What: /sys/bus/pci/drivers/ehci_hcd/.../companion /sys/bus/usb/devices/usbN/../companion Date: January 2007 KernelVersion: 2.6.21 Contact: Alan Stern <stern@rowland.harvard.edu> Description: PCI-based EHCI USB controllers (i.e., high-speed USB-2.0 controllers) are often implemented along with a set of "companion" full/low-speed USB-1.1 controllers. When a high-speed device is plugged in, the connection is routed to the EHCI controller; when a full- or low-speed device is plugged in, the connection is routed to the companion controller. Sometimes you want to force a high-speed device to connect at full speed, which can be accomplished by forcing the connection to be routed to the companion controller. That's what this file does. Writing a port number to the file causes connections on that port to be routed to the companion controller, and writing the negative of a port number returns the port to normal operation. For example: To force the high-speed device attached to port 4 on bus 2 to run at full speed:: echo 4 >/sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/../companion To return the port to high-speed operation:: echo -4 >/sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/../companion Reading the file gives the list of ports currently forced to the companion controller. Note: Some EHCI controllers do not have companions; they may contain an internal "transaction translator" or they may be attached directly to a "rate-matching hub". This mechanism will not work with such controllers. Also, it cannot be used to force a port on a high-speed hub to connect at full speed. Note: When this file was first added, it appeared in a different sysfs directory. The location given above is correct for 2.6.35 (and probably several earlier kernel versions as well).