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VR headset link cable SOLUTION
11 months ago
General
Greetings reader
So I have learned so much on this adventure, that I am rewriting this journal entry so all the new correct information is in one place (and all the incorrect information is removed).
So, I was having trouble connecting an Oculus Quest 2 to the PC using a powered link cable. I did some reading, got confusing information, and ran some tests. These are the results of the investigation. And they are most interesting.
*** UPDATE ***********
It is a few days later, and the link software will not connect to the Quest 2.
Many are having this issue when the Quest 2 updates it's software.
After some reading, I found this suggested solution mentioned often.
- Connect the Quest 2 using Air Link. This seems to work well.
- Use a battery bank and USB-C cable to power the headset to extend play time. The battery bank can be slipped into your pocket and connected to the headset with a cheap USB cable.
OR
Use an AC extension cord to power the Quest 2 power brick. Use the power brick to power the headset. This could even be suspended overhead to keep it from under foot.
I saw many trying to use the USB-C port to power the headset. Most report the headset battery would gradually run down as the USB port could not keep up with the power demands of the headset.
**********************
*** Why use a LINK CABLE
A LINK CABLE allow your Oculus headset to link to the PC. A LINK CABLE can provide infinite battery power to the headset, and can allow the headset to use the power of the PC.
Here is an article if you want to more details
https://www.cablecreation.com/blogs.....2-is-all-about
*** The computer I am using for testing (relative specs only).
- OS is Microsoft Windows 10 Pro, 64bit
- has PCIe 5 motherboard bus.
- has USB-C 3.2 (on the motherboard)
- has USB-A 2.0 (on the motherboard)
- has USB-A 3.0 (on the motherboard)
- CPU is 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700K, 3610 Mhz
- graphic card is NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- RAM is DDR4, 32.0 GB, 2133 MHz
- Connectivity is cable ISP at 15ms latency, 118Mbps down speed, 12Mbps up speed. Yes, I buy the lower plan.
So nothing too fast or too special.
A computer motherboard with PCIe3 or PCIe4 might work. I do not know as I have no way to test that.
The Headset
- used Oculus Quest 2 headset, with the two standard Oculus controllers.
The Link Cable
The official Meta LINK CABLE is $80 {ouch}. The LINK CABLE I use is only $20 and works perfectly well.
https://www.amazon.com/Oculus-Cable.....DQ3/ref=sr_1_1
- 16ft long cable.
- USB-C on the headset end.
- USB-A on the PC end. I had to use an USB-A to USB-C adaptor to test on USB-C port.
- connector for the Oculus Quest power brick. The power brick must be connected to the cable for the cable to work. I believe this is an ACTIVE USB CABLE.
-I get nothing recommending this cable, it is just the one I use and it works.
The cheap test USB cable
- USB-C on one end for the headset
- USB-A on the other end for the PC
- 4 feet long
- No power attachment. Just a simple cheap cable.
The Results
This is what I learned by running experiments using the above computer and above cables.
I assume the link cable is an active cable because it needs the AC power brick to work.
- USB-A 2.0 (on motherboard), 16ft active cable + power brick: WORKS
- USB-A 3.0 (on motherboard), 16ft active cable + power brick: FAILS
- USB-A 3.0 (on motherboard), 4ft passive cable: WORKS
- USB-C 3.2 (on motherboard), 16ft active cable + power brick: WORKS
I assume the USB-2 worked because the link cable is under max length.
I cannot explain why the USB-A 3.0 fails.
I assume the 4ft cabled worked because it was under max length.
I assume the USB-C 3.2 worked because it is under max length.
In summary, look up the recommended values; but test in the real world to see if they work. There are so many variables it is hard to account for them all to know if a cable will work or not work.
*** For background reference:
Power delivery of USB port:
USB 1.0 . . none
USB 2.0 . . 2.5 Watts
USB 3.0 . . 4.5 Watts
USB 3.2 . . 100 Watts
USB 4.0 . . 240 Watts
Speed of USB port:
USB 1.0/Low-Speed: . . . . . 1.5 Mbps
USB 1.1/Full-Speed: . . . . . 12 Mbps
USB 2.0/Hi-Speed: . . . . . 480 Mbps
USB 3.0/SuperSpeed: . . 5 Gbps
USB 3.1/SuperSpeed: . 10 Gbps
USB # . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Gbps
USB 4 :. . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Gbps
USB cable recommended maximum cable lengths.
USB 1.1 Passive: . . . . . . . . . . . 5 meters (approximately 16.4 feet)
USB 2.0 standard Passive: . . . 5 meters (approximately 16.4 feet)
USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 Passive: . 3 meters (approximately 9.8 feet)
USB 3.2 and USB4 Passive: . . . 0.8 meter (approximately 2.6 feet)
USB 3.0/3.1 ACTIVE: . . . . . . . . . 5 meters (approximately 16.4 feet). Some go 30 feet.
USB 3.2 ACTIVE: . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 meters (approximately 16.4 feet). Some go 30 feet.
PCIe bus
. . Gen . . . Bandwidth x16 Lanes . . . Transfer Rate
PCIe 2.0 . . . . . 16 GB/s . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 GT/s
PCIe 3.0 . . . . . 32 GB/s . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 GT/s
PCIe 4.0 . . . . . 64 GB/s . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 GT/s
PCIe 5.0 . . . . 128 GB/s . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 GT/s
PCIe 6.0 . . . . 256 GB/s . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 GT/s
I hope this may help if you are trying to get your VR headset Link Cable working.
TG
So I have learned so much on this adventure, that I am rewriting this journal entry so all the new correct information is in one place (and all the incorrect information is removed).
So, I was having trouble connecting an Oculus Quest 2 to the PC using a powered link cable. I did some reading, got confusing information, and ran some tests. These are the results of the investigation. And they are most interesting.
*** UPDATE ***********
It is a few days later, and the link software will not connect to the Quest 2.
Many are having this issue when the Quest 2 updates it's software.
After some reading, I found this suggested solution mentioned often.
- Connect the Quest 2 using Air Link. This seems to work well.
- Use a battery bank and USB-C cable to power the headset to extend play time. The battery bank can be slipped into your pocket and connected to the headset with a cheap USB cable.
OR
Use an AC extension cord to power the Quest 2 power brick. Use the power brick to power the headset. This could even be suspended overhead to keep it from under foot.
I saw many trying to use the USB-C port to power the headset. Most report the headset battery would gradually run down as the USB port could not keep up with the power demands of the headset.
**********************
*** Why use a LINK CABLE
A LINK CABLE allow your Oculus headset to link to the PC. A LINK CABLE can provide infinite battery power to the headset, and can allow the headset to use the power of the PC.
Here is an article if you want to more details
https://www.cablecreation.com/blogs.....2-is-all-about
*** The computer I am using for testing (relative specs only).
- OS is Microsoft Windows 10 Pro, 64bit
- has PCIe 5 motherboard bus.
- has USB-C 3.2 (on the motherboard)
- has USB-A 2.0 (on the motherboard)
- has USB-A 3.0 (on the motherboard)
- CPU is 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700K, 3610 Mhz
- graphic card is NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- RAM is DDR4, 32.0 GB, 2133 MHz
- Connectivity is cable ISP at 15ms latency, 118Mbps down speed, 12Mbps up speed. Yes, I buy the lower plan.
So nothing too fast or too special.
A computer motherboard with PCIe3 or PCIe4 might work. I do not know as I have no way to test that.
The Headset
- used Oculus Quest 2 headset, with the two standard Oculus controllers.
The Link Cable
The official Meta LINK CABLE is $80 {ouch}. The LINK CABLE I use is only $20 and works perfectly well.
https://www.amazon.com/Oculus-Cable.....DQ3/ref=sr_1_1
- 16ft long cable.
- USB-C on the headset end.
- USB-A on the PC end. I had to use an USB-A to USB-C adaptor to test on USB-C port.
- connector for the Oculus Quest power brick. The power brick must be connected to the cable for the cable to work. I believe this is an ACTIVE USB CABLE.
-I get nothing recommending this cable, it is just the one I use and it works.
The cheap test USB cable
- USB-C on one end for the headset
- USB-A on the other end for the PC
- 4 feet long
- No power attachment. Just a simple cheap cable.
The Results
This is what I learned by running experiments using the above computer and above cables.
I assume the link cable is an active cable because it needs the AC power brick to work.
- USB-A 2.0 (on motherboard), 16ft active cable + power brick: WORKS
- USB-A 3.0 (on motherboard), 16ft active cable + power brick: FAILS
- USB-A 3.0 (on motherboard), 4ft passive cable: WORKS
- USB-C 3.2 (on motherboard), 16ft active cable + power brick: WORKS
I assume the USB-2 worked because the link cable is under max length.
I cannot explain why the USB-A 3.0 fails.
I assume the 4ft cabled worked because it was under max length.
I assume the USB-C 3.2 worked because it is under max length.
In summary, look up the recommended values; but test in the real world to see if they work. There are so many variables it is hard to account for them all to know if a cable will work or not work.
*** For background reference:
Power delivery of USB port:
USB 1.0 . . none
USB 2.0 . . 2.5 Watts
USB 3.0 . . 4.5 Watts
USB 3.2 . . 100 Watts
USB 4.0 . . 240 Watts
Speed of USB port:
USB 1.0/Low-Speed: . . . . . 1.5 Mbps
USB 1.1/Full-Speed: . . . . . 12 Mbps
USB 2.0/Hi-Speed: . . . . . 480 Mbps
USB 3.0/SuperSpeed: . . 5 Gbps
USB 3.1/SuperSpeed: . 10 Gbps
USB # . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Gbps
USB 4 :. . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Gbps
USB cable recommended maximum cable lengths.
USB 1.1 Passive: . . . . . . . . . . . 5 meters (approximately 16.4 feet)
USB 2.0 standard Passive: . . . 5 meters (approximately 16.4 feet)
USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 Passive: . 3 meters (approximately 9.8 feet)
USB 3.2 and USB4 Passive: . . . 0.8 meter (approximately 2.6 feet)
USB 3.0/3.1 ACTIVE: . . . . . . . . . 5 meters (approximately 16.4 feet). Some go 30 feet.
USB 3.2 ACTIVE: . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 meters (approximately 16.4 feet). Some go 30 feet.
PCIe bus
. . Gen . . . Bandwidth x16 Lanes . . . Transfer Rate
PCIe 2.0 . . . . . 16 GB/s . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 GT/s
PCIe 3.0 . . . . . 32 GB/s . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 GT/s
PCIe 4.0 . . . . . 64 GB/s . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 GT/s
PCIe 5.0 . . . . 128 GB/s . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 GT/s
PCIe 6.0 . . . . 256 GB/s . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 GT/s
I hope this may help if you are trying to get your VR headset Link Cable working.
TG
