Using the USB 3 port

[Chris Clayton]

I have started researching how to use the micro USB 3 C port on my set up, mainly to use it to run a USB 3 DVD / CD external drive to replace my USB 2 Samsung which packed up a while ago. From a low start I have learned a lot from a variety of sources, not least the discussion on this forum a while back. I know now that the USB 3 port will work, as I have got a USB 3 card reader and Hub and flash drives running with it. There are some points I would welcome advice on, such as:

1. Am I right in guessing there may be some power shortage issues with Optical Drives as some people have found with HDDs?
2. What is the better choice: a single USB cable; two USB cables with one providing power from a second USB port; a Y-cable split between power and data; a powered Hub — mine has the option of AC power
3. Why is there discussion of using an OTG cable? I am only familiar with  OTG on my Samsung tablet. What would it be used for on the Cube? Is it necessary / beneficial? Is the port OTG anyway, as I see suggestions it may not be?
4. Anything else I have not thought of?

[Chris Clayton]

Why is an OTG connector used? After getting a C to A USB 3 adapter I have still not got the C port to work with other devices.  I see many users have OTG so I have ordered a C to A OTG cable, but would welcome an explanation of why it is used on our Windows 10 Cube PC? I thought it was mainly intended for connecting Android tablets / phones to Windows devices such as mice, printers, flash drives.

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