A DE10-Nano only has so many USB ports of its own, and I’d already had reliability problems running a generic stand-alone hub off it. The MiSTer USB Hub add-on — a 7-port hub that mounts under the main board — was worth trying specifically to fix that.
What it is
A 7-port USB hub board that sits underneath the DE10-Nano rather than dangling off it externally, giving enough ports for controllers, a keyboard and mouse, storage, and Bluetooth or Wi-Fi adapters at the same time.
My take
I bought mine as part of a wider MiSTer accessories haul — see Supercharge your MiSTer FPGA. I tested it with a keyboard and mouse, two wireless Bluetooth adapters, a PS5 controller, and an 8BitDo M30 for Genesis-layout games, across the SNES, Genesis, and Atari ST cores. Everything worked — keyboard and mouse fine, both wireless adapters fine, both controllers fine. It’s not an exciting board, but it solved the exact reliability problem I bought it for.
Since moving to an Ironclad Lite case, which has its own built-in USB ports, some of what this hub does is now redundant — worth checking what you actually still need before wiring up both.
Pros
- fixed the reliability issues I was having with a generic stand-alone hub
- enough ports for controllers, keyboard/mouse, storage, and wireless adapters at once
- mounts under the board instead of adding external clutter
Cons
- overlaps with the USB ports already built into cases like the Ironclad Lite
- not something you notice until it’s missing — easy to underrate
