Issue with LimeUtil once every two tries since PothosSDR 2020.01.04 on Windows

I have a LimeUSB-SDR plugged and powered through USB3.0. Everything works well until PothosSDR-2019.06.09-vc14-x64.exe. With any more recent version, calling LimeUtil.exe --make="driver=lime" works well the 1st time, then the 2nd call shows TransferPacket: Read failed (ret=0) as well as Gateware version 0, revision 0, before showing the Lime’s info. It continues working once every two tries.

Here’s with the latest PothosSDR-2021.07.25-vc16-x64.exe.

PS D:\Tools\PothosSDR-2021.07.25-vc16-x64\bin> .\LimeUtil.exe --make="driver=lime"
Make device driver=lime
  Device name: LimeSDR-USB
  Expansion name: UNSUPPORTED
  Firmware version: 4
  Hardware version: 4
  Protocol version: 1
  Gateware version: 2
  Gateware revision: 23
  Gateware target: LimeSDR-USB
  Serial number: 0x9072607123456
  Free connection... OK

PS D:\Tools\PothosSDR-2021.07.25-vc16-x64\bin> .\LimeUtil.exe --make="driver=lime"
Make device driver=lime
TransferPacket: Read failed (ret=0)
Gateware version mismatch!
  Expected gateware version 2, revision 23
  But found version 0, revision 0
  Follow the FW and FPGA upgrade instructions:
  http://wiki.myriadrf.org/Lime_Suite#Flashing_images
  Or run update on the command line: LimeUtil --update

  Device name: LimeSDR-USB
  Expansion name: UNSUPPORTED
  Firmware version: 4
  Hardware version: 4
  Protocol version: 1
  Gateware version: 2
  Gateware revision: 23
  Gateware target: LimeSDR-USB
  Serial number: 0x9072607123456
  Free connection... OK

I’ve tried on 2 recent computers with USB3.0 and have the same issue. I’ve tried on an old computer with USB2.0 and don’t get the error.

@andrewback @Zack @joshblum Has anyone noticed that issue on Windows with the files compiled from Pothos?

I have a computer with dual boot Windows/Linux, where the issue appears on Windows but not Linux (Ubuntu 22.04).

Same things happen here: LimeSDR-USB every second app start works fine, LimeSDR-Mini is working every time correctly. OS is Win10 x64 and also have Linux-Mint on virtual machine (same behave for LimeSDR-USB, Mini wont work att all).

My very first reaction would be to temporarily disable power save on the USB ports, Windows has a habit of powering down the USB ports of devices. Most of the time this is not the issue, but it can hinder troubleshooting the root cause, because the same thing does not happen exactly the same every time you do something (plug “disable USB power save windows 10” into your search engine of choice).

USB power settings wont help. It helps LMS_Close/LMS_Open sequence again inside app.

Changing the USB power settings don’t seem to help. Also it’s always reproducible and previous versions didn’t have that issue.

Just using LimeSuite GUI and connecting to the board shows the issue:

  • 1st try works
[10:18:12] DEBUG: Estimated reference clock 30.6589 MHz
[10:18:12] INFO: Reference clock 30.72 MHz
[10:18:12] INFO: Connected Control port: LimeSDR-USB FW:4 HW:4 Protocol:1 GW:2.23 Ref Clk: 30.72 MHz
[10:18:19] INFO: Disconnected control port
  • 2nd try doesn’t
[10:18:23] ERROR: TransferPacket: Read failed (ret=0)
[10:18:23] WARNING: Gateware version mismatch!
  Expected gateware version 2, revision 23
  But found version 0, revision 0
  Follow the FW and FPGA upgrade instructions:
  http://wiki.myriadrf.org/Lime_Suite#Flashing_images
  Or run update on the command line: LimeUtil --update

[10:18:23] DEBUG: Estimated reference clock 0.0000 MHz
[10:18:23] INFO: Reference clock 10.00 MHz
[10:18:23] INFO: Connected Control port: LimeSDR-USB FW:4 HW:0 Protocol:1 GW:0.0 Ref Clk: 10.00 MHz

Tagging @Zack, as this sounds like potentially a Lime Suite issue that has crept in with later versions and only on Windows. Though I could easily be wrong and it’s some other dependency…

@Zack Could someone test if they have the same behavior on Windows, as this currently forces us to use older version on Windows. That issues doesn’t appear on Ubuntu 22.04 with the latest packages.

Hi @KarlL,

Do you have the same issue when using LimeSuiteGUI?

Yes. Please see my previous comment.

I just tried again right now: I plug the Lime, start LimeSuiteGUI, click Connect, no error message appear. I click Disconnect then Connect: I see some error messages. I click Disconnect then Connect, it works again.

Just tried quickly, can not replicate your issue:

> [10:09:46] INFO: Disconnected control port
> [10:09:50] INFO: Reference clock 30.72 MHz
> [10:09:50] INFO: Connected Control port: LimeSDR-USB FW:4 HW:4 Protocol:1 GW:2.23 Ref Clk: 30.72 MHz
> [10:09:58] INFO: Disconnected control port
> [10:10:03] INFO: Reference clock 30.72 MHz
> [10:10:03] INFO: Connected Control port: LimeSDR-USB FW:4 HW:4 Protocol:1 GW:2.23 Ref Clk: 30.72 MHz
> [10:10:10] INFO: Disconnected control port
> [10:10:12] INFO: Reference clock 30.72 MHz
> [10:10:12] INFO: Connected Control port: LimeSDR-USB FW:4 HW:4 Protocol:1 GW:2.23 Ref Clk: 30.72 MHz
> [10:10:35] INFO: Reference clock 30.72 MHz
> [10:10:35] INFO: Connected Control port: LimeSDR-USB FW:4 HW:4 Protocol:1 GW:2.23 Ref Clk: 30.72 MHz
> [10:10:44] INFO: Disconnected control port
> [10:10:50] INFO: Reference clock 30.72 MHz
> [10:10:50] INFO: Connected Control port: LimeSDR-USB FW:4 HW:4 Protocol:1 GW:2.23 Ref Clk: 30.72 MHz
> [10:10:58] INFO: Disconnected control port
> [10:11:05] INFO: Reference clock 30.72 MHz
> [10:11:05] INFO: Connected Control port: LimeSDR-USB FW:4 HW:4 Protocol:1 GW:2.23 Ref Clk: 30.72 MHz
> [10:11:21] INFO: Disconnected control port
> [10:11:24] INFO: Reference clock 30.72 MHz
> [10:11:24] INFO: Connected Control port: LimeSDR-USB FW:4 HW:4 Protocol:1 GW:2.23 Ref Clk: 30.72 MHz
> [10:11:29] INFO: Disconnected control port
> [10:11:32] INFO: Reference clock 30.72 MHz
> [10:11:32] INFO: Connected Control port: LimeSDR-USB FW:4 HW:4 Protocol:1 GW:2.23 Ref Clk: 30.72 MHz
> [10:11:38] INFO: Disconnected control port
> [10:11:41] INFO: Reference clock 30.72 MHz
> [10:11:42] INFO: Connected Control port: LimeSDR-USB FW:4 HW:4 Protocol:1 GW:2.23 Ref Clk: 30.72 MHz

Have you tried using this LimeSuiteGUI version:
https://wiki.myriadrf.org/LimeSuiteGUI
?

Thanks for testing @Zack

I just tried LimeSuiteGUI_20201029_480bfea.exe and unfortunately I get the same error.

Can this be a driver issue? Here is what I have

image

My driver is exactly the same:

Try to update motherboard drivers. What is motherboard/chipset manufacturer?

I have a Lenovo laptop with AMD 4800U, not sure about the motherboard.

I also have a Gigabyte GA-AB350N-Gaming with AMD 3700X.