SAM top USB gives up

Hi all

Noticed this a while back but was reminded over the weekend when I plugged my USB keyboard into the wrong port.

No matter what is plugged into the top USB port on the back of the SAM440EP (and I've had a similar report from a Flex owner), after a while OS4 will lose connection to that device. Unplugging and reconnecting it makes it work again (as does, IIRC, "usbctrl restart").

I have no idea whether this is a hardware or OS4 problem, but it seems to affect the top USB port only, even if a powered USB hub is attached as the first device. The bottom port works flawlessly (not sure about the front ones as I hardly ever use them)

@Chris

Neveer noticed that, when i bought my SAM440EP boxed, i got the advice always to use that port for the keyboard. My front ports work ok too.

@Chris

no problem at all here with my Samflex(so far..fingers crossed )..just followed what it said in the manuals putting the keyboard in the upper rear USB slot only, my mouse it at the rear bottom port ...always have my 2 front USB filled with either joystick or memory stick etc. with no issues.

@Chris

I have the same problem with my mouse plugged into the front usb port.
However apple keybord plugged into the same port works OK.
I thougt it is AOS4 bug but will do the test and replug my mouse into the bottom, rear usb port. We will see. It may take some time because my mouse lose connection once for a while.

@Chris

Maybe Sam440 can delver the amount of amps needed for all your USB devices.

Try disconnecting stuff you don't need like cameras, USB card readers etc, if that does not help try whit powered usb hub.

@all

the problem arrive during the boot or after using the amiga during some time ???


All:

Untill now, I have got some problems with my DVD drive. Verry difficult to burn a CD or CDRW or read a DVD.


Verry recently, I have added the backplate on the SAM. I have noticed that the sata cables don't freely use a path from the controleur to the HD or the DVD.

The SATA cables are linked with plastic collars for shorten the lenght of the SATA cable.

I have removed the plastic collars and let the SATA cables taking their own way from controleur to devices.

Since, the medias on the DVD drives are all recognized and no problems for buring the AROS LiveCD, for example.

Time will tell me if this improvement will continue or not for me

@LiveForIt

It's the same with a powered hub.

@Mrodfr

The issue occurs after the computer has been powered up for a few minutes.

@Chris

Does it happen on Linux too? If no then it's our USB stack.

@Chris
Since you didn't mention that I also have the same problem, I do so now! I have an original Sam (not Flex), but was interested to hear that the Flex has the same problem.

I had thought it was a power issue (despite the lower USB port working fine), but as you found it still occurs with a powered USB hub, that seems to rule it out completely.

These facts seem to suggest it is an OS4 driver/USB bug, although not conclusively. I would hazard the guess that OS4's Sam440 driver is not correctly handling all the USB ports.

@ChrisH

... OK, i'll chime in. My Sam440Ep Flex 800 has a mouse plugged into the top rear USB port. In some circumstances the connection is lost, sort-of.

I'm not convinced it's a driver bug. I think it's probably the area of memory controlling that port is being corrupted. It seems to happen more when playing SDL/GL games, otherwise I can leave the computer on for days with no probs with USB.

When the problem happens, the mouse optical light stays fully lit, forever, until the mouse is unplugged and plugged back in. (You know how traditional optical mices work. Lift it up, light is fully bright/lit for 1 second, then dim for a few minutes, then flashes every second).

I vaguely recall it happening to the keyboard too in the port below, but, I can't be sure on that.

Just wanted to confirm that the problem is not unique to 1 or 2 people (.. oxymoronic statement, unique == 1). It definitely exists.... unless it's only us?

@Chris

I had this problem when I first got my Sam440ep-flex.

Drove me NUTS. Tried all sorts of different keyboards and mice and hubs and combinations of ports and drivers.


The solution: Replace the power supply.

I did that, and wham. Everything worked fine.


It's not something I'd normally think to try because the system worked fine otherwise, but that did it.

No problems since!

@jbni

My mouse and keyboard reset also months ago, but I have resolved the problem by remplacing the USB mouse by a standard one with optical light.

but for me the mouse optical light stays allways fully lit.

I have the Sam440ep Rev C 667MHz board. Nothing but trouble
with USB ports going to sleep. It's much better with the last update.
Right now I have the kybd in a front port and the mouse in the top
rear port where the keyboard should be. Sad.

Yes, USB worked fine under Linux. It is no longer on my Sam.

Hi @Chris

I have no idea whether this is a hardware or OS4 problem, but it seems to affect the top USB port only, even if a powered USB hub is attached as the first device. The bottom port works flawlessly (not sure about the front ones as I hardly ever use them)
FWIW, since the beginning on the A1-XE/G4, Port 0=powered Hub and Port 1=Optical mouse. The front USB ports 2 and 3 are available. A peculiar behavior: If the machine is hard reset, Port 0 is totally lost for the rest of the day ( the capacitor problem), but Port 1 and mouse are OK. Ports 2 and 3 only need USB "restart" to regain use. However, this was fine before UpDate2 and RingHIO. Since UD2, USB is quite wobbly. A lot of bootups comeup WB messages from RingHIO about it can't attach the HUB. I have no idea what's the USB problems. I never had problems for years! Therefore, there's got be something wrong with the USB driver? Sorry no SAM info, just USB info.

@all
I installed a KVM switch so that both keyboard and mouse use one USB port on the back. Now only one USB port on front and one on back work. Before they all worked. I hope someone figures out how to solve this problem.

@Snuffy
Doh!
A lot of bootups comeup WB messages from RingHIO about it can't attach the HUB... Therefore, there's got be something wrong with the USB driver?

OMG, I got eat my words! I was verifying the above statement today to make sure I'm on the right track and was surprised. I just found-out my powered Belkin 4-Port USB Hub is dead! Huh? Lights are lit and every appears normal, but it's dead. Used a USB extension and the Port is good and connected to a USB flash-drive. There you go; you gotta get physical with the hardware! Anyone know what the life span of a powered USB hub is ?

@Chris
I have the same problem with my SAM Flex. The keyboard input drops out at the most inconvenient times (like when I need to enter text in a requester). I've also noticed that USB eats my memory when I perform large backups to a USB memory stick. I have 16GB memory drives formatted with SFS for system backups. If I limit the backups to several GB, I can see my available memory decline to about half of my memory. If I drag partitions to the flash drive window that exceed 4-6GB in total and leave the computer for several hours, when I return the system is frozen and WorkBench shows all the memory gone.

@Chris

Yesterday I moved the DVD drive to J22 SATA connector. It (???) seems
to help USB stability on my 667 Rev C board. ???

J22 is the bottom SATA next to the PCI slot.

@mechanic

My HD SATA is on port 1 and the DVD on port 4 (G00G).

I haven't problem with USB in general, just:

- lost datas with FAT32.
- Allways 2 USBs external cable for using 2.5" HDS (I need to test that on AROS to know if The SAM motherboard or AOS4 only).

@Mrodfr

Try using FAT 12. Just for grins It seems to work better for me.

I have done some more tinkering and at least for my 667 Rev C
Sam managed to get stable USB.

This is what I've done;
1.) Moved the DVD to J22. ( As mentioned before )

2.) In Kicklayout, put semicolons before
A. uhci.usbhcd
B. bootmouse.usbfd
C. bootkeyboard.usbfd
D. massstorage.usbfd

3.) Moved massstorage.fdclass out of SYS:Devs/USB/fdclasses
( do not delete it, just put it elsewhere. )

4.) Keep a USB Memory stick in the top (keyboard) port.
( Don't ask, I don't know why this works. )

5.) Mouse in bottom port.

6.) Keyboard in one of the front ports.

I'm now going to try using a Bus Powered Hub in the Mouse Port
with Mouse + Kybd in the Hub.

The board has been running for 28 hours without USB falling off.
Playing DVDs, web stuff, other things. Just no USB Memory.

This sucks.