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January 18th, 2020 17:00
P2419HC, Mac Mini, USB host questions
I just bought a P2419HC monitor for my 2014 vintage Mac Mini with USB type A female 3.0 ports. I connected video thru HDMI. I connected the P2419HC USB Type-C port to a USB 3 port on the Mac Mini, using a "USB Type-C male to USB type A male 2.0 cable" (surely not a "bridge" cable).
On the P2419HC downstream ports, I connected a keyboard and a mouse. This setup works as I expected, it works fine.
But thinking a bit more about this setup, it appears to be a USB host to USB host connection, and I'm now getting worried. Is this going to blow up in my face at some point? Or is the USB Type-C port on the P2419HC smart enough to deal with this "power collision"? Should I introduce a "bridging" element somewhere on the USB path to my Mac Mini?
The P2419HC came with the long (~6 ft) USB-C to USB-C cable if that matters.
Thanks, Pierre
DELL-Chris M
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January 21st, 2020 05:00
In the tested Windows OS, pages 9/10 state that to have access to the four USB downstream ports on the P2419HC, the USB Type-C cable has to be connected to the PC. So your physical setup is correct. As far as the relationship between the P2419HC USB hub and the non-tested Apple, unknown. You should ask the Apple users on their Forum.
leware
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January 19th, 2020 16:00
Also, I unplugged the setup described in my previous post until I get clarity on whether it's ok. But I hope it will be ok, because it's quite a bit more convenient (otherwise I run out of USB ports on the Mac mini).
I did a lot of reading today, in particular articles under https://medium.com/@leung.benson/. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but still, I have a better understanding of USB, and I'm optimistic... but nothing close to total confidence!
DELL-Chris M
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January 21st, 2020 13:00
The PC built in USB-A ports are not part of the monitor and PC USB hub. The PC operating system by itself will "run" its USB-A ports through its own USB hub. So in your case, you are asking how will the Apple OS "handle" seeing two USB hubs, not sure. On a Windows PC, it would not be an issue.
leware
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January 21st, 2020 13:00
The manual on page 9 (which I had seen) only mentions connecting to a PC with a USB-C port. It does not (that I can see) mention whether I can connect to a USB-A port on the PC with the appropriate cable. My previous Dell monitor (Dell 2208WFP) also had a USB hub, with a type-B connector for the cable going to the PC. That was clear, the old monitor is a USB device. Can I do the same with this new monitor, if the PC only has USB-A ports ? Contrary to the old monitor, this new monitor can charge the laptop it's connected to (if I understand correctly), that's what makes me worry, it can be both a USB host and a USB device. With my setup, will it stay in its device role? Thanks, Pierre.