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--- doc:appunti:hardware:gamepad_dragonrise_eg_starts [2022/07/01 14:09] – niccolo
+++ doc:appunti:hardware:gamepad_dragonrise_eg_starts [2022/07/01 14:41] (current) – [Problems with GNU/Linux: disconnect loop] niccolo
@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{ eg-starts.jpg?260|EG STARTS Joystick interface}}
-**EG STARTS** is a cheap (10 € in June 2022) circuit to connect a **joystick and buttons** to a PC via the **USB interface**. It is often used to build arcade-style consoles for retrogaming using the MAME software or alike, it is supported by the **GNU/Linux** operating system, but...
+The **EG STARTS** is a cheap (10 € in June 2022) circuit to connect a **joystick and buttons** to a PC via the **USB interface**. It is often used to build arcade-style consoles for retrogaming using the MAME software or alike, it is supported by the **GNU/Linux** operating system, but...
-===== Problems with recent Linux kernels =====
+===== Problems with GNU/Linux: disconnect loop =====
-My first attempt to connect the EG STARTS to a **Raspberry Pi** running the operating system based on **Debian 11 Bullseye** was a total failure. The kernel started an **infinite loop** attaching and detaching the USB device:
+My first attempt to connect the EG STARTS to a **Raspberry Pi** running the operating system based on **Debian 11 Bullseye** was a total failure. The kernel started an **infinite loop** detecting and disconnecting the USB device:
 <code>
+usb 2-1.2: new low speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 7
+usb 2-1.2: New USB device found, idVendor=0079, idProduct=0006
+usb 2-1.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
+usb 2-1.2: Product: Generic   USB  Joystick
+usb 2-1.2: Manufacturer: DragonRise inc.
+usb 2-1.2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
+input: DragonRise inc.   Generic   USB  Joystick
+    as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.2/2-1.2:1.0/input/input81
+dragonrise 0003:0079:0006.004E: input,hidraw2: USB HID v1.10 Joystick
+    [DragonRise inc.   Generic   USB  Joystick  ] on usb-0000:00:1a.0-1.2/input0
+dragonrise 0003:0079:0006.004E: Force Feedback for DragonRise Inc. game controllers
+    by Richard Walmsley <richwalm@gmail.com>
+usb 2-1.2: USB disconnect, address 7
 </code>
 that loop was revealed also by the red **LED** on the interface **blinking** continously.
+The problem occurred too using different GNU/Linux distributions: Raspberry Pi OS, Debian GNU/Linux, GRML; all running various **kernel versions** from the **4.x** and **5.x** series. The problem is caused by the kernel driver **hid_dr**, used for **DragonRise Inc. game controller**.
+Running an old **2.6** version, the driver (named **hid_drff**) was stable enough to be able to read some input events from the device.
+Fortunately I found a workaround for this problem in these posts:
+  * **[[https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/31488/solved-repeated-disconnect-of-zero-delay-usb-encoder-dragonrise/|Repeated disconnect of Zero Delay USB encoder (DragonRise)]]**
+  * **[[https://github.com/sriemer/fix-linux-mouse#usb-mouse-disconnectsreconnects-every-minute-on-linux|USB mouse disconnects/reconnects every minute on Linux]]**
+It seems that the problem is caused by the driver that continously does a **buffer overflows if it is not always polled** for events. In that cases the Linux kernel offers a workaround; just add the following option on the **kernel command line**:
+<file>
+usbhid.quirks=0x0079:0x0006:0x00000400
+</file>
+In Debian and derived, just add that option into **/etc/default/grub**, at definition of **GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX**, and execute **update-grub**. Notice that 0x79 is vendor code the and 0x06 is the product code, as revealed by **lsusb**:
+<code>
+Bus 002 Device 009: ID 0079:0006 DragonRise Inc. Generic USB Joystick
+</code>
+The bit mask 0x00000400 activates **HID_QUIRK_ALWAYS_POLL**.