Phidgets on OS X El Capitan only detected after unplug-plug

[gdh]

I am using OS X El Capitan 10.11.3 on a variety of Mac Minis and Macbook Pro and try to connect to Phidget 1065 DC Motor controller(s). I installed the latest available drivers for Phidget_2.1.8.20160104. After a power-down/boot up, it seems the Phidget is correctly detected, but when double-clicking the item in the Phidgets Preference Panel it does not show anything (and cannot be controlled from my application). The detailed info and controls only appear after a physical USB unplug-plug reconnect, and then re-clicking the item in the Phidgets Preference Panel. I can replicate this behavior by using kextunload / kextload of the phidgets driver while a Phidgets device is already plugged -- only after hotplugging the device is correctly discovered.

Can anyone confirm this behavior? Does this require a driver update? I can imagine a workaround with 'unloading' the entire IOUSBFamily tree but this would be quite a task.

[Patrick]

I've had another report of this, and I'm trying to track down the cause.

Do you have the webservice enabled? If so can you try disabling it and see if the Phidget is accessible after a reboot?

-Patrick

[gdh]

Nope, no webservice enabled. Note that it started to occur on machines (upgraded to) on El Capitan, on Yosemite it has been fine.

[Patrick]

Yes, Apple has completely rewritten the USB for El Capitan, and I've been fighting bugs in their stack ever since.

-Patrick

[gdh]

Any news on fighting this El Capitan issues? By chance, did you happen to try with 10.11.4 latest Betas? I read good things from people working on and with libuvc / libusb, reporting that several USB stack issues have been fixed -- hadn't had a chance to try myself yet

[Patrick]

I haven't been able to track the issue down yet. I'll have a look at the latest Beta.

-Patrick

[wvreeven]

No problem on my MacBook Pro with El Capitan 10.11.3 and (since yesterday) 10.11.4 using Phidget_2.1.8.20160104 and 2 Phidget 1067 stepper controllers.


Cheers, Wouter

[gdh]

I verified that this still persists (for me, at least) on OSX 10.11.4., on Motor Controller version 101.
@wouter, can you confirm your phidgets work when already plugged in and powered up before 'cold' bootup?
Also I noticed that when I connect the Phidget through my usb hub on my keyboard, also the keyboard wouldn't work on bootup. replugging makes all work.

[wvreeven]

@ghd Confirmed. As a matter of fact, I have just started programming my phidgets and I need to connect them and power them up before my code works.

By the way, please note that I am using different phidgets than you. Mine are Phidget 1067 stepper controllers and not 1065 DC controllers like yours. Maybe that explains the difference. Sorry if it does and for giving you false hope in that case.

[gdh]

@wvreeven thanks for your reply and good to hear this works for you and your devices.

Perhaps @Patrick can fill us in on how device specific this behavior seems to be.

Just to be sure, as after re-reading my original posts this might be confusing, the following works for you?:

1. Everything (phidgets, devices, Mac) is powered down
   
2. The USB cable is already connected from Phidgets to Mac
   
3. Power up Phidgets + devices
   
4. Power up Mac and boot into OSX El Capitan
   
5. Start your (custom-) phidgets controlling software

For me, this doesn't work in this order: I need to unplug and replug the USB cable to the Phidgets only after the Mac is fully booted up for any Phidgets software to work.