USB voltage/current not enough for my USB-powered photo scanner?

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Guest

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Hello!

I have a question about USB voltage and slide/photo scanners (or other devices that need power supply from USB).

I own a Maginon MS7100 slide/photo scanner which uses only a USB cable for power supply. The manual says it can be powered by just plugging it into a USB port on the computer (doesn't say anything about it being a special type of USB port). I have always used it by plugging it into the front USB port of my desktop which has a Gigabyte P55-UD2 motherboard.

However, I just realised by looking at the label on the bottom of the device and it says "POWER: 5V, 1.0A".

This, I dont understand because I thought that USB provided a max. of 5.0V and 0.5A? Then how can the manual say I can just plug it into my computers USB port when using it? It has always worked well and I have scanned a lot of photos but did I do anything wrong by connecting it this way? I used the provided cable which aren't too long.

Thanks very much for reading!

PS: I tested scanning the same photos with with a 2.0A power supply and the 0.5A USB front and the photos looked the same, same lightning etc.). So I guess it shouldn't have any effect?
 
Solution
dudio
Ya, it is weird.
Another site I looked at claimed 0.5 Amps on USB 2 and 0.9 on USB 3.
Most motherboards have protection when they detect an overdraw on the ports.
I have an external Blu ray read/writer that has two USB plugs connected in parallel to draw from 2 separate ports. You may want to get like that, that takes your 1 jack and makes it two if you are concerned.
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The manual says USB 2.0 is required. That's all. If 2.0 is 0.1A then it is weird that the label on the device says 1.0A?
 
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dudio

dudio

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Apr 26, 2015
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Ya, it is weird.
Another site I looked at claimed 0.5 Amps on USB 2 and 0.9 on USB 3.
Most motherboards have protection when they detect an overdraw on the ports.
I have an external Blu ray read/writer that has two USB plugs connected in parallel to draw from 2 separate ports. You may want to get like that, that takes your 1 jack and makes it two if you are concerned.
 
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Solution
G

Guest

Guest


Thanks, it is at least nice to know that there is most often a protection against overdrawing, maybe it is actually made to be used in a normal USB port since the manual states it. A good solution with the two jacks but I also found the solution of just using my mobile charger to power it since it is 5V @ 2A. But I must say I got a little worried because I scanned in 1000s of photos already and I was afraid the lighting would be affected by a power supply too low. However, my comparison tests didn't show difference. If the supply was too low wouldn't it be clearly visible when using the device? I once used a cable too long because I couldn't find the original one and this made the spotlight flicker so I never used it and looked for the supplied one instead.

But weird it is with the counterinformative descriptions supplied!
 
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