EagleTec USB Nano Flash Drive and #2 usb port issues

[ak]

Korg m3 does not recognize the EagleTec nano flash if I plug it in usb #2 (bottom). However, if I plug it in the USB #1 (top) then the KM3 recognizes the EagleTech drive.

I tried to format from the KM3 then I got this msg: "Error in reading from medium"

The size of the drive is 8gb. Anyone experienced similar problems?

[Rob Sherratt]

Yeah ...

http://www.korg.com/services/downloads/pdf/U3_FAQ.pdf

[ak]

how would I know if my egletech is u3?

[Rob Sherratt]

Hi AK,

I can't find anything about U3 on that drive either. There may be something in the timing characteristics of 8 GB file systems that the M3 objects to. That might explain different symptoms on the upper and lower ports. The M3 USB implementation is very picky about which USB drives it will talk to.

Try a smaller capacity drive, say a 2 GB or 4 GB.

Regards,
Rob

[ak]

Thanks Rob,

I was using 1gb stick and worked just fine. But as you said, it has to do with the KM3 accepting more than 4gb. The solution was very simple. I formatted the EgleTech nano by using the MAC OSX utility erase and so far the EgleTech nano is working just fine with the KM3.

[carlgoodhines]

...I never had any problems with my 8gb Sony microvault.

[jmexio]

I had the same sort of issues with a Kingston DataTraveler 120 8gb, and it is not because of U3 either.

Never managed to solve it, but I have not invested much time on the issue either...

I will probably get a 2gb one at some point, as small as possible, to leave on the M3 at all times. The Nano one was a fine option, but I guess I will just get something that I can buy locally in case it does not work.

[ak]

I have reformatted the 8gb usb using fat 32 on my pc. Everthing worked fine until I recorded a song using the built sampler of the KM3. Now, I turned off the KM3 then power it on again while the USB stick plugged in the USB PORT 2 (bottom).

The KM3 did not recognize it on port 2 but it did beofre powering off the KM3. However, the USB stick worked on the USB PORT1 (top). STRANGE!

I wonder if it has to do with the KM3 and the limitation of the size of the USB STICK to 2gb or 1gb. It will be nice to hear an answer from the Korg experts team.

[Rob Sherratt]

Hello AK,

I had problems both on my Pa2x and on my M3 every time I tried using any USB stick with a capacity greater than 4 Gb.

The technical standard for operation of USB memories and SD cards was recently updated to support capacities greater than 4 GB, but the change was not completely backwards compatible. In other words USb memory sticks containing more than 4 GB are not guaranteed to operate from USB1 and 1.1 ports, and I think they will operate unreliably on early implementations of USB2.0 ports.

I know for definite that the implementation of USB on both the Pa2x and the M3 does not handle the latest USB2 technical standard properly. For example, it does not handle the existence of hidden boot sectors on the USB media, such as U3 or StartDisk.

If you want a statement from Korg's design engineers about this, you might wait a very long time. Meanwhile if you use USB pen drives with less than 4 GB capacity and with no hidden boot partitions, then I don't think the problems you are experiencing will recur.

Regards,
Rob

[ak]

Can you exmlain to me this. Why does it work on PORT #1 and does not working on POR #2?

[Rob Sherratt]

Can you exmlain to me this. Why does it work on PORT #1 and does not working on POR #2?

One fact is that the timing specification for 8 GB pen drives is more stringent than the timing specification for 4 GB drives.

So one theory for what is happening is that the M3 USB ports are having difficulty keeping up with the controller on the 8GB pen drive. As it happens, Port 2 is slightly slower/ less responsive than Port 1 in your case, so the intermittent problems occur on Port 2 more often than they do with Port 1.

To test the above theory you could purchase a 4 GB USB pen drive from the same manufacturer. If the M3 works fine with a 4 GB drive but not an 8 GB drive from the same manufacturer, then it looks my explanation is correct.

Another explanation is that your M3 has an internal circuitry failure on USB port 2, and in which case you should return it to a Korg Repair center.

I know which theory I would test first!

[ak]

How would I know if USB PRT2 is malfunction?

[Sharp]

Sounds to me like this is one for KORG to look at. The M3 supports FAT 32 so this shouldn't be an issue.

You should send tech support an email.

Regards
Sharp

[ak]

I will do it tomorrow. It will not even allow me to format the 8gb usb stick.

[ak]

So one theory for what is happening is that the M3 USB ports are having difficulty keeping up with the controller on the 8GB pen drive. As it happens, Port 2 is slightly slower/ less responsive than Port 1 in your case, so the intermittent problems occur on Port 2 more often than they do with Port 1.

""TRUE"""""

To test the above theory you could purchase a 4 GB USB pen drive from the same manufacturer. If the M3 works fine with a 4 GB drive but not an 8 GB drive from the same manufacturer, then it looks my explanation is correct.

Another explanation is that your M3 has an internal circuitry failure on USB port 2, and in which case you should return it to a Korg Repair center.

NOT SURE YET!
I know which theory I would test first![/quote]