Adding USB Devices Breaks.... Everything

churchill7

Pi Model or other hardware: Pi4
Power Supply used: Pi powersupply
RetroPie Version Used : 4
Built From: Pre made SD Image on RetroPie website
USB Devices connected: Logitech Flight Stick, X-arcade dual stick, Kensington Trackball, spinner, keyboard

So my audio clicks when changing videos, found a post about using a USB sound card. Added the USB sound card and it totally works BUT the X-Arcade stick is sort of partially configured now. I use the Logitech to nav to retroarch and it all looks to be correct but some buttons work. Others don't. The stick works in retroarch but not navigating emulators. Remove the USB sound card and boot and it's all back to working. Similarly I tried adding a couple of Xbox 360 type controllers. The Xarcade and the logitech config broke so bad I ended up using my backup image to restore from.

Is there a magic way of adding USB devices to a working config without it losing it's mind?

(Guess I should mention that in both cases I plugged in the device and restarted so it would be picked up)

Thanks in advance! Would be nice to get the audio USB device on there to stop that clicking sound

mitu

I wonder if the breakage doesn't come from too many USB devices connected due to insufficient power provided by the Pi. Do you have an USB hub to connect all those devices ? Is it a powered hub ?

Crush

What USB hub do you use?

churchill7

@mitu @crush ... Great thought! I didn't even consider power consumption. I have a power hub I can try out. Funny enough I started poking around more in the sounds settings and changing the omx sound type to alsa stopped the clicking. Still will try that powered hub since the usb sound blaster will prob sound better =*)

Crush

Reason why i ask isn't power related though, i find allot of cheap brandless hubs from china, can't pass enough data, and whilst not an issue for most controllers, it might become an issue for a USB soundcard.

churchill7

@crush The one I have (that I have not tried yet) is Atolla. Got it off of Amazon. I'll reply if that works. Currently I am using a 4 port splitter which, to your point may not be able to pass enough data to work with a sounds card. After I get a chance to swap the hub out I'll post on that working or not

churchill7

@crush ... Ok testing complete. The powered hub will work with or without the adapter pulling power from the adapter if present.

--> Shutdown Pi.
--> Add USB hub *unpowered.
--> Add USB audio.
--> Bring back up.
Result: Same odd behavior with the controller etc. on different newer hub.

-->Shutdown Pi.
--> Plug in power adapter to USB hub.
--> Turn on.
Result: Everything works as expected.

So in my case it was a voltage issue with the X-Arcade and the USB audio being on the same USB hub.