Problems with multiple USB devices. (Possible Low Power on USB Bus)

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Problems with multiple USB devices. (Possible Low Power on USB Bus)

I believe I'm having an issue with the USB bus or one of my devices that I have installed on my iMac.

I purchased this iMac along with a printer (HP C4280 All-in-One) as part of a promotion deal. I also have wireless logitech USB mouse, and iPhone and an 80gb 5th Gen iPod.

My problem has to do with syncing the iPod and iPhone. Normally I have the printer attached to the iMac along with the USB mouse. Both devices function as expected. However I have problems when I connect the iPhone or iPod.

iPod Symptoms: When I connect the iPod the iPod screen shows the flashing red circle with a line but iTunes never launches and the iPod never syncs.

iPhone Symptoms: When I connect the iPhone the iPhone screen says Sync in Progress and iTunes does show the iPhone in the list of devices but a dialog appears giving me one of two messages (that I've seen so far) - [msg 1] Your iPhone is corrupt please disconnect then reconnect to restore. [msg 2] iPhone device timed out.

I've been dealing with this problem for a couple months and found that if I disconnect the printer (HP C4280) then connected either other device then everything works just fine.

I downloaded XCode 2.5 and launched the USB Prober utility. Then plugged in each device in turn and found some interesting findings.

When connecting the iPhone (1st attempt) the USB Logger reported; (iTunes displayed msg 1 from above)

128.517 [1] USB Device iPhone is violating Section 9.3.5 of the USB Specification -- Error in GetConfigDescriptor( wLength = 4)
128.520 [1] USB Low Power Notice: The device "iPhone" cannot be used because there is not enough power to configure it
128.528 [1] USB Low Power Notice: The device "iPhone" cannot be used because there is not enough power to configure it
128.629 [1] AppleIRController[0x2dc8e00]::RearmInterruptRead immediate error 0xe000404f queueing read, clearing stall and trying again(1)

When connecting the iPod (1st attempt) the USB Logger reported; (iTunes never showed that the iPod devices was connected)

938.797 [1] USB Device IOUSBDevice is violating Section 9.3.5 of the USB Specification -- Error in GetConfigDescriptor( wLength = 4)
938.801 [1] IOUSBCompositeDriver[0x39b9f80](IOUSBDevice) SetConfiguration (1) returned 0xe00002ed
938.900 [1] AppleIRController[0x2dc8e00]::RearmInterruptRead immediate error 0xe000404f queueing read, clearing stall and trying again(1)

When connecting the iPhone (2nd attempt) the USB Logger reported; (iTunes displayed msg 2 from above)

1789.023 [1] AppleIRController[0x2dc8e00]::RearmInterruptRead immediate error 0xe000404f queueing read, clearing stall and trying again(1)
1802.166 [1] AppleUSBEHCI[0x28a7000]::Found a transaction which hasn't moved in 5 seconds on bus 253, timing out!
1809.166 [1] AppleUSBEHCI[0x28a7000]::Found a transaction which hasn't moved in 5 seconds on bus 253, timing out!

I'm suspicious of the USB Low Power Notice. If this is true then I suspect the my iMac might need some type of repair. However I am also suspicious of USB Device violating the USB Spec Error. Although this is the message that appears when I plug in the iPhone or iPod I don't think I can assume that error relates to the iPod or iPhone. The error doesn't specify which USB Device is in violation.

My current workaround is to unplug the printer every time I sync the iPhone or iPod which is cumbersome. I'm also worried that repeated connecting/disconnecting of USB plug for the printer will over time damage the USB port.

I'm not sure what options I have here. Can anyone provide some suggestions or information that might provide some insight.

Best Regards,

--
xgnomex

iMac5,1, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Jan 1, 2008 7:49 PM

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Answer 1

den.thed

Level 10

91,780 points

Jan 1, 2008 8:25 PM in response to xgnomex

Welcome to Apple Discussions

It sounds like you need a powered 2.0 USB hub to connect the iPhone and iPod cables into for syncing and charging. The Mac compatible Belkin 4 Port Hub in the following link also has a port on top handy for flash drives.

http://www.provantage.com/belkin-f5u233-apl~7BELU032.htm

1. I would connect the keyboard (mouse to keyboard) up to one port on the iMac.
2. Then the HP printer up to the second port.
3. And the USB hub up to the third port with the cords for iPhone, iPods, camera's and other misc. devices plugged into that.

This will prevent you from having to plug and unplug anything except the device to it's cord and also provide power for charging.

Dennis

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Answer 2

morepunx

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Jan 3, 2008 10:34 PM in response to xgnomex

I am having a similar problem. i received the Hp C4280 for my birthday about 3 weeks, only got to setting it up today. Problem is, after installing the drivers provided on cd and hp website, i can't plug in printer into computer's usb port without having the computer mysteriously disconnect my keyboard and mouse. There has got to be solution that does not require me buying a usb hub.

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Answer 3

xgnomex Author

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Jan 7, 2008 9:18 PM in response to morepunx

I'm sorry your having trouble... but I'm glad I'm not the only one. I now suspect that it's the printer since your having a similar problem with the same device. I don't think having a hub connected to the computer will fix the problem. I suspect that if I did get a hub that anything on that hub would have similar connection problems. -- Basically it doesn't fix the problem just adds another layer of hardware. I'm trying to find a friend that has a powered usb so can test this theory. I will report back when I have more information.

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Answer 4

den.thed

Level 10

91,780 points

Jan 7, 2008 9:58 PM in response to xgnomex

I've been using a CX4200 for 2 years and it does a great job, sorry to hear your both having trouble (w/same model n/same area). If you have or can barrow maybe try another USB cord with those CX4280's, if not take them back.

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Answer 5

den.thed

Level 10

91,780 points

Jan 7, 2008 10:29 PM in response to den.thed

"what was I thinking"

Sorry the CX42..s are Epson's, please forgive the blunder. I would try another USB cord with the HP's befor returning them.

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Answer 6

HarryR.

Level 1

15 points

Jan 22, 2008 8:46 PM in response to xgnomex

A-Ha! Now I'm feeling like my 1.5 hours of reading this forum are not wasted, since I've found others with similar symptoms.

I've only had my iMac for two weeks today. I've got some new accessories & have experimented with the ones I've had awhile (various USB external drives). My model has 3 USB ports, one of which is taken by the keyboard, of course.

Over the weekend, I picked up an MS Office 2008 Upgrade and also an HP Officejet Pro L7680 all-in-one. I only mention the Office upgrade because I installed it on the same day as the printer, but it's possibly unrelated.

I actually have a Belkin 4-port hub--not the same one suggested in this thread, but externally powered with it's own A/C adapter. (It's a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 r-Port Hub, model F5U234 Rev.3, and I used it with a previous iMac G3 CRT with no problem.)

So with a LaCie 100 GB USB Mobile Drive in one of the iMac's ports, and the HP L7680 in the iMac's third port, or the HP via the Belkin hub in iMacs the third hub, here are some of the symptoms I've seen:

1) while browsing in Firefox, suddenly the mouse-cursor will "freeze" (get stuck) in a pull-down selector...sometimes it unfreezes, but eventually (like on the next pull-down menu) the keyboard & mouse will shut off (and if you wait & the iMac goes to sleep, the keyboard won't let me enter my unlock password when I wake the iMac with the Apple Remote)

2) when trying to open a document from the LaCie in MS Word, Word freezes and the keyboard & mouse go dead--terminal beachball--to restart the computer, I have to hold in the power button

3) when trying to print a message in Mail, Finder freezes (though the print job does finish)

These symptoms seem strange! Hey, it's just supposed to work, right? But everything has limits, so my question becomes, "how much stuff can I hook up at once?"

I wonder if this Apple article is addressing this issue:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25243
especially when it says "Two high-bandwidth devices or two isochronous devices cannot be connected to a single Universal Serial Bus (USB)."
So only two hi-speed USB devices can be connected "to the same bus" simultaneously? I'm not entirely sure I understand what "isochronous" means, but I'm thinking I need to peel my printer off the USB somehow, maybe via Airport Express--?

Does anyone know for sure about USB limitations? Thanks.

Also, xgnomex, how/where did you find that "USB Logger"? Is that something iPhone-specific, or is it an OS X log in a Library somewhere?

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Answer 7

Jan 24, 2008 9:45 AM in response to den.thed

Dennis, thanks for the link. We just switched to 24" iMAC (DOS and Windows user forever). My wife just phoned and told me of usb power error message when she attempted to sync her iPOP. Was confused, as it worked two days ago, but then remembered that I had hooked up a USB SKYPE phone last night. Looks like I'm off to the store to spend some more $$$.

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Answer 8

Jan 25, 2008 6:49 AM in response to xgnomex

I'm having similar problems here. I have a powered belkin usb 2.0 hub plugged into my MB pro. Into the usb hub I have a mouse, external HD, and iPhone dock. When I dock my iPhone, iTunes sees the phone and syncs, but I almost immediately lose my mouse. The mouse is still getting power, but it does nothing. If I unplug the mouse and plug it back in, it then works fine.

Plugging the mouse into the other usb port on the MB pro solves the mouse issue. However, when I do that, docking my iPhone becomes weird. The first time the phone is docked, iTunes does not see it. I have to undock and then redock the phone, the iTunes does its thing.

I had no problems at all prior to getting the usb hub.

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