Can't Passthrough USB Devices Always Together

[PeteyBoPetey]

Hi Guys, (always have SpaceInvader1's voice in my head when I say that)

Irrespective of the USB port I plug a device into, my motherboard always puts them under the same USB controller and group. Having them all grouped together means I can't passthrough individual USB devices like Corsair Commander Pro or ASUS Aura. Is there a way to force certain usb devices to connect to a different controller, then pass that controller through to a VM?.

For example I'd like to move Commander PRO, Corsair Controller for Corsair Link,, Corsair CORSAIR Lighting Node CORE and ASUSTek Computer Inc. AURA LED Controller to the USB controller in iommu group 38 then pass that through to my Windoze 10 VM?

TIA

Peter

iommu.txt

[ghost82]

Hi, you have several usb controllers, 8 in total, without counting that of the gpus.

7 of these are bound to vfio, so if you plug a device into a usb port belonging to these usb controllers they wont be seen by unraid, but they will be passed directly to the application using that usb controller (a vm for example).

17 minutes ago, PeteyBoPetey said:

Is there a way to force certain usb devices to connect to a different controller, then pass that controller through to a VM?

This is not clear.

A usb controller communicates physically with some usb ports, so obviously you can't assign a port belonging to usb controller A to usb controller B.

 

19 minutes ago, PeteyBoPetey said:

Irrespective of the USB port I plug a device into, my motherboard always puts them under the same USB controller

That's because you are plugging your devices into ports belonging to the same usb controller.

Since other usb controllers are bound to vfio, if you plug devices into usb ports belonging to these usb controllers, un raid will not seen them (This controller is bound to vfio, connected USB devices are not visible.).

 

To map your usb ports (i.e. to see what usb ports belong to which usb controller), unbind from vfio all usb controller, reboot the server, then plug a pendrive in each port and see in system devices where it attaches.

 

I'm not sure what you want to achieve, maybe you can describe in details

[PeteyBoPetey]

Thanks for the fast and detailed reply Ghost82!,

Ok, so I unbound everything from VFIO and plugged a USB drive into each port on the motherboard and mapped out the port to controller. What I'm trying to achieve is to have all the ASUS and Corsair RGB controllers passed through to my main VM so that all my RGB lighting control software will work natively. However, all of those USB devices are under USB 2.0 controller in IOMMU group 15 with the Sandisk Unraid boot drive. I tried moving the Unraid boot drive to a USB 3.1 port with the plan of passing the USB controller in IOMMU group 15 through. For some unknown reason Unraid boots normally, but doesn't display the gui. I moved the Unraid boot USB back to the original port and it worked again. I thought you can you move from one USB port to another?. 

Question:

How do I move my Unraid boot USB from USB 2.0 port to a USB 3.1 port on my motherboards I/O?

TIA

 

Peter

[ghost82]

ok, now that you have mapped all your usb ports, you know that if you are passing through usb controller X to a vm, the vm will have access to all the usb ports belonging to usb controller X.

However now the issue here is different, since you are reporting that unraid usb works if plugged into the Intel Corporation 200 Series/Z370 Chipset Family USB 3.0 xHCI Controller, and doesn't work elsewhere.

 

A couple of notes:

you don't have any usb 2.0 controller: the intel one, where you have your unraid usb pendrive, is a 3.0 controller.

you have other usb controllers: asmedia, 3.1 controllers, and reneseas, 3.0 controllers.

 

I never had issues in plugging my pendrive in 2.0 or 3.0 controllers, but limetech suggests to use a 2.0 port for more compatibility.

 

Did you try for unraid both an usb port belonging to renesas and asmedia?

 

PS: before binding to vfio again the controllers, first try unraid in one of those usb controllers: you can't plug your unraid usb to a usb controller that is bound to vfio, because as written before, it is isolated from the host (unraid), so it wont be able to boot.

 

Or it can simply be not compatible, so try the renesas.

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/49270-unraid-web-gui-not-working-when-using-flash-drive-in-usb-31-port/

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by ghost82