USB map for Z490 Xtreme

[Bergier3K]

Hello everyone, squeezing the best of the end of my holidays, I've decided to create a proper USB map for my build (there are only 2 things that are slightly problematic with this otherwise perfect build).

As I have a functioning Windows installation on a separate drive I decided to map the ports under Windows with USBtoolbox. The port discovery worked well with 2 USB A devices (one being 2.0 and another being 3.0) and 1 USBC device 3.2, No Thunderbolt device available for now.

I have attached 2 pictures for better understanding, but I'm double guessing their clarity, if they are indeed obscure, please let me know

The detection showed a lot of unidentified USB ports (#1, #7, #8, #9, #10, #15, #16, #23, #24, #25, #26) these ports are not lit up by any device I could plug. I could imagine that #15 and #16 are respective companions of #14 and #17, but it's only a wild guess. The other 9 ports are a mystery. Should I neglect them and pretend they don't exist ?

The ports I labelled 13 and 14 are 2 thunderbolt 3 ports in the back i/o that i tested with a USBc 3.2 device. Oddly they show up as #3 and #4, where as #3 and #4 are already USB 2 companions of the ports labelled 19 and 20. Is that normal ? (note : USBC on this board is exclusively with Switch).

Sorry if my questions are a bit "simple" but it's my first proper USB mapping and I want to do it extra well by the rules.

Also, if this post should go into the USB mapping thread, please excuse me and feel free to move it (I didn't want to crowed a thread already bulky).

Cheers!

EDIT : Now I think about it, could these "ghost" ports be the (far to many) Led headers ?

 

[Edhawk]

These are the USB ports on your motherboard.

Chipset+Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3 Controller:

1. 2 x USB Type-C™ ports on the back panel, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support (total 4 x ports, 2 x Virtual USB2 & 2 x Type-C, all should be set with connector type Type-c+SW (9))

Chipset:

1. 1 x USB Type-C™ port with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support, available through the internal USB header (total 2 x ports, 1 x Virtual USB2 & 1 x Type-C all should be set with connector type Type-c+SW (9))
2. 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (red) on the back panel (total 8 x ports, 4 x Virtual USB2 & 4 x USB3, all should be set with connector type USB3 (3))

Chipset+USB 3.2 Gen 1 Hub:

1. 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (2 ports on the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal USB header) (total 8 x ports, 4 x Virtual USB2 & 4 x USB3, all should be set with connector type USB3 (3))

Chipset+2 USB 2.0 Hubs:

1. 6 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports (2 ports on the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB headers with the included front USB header extension cable) (2 x USB2 ports & 4 x Internal ports, the USB2 ports should be set with USB2 connector Type (0), the 4 x Internal header ports should be set with Internal connector type (255))

CNVI connector:

1. 1 x USB2 Internal Port serving Intel Bluetooth, should be set as internal with connector type (255)

From the above information I calculate that this mother board has a total of 31 x USB ports available.

• The 4 x ports on the Thunderbolt controller can be enabled without issue, as they will be on a separate USB controller XHC2 or similar.
• That leaves 27 x ports on the XHC USB controller, with a limit of 15 ports set by Apple, that will take effect on the XHC controller.
• You will therefore have to disable/deactivate 12 x ports to keep within the 15 port limit on the XHC controller.

You seem to have missed the Internal 4 x port USB2 header from your notation on the motherboard layout, as highlighted in the screenshot below. It is also missing from the list of ports to the right of the MB layout.

4 x USB2 Internal Header/Hub,

This Header/Hub requires a custom cable connection, not 2 x 9-pin USB header connectors seen on other boards.

Not including this hub is fine, if you aren't using any case front USB2 ports/devices. Takes care of 4/12 ports you need to drop.

Only 2 x ports (7 & 8) should be set as USB2 with the connector type (0).
Any other USB2 ports are either served from a USB3 physical port, the Internal USB2 header/Hub or the CNVI WiFi/BT connector. In which case they should be set with connector type (3) and (255) respectively.

There is an option in the USBToolBox script that allows you to Name the ports as you discover them. Doing so would be beneficial for you and anyone looking to help you.

I hope this is helpful.

 

[Bergier3K]

Thanx @Edhawk for this very thorough answer, as always. You managed to shed some light and raise other questions, which is a good step towards a comprehensive USB map . If I may go point by point :

1. 2 x USB Type-C™ ports on the back panel, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 support (total 4 x ports, 2 x Virtual USB2 & 2 x Type-C, all should be set with connector type Type-c+SW (9))

I managed to identify the USBC 3.2, but how could I go to identify its USB2 companion ? Do I need a USB2 type C device ? (Does that even exist ?)

From the above information I calculate that this mother board has a total of 31 x USB ports available.

• The 4 x ports on the Thunderbolt controller can be enabled without issue, as they will be on a separate USB controller XHC2 or similar.
• That leaves 27 x ports on the XHC USB controller, with a limit of 15 ports set by Apple, that will take effect on the XHC controller.
• You will therefore have to disable/deactivate 12 x ports to keep within the 15 port limit on the XHC controller.

Yes and no. You are right with the thunderbolt controller, it's obviously separated, and is detected also as XHCI. But all included (USB+TB) USBtoolbox counts 30, and me too :

4 TB + 8 USB3/2 red (back) + 4 USB3/2 (blue in the back and internal header) + 2 internal USBc + 4 internal USB2 (normal header) + 2 back USB2 + 4 internal USB2 (custom header that you identified and is most likely to power the leds) + 2 internal USB2 (CNVI, sounds logical it goes by 2, no ?) = 30 ports. 30 minus the 4 TB ports, we end up with 26. Am I wrong ? (Sorry to make this thread accounting galore!)

Note for the USB3 blue in the back : they seem paired with the normal usb3 internal header. With the cable leading to the front i/o it makes 4 port, all recognised as only 18 and 2, which is odd. So I count only 4 ports : 2x18 and 2x2. Is it wrong ?

There is an option in the USBToolBox script that allows you to Name the ports as you discover them. Doing so would be beneficial for you and anyone looking to help you.

I looked for it indeed and couldn't find it... maybe they removed it ? It would be clearer I agree.

For now, with a thorough plugging of multiple devices in all available ports I end up with 15 ports (not counting if the CNVI has a companion), which leaves 11 unaccessible ports ! I readily accept that 4 of them must be the USB header with the custom connector, but 11 only for that seems a lot. What do you think it could be ? Am I missing something with USBC companions ?

Thanx again for your time !

EDIT : I just read a thread by @CaseySJ about a Gigabyte Z490 Vision (very close to my Z490 Xtreme) and we can learn there that :

1. The internal USBC header counts as 3 ports (USB2 + USB3.1 Gen1 + USB3.1 Gen2), most likely the same for me. Except mine seem to have a switch.
2. Port 14 is indeed the CNVI and I was wrong, it seems to have no companion.
3. Port 12 was badly interpreted by me, it is in fact an ITE chip controlling RGB Fusion.

Question remains, as I was saying, how does one test a USB2 device on a USBC port ?

EDIT #2 : I did further testing and came up with a new layout, less questions (but still some) and a better naming according to what @Edhawk recommended. The picture is a bit pixellised, sorry but I couldn't find a good way to take a terminal picture under Windows other that the printscreen.

The TB ports that are on a separate controller are #27, #28, #29, #30 for USBC with USB3.x device. However USBC with USB2 device (iphone) they are under the USB controller as ports #7 and #8. USBToolbox identifies also #23 as USB3 companion of #7 and #24 as USB3 companion of #23. Is that normal ?

Ports #9, #10, #15, #16, #25 and #26 remain unexplained and unidentified. However, I doubt (but maybe wrongly) that the USB2 internal header leads to only one port (currently #13) maybe it has companion(s) in these mysterious ports ?

 

[Edhawk]

I use a Type-C to Type-A adapter when testing the Type-C companion ports on my systems. Something like this works.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08CRV8V7R/?tag=tonymacx86-21

You are probably correct 26 ports sounds right for a PC motherboard's USB ports. Plus the 4 ports from the TB device, makes 30 in total.

The CNVi port will be singular, not a pair.

 

[Bergier3K]

@Edhawk I will indeed check with an adapter. Are you familiar with USBoolbox? Do you think the companion auto detection can be trusted ? It would me things easier to identify what's what, especially the ports I don't have access to...

 

[Edhawk]

Yes I am familiar with USBoolbox. It is based on Corpnewt’s USBMap script.

But honestly, no I don’t think you can trust USBoolbox to identify the companion ports correctly.

You have to test each Type-A port twice, with a USB2 and a USB3. To fully identify the companion ports.

Then test each Type-C port twice, with a Type-C device and then a USB2 device, which can be a Type-C or Type-A device & adapter.

You may have to move any internal header connections to another header (if available) to confirm your BT or other devices connected to motherboard header ports are correctly identified.

 

[Bergier3K]

Thanx again @Edhawk, I was actually thinking to test and confirm the BT header

As to detect the USB2 type A for an USBC port, do you think plugging an iphone 14 (lightning to USBC cable) does the trick, instead of an adapter ?

I will do some further testing and try to build ip the kext.

 

[Edhawk]

Yes, the Lightening to To USB-C cable would work as well as a Type-C to A adapter. As the iPhone connects at USB2 speed.