Meant to be Seen

Hi

Does anyone know if the control box will include a usb hub?

If not, Palmer (if you are reading), can the consumer version include a usb hub please, it will be so much easier to be able to plug in a controller and headset to the controller box than have numerous cables going back to the pc.

Glen

I don't think it does, but that would be pretty cool.

I believe the update rate of the tracker pushes some of the limits of USB2, so a bridge would have adverse affects on tracker performance..

Also I believe with the 5.6" screen at least you could run the whole thing off USB which probably wouldn't be true if it was also powering a controller with rumble etc.

MSat wrote:I believe the update rate of the tracker pushes some of the limits of USB2, so a bridge would have adverse affects on tracker performance..

I could be wrong (wouldn't surprise me) but I thought most USB ports on a computer shared the same internal bus anyway - so it wouldn't matter where you plugged your controller in, it's going to be sharing bandwidth with the tracker.

Still, it's a good point about the power...

MSat wrote:I believe the update rate of the tracker pushes some of the limits of USB2, so a bridge would have adverse affects on tracker performance..

Even with 1000Hz updating, each update would have to a good 35Kb to saturate USB2.0. Even for raw data, 9 x 64bit floating point values (let's be generous) at 1000Hz would only be ~ 0.5Mbps.

EdZ wrote:

MSat wrote:I believe the update rate of the tracker pushes some of the limits of USB2, so a bridge would have adverse affects on tracker performance..

Even with 1000Hz updating, each update would have to a good 35Kb to saturate USB2.0. Even for raw data, 9 x 64bit floating point values (let's be generous) at 1000Hz would only be ~ 0.5Mbps.

Yeah, I seem to remember from discussions with nrp that the total bandwidth was not the problem - but the speed of I/O interrupts, since each position update is an individual packet that has to be serviced. nrp, you want to chime in on this?

Yes, bandwidth isn't the issue. Sensor data packets can't be that big. The limit really is how quickly you can poll the bus, and at 1000hz, adding other devices will slow down both.

I'm sure you don't need to poll that quickly for most applications, though. Pretty sure you can reduce the polling rate (but don't quote me on any of this stuff, please. I'm just speculating with the rest of you).

... and if it is just about a controller, you could easily use a wireless one!

logicalChimp wrote:

MSat wrote:I believe the update rate of the tracker pushes some of the limits of USB2, so a bridge would have adverse affects on tracker performance..

I could be wrong (wouldn't surprise me) but I thought most USB ports on a computer shared the same internal bus anyway - so it wouldn't matter where you plugged your controller in, it's going to be sharing bandwidth with the tracker.

Still, it's a good point about the power...

Most computers have at least a couple buses, even on laptops. Putting a hub in the Rift control box would only encourage people to put all their devices one bus, which should be avoided if possible.

You could always velcro a hub to the box if you want, though.

WOW never seen the post above me well now we know.

PalmerTech wrote:
Most computers have at least a couple buses, even on laptops. Putting a hub in the Rift control box would only encourage people to put all their devices one bus, which should be avoided if possible.

You could always velcro a hub to the box if you want, though.

Hi Palmer

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

Regards Glen

p.s. Any chance of the Doom 3 license keys being distributed early? Also will they be via Steam?

glen wrote:p.s. Any chance of the Doom 3 license keys being distributed early? Also will they be via Steam?

I'm not sure that's a good idea. We don't want people finishing Doom 3 BFG before they get their Rift and then missing out on playing it in the Rift.

That would be most unlikely.

2EyeGuy wrote:

glen wrote:p.s. Any chance of the Doom 3 license keys being distributed early? Also will they be via Steam?

I'm not sure that's a good idea. We don't want people finishing Doom 3 BFG before they get their Rift and then missing out on playing it in the Rift.

I also think that would be most unlikely.

I was personally considering revisiting Doom3 just so I could more accurately compare the VR experience to the non-VR experience, so that it was fresh in my memory