Thread: New Product Idea Automotive USB Hub

I just want to echo what BugByte said, that mp3car is very close on this one already. No need to reinvent the wheel here. I have a prototype unit installed in my car and I have had no problems. It works perfectly, so I doubt there is much more that is needed to get it to be sold. So hold off a bit, and the holy grail of car powered USB hubs will be here soon.

I actually wasnt overloading any of my USB ports before I installed it, but it gives me that warm fuzzy feeling inside that the devices are being powered from the car separately and not via the M2.

It's a great product-to-be, so just wait a bit.

I had been using this 7-port powered USB 2.0 hub with a great switched 5 volt point-of-load power supply. This worked VERY well. I no longer use the jopel, or the hub even, as my computer has been upgraded from a laptop with 4 underpowered usb ports to an Intel D945GCLF2 with 8 ports. Also, my computer is now in the front of my car, instead of the rear, so my devices are now much more centrally located, so i no longer use the big hub. (well, i do have a unpowered $10 radioshack cable style hub for some things).

Originally Posted by 2k1Toaster

I just want to echo what BugByte said, that mp3car is very close on this one already. No need to reinvent the wheel here. I have a prototype unit installed in my car and I have had no problems. It works perfectly, so I doubt there is much more that is needed to get it to be sold. So hold off a bit, and the holy grail of car powered USB hubs will be here soon.

I actually wasnt overloading any of my USB ports before I installed it, but it gives me that warm fuzzy feeling inside that the devices are being powered from the car separately and not via the M2.

It's a great product-to-be, so just wait a bit.

Any news on this?
I've got a new install to put in my Lexus and don't want to install a POL in the front or have multiple cable runs just to get enough USB power to the front.

This sounds like the perfect solution!

I'll ask them what the status is. They are very gun shy about pre-announcing anything -and rightly so.

Spark fun have a DC-DC converter which is ~90% efficient. Its really small and should be able fit inside a USB hub. It has a 10-14 volt input and output is adjustable from 0.75 - 5.5v and can handle upto 5A. Its only $9.95

-too easy

Originally Posted by Bugbyte

I'll ask them what the status is. They are very gun shy about pre-announcing anything -and rightly so.

Cheers, its a guaranteed sale as far as I'm concerned!

Just out of curiousity, is there a problem with using the 5 volt rail from the PSU. Its regulated and turns off when ecu does, holds the 5 volts during standby mode and shuts off during hibernate and shutdown.

Originally Posted by fridgemagnet

Cheers, its a guaranteed sale as far as I'm concerned!

I really need one myself. All I ask is that someone bump this thread when it goes on sale, because I don't want to miss it.

I'm just using a 7805 voltage regulator for my hub. Simply run a 12v from somewhere in the car in and out comes 5v.