PocketPRO USB2.0 - Page 2

AJ Starr · 09-26-2009, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_S

I really do not think that it is a buffering problem, since the problem is pretty much the same in Linux or Windows, and there is no problem at all with any other USB device. The SanDisk Cruzer memory stick got very respectable speeds for a NAND FLASH device.

I *think* the problem is in the drive strength for the USB data pair lines, causing the rise/fall times of the USB2.0 waveform being right on the edge of reliability, and causing data errors. Another one of the things that make me think that is that the PocketPRO works even worse with other USB2.0 cables than the one supplied with the PocketPRO. I have tried other USB2.0 cables, with and without the ferrite filter block, and all of them produce even worse results, up to and including the computer not even recognizing what kind of device had attached to the USB port. All of that smells like physical data integrity problems on the USB2.0 interface. Since USB1.1 uses a 10x slower main clock speed, the signal rise/fall times problems go away when USB1.1 speeds are used.

Ok. That's a bit beyond my expertise. Sounds reasonable. If I understand what you're saying, it's a problem with the computer's interface, right?

I know I've had no problems at all with my cable, in fact the files transfer so fast I have to verify they get there. I have a PC Acer w/Vista Basic, about 3 years old.

Thanks for your insight.

AJ

theducks · 09-26-2009, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solicitous

Have you had issues writing to usb thumb drives or usb card readers?

Given that you've had troubles with both WinXP and Ubuntu then I would agree with it being hardware, but could you have a mainboard issue?

I regularly use 4 brands of thumb drives (sometimes 2 at a time) in my hardware (sneaker drive

lives). The PEZ is my only sad story.

AJ Starr · 09-26-2009, 10:46 AM

Just throwing this out there, and it probably does not apply at all.

But from my time in Europe, their power system is on 50 hertz versus the American 60 hertz. With the Pocket pro plugged into the computer, would this have any effect?

Asking.... not telling...

AJ

theducks · 09-26-2009, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_S

I really do not think that it is a buffering problem, since the problem is pretty much the same in Linux or Windows, and there is no problem at all with any other USB device. The SanDisk Cruzer memory stick got very respectable speeds for a NAND FLASH device.

I *think* the problem is in the drive strength for the USB data pair lines, causing the rise/fall times of the USB2.0 waveform being right on the edge of reliability, and causing data errors. Another one of the things that make me think that is that the PocketPRO works even worse with other USB2.0 cables than the one supplied with the PocketPRO. I have tried other USB2.0 cables, with and without the ferrite filter block, and all of them produce even worse results, up to and including the computer not even recognizing what kind of device had attached to the USB port. All of that smells like physical data integrity problems on the USB2.0 interface. Since USB1.1 uses a 10x slower main clock speed, the signal rise/fall times problems go away when USB1.1 speeds are used.

My first PEZ had connector problems and needed just the correct amount of pressure to even connect. I also noticed that the factory cable worked better than the slightly longer gold cable bought at Frys. I will pop over there and add a snap around Ferrite filter to my "spare" cable.

Thank goodness I got a model that has a SD card slot. I can live with this

Dave_S · 09-26-2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

Just throwing this out there, and it probably does not apply at all.

But from my time in Europe, their power system is on 50 hertz versus the American 60 hertz. With the Pocket pro plugged into the computer, would this have any effect?

Asking.... not telling...

AJ

It is true that our wall power is 50HZ, but the only power involved is with the USB connection, which is just 5 volts DC. So far, I have seen only one other person with this problem here on MobilRead, so hopefully this problem is not widespread. Since I have found a workaround of sorts, I can live with a slow USB1.1 connection. That is all my V3 has anyway, so I am used to it. I usually only load a few books at a time anyway.

Dave_S · 09-26-2009, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

I also noticed that the factory cable worked better than the slightly longer gold cable bought at Frys. I will pop over there and add a snap around Ferrite filter to my "spare" cable.

I tried putting a ferrite filter on my very short gold USB cable, and it did nothing for me at all.

I sure would like to see a schematic of the USB line interface of this thing!

theducks · 09-26-2009, 06:06 PM

Well I just got 85MB/min with a factory cable on a XP pro computer with a "Standard OpenHCD USB Controller" (unknown USB 2.0 chipset). for Flash, that sounds reasonable.

Dave_S · 09-26-2009, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

Well I just got 85MB/min with a factory cable on a XP pro computer with a "Standard OpenHCD USB Controller" (unknown USB 2.0 chipset). for Flash, that sounds reasonable.

Yahoo!!

That does sound pretty good.

EDIT:

Megabytes per MINUTE????? That is 1.417 megabytes per second which is more in line with USB1.1 speeds? I first read your post thinking that you wrote megabytes per second.

theducks · 09-26-2009, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_S

Yahoo!!

That does sound pretty good.

EDIT:

Megabytes per MINUTE????? That is 1.417 megabytes per second which is more in line with USB1.1 speeds? I first read your post thinking that you wrote megabytes per second.

Your math came up with the same numbers I did.
I was not aware of the USB x typical values ,

Dave_S · 09-27-2009, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

Your math came up with the same numbers I did.
I was not aware of the USB x typical values ,

That is still better than 1 average book per second.

theducks · 09-27-2009, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_S

That is still better than 1 average book per second.

But I can't read them going by while in download mode

Toeknee · 10-01-2009, 02:13 PM

I have experienced some USB glitches as well and will have to do some experimenting. My PEZ was only getting power when connected to my laptop with one USB cable. Another USB cable saw it but Windows complained that a USB device malfunctioned. A third USB cable worked and I was able to see the PEZ internal and SD memory as disks in Windows explorer.

My first attempt at moving files around got an error half way through. Unplugging and replugging the USB fixed the problem and the rest of the transfers went fine.

So, I appear to be able to make USB transfers work, but it is a bit hit and miss.

I also appear to have a bit of a problem with reading a book from the SD card. It would randomly lock my PEZ when I turn the page. It only happens with one book and the problem appears to have gone away now that I have moved the book to the PEZ's internal memory. I'm writing it off to flakiness with the SD card. I will try another SD card and see if the problem goes away.

So far, I'm still liking my purchase, but if more minor issues crop up, I may have to consider a swap. I'd hate to be saddled with a lemon.

theducks · 10-01-2009, 10:01 PM

I think Dave_s might have identified the issue as the device identifies itself as USB 2 to Windows who will try to use USB 2 mode and fail.
I boot Ubuntu Linux and Dave_s noticed my speed was like it was in USB 1.0 mode and it runs OK.
I can't find a driver setting to make a port use USB 1 only. I can use Linux or a SD card reader to avoid the issue, but it would be nice to get it (the firmware, even if it only ID'd it ran in USB 1.0) fixed.

redbaron101 · 10-05-2009, 03:24 PM

just to add my two pence, my bebook mini wasnt working on windows xp sp3 and vista sp1. under fedora 10 i could read the internal memory but not write to it (this is with two different pc's and five different usb cables), i then tried it on my old g3 mac, bingo works reading and writing, later Dave mentions the USB thingy on bebook forums so I try it on two different old windows xp pc's (usb1) and remarkably no problems reading and writing to internal memory.

I now have a different problem - having worked under the g3 mac I thought the memory might have been corrupt (hadnt twigged with usb1 at the time) so I reformatted the bebooks internal drive as ms fat using my mac - could still read and write under the old mac (usb1), but now the bebook mini cant read the internal memory. Ironically I can now read/write and format drive ok under windows when using usb1 but not access internal memory from bebook itself. Having found a method to access the bebook mini reliably under windoze, I also try formatting the memory using windoze format, same results, reading and writing from usb 1 pc/mac has no problems but bebook cant access its own internal memory.

moral of story: dont reformat the bebook mini (I've reformated bebook one (hanlin v3 clone) a few times with no problems, looks like bebook mini is a different beast). Ive also tried flashing with astek and jink v5 firmwares - same results with internal memory - the mini has no problems reading sd card though.

wallcraft · 10-05-2009, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redbaron101

I now have a different problem - having worked under the g3 mac I thought the memory might have been corrupt (hadnt twigged with usb1 at the time) so I reformatted the bebooks internal drive as ms fat using my mac - could still read and write under the old mac (usb1), but now the bebook mini cant read the internal memory. Ironically I can now read/write and format drive ok under windows when using usb1 but not access internal memory from bebook itself. Having found a method to access the bebook mini reliably under windoze, I also try formatting the memory using windoze format, same results, reading and writing from usb 1 pc/mac has no problems but bebook cant access its own internal memory.

gargoyle67 reported (1st Impressions Of Pocket Pro) that reformatting to fat32 worked.

10-05-2009, 03:24 PM	#29
redbaron101 Zealot Posts: 121 Karma: 24 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: uk Device: palm t3, iphone, bebook (hanlin v3 clone)	just to add my two pence, my bebook mini wasnt working on windows xp sp3 and vista sp1. under fedora 10 i could read the internal memory but not write to it (this is with two different pc's and five different usb cables), i then tried it on my old g3 mac, bingo works reading and writing, later Dave mentions the USB thingy on bebook forums so I try it on two different old windows xp pc's (usb1) and remarkably no problems reading and writing to internal memory. I now have a different problem - having worked under the g3 mac I thought the memory might have been corrupt (hadnt twigged with usb1 at the time) so I reformatted the bebooks internal drive as ms fat using my mac - could still read and write under the old mac (usb1), but now the bebook mini cant read the internal memory. Ironically I can now read/write and format drive ok under windows when using usb1 but not access internal memory from bebook itself. Having found a method to access the bebook mini reliably under windoze, I also try formatting the memory using windoze format, same results, reading and writing from usb 1 pc/mac has no problems but bebook cant access its own internal memory. moral of story: dont reformat the bebook mini (I've reformated bebook one (hanlin v3 clone) a few times with no problems, looks like bebook mini is a different beast). Ive also tried flashing with astek and jink v5 firmwares - same results with internal memory - the mini has no problems reading sd card though. Last edited by redbaron101; 10-05-2009 at 03:30 PM.

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09-26-2009, 10:46 AM	#18
AJ Starr Guru Posts: 815 Karma: 1029784 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nebraska, USA Device: PEZ, Color Libre, 2@Sony T1, Onyx i62HD	Just throwing this out there, and it probably does not apply at all. But from my time in Europe, their power system is on 50 hertz versus the American 60 hertz. With the Pocket pro plugged into the computer, would this have any effect? Asking.... not telling... AJ

09-26-2009, 06:06 PM	#22
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,064 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Well I just got 85MB/min with a factory cable on a XP pro computer with a "Standard OpenHCD USB Controller" (unknown USB 2.0 chipset). for Flash, that sounds reasonable.

10-01-2009, 02:13 PM	#27
Toeknee Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 12 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Device: Astak EZReader Pro	I have experienced some USB glitches as well and will have to do some experimenting. My PEZ was only getting power when connected to my laptop with one USB cable. Another USB cable saw it but Windows complained that a USB device malfunctioned. A third USB cable worked and I was able to see the PEZ internal and SD memory as disks in Windows explorer. My first attempt at moving files around got an error half way through. Unplugging and replugging the USB fixed the problem and the rest of the transfers went fine. So, I appear to be able to make USB transfers work, but it is a bit hit and miss. I also appear to have a bit of a problem with reading a book from the SD card. It would randomly lock my PEZ when I turn the page. It only happens with one book and the problem appears to have gone away now that I have moved the book to the PEZ's internal memory. I'm writing it off to flakiness with the SD card. I will try another SD card and see if the problem goes away. So far, I'm still liking my purchase, but if more minor issues crop up, I may have to consider a swap. I'd hate to be saddled with a lemon.

10-01-2009, 10:01 PM	#28
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,064 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	I think Dave_s might have identified the issue as the device identifies itself as USB 2 to Windows who will try to use USB 2 mode and fail. I boot Ubuntu Linux and Dave_s noticed my speed was like it was in USB 1.0 mode and it runs OK. I can't find a driver setting to make a port use USB 1 only. I can use Linux or a SD card reader to avoid the issue, but it would be nice to get it (the firmware, even if it only ID'd it ran in USB 1.0) fixed.

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