USB SWITCHER
USB SWITCHER
I am searching for a usb 3.0 switcher similar to an hdmi switcher. The purpose is my buick infotainment center. Large capacity thumb drives or hdds can make the system unresponsive and often display an error "no device connected" when starting the car. With a switcher, i could use several smaller thumb drives while keeping music accessible easily without having to search through the console while driving at 75mph. So far, I haven't found such a device. I've seen hubs with individual on/off buttons for each connected device. The one i'm looking for would have a button for each device and automatically disconnect the previous one, allowing only one port active at a time.
I like your theory but something tells me that if you are able to find one, the vehicle likely won't support it. I say this because most of those software packages are limited in what they can understand and if you switch on the fly like that you're likely to wind up with more no device detected issues or it cause something else to go wrong.
I'm ready to risk $20 to $30... the better features make it worthwhile. Just be aware that moving thumb drives quickly could lead to other, temporary problems.
This setup is intended to run both items simultaneously, but it may lead to issues and won't work with certain gadgets.
I possess that exact unit in my car for a slightly varied purpose.
Two of the ports supply power to two distinct dashcam systems.
The remaining two USB ports are used for music or charging a phone.
However, according to the OPs requirements, one port must not be powered off when another is selected.
You need to handle that manually.