Bodenar BU0836A interface preventing W10 from going into standby, turning off the screen etc

[AccAkut]

I got one of those for my pedals and my H-shifter, but a few months back I notced that my PC would not use all those energy saving/locking features anymore. For the longest times I thought it was background browser activity or VLC messing with things. But after a lot of testing and following numerous guides I now traced it back to this interface. If I unplug it, the PC will do all those options without hassle immediatly.

I wrote Bodenar support, but they just replied that the board does not support "low power modes required for hibernation"... which I don't think is answering my question, I think support thought I meant selective USB hibernation which is a different thing than full PC hibernation. Plus I got this Bodenar thingy some time late 2019, build the PC in early 2020, and for months everything worked fine.
Do you think it would help to solder everything up in a way that in idle all poti signal is 0? As I think I reversed an axis by accident in a revision I did mid last year, and the issue may have started around that time.

Thanks for reading

 

[blekenbleu]

for months everything worked fine.
Do you think it would help to solder everything up

If you try disconnecting every input to the Bodenar interface, and the PC can then sleep,
then my guess is that some signals were noisy, perhaps from oxidized contacts.
I doubt it is any particular value of signals, more likely that values keep changing.

 

[Neilski]

I very dimly recall having some somewhat similar issues in the past.
In Device Manager (aka devmgmt.msc), it *might* help to toggle the "allow this device to wake the computer" checkbox?

 

[AccAkut]

I very dimly recall having some somewhat similar issues in the past.
In Device Manager (aka devmgmt.msc), it *might* help to toggle the "allow this device to wake the computer" checkbox?

View attachment 433600

interesting, have to check if the interface offers this dialog. Thanks

 

[Neilski]

interesting, have to check if the interface offers this dialog. Thanks

Yeah, to be honest there's an excellent chance it won't have the option but worth a look

 

[AccAkut]

Yeah, to be honest there's an excellent chance it won't have the option but worth a look

It doesn't, only mouse has it.

I played around with the pedal axis, doesn't seem like it makes a difference in which "direction" I wire them (changing 5V and ground around. My loadcell only works with it in one direction anyway). But with the interface connected, but the pedals itself disconnected, the PC unprompted went into hibernation, and plugging in the pedals woke it straight up, so it may be @blekenbleu 's theory is correct, any sort of RAW signal is enough to wake it up

the Bodenar has very fine steps, the potis just noise around 1 digit, seems to be enough

but while fiddling with it I was reminded that I don't use the thing at full precision potential yet, as all three share a common 5V+ and common ground (started of as modified G25 pedals), while Bodenar advices separate of those for ultimate precision... well projects for the future

 

[blekenbleu]

may be @blekenbleu 's theory is correct

As my Dad used to say, "I've been lost here before".
Poor connections and/or EMI are likely.

started off as modified G25 pedals

IMO, any semi-serious owner of not-new electronics
should have a DeoxIT kit to denoise connections.
I read here about folks doing all sorts of weird things,
e.g. flushing potentiometers with alcohol, which may remove debris
but also removes lubricant that is intended to minimize wear.
DeoxIT Fader is specifically designed for that.

EMI can be addressed by improved shielding, adding ground wires and ferrite beads
and/or installing bypass capacitors across analog signal lines.

I frequently use DeoxIT gold to cure intermittent iPhone Lightning connectors.

 

[AccAkut]

As my Dad used to say, "I've been lost here before".
Poor connections and/or EMI are likely.

IMO, any semi-serious owner of not-new electronics
should have a DeoxIT kit to denoise connections.
I read here about folks doing all sorts of weird things,
e.g. flushing potentiometers with alcohol, which may remove debris
but also removes lubricant that is intended to minimize wear.
DeoxIT Fader is specifically designed for that.

EMI can be addressed by improved shielding, adding ground wires and ferrite beads
and/or installing bypass capacitors across analog signal lines.

I frequently use DeoxIT gold to cure intermittent iPhone Lightning connectors.

If I put my foot down a little harder half a meter next to the rig the potis register it. And those are not the stock ones btw, I installed a refurbishment kit from 3DWrap while converting for use with the BU0836A. Normally that noise is what you got deadzones for, or filters, but if Windows takes the raw value instead there isn't much I can do except unplugging.

 

[blekenbleu]

if Windows takes the raw value instead there isn't much I can do except unplugging

If dead zones cannot be set in that overly sensitive adapter, then Windows cannot ignore USB traffic generated by it. Sounds like poor engineering.

 

[AccAkut]

If dead zones cannot be set in that overly sensitive adapter, then Windows cannot ignore USB traffic generated by it. Sounds like poor engineering.

with DXTweak I set the value DirectX (I guess?) sends to every other application using the game controller - now if W10 itself chooses to use the raw signal, that is an issue. If this issue seems to only happen with generic types of HID (mostly gamepads and joysticks) it is a driver issue.

 

[nerdthewise]

Mine has done this forever, the simple solution? Connect them to a hub and flip the power switch on/off when you sit down in the sim. I have all my simcentric stuff connected to a surge protector with a remote I mounted in the cockpit. When I sit down I can turn on all USB in the rig, shaker amps, simexperience controllers, arduino and fan power, as well as anything else.

This is what I used: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-8-Out...power+strip+with+remote&qid=1613278051&sr=8-5

 

[Case_]

As far as I know, it's a Windows thing. It won't allow the computer to go to sleep when there's a controller connected.

 

[stigs2cousin]

I have the same board for pedals (loadcell without amplifier and two potentiometers) and cockpit (buttons and encoders).

I am using the board directly into motherboard USB, the shifters, mouse and keyboard are on a powered hub.

Only difference to @AccAkut is that I adhered to the instructions and used three different cables for loadcell and potis directly into the Bodnar board.

Looking in DiView there is noise, the signals are changing all the time.
Not only the raw data, also the signal after deadzones fluctuates slightly.

My PC mostly goes to sleep when commanded, about one in ten to fifteen times it wakes up again.

So maybe its the wiring with common plus and ground that´s responsible??

MFG Carsten

 

[AccAkut]

I have the same board for pedals (loadcell without amplifier and two potentiometers) and cockpit (buttons and encoders).

I am using the board directly into motherboard USB, the shifters, mouse and keyboard are on a powered hub.

Only difference to @AccAkut
So maybe its the wiring with common plus and ground that´s responsible??

MFG Carsten

I'll try remaking this part, I use a serial cable & connector to connect the pedals to the board and should have enough channels left to make all of those independent. Having common channels is a remainder of it being connected to the DFGT before. Right now I'm simply lacking material to change it (and don't feel like ordering wires from somewhere when I can just pop into Conrad once they are able to open again).