M2 Mini USB A port issue?

[InuNacho]

I just got a base M2 Mini to burn into the ground doing video encoding in my art studio/small business. I was doing a BlackMagic disk check on an M.2+enclosure and saw the drive disconnect itself and then kernel panic. I did it again and it resulted in the same thing.
I'm curious whats causing this problem. The enclosure is bus powered and has never had any issues being stressed through CrystalDiskMark on my Windows PC using its C port.

Drive is formatted to eXFat as I will be using it to transfer large files quickly between computers and taking home to work on there.

What is the wattage on the USB A ports on the Mini? Should I just use one of the Thunderbolt ports for this?

 

[Fishrrman]

It could be the enclosure -- a conflict between the enclosure's controller/circuitry and the Mini.

Does the drive "work" otherwise? (i.e., NOT USING blackmagic)

Do you have a DIFFERENT enclosure you could put the internal SSD into?

 

[InuNacho]

It works but I am using this disk for big reads and writes so I wouldn't want it to just up and fail on me.
I'll get a 4k HDMI cable and try using the Thunderbolt/C port today and see if that helps or makes a difference.

 

[InuNacho]

Just thought I'd update this thread since I tried it over the the USB C/Thunderbolt port, same issue. I believe the issue is that a big read/write draws too much power and forces an eject and KP as I don't have any issues with my wall powered SSDs.
I will look at a USB 3 Gen 2 powered hub and report back.

 

[gusping]

Just thought I'd update this thread since I tried it over the the USB C/Thunderbolt port, same issue. I believe the issue is that a big read/write draws too much power and forces an eject and KP as I don't have any issues with my wall powered SSDs.
I will look at a USB 3 Gen 2 powered hub and report back.

Wow. I hope this isn't true. More Mac mini issues.... They don't seem to be ending at this point.

 

[gazwas]

Wow. I hope this isn't true. More Mac mini issues.... They don't seem to be ending at this point.

What issues mine is rock solid…. This is most likely to do with the enclosure/choice of SSD than the Mini.

No problems on my M2 Pro with big file transfers using external LaCie and Sandisk SSD’s and HDD’s. Just yesterday transferred 456GB of video footage between several drives without issue.

 

[InuNacho]

What issues mine is rock solid…. This is most likely to do with the enclosure/choice of SSD than the Mini.

No problems on my M2 Pro with big file transfers using external LaCie and Sandisk SSD’s and HDD’s. Just yesterday transferred 456GB of video footage between several drives without issue.

I suspect it is the Mini's low amperage coming from the USB ports.
My Dell workstation and Microsoft SurfaceBook 2 have no issue interfacing with this SSD and enclosure.

 

[gazwas]

What enclosure and ssd are you using?

 

[InuNacho]

What enclosure and ssd are you using?

A 500GB WD Blue in a Vantec enclosure. Works solid on everything but the Mini's built in ports.
Just tried it off my Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Dock hooked up to my Mini, no problems. It is indeed the Mini's lackluster USB ports.

 

[Fishrrman]

Change the enclosure and/or cable.

 

[InuNacho]

Again has nothing to do with the enclosure or cabling, it is entirely based off the fact that the Mini only outputs 900ma from it's USB A ports which is pretty low by modern standards.

 

[gusping]

Again has nothing to do with the enclosure or cabling, it is entirely based off the fact that the Mini only outputs 900ma from it's USB A ports which is pretty low by modern standards.

Not a surprise is it. Many issues are caused by Apple doing things differently, for better or worse.

 

[gazwas]

What ever the reason, I’m positive a change of enclosure would probably fix this.

I guess its one of the pitfalls of mix and matching rather than buying tested off the shelf drives.

Never had any issues with my Lacie and Sandisk buss powered drives but have in the post on previous Mac’s when I built my own. One reason why I don’t bother any more.

 

[InuNacho]

What ever the reason, I’m positive a change of enclosure would probably fix this.

I guess its one of the pitfalls of mix and matching rather than buying tested off the shelf drives.

Never had any issues with my Lacie and Sandisk buss powered drives but have in the post on previous Mac’s when I built my own. One reason why I don’t bother any more.

I doubt it. It looks like this drive's max power draw is 904ma just with the drive itself excluding the enclosure. The Mini only outputs 900ma for its ports.
I've worked with different manufacturer's Mini PCs when I used to work in ITAD and all of them had at least one "charging" USB port. If they didn't have just one they were all higher output.
I first noticed Lenovo Mini PCs having the yellow charging USB port almost a decade ago.

The Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Dock (40AC) I use to make this work outputs 2A.

The Mac Mini is a desktop, give it some higher output USB ports.

 

[gazwas]

The Mac Mini is a desktop, give it some higher output USB ports.

Don’t disagree but its been this way for a very long time on Mac and pretty sure since they dropped firewire. I can remember having to buy powered repeaters when tethering cameras to my Mac’s

An abundance of drives work perfectly well so there are choices out there. I suppose one of those Mac ownership things that long time users don’t really think about or know how to mitigate.

 

[DaveFlash]

I've discovered another issue with USB on mine: ever since the last 2 or 3 updates of Ventura maybe even including the latest version 13.4, to which I've not updated to as of yet, but USB 1.1 devices are behaving oddly, such as midi devices like pads who do not respond to a software playing state and should normally have a pad or button light up it's 'on state' which highlights the effects and/or loops in-use, but don't on my Mac Mini right now, when it previously did work alright. Or like older usb based storage devices which still use USB 1.1, which are now having intermittent problems with things like file transfers in either direction. So a lot of minor headaches. (Note: These issues present themselves on both the Mini's USB-A and all USB-C ports and when devices are connected through a third party dock/hub, pure Thunderbolt 3/4 as well as USB4 devices seem unaffected)

Also, when using docks/hubs, sometimes all devices connected will be suddenly operating in USB 2.0 mode when half of those should be connected in USB 3 mode at 5 or 10 Gbps. (Note: this only appears to happen on said docks/hubs USB-A ports, Thunderbolt USB-C ports so far seem unaffected)