Let's count the amps!

[JayBee]

Okay, here's something interesting...

I've got a nokia 8210 (one with an IR port), and have been able to use Virtual PC 5 to hook up a usb IrDA interface to my phone. The nokia software runs like a charm on winME in VPC5, in Mac OS 9.2. I'm quite chuffed with this, and everything's cool.

However, if I boot into OS X and try to get VPC to do this, I plug in my IrDA interface and am told that there are too many usb peripherals attached for them all to get power.

Now, I have a floppy drive attached to one of my quicksilver's base usb ports, a keyboard attached to the other, and into the keyboard go my wacom and my IrDA interface.

Okay, so this maybe DOES seem like a lot of stuff drawing juice from the one machine, but the big question is WHY DOES IT WORK IN OS 9?????

Does OS X regulate current as well as memory usage? What gives? Anyone know?

On a side note, does anyone know why it is that when I've unplugged most of my powered usb peripherals, VPC still can't use the IrDA interface in OS X, even though the peripheral appears in the usb sharing prefs?

[brodie]

i dont think thats too many peripherals, i usually only get that warning when i have a tablet and TWO hubs.
as for the IrDA, are you running 10.1.2+? is the IrDA listed as an active port in network prefs?

[JayBee]

Annoyingly, I can't get my machines (9.2.1 or X 10.1.3) to see the IrDA adapter AT ALL. It's a USB job, and the only IrDA interfaces that Apple seems to support now are those built into its laptops.

This is the reason I'm using VPC. It works VERY nicely in 9.2 (which is sitting on my laptop) but I'm confused by this USB power problem...

As an aside, does anyone know if I'd be able to get OS X (or even 9) to spot the IrDA interface if I re-installed the OS with the adapter plugged in? I remember that I had to do this when I put a DVD drive in the machine, so that the appropriate software would be installed. I ask as I can't be bothered with a re-install unless someone can tell me wether it could work...

Cheers,