Fixed FM3-Edit failing to reconnect after computer sleeps

Greg Ferguson

Greg Ferguson

Legend!
I'm on an iMac Pro running Big Sur 11.0.1, FM-3 Edit 1.02.00, and FW 2.00 - beta 1, and an FC-6.

When the iMac voluntarily sleeps for an hour or more (maybe less even), FM-3 Edit is no longer communicating with the FM-3. The interface is alive, but it won't tell the FM-3 to do anything like change the preset, the scene or select a block even though I've done that in Edit. The FM-3 switches respond (using OMG9) so the FM-3 is OK, it just appears to be the communication is down.

Quitting FM-3 Edit and restarting it reestablishes the connection, reloads the current state of the FM-3.

This has happened multiple times, each time I noticed it the computer had gone to sleep because of no activity on my part. I'm trying to be able to force it to reoccur but haven't been able to yet. Forcing sleep didn't do it, but possibly forcing it and waiting 10+ minutes might.

The Energy Saver settings are the default:Screen Shot 2020-11-30 at 2.55.42 PM.pngLet me know what else would be useful.
 
Here's a little more information:

It just happened again, after the computer had gone to sleep for about 1.5 hours while FM3-Edit was running, connected to the FM-3. Switching context back to FM3-Edit I tried to switch scenes, but it didn't change in Edit. I opened the "Show available devices" window, and nothing was visible.

When I closed the window, FM3-Edit scanned for devices, found the unit, and reloaded the state, and was then able to swap scenes.

The next time this happens I'm going to tell Edit to "Pause communications" then to restart them to see if that helps.
 
Happened again.

The barber-pole was spinning and it said "Please wait... Communicating". Eventually it timed out and popped up an alert saying:

Communication time-out:
unable to complete the following communication request: Query device version : query_sys_info

I paused communication and told it to resume, and got the barber-pole and the "Please wait... Communicating" message, which timed out again and posted the same alert.

Scanning for available devices presented a blank list but the progress bar is at 6%. Clicking "Scan" didn't seem to do anything. Clicking "Connect" popped up another alert twice saying I needed to select a device, though the list was still blank. Clicking "Cancel" started the "Please wait... Communicating" progress bar again, and, based on the previous results and the fact it's still spinning, I think it's going to fail. Again... and, yep, there is the alert.

I quit FM3-Edit, restarted it, and it's at the barber-pole... and now I have the same alert saying it can't communicate... I disconnected the USB from the FM3 and plugged it back in and Edit started scanning and failed again. I left FM3-Edit running, powered off the FM3, powered it back on, after a few seconds Edit scanned, found the FM3 and I'm able to get Edit to change scenes as it controls the unit.

During the period when Edit wasn't communicating with the FM3, I ran System Info for the Mac, which showed the FM3 was visible on the USB bus, though the FM3 wouldn't respond:

FM3:
Product ID: 0x8011
Vendor ID: 0x2466
Version: 1.00
Speed: Up to 480 Mb/s
Manufacturer: Fractal Audio Systems
Location ID: 0x14330000 / 38
Current Available (mA): 500
Current Required (mA): 0
Extra Operating Current (mA): 0

This concerns me because so far it's pointing at the FM3 with the beta still has problems with USB. I'm going to toggle the "Put hard disks to sleep when possible" setting in the Energy Manager to see if that makes a difference on the hypothesis that the Mac might think the FM3 is a drive.

My FX3 is on the same USB hub, and I haven't seen this problem with it, but will watch to see if it occurs with it too.
 
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And it happened again.

Both the FM3 and the FX3 are connected and running, with their respective Edit apps.

Only the FM3 lost connectivity.

I grabbed and attached the Sys Info file.
 

Attachments

  • iMac Pro.zip
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I installed 2.0, rebooted the FM3, it shows it's on 2.0. The problem still exists. Telling Edit 1.02.00 to scan for available devices worked this time, but it remains to be seen if that is a work-around.
 
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sskkmm said:
It's been a problem for some time with MacOS unfortunately. Simple fix is just un plug and re-plug the usb.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/TS3169
Click to expand...
In my experience that rarely fixes it. Sometimes rescanning fixes it. Restarting FM3-Edit sometimes works. Often I have to reboot the FM3. I don't have this problem with the FX3 which is attached to the same USB hub.

I've had the FM3 problem happen when attached directly to the computer, so the Apple page isn't of much use. Thanks though.
 
Did it again, after leaving the FM3 connected to Edit and running. I had the communication timeout alert. Telling Edit to show me the available devices started the scan of the USB but it hasn't found the FM3 after a couple minutes. I quit Edit and restarted it, which started the scan for devices again, but still hasn't found the FM3... and just got the communication timeout alert. I unplugged the USB and plugged it back in. Edit started a scan and presented the same alert. I cycled the power on the FM3 and Edit saw it.

The AF3 was also connected to its Edit, and was alive and well, as always.

I'd previously swapped the USB cables between the two and the problem followed the FM3. This is a hardware issue in the FM3.
 
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It really seems that the FM3 has different usb chip and has some problems. The thing is, I have no such problems on my macbook 16 with big sur installed. Do you have one of the early models? Mine just came in a few weeks ago and it's absolutely fine.
 
milan.pohancenik said:
It really seems that the FM3 has different usb chip and has some problems. The thing is, I have no such problems on my macbook 16 with big sur installed. Do you have one of the early models? Mine just came in a few weeks ago and it's absolutely fine.
Click to expand...
I have a headphone model. That, and the non-headphone model are the only two I'm aware of, and, from the comments FA made early on, the only difference was the addition of the missing headphone circuitry.

I received mine in late August or early September.
 
I am having the same issues, but when the Mac goes to sleep with FM3-Edit open it locks up the unit. Closing/Opening FM3 Edit seems to do nothing and I am rebooting the FM3.

It is both frustrating and disappointing.
 
Seems like there is quite a lot of USB issues with FM3 early models? I can only say, that the new HP one that I received a few weeks ago works just absolutely fine. I hope it stays like this.
 
milan.pohancenik said:
Seems like there is quite a lot of USB issues with FM3 early models? I can only say, that the new HP one that I received a few weeks ago works just absolutely fine. I hope it stays like this.
Click to expand...
Don't try to differentiate by "early" or "late" models. There are only supposed to be head-phone and non-headphone models, with the headphone models being the current and predominate units. If you have a headphone model, you have the same thing as every other headphone model. A non-headphone model has the same USB chip as the headphone model.
 
Turn off energy saving for any audio/video production system. When you are leaving your computer, close applications and manually select to sleep or shut down. Those settings are for general consumer use and laptops, especially at the default.
 
ksandin said:
Turn off energy saving for any audio/video production system. When you are leaving your computer, close applications and manually select to sleep or shut down. Those settings are for general consumer use and laptops, especially at the default.
Click to expand...

I experimented with that, however it didn't help or fix the problem. I manually force sleep sometimes, especially when I'm done for the night, and FM3-Edit couldn't find the FM3 after the Mac woke, whether the app had been running or was freshly started. The only consistent solution was to power-down then restart the FM3.

After much experimentation, I've finally got the iMac Pro handling both the FM3 and FX3, sleeping and waking and reconnecting as it should. It took a lot of testing and moving wires.

The FX3 is on a powered USB hub that is connected to one of the USB-C ports, and the FM3 is on a USB-A port on the back of the iMac. Only "Wake for network access" and "Enable Power Nap" are enabled in the Energy Saver prefs.

The added benefit is that my external drives seem to be waking reliably also.

The question still exists why the two units can't both be on USB-A or USB-C, but I backed away slowly and might pick up that challenge later.
 
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Greg Ferguson said:
I experimented with that, however it didn't help or fix the problem. I manually force sleep sometimes, especially when I'm done for the night, and FM3-Edit couldn't find the FM3 after the Mac woke, whether the app had been running or was freshly started. The only consistent solution was to power-down then restart the FM3.

After much experimentation, I've finally got the iMac Pro handling both the FM3 and FX3, sleeping and waking and reconnecting as it should. It took a lot of testing and moving wires.

The FX3 is on a powered USB hub that is connected to one of the USB-C ports, and the FM3 is on a USB-A port on the back of the iMac. Only "Wake for network access" and "Enable Power Nap" are enabled in the Energy Saver prefs.

The added benefit is that my external drives seem to be waking reliably also.

The question still exists why the two units can't both be on USB-A or USB-C, but I backed away slowly and might pick up that challenge later.
Click to expand...

Yes good to hear.

FM3 Edit gets quite sluggish on me after running it a while, GUI doesn't update for several seconds. So I reboot and take a break. ;)
 
ksandin said:
FM3 Edit gets quite sluggish on me after running it a while, GUI doesn't update for several seconds. So I reboot and take a break. ;)
Click to expand...
That could be Edit trying to reestablish communication with the FM3. It searches for the device and can't find it and eventually times out and pops up an alert.

Is the barber-pole displaying at the bottom of the Edit window? That was one of the primary indications of the problem I was seeing. After moving my USB around my FM3 and Edit never lose communication, even after days of leaving them on, where previously it'd get lost every time the computer went to sleep.
 
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