9XR Pro on Mac Problem

[Crashprone]

Hi Folks;
Just got a new 9xr Pro and I don't seem to be able to get it to talk to my Macbook Pro. The bootloader screen on the 9XR Pro is coming up ok, but when I plug it into the USB port on my macbook, it seems to eject the "ERSKY_9X" drive from my desktop (after about 15 secs or so) with a finder message telling me: "disk not ejected properly".
Just prior to the improper ejection message, I can see the following files (in the finder window), by selecting the "ERSKY_9X" drive on the desktop: "ERSKY9X.bin" and "Firmware.bin".

The USB cable I have is fully plugged in (ie: past the 'click').

(The 9XR Pro Bootloader version is: V1.1 ersky9xr_rom_r204.bin. I'm running Yosemite 10.10.5.
I've also tried it both Companion V2.1.7 and 2.0.18, although my problem (in para 1 above), seems happen regardless of whether or not Companion is running).

Not sure if its relevant but I notice there is also no "ARM MCU" config option in Companion, specifically for a 9xr Pro(?) There is only: "at91sams38-0xr". I mention this because Companion seems to be looking for a SAM BA file when Companion is running (but also not finding it).

Is it possible I have the wrong type of USB cable? (This would be a bit odd though, given that I can see "ERSKY0X.bin" and "Firmware.bin" files in the finder window?)

Many thanks for any assistance you can give me.

Cheers

[Crashprone]

Done some further investigating ..

The cable seems to work just fine between the Macbook Pro and an old Sony videocam (which happens to use the same interface/cable). I now doubt the problem is with the cable (or its plugs).

I have an older Desktop MAC which does exactly the same thing (ie: ejects the ERSKY_9X drive), when the 9XR Pro is plugged into its USB ports. This older Desktop MAC is not upgraded to Companion 2.x, however.

I might try reinstalling Companion 2.1.7 on the Macbook Pro and try again ..(?)

[Kilrah]

The drive mounting is completely independent of any software, companion has nothing to do with it. It's only something between the radio's bootloader and the Mac's system.

[Crashprone]

Hi Kilrah;
Thanks for your reply.

So .. perhaps an intermittent connection (hardware) on the USB link, then?

I'm a bit baffled as to why I can see the "ERSKY9x.bin" and "Firmware.bin" files at all, if the connection never gets made(??)
Is it part of the normal startup protocol to see these files in the ERSKY_9X drive mount? (I haven't seen a normal startup yet so I'm not sure what to look for).
If so, then it looks like an intermittent hardware connection on the link, eh?

[Crashprone]

Hmm ... it seems OS-X Mavericks, Yosemite and El Capitan may well have a bug which causes randomly ejections of certain 'disliked' external drives(?)

See link here:
http://www.macissues.com/2015/06/01/tac ... g-in-os-x/

There's a monster thread in appleforums about it as well:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/66 ... 0&tstart=0

It's suggested that Spotlight may be the culprit. Its a bit difficult to exclude the ERSKY_9X external drive in the Spotlight Privacy tab though, when it only appears for about 10 seconds (before it gets ejected).

I don't get a good feeling about this ..

[Crashprone]

So, I tried attaching the 9xrPro to an old Win XP PC and lo and behold, it worked .. with no ejections and no problems!

So, it would seem that there is indeed a software incompatibility issue between 9XR Pros and OS-X Maverick/Yosemite!

Has no-one else noticed this problem since Companion 2.0 was released? Am I alone?

[Kilrah]

Hmm I have just tried connecting my AR9X board (similar design, same bootloader) to my Mac (El Capitan) and none of the drives ever appear, and the disk utility just hangs when trying to open it until the radio is disconnected.

There is no problem with the Taranis neither now nor on previous OSX versions so the ersky9x bootloader for the 9XR-Pro might have an issue.

That's got nothing to do with Companion BTW.

[jhsa]

I thought your Ar9x board had the openTX bootloader

João

[Kilrah]

We never took the time to make our own bootloader for the Sky9x platform and just package Mike's one as is.

[Crashprone]

Hmm ... problem solved! I can now communicate between the Macbook Pro (10.10.5 Yosemite) and the 9XR Pro.
Companion 2.0.18 is also doing a fine job now too (reads/writes).

I'll admit I'm slightly perplexed as to why it now works, however. The only software relevant things I did were:

i) I removed the SD card from the 9XR and plugged it into a USB adapter then plugged it directly into the Mac. I went through several of its various folders. When I found a pdf manual about communicating between the 9XR Pro and a computer, I loaded it up (directly from the microSD). It contained words to the effect of 'mac users might want to disable the microSD card from communicating over the USB connection whilst the 9XR Pro is in bootloader mode by flicking the TRN switch'. So I closed down the microSD card, unplugged it from the mac, and put it back into the 9XR Pro;

ii) I then powered up the 9XR Pro in bootloader mode and disabled the microSD on it by flicking the TRN switch. I then plugged in the USB cable and for some reason, the 'ERSKY_9X' folder came up on the desktop of the mac .. and stayed there! (Previously it was consistently ejected (improperly) after about 15 secs).

Now, the original 'ejection' problem has disappeared completely, regardless of whether the microSD card is 'on' or 'off'.

I suspect the loading up of the manual directly from the microSD card might have 'educated' Spotlight about its directory structure. Spotlight seeks to index everything it sees, so maybe it was getting its knickers in a knot in trying to distinguish between the 9XR Pro Firmware and the microSD storage(?) The loading up of the pdf manual may have given it 'the lesson' it needed to overcome any ambiguities (or subtle USB bus timing issues)?

Anyway, my recommendation for any Mac/9XR Pro users out there, is to physically remove the microSD card, and plug it directly into the mac and double click on one of the manuals. The disabling of the microSD card, (whilst in bootloader mode by flicking the TRN switch), might also be the culprit and is worthwhile trying.

Comments welcome.
Cheers

[MikeB]

What we found when I first wrote the bootloader was the MAC was writing a large index file to the SD card, and until it had done so it didn't mount either drive. Because we only have a "Full Speed" USB interface this took a long time. I suspect something was timing out while doing this causing the ejection after 15 seconds.
Probably, by putting the SD card directly in to the MAC, any required index file was written to it then.

Mike.

[Crashprone]

Hi MikeB;

Sounds good to me.

In the only other thread I could find here which discussed the same/similar problem, the poster mentioned that he copied the firmware onto the MicroSD card directly, (ie: by plugging it directly into the mac). Everything went smoothly from thereon, however the poster concluded that the physical USB plug (at the 9XR Pro end of the cable), also hadn't been properly seated. I suggest the primary problem he encountered, was most likely the mac (ie: the Spotlight app) attempting to write the large index file, (as you say).

Lesson learned .. and one for the OpenTx support knowledgebase too, perhaps?

Cheers (& Thanks to all).