Joystick disconnecting constantly during match

[Hitchhiker 42]

Hi,
We (4557) are currently competing at the NE DCMP. So far it has been going well, but we have encountered a problem that can be... problematic at times.

One of our joysticks (specifically a HOTAS of this model) often disconnects during a match (i.e. the driver station stops seeing it). This is quickly remedied by a rescan of the joysticks. Nevertheless, it slows us down somewhat and even prevented us from getting on the batter at one point at the end of a match.

An FTA at our event suggested two options: static building up (in which case, we should ground ourselves and the joystick to a metal beam in the castle before a match) or the USB power saving mode getting in the way (we turned that off). We haven't actually been able to test if either of these solutions work (that was after our last match today), but I was wondering if there are any other possible reasons for this happening. Are there known problems with this like with the Xbox 1 controller?

Thanks for the help.

[Sorocan534]

Our team has run into similar problems with our joystick connectivity. The problem for us turned out to be the usb port so for a temporary fix we used a USB hub on the good port and it helped. But we use different joysticks so it may be a different issue.

[Fusion_Clint]

Originally Posted by Sorocan534

Our team has run into similar problems with our joystick connectivity. The problem for us turned out to be the usb port so for a temporary fix we used a USB hub on the good port and it helped. But we use different joysticks so it may be a different issue.

This!

[Mark McLeod]

Yea, it's worth switching USB ports to see if the problem follows the controller or stays with a particular USB port.

[MikLast]

If you cant get a hub, grab a separate (like a classmate from the FTA's or a friendly team can lend you one) and see if it happens there. If it doesnt, then you know it is a issue with your USB ports. The reasoning for getting a different computer is because it could be a issue with the motherboard in general, and more than just those ports could be effected.

[MrRoboSteve]

Does the problem occur both on battery and on wall power?

[Jonathan L.]

Would a bad joystick driver cause it to disconnect like that?

There might be a driver you could download from the Internet specifically for your joystick.

[Bernstern]

Originally Posted by Jonathan L.

Would a bad joystick driver cause it to disconnect like that?

There might be a driver you could download from the Internet specifically for your joystick.

We were having issues with our Xbox controller randomly shutting off and updating the drivers fixed it.

[rich2202]

My thoughts are that it could be a bad USB Port (which others have talked about), or it could be a bad Joystick.

Try it with a different joystick in a different USB port.

"bad joystick" includes:
1) Worn connector
2) internally frayed wires, which you can't see

Sudden bumps causing the problem lends me to believe the problem is in the physical connection between the joystick and the computer. Either the port is bad, or the connector on the joystick. Or, some combination of both.

[Mark McLeod]

Did you ever try running under the same no PC power conditions in the pit and at the practice field, too, before you started making power changes? It's always good to repeat all original conditions to try getting it to occur off the field.

A team I worked with stopped driving on one side while at competition.
We isolated it to their game controller.
But the same problem happened with their backup game controller, though.
It turned out to be both game controllers. A borrowed one from another team worked.

That particular Thrustmaster joystick also has presets and mapping buttons that might be half triggering from being jostled by robots hitting the player station wall.

[Mark McLeod]

Also, for power saving did you disable every type?
- Power Options / Put the computer to sleep (Never or some longer time)
- USB power saving: Device Manager / Universal Serial Bus Controllers / USB Root Hub & Generic USB Hub properties (each one of them) / Power Management / unclick "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power"
-USB selective suspend: Power Options / Change Plan Settings / Change Advanced Power Settings / USB Settings / USB Selective Suspend Setting / disable both On battery & Plugged In

[dradel]

The op left out something I was told about this situation ( I am a mentor on 4557) it seemed to happen when another robot hit our driver station wall. Now I heard this second hand, but may add another twist to the issue.
Also I was told that the drive computer wasn't plugged into ac outlet in station.

[dradel]

To the best of my knowledge this just started happening today. Same joysticks were used at two district events. Now I was not there today to witness the events happen, but am personally leaning towards USB ports in computer or a sketchy connection on the motherboard.
The part that throws me off is yet another twist it supposedly only happened on competition field, not on practice field or practice areas.

[Philip Arola]

The practice field working has me very perplexed. How many matches has this occurred in?

[Mark McLeod]

Some people have reported that the Xbox One controller does do weird things with the Driver Station app and has sometimes been found to have issues playing nicely with other controllers. Of course, theirs might have been some other issue, too. (e.g., http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=142183)