My Arty S7 board has killed three USB 3.0 ports on my Microsoft Surface Studio 2 computer.

Yesterday while loading a new bitstream to the Arty S7 50 rev. B the board turned off. At first I thought it was the board, I powered it via USB with a power bank and the board worked. So I tried all three USB 3.0 ports on the computer, a Microsoft Surface Studio 2, with a USB mouse and all three ports were dead.

I have no idea what happened as it is something I have been doing without problems for the last two months, I had not added any new connections either. It only occurs to me that there has been a short circuit in a PMOD connector from which I use the two 3V3 ports for logic voltage for the encoders (VCCENC) and the pull-up voltage for the open-drain encoder outputs (VPU). Also yesterday it was 43ºC, 109F, in my city and I don't have air conditioning at home, I don't know if that could have influenced.

I'm not having good luck with the Arty S7 board. First, when it arrived, on the first day the voltage regulator on the board burned out, maybe due to some faulty component. See thread under Arty S7 rev B vs Arty S7 rev E? Somewhat confused.

And now my computer is damaged, at least the computer still has two other USB ports, one USB-C and another USB-A and with an externally powered USB hub I think I'll be able to get by.

It's a bittersweet feeling, on the one hand I'm learning a lot and enjoying the Arty S7 board and on the other I'm suffering I think it's due to a bad design of the board or my computer, I don't understand how loading a firmware can damage a USB controller, something escapes me. Surely there is some explanation of something that I have done wrong, a layer 8 error, but it is beyond me.

The computer was a prize from element14 for the Sensing the World Challenge and for that alone it has great sentimental value to me. I don't know if it's worth trying to fix this problem or the remedy will be worse than the disease.

I wish I had worked with a self-powered external USB hub.

*SOLVED 2023-01-02*

After a firmware update of the Microsoft Surface Studio 2 for windows 11 the USB 3.0 ports have come back to life.

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neuromodulator over 3 years ago

Are you using external power?
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Andrew J over 3 years ago

Bummer - is there a schematic to see if there is on-board protection to prevent that? The USB ports may have their own internal protection and turning off, and unplugging, the computer will reset them if so. Although I have to say, the fact that you lost three of them at the same time doesn’t look good I’m afraid.

one thing that really hacks me off these days is the irrepairability of laptops. When the battery in my 2016 MacBook needed replacing, this “User Consumable Part” required 10 days at Apple and a new bottom case, trackpad and keyboard to do so!
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javagoza over 3 years ago in reply to neuromodulator

No, I can't use external power because the voltage regulator burned out the first day, the first time I tried to power the board with an external power supply that met all the requirements.
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javagoza over 3 years ago in reply to Andrew J

This is the schematics of my board

https://digilent.com/reference/_media/reference/programmable-logic/arty-s7/arty_s7_sch-rev_b.pdf

The AD2384 regulator is burned from the first day. USB is J10 connector
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saadtiwana_int over 3 years ago

Sorry to hear about what happened.

One thing to try, if you haven't already. Completely Shut down the laptop and start again and try the USB ports again using your external mouse, perhaps. I have had my computer shutting down ports when it detected certain conditions (voltage spikes, shorts) on the USB ports. They stayed shut in that condition until I restarted the machine. Worth trying out, if not tried already.
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javagoza over 3 years ago in reply to saadtiwana_int

Thanks for the advice. I completely unplugged the computer and left it unplugged for 15 minutes, but the USB ports didn't work again after that. I suspect that some intensity peak at that temperature did not please the board. What I have not tried is to see from the bios if there is any test for the USB ports. I have to review it. Thanks again.
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redcharly over 3 years ago

Maybe the first day damage caused this problem... It would be interesting to measure current drained from the USB port.

I'm really sorry, also because you were writing a lot of very interesting blogs about your Arty S7.

Hope you can solve your pc problem!!
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Andrew J over 3 years ago in reply to javagoza

I can only find a reference to J10 as a V_P (voltage positive??) into IC1A CONFIG and underneath as XADC_. That PDF is badly constructed though so searching it doesn't work properly. There doesn't look like there is any particular protection across that part of the circuit. I wonder if more than the ADP2384 got burned or damaged.

I realise it's a little more difficult to completely remove power from a laptop unless the battery is removable. Which on a Surface Pro I suspect isn't. They may be self-resetting or have some OS / BIOS mechanism. It would be worth posting on a question on a Surface Pro forum for advice.
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saadtiwana_int over 3 years ago in reply to Andrew J

For most laptops, holding the power button down for ~10 seconds or so will trigger a hard-shutdown. Worty trying for this one too.
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javagoza over 3 years ago in reply to Andrew J

Thanks again. It is not a Surface Pro but a Surface Studio 2

Element14 gives a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious awards.
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