SATA to USB adapter keeps reconnecting every minute or so, but only on rear USB ports

TheJooomes · 08-22-2022, 01:29 AM

I have a SATA to USB adapter that uses its own power source separate from the computer. It works perfectly fine as long as I use the front USBs on my computer. But when I use the rear USBs, it very frequently reconnects itself, usually changing to a different /dev/sd* letter. This is annoying because it's a bare 3.5" drive sitting on top of my tower to use the front ports vs having it hide behind and using the rear ports. Here is the dmesg involving "USB"

Code:

[james@Void9020 ~]$ sudo dmesg | grep USB
[20538.968269] usb 4-5: new SuperSpeed USB device number 17 using xhci_hcd
[20538.981403] usb 4-5: New USB device found, idVendor=0bc2, idProduct=2312, bcdDevice= 2.17
[20538.981407] usb 4-5: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[20538.982445] usb-storage 4-5:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[20579.832225] usb 4-5: USB disconnect, device number 17
[20580.092210] usb 4-5: new SuperSpeed USB device number 18 using xhci_hcd
[20580.105310] usb 4-5: New USB device found, idVendor=0bc2, idProduct=2312, bcdDevice= 2.17
[20580.105314] usb 4-5: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[20580.106340] usb-storage 4-5:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[20610.448221] usb 4-5: USB disconnect, device number 18
[20610.696236] usb 4-5: new SuperSpeed USB device number 19 using xhci_hcd
[20610.709068] usb 4-5: New USB device found, idVendor=0bc2, idProduct=2312, bcdDevice= 2.17
[20610.709073] usb 4-5: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[20610.710233] usb-storage 4-5:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[20619.320224] usb 4-5: USB disconnect, device number 19
[20619.574277] usb 4-5: new SuperSpeed USB device number 20 using xhci_hcd
[20619.587495] usb 4-5: New USB device found, idVendor=0bc2, idProduct=2312, bcdDevice= 2.17
[20619.587510] usb 4-5: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[20619.589081] usb-storage 4-5:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[20635.096130] usb 4-5: USB disconnect, device number 20
[20635.343191] usb 4-5: new SuperSpeed USB device number 21 using xhci_hcd
[20635.356392] usb 4-5: New USB device found, idVendor=0bc2, idProduct=2312, bcdDevice= 2.17
[20635.356407] usb 4-5: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[20635.357834] usb-storage 4-5:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[20659.899258] usb 4-5: USB disconnect, device number 21
[20679.535199] usb 4-6: new SuperSpeed USB device number 22 using xhci_hcd
[20679.548091] usb 4-6: New USB device found, idVendor=0bc2, idProduct=2312, bcdDevice= 2.17
[20679.548096] usb 4-6: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[20679.549018] usb-storage 4-6:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[20918.427382] usb 4-6: reset SuperSpeed USB device number 22 using xhci_hcd
[20918.652618] usb 4-6: reset SuperSpeed USB device number 22 using xhci_hcd
[20949.689545] usb 4-6: reset SuperSpeed USB device number 22 using xhci_hcd
[20966.581638] usb 4-6: reset SuperSpeed USB device number 22 using xhci_hcd
[20967.209487] usb 4-6: reset SuperSpeed USB device number 22 using xhci_hcd
[20997.817522] usb 4-6: reset SuperSpeed USB device number 22 using xhci_hcd
[20998.186534] usb 4-6: reset SuperSpeed USB device number 22 using xhci_hcd
[21029.049435] usb 4-6: reset SuperSpeed USB device number 22 using xhci_hcd
[21029.595412] usb 4-6: reset SuperSpeed USB device number 22 using xhci_hcd
[21051.232191] usb 4-6: USB disconnect, device number 22
[21051.492189] usb 4-6: new SuperSpeed USB device number 23 using xhci_hcd
[21051.505646] usb 4-6: New USB device found, idVendor=0bc2, idProduct=2312, bcdDevice= 2.17
[21051.505653] usb 4-6: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[21051.506837] usb-storage 4-6:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[21052.917627] usb 4-6: reset SuperSpeed USB device number 23 using xhci_hcd

And "lsusb -t" with the drive connected to a rear USBSS port.

Code:

[james@Void9020 ~]$ lsusb -t
/:  Bus 04.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/6p, 5000M
    |__ Port 6: Dev 24, If 0, Class=Mass Storage, Driver=usb-storage, 5000M
/:  Bus 03.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=ehci-pci/2p, 480M
    |__ Port 1: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Hub, Driver=hub/8p, 480M
        |__ Port 8: Dev 3, If 0, Class=Mass Storage, Driver=usb-storage, 480M
/:  Bus 02.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/15p, 480M
/:  Bus 01.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=ehci-pci/2p, 480M
    |__ Port 1: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Hub, Driver=hub/6p, 480M
        |__ Port 1: Dev 3, If 0, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 1.5M
        |__ Port 2: Dev 4, If 1, Class=Audio, Driver=snd-usb-audio, 12M
        |__ Port 2: Dev 4, If 2, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 12M
        |__ Port 2: Dev 4, If 0, Class=Audio, Driver=snd-usb-audio, 12M
        |__ Port 3: Dev 6, If 0, Class=Vendor Specific Class, Driver=xpad, 12M
        |__ Port 3: Dev 6, If 1, Class=Vendor Specific Class, Driver=, 12M
        |__ Port 3: Dev 6, If 2, Class=Vendor Specific Class, Driver=, 12M

Strangly this only affects USBSS ports, but seemingly not slower regular USB ports. The higher speed ports are a must because this is a backup drive that gets ~1TB+ rsynced to it almost every day.

I'm using Void Linux 5.18.17_1 on an Optiplex 9020

fatmac · 08-22-2022, 03:52 AM

Maybe try using its UUID or give it a Label, rather than just hoping/using its /dev designation(?).

kilgoretrout · 08-22-2022, 07:31 AM

Most likely it's a hardware problem with your rear ports. However, start with the obvious - do any other usb storage devices malfunction on the rear ports? Are all the usb ports usb3? Is the usb adapter usb2 or usb3? If you have multiple OSes installed on that box, do they all have the same problem on the rear port? What, if anything, have you done to try and isolate the problem? You need to post some basic info like a link to the usb adapter, what OS you are running, etc.

TheJooomes · 08-22-2022, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatmac

Maybe try using its UUID or give it a Label, rather than just hoping/using its /dev designation(?).

That is what I've been doing. My script for rsync mounts using the UUID.

TheJooomes · 08-22-2022, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kilgoretrout

Most likely it's a hardware problem with your rear ports. However, start with the obvious - do any other usb storage devices malfunction on the rear ports? Are all the usb ports usb3? Is the usb adapter usb2 or usb3? If you have multiple OSes installed on that box, do they all have the same problem on the rear port? What, if anything, have you done to try and isolate the problem? You need to post some basic info like a link to the usb adapter, what OS you are running, etc.

My USB3 thumbdrive doesn't seem to have the issue, nor does my portable USB3 hard drive.

2/4 ports on the front are USB3, and 2/6 ports on the rear are USB3. The current SATA/USB adapter is USB3.

Void is the only OS on this PC right now. But long ago back on Arch, I think I remember something similar happening with a different SATA/USB adapter. I dismissed it back then though and just used the front ports IIRC.

What else is there to do to isolate the problem?

Link to current SATA/USB adapter.

kilgoretrout · 08-22-2022, 08:36 PM

Quote:

What else is there to do to isolate the problem?

First thing that comes to mind is to eliminate the OS as the source of the problem. Get any bootable linux iso other than a Void based one; burn it as an image to a usb flash drive; boot up with it and test your usb adapter with the problem 3.5" drive.

Second, that type of erratic behavior can be caused by a dodgey power supply for your usb adapter. A standard 3.5" hard drive will need a good source of external power to run properly. If you have a 2.5" SSD around, try using your usb adapter on that drive and see if you get any issues. The SSD drive can run from the power supplied by the usb3 port and doesn't need the usb adapter's power supply. If the issues don't appear with the SSD, the power supply on your usb adapter may be marginal or out of spec. Or, this brings us to No. 3.

Third, the 3.5" hard drive may be having some issues, i.e. the fault lies in the drive itself. Test by trying another 3.5" hard drive.

These are just some of the things that quickly come to mind. I've used many different usb adapters over the years and erratic behavior that I've experienced is usually related to the usb adapter power supply and typically only show up on standard 3.5" drives. Quality of the power supplies for usb adapters vary widely and the cheaper ones tend to have marginal power supplies. With a proper power supply, your usb adapter should be able to power the 3.5" drive from a usb2 port. See if you get different behavior on a usb2 port as opposed to a usb3 port.

I think you get the idea. Troubleshooting is basically a process of eliminating suspected components, typically by swapping out the suspect component with a known good one and observing the result. It's just basic logic and experience in knowing where to look. And knowing where to look requires you to know something about how the hardware works.