USB issue with Emulation Station on boot. Joystick doesn't work but only the keyboard.

Leander79

Hi everyone. I recently purchased two Raspberry Pi4 B 4GB to run Retropie with Emulation Station.
One Raspberry has one firmware dated 3 September 2020 with bootloader C305221a while the other one has been updated with the Raspberry tool to the latest firmware available. Now it happens that the same image on one Raspberry (the one with older firmware) works perfectly while on the updated one it gives an incompatibility error on boot on the start4.elf file. Looking on the various forums, the proposed solution would be to replace start4.elf and the fixup4.dat files in the boot directory of the SD Card with the updated ones indicated at this link:

https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/boot

By doing this I actually get Retropie to boot without any errors during the loading phase but when I reach the Joystick configuration screen I no longer see the Joystick but only the keyboard. By moving the same image where the two mentioned files were replaced on the Raspberry with the older firmware I obtain the same behavior. I load Retropie but from the USB I no longer have any signs of life even though both the keyboard and the joystick are turned on but when holding down the button to start the configuration I get response only from the keyboard. I suppose that the replacement of the two files somehow influences the correct functioning of the USBs which previously worked correctly on the older Raspberry but prevented Retropie from starting on the new one with the request of update the firmware.

Is there a solution? I have also delete the esinput_cfg file to reset the configuration on boot but only the keyboard works also if LED on Joystick are all on. To do this I have boot Raspberry with an offical image of desktop Raspberry OS 64bit from USB pendrive and delete the file in the SD card folder "\opt\retropie\configs\all\emulationstation\es_input.cfg".

One of the images I have this problem with is here:
[link removed]

Unfortunately I have no skills with Raspberry and Retropie is new reality for me.

mitu

Are you using the RetroPie image from https://retropie.org.uk/download ? We don't support 3rd party images.

Is there a solution? I have also delete the esinput_cfg file to reset the configuration on boot but only the keyboard works also if LED on Joystick are all on.

See https://retropie.org.uk/docs/EmulationStation/#controller-configs for the right steps to reset the input configuration. Removing the configuration file will break the auto-configuration of emulators from EmulationStation.

One of the images I have this problem with is here:
... link to ROM preloaded image removed...

Ask the author of the image for support then, we don't support 3rd party images - especially the ones pre-loaded with ROMs. Also, as per the forum rules, don't provide links to ROMs - which the image you linked contains. I have removed the link.

Leander79

First of all thanks a lot for your answer and your support.
I apologize for the link you had to remove, I just wanted to provide more information for the problem described.

I tried also not to cancel directly the config file in the folder but to reset it from retropie setup with support of the keyboard but on the reboot the Joystick doesn't response.

I have this problem with all the images I tried on Raspberry right after the two files start4.elf and fixup4.dat are replaced in the boot folder. Otherwise the images is possible to use only on Raspberry with older firmware. On Raspberry with latest release of firmware that unfortunately I have upgraded, on boot I receive the error messages that the Raspberry needs new software because start4.elf is incompatible.

There is a way to downgrade the firmware of Raspberry if Retropie is someshow incompatible with new firmware?

mitu

You get the error with the Pi4 image from https://retropie.org.uk/download ? Do you know which Pi4 revision is your board ?

Leander79

On the motherboard I have: FCC ID 2ABCB-RPI4B and IC: 20953-RPI4B. Revision 1.2

Is possible to know in advice if an update of Raspberry firmware release is incompatible with a version of Retropie? It's impossible that all the images I tried on updated Raspberry have the problem on startup with the same files start4.elf and fixup4.dat and if I update them I lose the Joystick recognize.

mitu

Is possible to know in advice if an update of Raspberry firmware release is incompatible with a version of Retropie?

I don't see how that would be possible, given that the Raspberry Pi folks can add new revisions for existing boards without consulting us (!).

It's impossible that all the images I tried on updated Raspberry have the problem on startup with the same files start4.elf and fixup4.dat and if I update them I lose the Joystick recognize.

You haven't answered my previous question about our image - I'm not going to bother repeating it for the 2nd time.

Leander79

I tried now to put the image of Retropie that you linked before with Raspberry Pi Imager and replace the files to boot on Raspberry updated. It works and Joystick is recognized also on older Raspberry firmware.

Unfortunately I have no skills to compile Retropie and Roms as the image precompiled that are released with all the games. I understand that the forum doesnt't support 3rd party images. Only please, have you a suggest that I can try, on one precompiled image, to try to found and correct the problem? Why the Joystick stops working and only the keyboard gives response if I replace the two boot files?

In any way thanks in advice for your precious support.

mitu

@Leander79 said in USB issue with Emulation Station on boot. Joystick doesn't work but only the keyboard.:

... understand that the forum doesnt't support 3rd party images. Only please, have you a suggest that I can try, on one precompiled image, to try to found and correct the problem?

I think the meaning of the do not support 3rd party images is still unclear to you.

This topic is closed - if you have questions or problems with the RetroPie official image feel free to open another topic, detailing the issues there.