
2725
E176097
Underwriters Labs "Recognized Component" mark
AWM
80 deg. C
30 V
VW-1

I'd like to buy a similar quality cable. Since this cable came with a
digital camera, I'm wondering if the best place to buy really high
quality USB cables like this would be in a camera store. If someone is
paying $1500 for a really good camera, they're not going to cheap out on
the cables they use to upload their pictures onto their computer, right?


Wrong. There are junk cables, and really bad junk cables. Overpay
if you want to, but I rarely pay more than $1 for a USB cable and have
never found a bad cable. I've had soe really bad junk shipped with
items, though. One place I buy them is Dollar Tree. If I have time I'll
buy a batch on Ebay, or if I need a specail like the cables with two
"Type A" plugs to supply more current for an external drive.

Any USB cable from a computer or electronics store should be fine. I've never
had one that didn't work (including those that came with my cameras).

The "cylinders" are ferrite chokes intended to keep the cables from radiating
RF.

A quick comment about external hard drives... Several months ago I got a
standard (not SS) external hard drive with USB 3.0 interface from Seagate in
exchange for reviewing it. It simply would not work on my computer's
front-panel USB 3.0 port -- it jerked and sputtered and beeped.

Seagate told me I should connect to a USB 3.0 port wired directly to the main
board -- and that fixed. It seems that USB ports connected to the main board
with a cable cannot supply the spec'd maximum current. This should not be a
problem with your SSD drive, which has no motor.

On Tue, 26 Feb 2013 21:52:37 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


nestork wrote:

I just bought a solid state external hard drive, but the USB cable that
came with it is only about 1 foot long.

I have a USB cable that came with a digital camera I bought years ago
that works on the solid state hard drive, and I'd like to get another
like it so that I can keep the external hard drive plugged in, and plug
in my camera whenever I want. (Rather than unplug the hard drive
whenever I want to tranfer photos from the camera to my computer.)

The cable I have now has "cylinders" molded into the cable a few inches
from each end. I expect they clean up the signal or something. Does
anyone know what these "cylinders" are called and what they do?

The cable I have now has the following markings on it:
USB VER 2.0
28 AWG/1P
28 AWG/2C
TAIYO
2725
E176097
Underwriters Labs "Recognized Component" mark
AWM
80 deg. C
30 V
VW-1

I'd like to buy a similar quality cable. Since this cable came with a
digital camera, I'm wondering if the best place to buy really high
quality USB cables like this would be in a camera store. If someone is
paying $1500 for a really good camera, they're not going to cheap out on
the cables they use to upload their pictures onto their computer, right?


Wrong. There are junk cables, and really bad junk cables. Overpay
if you want to, but I rarely pay more than $1 for a USB cable and have
never found a bad cable. I've had soe really bad junk shipped with
items, though. One place I buy them is Dollar Tree. If I have time I'll
buy a batch on Ebay, or if I need a specail like the cables with two
"Type A" plugs to supply more current for an external drive

The A male to A female cables at Dollar Tree can't supply the current
necessary to transfer file from most digital cameras, power external
hard drives or power an usb wifi adapter. They work well with a mouse
or most thumb drives. Chuck

The A male to A female cables at Dollar Tree can't supply
the current necessary to transfer file from most digital
cameras, power external hard drives or power a USB WiFi
adapter. They work well with a mouse or most thumb drives.

According to what I read a few months back, male-to-female A cables aren't
officially endorsed by the USB gods. Some USB devices aren't able to drive
more than the cable supplied with them. * Adding an extension might result in
erratic or non-behavior.

* Are USB cables transmission lines (as Ethernet cables are)? If so, the
length shouldn't make much difference.

OK, if those cylinders are ferrite "chokes" intended to prevent the USB cables from radiating radio frequency waves, the question remains:

For ensuring the most reliable data transmission between solid state hard drive and computer, and vice versa, am I better off buying a cable with those ferrite chokes, better off buying a cable without them, or it don't make a lick of difference if the cable has them or not. (?)

chuck wrote:

On Tue, 26 Feb 2013 21:52:37 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


nestork wrote:

I just bought a solid state external hard drive, but the USB cable that
came with it is only about 1 foot long.

I have a USB cable that came with a digital camera I bought years ago
that works on the solid state hard drive, and I'd like to get another
like it so that I can keep the external hard drive plugged in, and plug
in my camera whenever I want. (Rather than unplug the hard drive
whenever I want to tranfer photos from the camera to my computer.)

The cable I have now has "cylinders" molded into the cable a few inches
from each end. I expect they clean up the signal or something. Does
anyone know what these "cylinders" are called and what they do?

The cable I have now has the following markings on it:
USB VER 2.0
28 AWG/1P
28 AWG/2C
TAIYO
2725
E176097
Underwriters Labs "Recognized Component" mark
AWM
80 deg. C
30 V
VW-1

I'd like to buy a similar quality cable. Since this cable came with a
digital camera, I'm wondering if the best place to buy really high
quality USB cables like this would be in a camera store. If someone is
paying $1500 for a really good camera, they're not going to cheap out on
the cables they use to upload their pictures onto their computer, right?


Wrong. There are junk cables, and really bad junk cables. Overpay
if you want to, but I rarely pay more than $1 for a USB cable and have
never found a bad cable. I've had soe really bad junk shipped with
items, though. One place I buy them is Dollar Tree. If I have time I'll
buy a batch on Ebay, or if I need a specail like the cables with two
"Type A" plugs to supply more current for an external drive

The A male to A female cables at Dollar Tree can't supply the current
necessary to transfer file from most digital cameras, power external
hard drives or power an usb wifi adapter. They work well with a mouse
or most thumb drives. Chuck


Really? I've never had a problem with any of the dozens I've bought
there.

My digital camara warns you to use fresh batteries, or an AC adapter,
not USB for power. Most external hard drives require more than the
original 500mA from USB 1.0 That is why they sell the 'Y' cables with
two type 'A 'male plugs and either a type 'B' or mini plug for the
device. I don't know of any hard drives that would start & run properly
with only 2.5 Watts availible. You WILL have problems if you try to use
the cables for the the wrong applications.

William Sommerwerck wrote:

The A male to A female cables at Dollar Tree can't supply
the current necessary to transfer file from most digital
cameras, power external hard drives or power a USB WiFi
adapter. They work well with a mouse or most thumb drives.

According to what I read a few months back, male-to-female A cables aren't
officially endorsed by the USB gods. Some USB devices aren't able to drive
more than the cable supplied with them. * Adding an extension might result in
erratic or non-behavior.

* Are USB cables transmission lines (as Ethernet cables are)? If so, the
length shouldn't make much difference.


Yes, and they make extender cables with built in repeaters to keep
the timing correct, and the edges of the waveforms clean.


You want to see something really interesting? Take a look at the
'Grass Valley 8937 SDI/ASI Reclocking Equalizing Distribution Amplifier'
They are required in complex digital video processing systems to
maintain proper timing throughout a modern studio. If the timing
changes due to cable length, it all goes to hell. The card cages hold
ten crds, and have a built in web server to allow you to monitor &
control the selected cards.

On Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:50:11 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


chuck wrote:

On Tue, 26 Feb 2013 21:52:37 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


nestork wrote:

I just bought a solid state external hard drive, but the USB cable that
came with it is only about 1 foot long.

I have a USB cable that came with a digital camera I bought years ago
that works on the solid state hard drive, and I'd like to get another
like it so that I can keep the external hard drive plugged in, and plug
in my camera whenever I want. (Rather than unplug the hard drive
whenever I want to tranfer photos from the camera to my computer.)

The cable I have now has "cylinders" molded into the cable a few inches
from each end. I expect they clean up the signal or something. Does
anyone know what these "cylinders" are called and what they do?

The cable I have now has the following markings on it:
USB VER 2.0
28 AWG/1P
28 AWG/2C
TAIYO
2725
E176097
Underwriters Labs "Recognized Component" mark
AWM
80 deg. C
30 V
VW-1

I'd like to buy a similar quality cable. Since this cable came with a
digital camera, I'm wondering if the best place to buy really high
quality USB cables like this would be in a camera store. If someone is
paying $1500 for a really good camera, they're not going to cheap out on
the cables they use to upload their pictures onto their computer, right?


Wrong. There are junk cables, and really bad junk cables. Overpay
if you want to, but I rarely pay more than $1 for a USB cable and have
never found a bad cable. I've had soe really bad junk shipped with
items, though. One place I buy them is Dollar Tree. If I have time I'll
buy a batch on Ebay, or if I need a specail like the cables with two
"Type A" plugs to supply more current for an external drive

The A male to A female cables at Dollar Tree can't supply the current
necessary to transfer file from most digital cameras, power external
hard drives or power an usb wifi adapter. They work well with a mouse
or most thumb drives. Chuck


Really? I've never had a problem with any of the dozens I've bought
there.

My digital camara warns you to use fresh batteries, or an AC adapter,
not USB for power. Most external hard drives require more than the
original 500mA from USB 1.0 That is why they sell the 'Y' cables with
two type 'A 'male plugs and either a type 'B' or mini plug for the
device. I don't know of any hard drives that would start & run properly
with only 2.5 Watts availible. You WILL have problems if you try to use
the cables for the the wrong applications.

I have an Olympus DSLR, 2 Kodak bridge cameras and a Concord digital
camera; none of which will transfer files with a Dollar Tree usb cable
but work fine with more expensive cables. I have 2 external hard
drives which will power up and work fine with other M to F extension
cables but not the Dollar Tree. Chuck

chuck wrote:

I have an Olympus DSLR, 2 Kodak bridge cameras and a Concord digital
camera; none of which will transfer files with a Dollar Tree usb cable
but work fine with more expensive cables. I have 2 external hard
drives which will power up and work fine with other M to F extension
cables but not the Dollar Tree. Chuck


Sorry, but my experience has been exactly 180° out of phase.

On 2/26/2013 7:34 PM, nestork wrote:
I just bought a solid state external hard drive, but the USB cable that
came with it is only about 1 foot long.

I have a USB cable that came with a digital camera I bought years ago
that works on the solid state hard drive, and I'd like to get another
like it so that I can keep the external hard drive plugged in, and plug
in my camera whenever I want. (Rather than unplug the hard drive
whenever I want to tranfer photos from the camera to my computer.)

The cable I have now has "cylinders" molded into the cable a few inches
from each end. I expect they clean up the signal or something. Does
anyone know what these "cylinders" are called and what they do?

The cable I have now has the following markings on it:
USB VER 2.0
28 AWG/1P
28 AWG/2C
TAIYO
2725
E176097
Underwriters Labs "Recognized Component" mark
AWM
80 deg. C
30 V
VW-1

I'd like to buy a similar quality cable. Since this cable came with a
digital camera, I'm wondering if the best place to buy really high
quality USB cables like this would be in a camera store. If someone is
paying $1500 for a really good camera, they're not going to cheap out on
the cables they use to upload their pictures onto their computer, right?





Why not buy the cheap cable and compare transfer speeds between your
Digital Camera USB cable and the cheap USB cable. Then you can tell us
if there is a problem with the cheap USB cable.
If it doesn't work well, return it and get your $1.99 + tax back.

Mikek