hot USB port

[lesto]

hi, my USB port on raspberry runs very hot.
it has attacked a keyboard/mouse wireless receiver and a wifi key.
only with keyboard/mouse wireless receiver it is hot but i can touch it, + the wifi it runs so hot i can't touch it for more than 5/10 second.
is it ok or should i use some heat-sink or an externally powered USB hub?

[jbeale]

If you are talking about the LAN9512 Ethernet/USB chip, it normally gets too hot to touch. See also: http://elinux.org/R-Pi_Troubleshooting# ... t_to_touch

There are often chips inside computers which get hot, but normally the computers have a case around them, so you don't notice how hot the chips are.

[lesto]

it is not only the chip, but also the USB physical "header" that get very hot!

[Burngate]

Then it's the wifi dongle.
Why it should get hot is down to the design of it - unless it's faulty. Maybe it's designed to dump its heat into what it's plugged into - which doesn't sound good design to me!

[mahjongg]

A connector itself doesn't dissipate power, so it won't get hot.

Also, the PI's USB ports are designed for low power devices (max 100mA), and WiFi transponders are not low power devices, so what also happens is that you are heating up the fuses.

A WiFi adapter on an unmodified PI can only be run from an externally powered hub, the PI itself isn't designed to power them.

[Burngate]

... so what also happens is that you are heating up the fuses ...

I doubt that heat from the fuses are making the socket feel warm - unless they glowing red hot

[guidol]

is it ok or should i use some heat-sink or an externally powered USB hub?

How about testing it with a short USB extension Cable?
The heat from the Wifi-USB key shouldnt after that heat up the RPi USB-Ports...

[hayesey]

the USB ports on mine are warm from heat radiating from the USB/Ethernet chip which itself is very hot (which is normal).

When you say the USB port is hot, how hot exactly? It shouldn't be too hot to touch.

[mikerr]

Yes, my netgear WG111v2 wifi stick gets VERY hot, but works ok.

A WiFi adapter on an unmodified PI can only be run from an externally powered hub, the PI itself isn't designed to power them.

Lack of ability to use wifi without a powered hub was a big problem for me - as I wanted my Pi to be battery powered... internal wifi on the list for a model C (my list that is!).

[stockbroker]

Yes, my netgear WG111v2 wifi stick gets VERY hot, but works ok.

A WiFi adapter on an unmodified PI can only be run from an externally powered hub, the PI itself isn't designed to power them.

Lack of ability to use wifi without a powered hub was a big problem for me - as I wanted my Pi to be battery powered... internal wifi on the list for a model C (my list that is!).

Hi Mike R
I also have a netgear wireless router with wg111 dongle but have no idea how to get this working with Pi. got any instructions / step by step guide on how to get dongle operating.
Marshall

[johnbeetem]

A connector itself doesn't dissipate power, so it won't get hot.

My RasPi's USB, Ethernet, and HDMI connector shells get warm, but not really hot. My understanding is that the LAN9512 dissipates most of its heat by conducting it through its large GND pad under the chip to RasPi's ground plane. The ground plane then conducts this heat to all the connector shells, so they do warm up. So does the bottom of the board if there's no air flow. I expect the BCM2835 SoC also contributes some heat to the ground plane through its solder balls, but they don't conduct heat as well as the LAN9512's thermal pad.

Conduction is an excellent way to remove heat, since you don't need a noisy and failure-prone fan.

[P_Monty]

A connector itself doesn't dissipate power, so it won't get hot.

Also, the PI's USB ports are designed for low power devices (max 100mA), and WiFi transponders are not low power devices, so what also happens is that you are heating up the fuses.

A WiFi adapter on an unmodified PI can only be run from an externally powered hub, the PI itself isn't designed to power them.

I see this is 3 years old. Is it still true?
I've been running my B+ with a netgear wg211 plugged straight into a USB port (via an extension cable) am I risking damage?

[rpdom]

A connector itself doesn't dissipate power, so it won't get hot.

Also, the PI's USB ports are designed for low power devices (max 100mA), and WiFi transponders are not low power devices, so what also happens is that you are heating up the fuses.

A WiFi adapter on an unmodified PI can only be run from an externally powered hub, the PI itself isn't designed to power them.

I see this is 3 years old. Is it still true?
I've been running my B+ with a netgear wg211 plugged straight into a USB port (via an extension cable) am I risking damage?

No. That was just on the very first models. The current A+, B+ and 2B support normal USB power (with a default total maximum of 600mA shared between the ports, which can be configured as 1200mA).

[P_Monty]

That's great - thanks

[sreedna]

Hi,
I am using, RASPBERRY PI 3 - MODEL B board for my application. USB connectors become more hot while in operation. The USB housing was measured at 55 C.
Can you please provide the root cause and solution if you have done already...