USB & Me

[Ben]

As some of you already know, I have recently began a serious shakedown and reconstruction of my entire LAN; no computer is as it was and more have been added.

My main machine has an ASUS P5G4IT-M LX Series motherboard using a PS/2 keyboard, but a USB mouse that I have been using for years.

On this machine, nothing USB is detected... with rare exception; if I plug/unplug my mouse enough times, it usually, (but not always), gets detected. I monitor it as I do so, with USBDock. Only twice has it ever been active post boot without the need to replug... out of say, 100 attempts.

With my previous motherboard just about everything USB worked, if sometimes it was a bit finiky. It didn't really matter too much which drivers I was using, the results were all similar.

Now things have changed.

Right now I am using the latest drivers from eCS downloaded from the eCS Beta Zone; USB-eCS-11.05.zip released only a days ago.

Before that I upgraded from Lar's usbhcd194.zip drivers, (skipped 195 for known reasons), and used usbhcd196.zip... which worked on the old MB, but... not on the new.

Here are my present USB-related CONFIG.SYS entries;

--

REM *---------------------------------------------{ USB Drivers }-----------------------------------------------*
BASEDEV=USBUHCD.SYS /V /FS
BASEDEV=USBOHCD.SYS /V
BASEDEV=USBEHCD.SYS /V
REM BASEDEV=USBD.SYS
BASEDEV=USBD.SYS /REQ:USBUHCD$,USBOHCD$,USBEHCD$ /V
BASEDEV=USBHID.SYS /V
DEVICE=C:\ECS\BOOT\USBRESMG.SYS /V
REM DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\USBPRT.SYS
REM DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\USBKBD.SYS /CHS
DEVICE=C:\ECS\SYSTEM\AMOUSE\USBMOUSE.SYS /V

--

I have not tried any older drivers on this board, not being sure if there is any point, but if someone knows a reason why I should, it will be the next thing that I try.

Right now I am using a PoS PS/2 mouse... which is, (I must say it!), cheesy.... and I don't like it; I want my old, hi-end, Logitech wireless mouse back.

I have tried a USB-PS/2 adapter, but without success.

Any positive suggestions would be appreciated... as always.

[ivan]

A couple of things.  What does HCIMONIT say about the number of USB controllers that MB has?  According to the information I have that board has 8 USB ports which may imply that you are a couple of usbuhcd entries short.
For example: on my ASUS M4A78LT-M LE, hcimonit reports
You have 5 PCI USB OHCI host controller(s)
You have 2 PCI USB EHCI host controller(s)

Which results in the following USB section of config.sys:
BASEDEV=USBOHCD.SYS
BASEDEV=USBOHCD.SYS
BASEDEV=USBOHCD.SYS
BASEDEV=USBOHCD.SYS
BASEDEV=USBOHCD.SYS
BASEDEV=USBEHCD.SYS
BASEDEV=USBEHCD.SYS
BASEDEV=USBD.SYS
DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\USBPRT.SYS
BASEDEV=USBHID.SYS
DEVICE=C:\os2\SYSTEM\AMouse\AMOUSE.SYS SMP
DEVICE=C:\os2\SYSTEM\AMouse\USBMOUSE.SYS
DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\USBKBD.SYS
BASEDEV=USBMSD.ADD /REMOVABLES:5 /FLOPPIES:1
REM DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\USBCOM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\tools\usb\USBRESMG.SYS

These use from Lars Erdmann's usbhcd196.zip.
As far as I know the usbd.sys doesn't need the req: entries - at least I haven't been using it for ages on any of the servers or workstations here.

Another thing how have you setup the USB Configuration in the bios?  Settings here can cause a USB mouse to not be seen.

Hope this might be of some help.

[Ben]

Oh wow... somebody who knows what they're talking about.

Ah... I had never heard of HCIMON.exe before, but here are the results of running it;

--

You have 4 PCI USB UHCI host controller(s)
You have 1 PCI USB EHCI host controller(s)

--

Whether that is accurate, or all that's being detected, I don't know. I know that I have four ports on the back and three on the front... though that probably means nothing, only what can be used by the case.

OK. Assuming that is accurate then if I am following what you're saying I should have four USBUHCD.SYS and 1 USBEHCD.SYS listed in my config.sys and no USBOHCD.SYS.

I'll give the following a try:

--
REM *---------------------------------------------{ USB Drivers }-----------------------------------------------*
BASEDEV=USBUHCD.SYS /V /FS
BASEDEV=USBUHCD.SYS /V /FS
BASEDEV=USBUHCD.SYS /V /FS
BASEDEV=USBUHCD.SYS /V /FS
REM BASEDEV=USBOHCD.SYS /V
BASEDEV=USBEHCD.SYS /V
REM BASEDEV=USBD.SYS
BASEDEV=USBD.SYS /REQ:USBUHCD$,USBOHCD$,USBEHCD$ /V
BASEDEV=USBHID.SYS /V
DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\USBPRT.SYS
REM DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\USBKBD.SYS /CHS
DEVICE=C:\ECS\SYSTEM\AMOUSE\USBMOUSE.SYS /V
BASEDEV=USBMSD.ADD /FLOPPIES:0 /REMOVABLES:1
DEVICE=C:\ECS\BOOT\USBRESMG.SYS /V

--

I have AMouse.sys in my config.sys above the USB entries. I am assuming that order makes no difference.

I will also switch back to the Lar's 196 drivers for this test.

A question:

Doesn't the number of "Floppies" reserve drive letters?

[Ben]

Well, I'll be darned.

Just like that!.. it is fixed.

I can now use my mouse in any port and it was recognized instantly! Good-bye PoS PS/2 mouse... cheese and all!

Not only that, but my camera now works! Smooth as silk!

Thanks!

You saved me a lot of time and trouble.

[Doug Bissett]

There are a few (possibly unwritten) rules about USB drivers:

UHCI and or OHCI BEFORE EHCI. Extra ones don't seem to matter. I have one machine where I must have enough of each, or none at all, or it won't boot.

BASEDEV=USBD.SYS /REQ:USBUHCD$,USBOHCD$,USBEHCD$ /V

Leave out the "REQ:" stuff. It is not required, and the drivers do a better job of figuring that out, without it. What you have there is wrong anyway.

BASEDEV=USBMSD.ADD /FLOPPIES:0 /REMOVABLES:1

Define floppies only if you have a floppy USB drive, otherwise zero will prevent stray, not operational, drive icons from cluttering up the drives object. REMOVEABLES should be one more than the maximum possible number of devices that you would ever connect. That includes one for each possible device on a multicard reader, if you have one. The default, in recent eCS distributions is 8. I would suggest no less than 4.

I have AMouse.sys in my config.sys above the USB entries. I am assuming that order makes no difference.

There are some dependencies for ordering lines in CONFIG.SYS. If you don't know them, I suggest one of two programs to sort your CONFIG.SYS properly. One comes with eCS:
C:\ecs\bin\CFGSORT.CMD
The other is available at HOBBES:
http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/util/config/LCSS-0-4-4.wpi
Be sure to READ the instructions. LCSS sorts CONFIG.SYS so that humans, as well as machines, can understand it.

Doesn't the number of "Floppies" reserve drive letters?

You will see the number of icons that you define (including zero). If you have a floppy USB drive, define one (or more if you are likely to attach more than one floppy USB drive) only if you actually plan to use a floppy drive. Otherwise, the icons just take up real estate in the drives object, for no good reason. Most people don't know what they are, or where they came from, because they do nothing, until you attach a floppy USB drive.

[Ben]

Thanks for the additions, Doug.

I have adjusted my CONFIG.SYS to reflect the necessaries.