Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

Well, besides the obvious removal of USB OTG, they really screwed this over. I have NEVER had any device capable of connecting/charging via usb with this many issues.

I still live in fear of letting the battery run down all the way, because then the n900 won't charge AT ALL. You have to fidgit with connecting and disconnecting the line and taking the battery out and EVENTUALLY it will boot. What a mess.

It also will not allow many USB chargers. That's fine, I made my own cables with the data pins shorted and they work. It does suck that I have to do that, but MANY phones seem to have that protection.

Now, however I got my first fun experience with a new issue. I keep hooking it up to two different PCs but the connection will never register. I have tried different microUSB->USB cables all with the same result. That means that it will NOT connect NOR charge. So I'm at work basically watching my phone bleed a slow power death. I'm going to have to turn it off to hopefully avoid the fiasco of getting a dead battery to start charging. Sometimes the connection will say "Not Charging. Insufficient Power" or some crap. From two different PCs and two different cables. Hmmm... something tells me it's not the PC with the issue.

I really try to brag my friends about the n900's hardware, but, seriously? You have to fight to get it to charge?

Anyone else with similar frustrations or did i just get a "lucky" unit?

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

Nothing like that with mine... my only quirk which sometimes happens is that when I connect it to my win xp machine, sometimes I get the full USB 2.0 transfer speeds, and sometimes it bums out and the transfer speed is very slow

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

Mine charges just right. And I guess that wouldn't be possible if nokia really did screw the pooch.. Sorry to hear about your troubles with your unit.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

I have to say I think you've been unlucky here. Mine has charged via the mains charger, a usb cable (from PC, from Playstation 2 and from a powered USB hub with no data connection). I have also given the phone a charge from an AA battery pocket charger which all worked fine...

The manual did state that charging by USB may not provide enough power if the phone is under heavy load at the time, but I've not even noticed that as an issue. I think perhaps you should swap it or get your phone looked at by a Nokia service centre. :)

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

No USB 2.0 speeds here! Mine is ALWAYS 1.1!It`s sooo frustrating!

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

Mine said the same after trying different 3 usb ports: "Not Charging. Insufficient Power"

so today I plugged it in and got the same message and just ignored it, after a while it charged the battery all the way.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

I have had a couple of instances where it did not register the USB was connected, but simply unplugging and reconnecting fixed that both times. Generally no problem. It does charge way slower via USB than my HTC G1 did, but that was slowish too.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

no probs here either

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

Something simmilar reported here, after the update: http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php...578#post482578

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

People experiencing usb 1.1 problem. Do you have latest firmware?

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

You might have to shut the phone down to achieve 2.0 speeds - some have reported this but mine seems to work fine anyway.
Just don't use usb hubs.

As for not enough power to charge, it has happened once while the pc was running a CPU-intensive program.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

No problems with USB charging directly from the USB data connection.

Could not use Nokia PC suite via USB cable on Windows 7 on home latop when I got the phone but this was fixed at the last upgrade last week.

My ancient office PC does not recognise the N900 when connected by USB cable, but it will connect OK for file transfers.

Therefore still unable to sync N900 with Nokia PC suite on the ancient desktop PC which also has no bluetooth so I have to synchronise to my old N95 via cable and have the N900 sync with the N95 via bluetooth.

Now all my meetings are on the N900. Sorted but it a bit of a hassle.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

I have had no problems with my device. I am even able to charge and get USB 2.0 speeds from a USB hub which is daisy-chained into another hub.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

There was a thread somewhere on these forums regarding the N900's ability to do some sort of negotiation for power with the USB bus it connects to, and most computers/hubs are able to work with this. But "dumb" power supplies (like a cigarette lighter adapter from your car to USB) don't have this ability...so the N900 never gets a negotiation response, and it never initiates recharging. Do some searching, might explain why you need a special charger (or a hacked one in your case) to charge from some other power source besides a computer.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

Works fine for me, two different cables and 3 different computers.

I believe shorting the data-pins needs to be done to comply with the usb-spec.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

Sounds like you won the prize unit.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

N900 sometimes ignores USB data cable
that bug was fixed in latest, but i do not know if it has nothing to do with this usb1.1 recognizing thing.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

i tested the speed for mine right now with the n900 being in mass storage mode with some quick check:

With delayed sync (the should actualy test the bus itself):

laptop ~> dd if=/dev/zero of=/media/Nokia\ N900/test bs=1024k count=100
100+0 records in
100+0 records out
104857600 bytes (105 MB) copied, 6.1257 s, 17.1 MB/s

Being mounted with sync option (should test the speed of the storage itself):

laptop ~> mount /media/Nokia\ N900/ -o remount,sync
~> dd if=/dev/zero of=/media/Nokia\ N900/test2 bs=1024k count=100
100+0 records in
100+0 records out
104857600 bytes (105 MB) copied, 41.3259 s, 2.5 MB/s




kernel output from command on the computer connected to N900:
laptop~> dmesg
[62971.967061] usb 1-4: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 6
[62972.082802] usb 1-4: New USB device found, idVendor=0421, idProduct=01c7
[62972.082827] usb 1-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[62972.082846] usb 1-4: Product: N900 (Storage Mode)
[62972.082861] usb 1-4: Manufacturer: Nokia
[62972.082876] usb 1-4: SerialNumber: 372041756775
[62972.083114] usb 1-4: configuration #1 chosen from 2 choices
[62972.084205] scsi3 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
[62972.087127] usb-storage: device found at 6
[62972.087135] usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
[62973.087866] scsi 3:0:0:0: Direct-Access Nokia N900 031 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
[62973.088334] sd 3:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg1 type 0
[62973.109172] scsi 3:0:0:1: Direct-Access Nokia N900 031 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
[62973.109506] sd 3:0:0:1: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
[62973.115205] usb-storage: device scan complete
[62973.116413] sd 3:0:0:1: [sdc] Attached SCSI removable disk
[62973.123085] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk
[62979.551831] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] 56631296 512-byte logical blocks: (28.9 GB/27.0 GiB)
[62979.552321] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
[62979.553561] sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through



The messages I get on the N900 when being connected are:

N900~> cat /proc/driver/musb_hdrc
Status: MHDRC, Mode=Peripheral (Power=f1, DevCtl=99)
OTG state: b_peripheral; active
Options: musb-dma, otg (peripheral+host), debug=0 [eps=12]
Peripheral address: 06
Root port status: 00000100
Gadget driver: g_file_storage

ep0 (hw0): 1buf, csr 0000 maxp 0000
(queue empty)

ep1in (hw1): 1buf, csr 2000 maxp 0200
(queue empty)

ep1out (hw1): 1buf, csr 0000 maxp 0200
req ce3e4f40, !short, 0/51



N900~> dmesg
[41951.144866] musb_hdrc periph: enabled ep1in for bulk IN, maxpacket 512
[41951.144897] musb_hdrc periph: enabled ep1out for bulk OUT, maxpacket 512
[41951.144958] g_file_storage gadget: high speed config #1



The N900 has the PR1.1 firmware update installed and i connect it directly to a USB port of my laptop (tried all ports, no difference) using the original Nokia USB cable.

If you experience problems maybe try the commands above and see if their output is any different for you (even with a windows machine you should be able to run 'dmesg' and 'cat /proc/driver/musb_hdrc' in the X Terminal). If yes, (i would expect it says not " g_file_storage gadget: high speed config #1" in the dmesg output but something else) maybe try these suggestions and see if things improve:

- try with the original Nokia USB cable as well as a non Nokia micro USB cable (if you have one - theoretically there could be some defect in the cable shipped)
- connect the device directly to the computers USB port and don't use a switch in between
- try all available USB ports on your computer (many older machines have only a few USB2.0 and several USB1.1 ports)
- try with a different computer if possible

Additionally it would be possible to load the musb_hdrc module on the N900 with debugging enabled so more info could be obtained, That however would require root access, so I would not recommend that to anyone who does not know what he is doing. If I encounter a speed drop I'll doo that myself and post the output here.



Two things I noticed while doing the checks:
- While being mounted on a compter, the MyDocs directory is empty as it got unmounted in the device itself. I assume this is to keep data intact, but wouldn't it make more sense to have MyDocs just mounted readonly, so no files can be copied there by accident that would later disappear under the remounted MyDocs partition (they would still use space though). Just a thought.

- the laptop dmesg output suggests that there are two mass storage devices exported from the N900, sdb (Scsi Disk b) and sdc. I can mount sdc1 (first partition on the 'disk') which turns out to be the MyDocs folder, but sdc, the second detected 'disc' does not even seem to contain a partition. Has anyone an idea what it is about?

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

I reported on this in a previous thread (of mine, I think).

I have to turn off the phone to get USB 2.0. Yes, it sems weird, since there's a big black bar that says "USB MODE" on it that you can push, while the phone is on and connected to a USB cable... but - turn off the phone, use it as a dumb storage device, and your 2.0 should be in full effect. You're welcome.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

I can't charge via PC cable anymore. I'm using the Nokia supplied cable, and get the "Insufficient Power..." message. Never happened before on either of the two devices I had, but now I can never get a charge. This was why I never liked USB port only charging, preferring the dedicated power cable. I could really use that Nokia charger port now.

I tend to use my N900 as a portable drive for samples in the studio, and the constant access is a power drain that is never satisfied, and I'm constantly unplugging from the PC to connect to a charger.

Is no solution or cause known?

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

I wonder if the people having inconsistent charges/connection issues, is because of the connection pins (data/power) coming loose from the circuit board? It seems like those pins, unlike the "mounting" pins, are not "soldered", but rather "glued". It would take only one bad pull from power or data plug to work the USB port loose causing a short.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

I also have the usb1.1 problem. but only on one pc. my various laptops work ok (inckuding a wussy little eeepc) but my desktop always gets 1.1. im not using any hubs and the port I use is directly soldiered to the motherboard; so no long extention cable etc..

if i switch the phone off i get 2.0 everytime in the exact same port.

I have read that some people think its to do with the indexer on the phone.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

If you are using Windows XP (although I think that Win7 suffers from the same problem as well), it has a nasty habit to cache USB drivers for fast startup when you connect a device to a specific USB port, which in turn may lead that once something is f-ed up with that driver it will always load the faulty one from its fast-run cache, thus effectively bricking the device support or even failing to recognize it. I had many pains with my N95 until I found out what was causing it. Since N900 charges through the USB, if it fails to negotiate with the system it won't get its 500mA but only 100mA USB current in which case N900 will report that the power is too low to charge.

The simplest way is to remove all device-type drivers installed on the system (they will reinstall themselves when you connect your device again). To do so, go to System Properties (Win + Break), Advanced tab, click on Environment Variables, and add a new system environment variable devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices and for its value set 1. Go back to the Hardware tab in System Properties, go to Device Manager, find all Nokia drivers (and possibly some other USB devices that you no longer use) and remove them...

Now when you connect your device it should reinstall its correct drivers and resume its normal function.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

mine works easily 90% of the time, but not well with generic cables, only genuine nokia

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

Use dedicated charger. Do not use usb cable charger or if you use it be aware that not all computer usb ports can provide needed voltage or at least be sure that N900 is only power hungry device connected to usb.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

Spot on!!!If I turn my mobile off it`s 2.0, in Windows it`s 1.1

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

It´s bugzilla time! I have also had this problem but i cannot reproduce it.

.edit
I mean usb 1.1 problem.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

plugging on to different usb port fixed that problem for me

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

0 problems here, sorry to hear of your issues.

Wil check usb 1.1 when i get in.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

With old firmware sometimes nothing happened when I plugged the phone to the cable. Had to unplug and replug, sometimes several times to get it to charge.

New firmware fixed this, but now I get the "insufficient power" whine every now and then. I usually unplug and replug, but one time I didnt unplug it right away and after a minute or so it started charging.

So yeah, some small problems here aswell, but nothing disasterous. Hopefully the next firmware will solve these problems for everyone.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

Could the charge problems be a voltage problem within the PC?
If your BIOS has a voltage viewer or if the motherboard came with a system monitor that displays voltage, check these; could indicate PC power supply problem.

I know it’s obvious but the other thing to try is plug the USB cable into each USB socket on the PC, there could be a failing of the USB hardware on the motherboard. I know I have had component failure like this.

Interesting thought. Windows XP certainly caches snap shots of memory in the Prefetch folder in C:\Windows\Prefetch for fast bootup and loading of programs. It is Ok to delete the contents of this folder and then reboot. Windows will then reload the Prefetch folder with fresh images. The only thing noticeable would be initial bootup / program start will be slower after that thing would be back to normal.

More info http://www.windowsnetworking.com/art...efetch-XP.html

I have no idea if this would help! But if zwer is correct it might

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

Drivers caching has nothing to do with Prefetch. The way I described it is the only way to remove cached/leftover/wrecked drivers for devices that cannot be recognized without wacko cmd commands and heavy registry editor. It will definitely fix all problems with devices that used to work but the system won't recognize them anymore.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

About the "Not charging. Insufficient power" message using Windows XP.
Press [Win]+[Break] (MyComputer properties), select the Hardware tab, then "Device Manger".
Expand "Universal Serial Bus controllers".
Right click on every USB Root Hub and select "Properties", until you find the one with the N900 attached and check in the "Power" tab the Power available and Power Required. Also check in the "Power Management" tab if you allow the computer to turn off the USB port to save power.

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

I had this same problem (getting the "insufficient power" message) earlier today when I had a low battery, and the following worked for me:
I turned off the device, and then connected it to the usb cable attached to my laptop. I waited a few minutes (the led was blinking meaning it was charging), then disconnected the cable from the N900 and turned the phone back on. Finally, I once again connected the device to my computer (while it was on) and it is now allowing me to charge...

Maybe this has something to do with low battery power?

Re: Nokia really screwed the pooch with the USB connection
 

I think the question was answered on the first page, i had all sorts of problems today and I the phone connected to the wireless and Skype enabled.

Switched the WIFI off and it it worked first time.

I would check what apps you are running and if any data connections are present.