My Stream Deck XL is constantly going offline (1 minute to 10 minute interval)
My Stream Deck XL is constantly going offline (1 minute to 10 minute interval)
System Information
SoundFlow 4.3.3
OS: darwin 18.7.0
ProductName: Mac OS X
ProductVersion: 10.14.6
BuildVersion: 18G9216
Steps to Reproduce
- Just using Stream Deck XL with Soundflow (Direct connection)
Expected Result
Soundflow should not lose comntact with Stream Deck XL
Actual Result
My Stream Deck XL is constantly going offline (1 minute to 10 minute interval)
Workaround
Making a trigger (F13) to get Soundfolw to call Stram Deck XL
Other Notes
I think this is a bog shame since I just bought a new Stream Deck XL as the Stream Deck (normal) was having the same issues. I thought it was related to the Stream Deck unit. This is definitely a SoundFlow problem. Very bad. Even though I did complain a lot about this with Christian Munk Scheuer, e said I was the only one who had this problem!
Links
User UID: erwtItjK9WXeSOXj3JWwbRSAWF82
Feedback Key: sffeedback:erwtItjK9WXeSOXj3JWwbRSAWF82:-MfIA8knXp_cMzUDnVGf
Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2021-07-23 12:01:56.676ZHi Kjartan
We're seeing this in your log file:
23.07.2021 11:22:04.75 <info> [Backend]: [StreamDeck] HID: Removing device since it's been disconnected! 23.07.2021 11:22:05.49 <info> [Backend]: [StreamDeck] Connected to device: Stream Deck XL CL37J1A03346This indicates that macOS reports to SoundFlow that the device isn't connected any longer. Unfortunately, if macOS can't communicate with the device, neither can SoundFlow.
99.9% of the time this is due to lack of power distribution to the device. The troubleshooting step to figure this out is to connect the device directly to your computer. If that helps with the issue, you know that it's a power issue.
- KKjartan Kjartansson @Kjartan_Kjartansson
This happens also when connected directly!
Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2021-07-23 12:49:06.353ZThat's very weird. I've never heard of anyone having this issue with it repeatedly disconnecting when physically directly connected to the computer. As I mentioned above, this message comes from macOS about the disconnection, so that happens outside of SoundFlow's control.
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2021-07-23 13:11:57.300Z
Can you double check this with all other USB devices detached and have the Stream Deck running for say 30 minutes to see if it still disconnects? It looks like you may be on a laptop with a few external devices attached. I guess if that's the case you might still run out of power on the internal USB bus which could cause this issue.
21.07.2021 20:26:23.83 <info> [Backend]: HID Devices Available: Apple Inc. Ambient Light Sensor 000000000000 (VID 05ac, PID 8262, version 2.1) Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad FM7841707BFHYYMA0+WDZ (VID 05ac, PID 027c, version 9.27) Apple Headset 000000000000 (VID 05ac, PID 8103, version 2.3) Apple Inc. Touch Bar Backlight 0000000000000000 (VID 05ac, PID 8102, version 2.1) Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad FM7841707BFHYYMA0+WDZ (VID 05ac, PID 027c, version 9.27) Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad FM7841707BFHYYMA0+WDZ (VID 05ac, PID 027c, version 9.27) Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad FM7841707BFHYYMA0+WDZ (VID 05ac, PID 027c, version 9.27) Apple Inc. Touch Bar Display 0000000000000000 (VID 05ac, PID 8302, version 2.1) LG Electronics Inc. LG Monitor Controls 006NTWG84921 (VID 043e, PID 9a39, version 4.12) Unknown Kjartan Kjartansson’s Keyboard d4-dc-cd-7a-d1-73 (VID 004c, PID 026c, version 1.7) Elgato Stream Deck XL CL37J1A03346 (VID 0fd9, PID 006c, version 2.0) Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad FM7841707BFHYYMA0+WDZ (VID 05ac, PID 027c, version 9.27)
- In reply tochrscheuer⬆:KKjartan Kjartansson @Kjartan_Kjartansson
Also, Why is it always back on as soon as I call it with some trigger?
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2021-07-23 12:58:16.174Z
If you look in the log, you can see that we receive a "device disconnected" event from macOS and then a "device connected" event within about 1-2 seconds. SoundFlow doesn't yet have logic to consider this a "temporary unavailability" event, so we take it seriously when it disconnects, and then, when it reconnects, the routines to re-show the last active deck may not run when it happens this fast.
So, in other words, something makes the connection between macOS and your hardware device stop working, for a brief moment. macOS then tells SoundFlow, the device is no longer physically connected, so SoundFlow reacts to that, because we can only talk to the device through macOS.- KKjartan Kjartansson @Kjartan_Kjartansson
Is it possible to at least try to reconnect once (or maybe twice) before taking the disconnect seriously?
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2021-07-23 13:13:23.180Z
I don't know :) Maybe that would be possible, yes. I'll definitely log a work item for us to take a look to see if it's possible to "ignore" short events of a device being offline. I can't say if it'll be possible before we've tried it, but I can definitely take a look to see if we can at least improve the error messages.
After all, we don't want to completely hide the underlying problem, as I think you could also run into problems with the device itself degrading if it constantly loses power (I don't know much about hardware though).- BBernd Dormayer @Bernd_Dormayer
Hi! I had exactly the same problem with my 2 streamdecks on my mac pro cheesegrader.
also wrote to christian about that issue. my streamdecks have been connected to an powerd usb3 hub which was then connected to a power usb 2 hub - worked for 2 month without a single problem - but suddenly it did lose the connection - then when i go into the finder and back to protools my deck shows up again - happens every 1-10 minutes.
what I did was the following:
use an apple certivied USB-C to USB Adapter - connect the powered HUB to the adapter and then connect the streamdecks to the hub or the adapter from apple.
it is a pain in the ass with those missing usb ports an a 10k machine. other suggestion would be to install a pcie USB-3 expension card from sonnet.in your case - check the usb port on your mac or the usb cable from the streamdeck
for that I really hate apple - just disappointing.
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2021-07-26 09:16:35.702Z
Hi Bernd,
Thanks for chiming in. Yea it sucks that they've made their devices so brittle wrt USB power distribution. It does seem to be something people experience more often when using USB-C to USB adapters. I wonder if you'd get a better experience having a USB hub that connects directly to USB-C so there's no adapter in between. To be fair though, the Stream Decks are also semi non-standard in their USB behavior and power requirements. It's weird that they don't report back to macOS that they're missing power when they actually are, for example.
Let's see though, maybe we can add stability on our end by "ignoring" quick disconnect events - which is, to quickly and silently reconnect with no disruption to the user. But as I mentioned to Kjartan, this is a good idea, but I won't know if it'll be possible to build until we start trying to build it.
The better option would still be to have the device not disconnect/restart at all.- KKjartan Kjartansson @Kjartan_Kjartansson
When I said that the Stream Deck XL was connected directly I was maybe not accurate enough in the sense that I have to use a usb-c to usb adapter. I am using one from Baesus. It is of course possible that this adapter has problems. But still it would be great to implement this idea we talked about with asking the device once or twice if it is really disconnected.
As of now I have gotten myself a thunderbolt 3 cable and now the Stream Deck XL is connected with a T3 usb-c cable on both ends.
And everyhing is working all the time.
What a relief.
SoundFlow is so helpful in my workflow now while I am doing this feature film this summer.
(It is called: Against the Ice).My PT Deck is currently like this:
(It is a bit of a shame that the new macros that only contain text are wrong in Soundflow but though correct on the Deck itself).
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2021-07-26 15:53:36.366Z
Thanks for sharing this info, Kjartan! That's great news. Hopefully this can help Bernd as well.