Mac is causing many unsafe shutdowns to OWC express 1m2

[zelaxx]

I've been having the same problem with my new Mac Mini M4 and OWC Express 1M2.

I had over a dozen kernel panics before I realised it was the 1M2 causing the problem:

/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/panic-etc...
> panic(cpu 4 caller 0xfffffe003d0656b8): busy timeout[0], (60s): 'pci1c5c,174a' (a,4020001) @IOService.cpp:5829

Since then, the partition doesn't seem to get recognised when I plug it into the TB4 port. The device shows up under Thunderbolt/USB4 in system information app, but it does not show the partitions, and nothing is mounted in macos.

When I instead plug it into one of the USB-C ports (non-USB4/non-TB4), the drive is recognised fine.

I wonder if the ASM2464 is broken for USB4 connectivity... Unfortunately I don't have another USB4 drive or USB4/TB4 computer to test the 1M2 with.

Does anyone else have the same problem? i.e. doesn't work when connected via TB4/USB4 to macos, but does with plain USB-C?

 

[herbert7265]

@zelaxx

I wonder if the ASM2464 is broken for USB4 connectivity... Unfortunately I don't have another USB4 drive or USB4/TB4 computer to test the 1M2 with.

Does anyone else have the same problem? i.e. doesn't work when connected via TB4/USB4 to macos, but does with plain USB-C?

Okay, my problem was totally different (slow data transfer speed of the 1M2), but maybe it's worth to check one or two things in your case.

Do you have a Windows computer available, or a friend who has a Windows computer?

If so, you may want to check the firmware version of your 1M2 controller, potentially update it, and maybe play around with the configuration to see if there is a change in the behavior of your 1M2 connected to your Mac Mini M4.

I simply attach to this post the little "manual" which I made concerning my problem (hopefully that is allowed). The manual contains the link to the 1M2 controller firmware version I used and the necessary explanations how to check and update the firmware and modify the configuration of the controller.

REMARK: There is now an even more actual firmware available (Asmedia ASM2464 NVME/USB 4.x Controller Firmware Version 250717_85_00_00), just go from the link in my manual to the newest firmware version and download that package. The process itself should still be the same.

The only little problem in all this: The app for the firmware updates and configuration settings is (still) Windows only! It does not work in a virtual machine on Mac!

Again, I may be wrong, but the 1M2 is a USB4 device, not TB4, and in my case it was the U4 Mode setting in the 1M2 controller that solved the problem (not recognized as a USB4 device when connected via CalDigit TS4 dock, only when directly connected to a Mac Book Pro M2 Max).

Any more questions just let me know.

Herbert

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I've got the same enclosure and SSD combination so will try it. I haven't had issues as it's being used as a DAS for TM, which after completion I eject immediately. Next time I'll let the MBP sleep whilst still mounted.

 

[TimC00ked]

I've been having the same problem with my new Mac Mini M4 and OWC Express 1M2.

I had over a dozen kernel panics before I realised it was the 1M2 causing the problem:

/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/panic-etc...
> panic(cpu 4 caller 0xfffffe003d0656b8): busy timeout[0], (60s): 'pci1c5c,174a' (a,4020001) @IOService.cpp:5829

Since then, the partition doesn't seem to get recognised when I plug it into the TB4 port. The device shows up under Thunderbolt/USB4 in system information app, but it does not show the partitions, and nothing is mounted in macos.

When I instead plug it into one of the USB-C ports (non-USB4/non-TB4), the drive is recognised fine.

I wonder if the ASM2464 is broken for USB4 connectivity... Unfortunately I don't have another USB4 drive or USB4/TB4 computer to test the 1M2 with.

Does anyone else have the same problem? i.e. doesn't work when connected via TB4/USB4 to macos, but does with plain USB-C?

This doesn't seem to be the same problem. I don't have panic reports and my enclosure is recognized when connected to TB4.

 

[zelaxx]

@zelaxx

Okay, my problem was totally different (slow data transfer speed of the 1M2), but maybe it's worth to check one or two things in your case.

Do you have a Windows computer available, or a friend who has a Windows computer?

If so, you may want to check the firmware version of your 1M2 controller, potentially update it, and maybe play around with the configuration to see if there is a change in the behavior of your 1M2 connected to your Mac Mini M4.

I simply attach to this post the little "manual" which I made concerning my problem (hopefully that is allowed). The manual contains the link to the 1M2 controller firmware version I used and the necessary explanations how to check and update the firmware and modify the configuration of the controller.

REMARK: There is now an even more actual firmware available (Asmedia ASM2464 NVME/USB 4.x Controller Firmware Version 250717_85_00_00), just go from the link in my manual to the newest firmware version and download that package. The process itself should still be the same.

The only little problem in all this: The app for the firmware updates and configuration settings is (still) Windows only! It does not work in a virtual machine on Mac!

Again, I may be wrong, but the 1M2 is a USB4 device, not TB4, and in my case it was the U4 Mode setting in the 1M2 controller that solved the problem (not recognized as a USB4 device when connected via CalDigit TS4 dock, only when directly connected to a Mac Book Pro M2 Max).

Any more questions just let me know.

Herbert

Thanks I took a look.

Do you have the stock ini that OWC uses? If I flash the firmware it will overwrite the serial number (easily fixed), vendor and device IDs, etc.

Edit: found it in the PDF. Ultimately updating the firmware and changing the USB4 mode didnt help. Will have to find another USB4 computer to test this on.

 

[herbert7265]

Edit: found it in the PDF. Ultimately updating the firmware and changing the USB4 mode didnt help. Will have to find another USB4 computer to test this on.

Sorry to read that this potential solution didn't solve your problem, despite it was a long shot from the beginning.

Nevertheless it is quite interesting reading about different problems of the 1M2 in combination with different computers and equipment. While a really nice and fast enclosure when it works it seems to have its quirks, something I didn't face for example with an Acasis enclosure, despite it being a little slower.

Herbert

 

[DaveEcc]

Not sure if this is a separate long-standing Mac issue, or part of the same thing... Does this occur on every shutdown, or only sometimes. If it's only sometimes, perhaps what I've noticed is the cause.

I have my photos on an external T7 Shield. Occasionally, after processing some photos I'll AirDrop them to my wife via the share button in Finder. If I do this, I can't eject the drive. AirDrop keeps an open handle to something on the disk, and the OS isn't smart enough to relinquish that handle on an eject request. I can choose to Force Eject it, and it's fine.

 

[rumorguy]

OWC sells complete external drives, I have an OWC Envoy with an M1 iMac. Works great. OWC has occasional sales.

 

[OWC_TAL]

I've been having the same problem with my new Mac Mini M4 and OWC Express 1M2.

I had over a dozen kernel panics before I realised it was the 1M2 causing the problem:

/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/panic-etc...
> panic(cpu 4 caller 0xfffffe003d0656b8): busy timeout[0], (60s): 'pci1c5c,174a' (a,4020001) @IOService.cpp:5829

Since then, the partition doesn't seem to get recognised when I plug it into the TB4 port. The device shows up under Thunderbolt/USB4 in system information app, but it does not show the partitions, and nothing is mounted in macos.

When I instead plug it into one of the USB-C ports (non-USB4/non-TB4), the drive is recognised fine.

I wonder if the ASM2464 is broken for USB4 connectivity... Unfortunately I don't have another USB4 drive or USB4/TB4 computer to test the 1M2 with.

Does anyone else have the same problem? i.e. doesn't work when connected via TB4/USB4 to macos, but does with plain USB-C?

Sounds like you have a faulty unit. Please contact our support so we can make it right!