Asmcom's USB Stable Power 5VDC Connector Loom and Major Stock Update

Asmcom's USB Stable Power 5VDC Connector Loom and Major Stock Update Last updated: 5th March 2026 Our website will remain temporarily offline until **mid-April 2026** while we prepare a significant new inventory release and implement several technical improvements designed to deliver the **best possible performance and reliability from the final generation of Hitachi-LG Data Storage UHD drives**. We are pleased to confirm that we have successfully secured a **large bulk order of Hitachi-LG Data Storage (HLDS) optical drives**, including production units dated **September through December 2025**. These drives are believed to be among the final production runs manufactured prior to the official end-of-line (EOL) of these models. Newly acquired stock includes • Hitachi BP55EB40 – Revision 4 hardware • Hitachi BU40N – Revision 4 hardware with updated internal components The latest BU40N Revision 4 hardware incorporates refinements to the internal PCB layout, power regulation and drive control sections. These improvements enhance mechanical tolerance control and rotational stability, helping to reduce the likelihood of circular surface marking on certain disc types. Extensive validation testing Over the past three months we have been carrying out extensive real-world testing of host-powered optical drives across a wide range of systems, including Mac Mini computers, compact PCs, Microsoft Surface devices and other low-power USB platforms. During testing we deliberately applied heavy load conditions to the USB subsystem while the optical drives were operating. This included simultaneous USB device activity such as external hard drive transfers, phone charging, printing, scanning and other bus-powered devices drawing current from the same host controller. Under these stress conditions we observed that some systems can experience small but measurable voltage dips on the 5V USB power rail. While these variations are typically within specification, optical drives performing high-speed UHD reading can be sensitive to such fluctuations, which in certain environments may lead to occasional read instability or error recovery events. To further investigate this behaviour we modified several test units and supplied regulated external 5VDC power directly to the drive power rail. This allowed us to isolate the drive from fluctuations on the host USB bus while maintaining normal USB data communication. The results were extremely positive. With a stable regulated supply connected, the drives demonstrated excellent voltage stability regardless of USB system load, even when the host ports were heavily stressed with multiple devices. Disc reading performance remained consistent and predictable, with improved tolerance to demanding workloads. This testing confirmed that stable power delivery can significantly enhance the consistency of host-powered optical drives, particularly when connected to smaller modern computers where USB power regulation may vary depending on system activity. Introducing Asmcom's USB Stable Power 5VDC Connector Loom To our knowledge this is the first optical drive USB cable specifically engineered to stabilise USB power delivery for UHD optical drives. Figure 1 – Asmcom's USB Stable Power 5VDC Connector Loom showing the additional 5VDC female barrel connector for optional regulated external power. https://forum.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=196560#p196560 Based on these findings we have developed a new accessory designed specifically to enhance the performance of host-powered optical drives. Asmcom's USB Stable Power 5VDC Connector Loom provides the ability to optionally supply regulated external 5VDC power directly to the drive cable while maintaining full USB data connectivity. As shown in Figure 1, the loom incorporates an additional **5VDC 3.5 mm × 1.35 mm female barrel connector** which allows a regulated power supply to stabilise the drive’s power rail while the USB connection continues to handle data communication with the host system. The design incorporates: • USB 3.0 Micro-B connection to the drive • USB-A connection for data and host power • Additional 5VDC 3.5 mm × 1.35 mm female barrel connector for optional regulated external power • Additional USB Type A to Type C adaptor will be available for customers with C connectors on their devices This configuration allows the drive to operate normally from the USB host while also enabling connection of a regulated 5VDC 2A power supply when maximum stability is required. The result is extremely stable drive operation, even on systems where USB bus power may fluctuate during heavy device activity. Because this type of cable does not currently exist commercially, we have commissioned a custom tooling production runand are currently having 2,000 units manufactured specifically for use with our host-powered optical drive solutions. These looms will initially support USB Micro-B optical drive platforms, and we are also developing additional versions for other host-powered drive interfaces including native USB Type-C configurations**. Why the website will remain closed until April We have decided to delay reopening the site so that we can complete: • final validation testing of the new drive batches • integration of the new USB Stable Power 5VDC Connector Loom • preparation of upgraded product kits and documentation • inventory system updates for the upcoming release Our goal is to ensure that when the website reopens, customers will receive **the most refined and reliable solution possible for these final generation UHD optical drives**. Full availability details and product listings will be published once the site reopens. Thank you for your continued support. Asmcom UHD Friendly Drives Team