5-in-1 camera connection kit - anybody using it?

[outbackyak]

Is anybody using this product? IPad Five-in-One Dock Adapter: When Will the Madness End? | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

In another post http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-help...-inadequate-power-peripheral-help-please.html I got a reply saying that it is possible that this device doesn't suffer from the limitations to USB power output that the genuine Apple Camera Connection Kit does.

If so this might solve my problem in that post. Can anyone confirm that the 5-in-1 supplies additional power via USB?

I've googled everything I can think of, but I can't find any mention of this kit supplying extra power.

Thanks!

 

[Pocobear]

The current limit is in firmware coding. not a physical limit of the port. The limit was reduced in iOS 4.2.1, before that, in iOS 3.2.2 the limit was the higher 500ma standard output. Apple chose to limit it, allegedly for battery life issues. Valid reason? Yes, but I don't think that was the real reason. For example, I can use my Samson-G usb mic with my iPad on iOS 3.2.2, however, others who upgraded to 4.2.1 say the mic doesn't work any more, Apple saying it draws too much current. Therefore I can't see where the 5-in-1 adapter could possibly supply anymore current than Apple will allow. Hope this explains it a little better.

 

[outbackyak]

The current limit is in firmware coding. not a physical limit of the port. The limit was reduced in iOS 4.2.1, before that, in iOS 3.2.2 the limit was the higher 500ma standard output. Apple chose to limit it, allegedly for battery life issues. Valid reason? Yes, but I don't think that was the real reason. For example, I can use my Samson-G usb mic with my iPad on iOS 3.2.2, however, others who upgraded to 4.2.1 say the mic doesn't work any more, Apple saying it draws too much current. Therefore I can't see where the 5-in-1 adapter could possibly supply anymore current than Apple will allow. Hope this explains it a little better.

I've found some more info since I posted, and some people are definitely getting it to work with some devices without supplying any additional power, using un-powered USB hubs as buffers Harmonicdog • View topic - Blue Yeti and iPad errors. Possibly the 5 in 1 acts as a buffer in the same way a USB hub can (only some un-powered USB hubs have been found to work, while others don't work at all).

Which is no guarantee it will work with my Shure X2u, but at least it gives me some hope.

Thanks!