USB device doesn't appear on Mac

General discussion of using Roboclaw motor controllers
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Basicmicro Support
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Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2015 9:45 pm
Re: USB device doesn't appear on Mac

Post by Basicmicro Support »

There are alot of potential differences in the descriptors for a USB CDC device. My guess is there is some difference between the Pololu descriptor and the Roboclaw one. The fact that the board works on some Linux computers and not your embeded one means there it probably has somethign to do with the version of the kernel or drivers installed. Since those are all up for grabs there isnt much we can do directly. You need to dig into what if any errors are being logged when you blug the Roboclaw into the one lInux computer.

As for the Mac, we currently have a Mac Mini we use for testing. I will have to check what OS version it is currently running. We arent Mac people in day to day use so Im not actually sure what the latest OSx release is. its possible your problem is related to an update made, or if your OSx is out of date that could be contributing to the problem.

However I will say that CDC devices are pretty simple. It basically all comes down to the USB descriptor. There should be logs on the MAC(just like on the Linux box) that can shed more light on your problem.
gnordin
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Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2019 6:15 pm
Re: USB device doesn't appear on Mac

Post by gnordin »

I have a Roboclaw 2x15A and cannot see it when I plug it into my mac laptop (Summer 2018 laptop, Mac OS 10.13.6). I only have a USB cable attached through a USB-A to USB-C adapter. There are no other connections or power to the Roboclaw.

When I execute "ls /dev/tty.*" from the Terminal command line the Roboclaw is not present. I should also mention that both status LEDs on the board are green and the error LED is red. All of the LEDs are on continuously, with no blinking, even when I first plug the Roboclaw into the laptop USB port.

I saw the following quote in this thread, but I don't know what it means. Is there a separate power connection on the board for the logic (non-motor) electronics? Or does this mean that motor power must be provided before the Roboclaw can be seen over USB? I suspect I am missing something pretty basic. Any help you can give would be much appreciated.
Yes. I've said it before so I didnt remember if I had said it in this thread. USB will NOT power the Roboclaw. You must provide power externally when conencting to the USB port.
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Basicmicro Support
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Re: USB device doesn't appear on Mac

Post by Basicmicro Support »

Please dont highjack unrelated threads. Espectially 2 year old unrelated threads.

Roboclaw can be powered from the main power terminals or you can also power the logic from the LB+- pins. USB will NOT power the board. There is a small amount parasitic power through the USB(no more than 1ma) which will NOT power the board but may cause the LEDs to turn on slightly.

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