MP 1,1-5,1 No more BT

[UKenGB]

I have a Mac Pro 4,1, upgraded to 5,1 and with a Saphire RX 580 card ran Mojave for some years without issue. I later replaced the original BT and WiFi cards with a newer combined one (BCM94360CS) from a MacBook Pro and had Handoff, Watch unlock etc working fine.

Finally decided to use OCLP to update to Monterey and put all that on a 500 GB NVMe stick on a Lycom PCIe card. Everything worked.

Recently decided to replace the 500 GB NVMe with a 1 TB. This was a Sabrent M.2 stick (recommended as fully working in Macs) and also swapped out the Lycom PCIe for a Sabrent one, so I would have a complete spare NVMe/PCIe solution.

Used OCLP 2.4.1 to orchestrate a fresh install of Monterey 12.7.4 (latest installer available) on the new 1 TB NVMe drive, followed by a migration from the old NVMe to copy the users.

Taken a while, but all up and running with Apple USB keyboard and mouse. However tried to connect a BT Magic Mouse and realised there is NO BT. Cannot switch it on and System Information/Hardware/Bluetooth just comes up blank. Literally. Spinning progress wheel but just blank.

Where's Bluetooth gone?

It occurs to me that maybe some drivers/kexts were previously required to enable this BT/WiFi module, but OCLP doesn't know this as it just builds for a Mac 5,1. Or is that just a fanciful memory and I had to do no such thing. I cannot now remember. 🤬

I checked OCLP's root patches but it says nothing is required.

So I'm a bit stumped as to why I have no BT when previously this Mac, ran Monterey via OCLP with no such lack. The only changes are a larger NVMe on a different PCIe card and OS version is now 12.7.4 instead of 12.6.? There's nothing that jumps out as causing this issue, unless I have missed some driver and/or kext.

Anyone any clues abut this?

 

[reader50]

Apple rebuilt the BT stack for Monterey, which has caused problems for 3rd party BT dongles on anything after Big Sur. The last time I tried to get a BT 4 dongle to work, it worked perfectly up to Big Sur, and did squat in Monterey or later. In this case, the default BT card still worked fine, the problem was inability to switch to a BT dongle.

For your problem, I suggest reinstalling the factory BT module, then reinstall OCLP to pick up the hardware change. Followed by redoing root patches. Then swap the factory BT module for your upgrade.

 

[UKenGB]

Except it's not a dongle I'm using. Or anything third party. It's an Apple BT/WiFi card, just not one originally supplied in a Mac Pro 5,1.

Also, this Mac ran absolutely perfectly with this exact card - for years.

Just rebooted (5 times with OCPR to clear NVRAM) and although System Information is showing the hardware, I cannot turn it on.

 

[reader50]

If your system is finally seeing the card, does OCLP offer any new root patches?

 

[tsialex]

Apple deprecated and started removing support for the ancient MacPro5,1 OHCI USB controllers since Big Sur, each subsequent release is worse for anything that is connected via USB.

If you install a USB 2.0 hub (EHCI) between the D+ and D- of the BT card and the USB connection on the backplane you'll overcome the missing OHCI support, since EHCI is still supported.

 

[UKenGB]

If your system is finally seeing the card, does OCLP offer any new root patches?

After sleeping overnight (I mean the Mac ), System information no longer sees the hardware. I'll try rebooting.

 

[UKenGB]

Apple deprecated and started removing support for the ancient MacPro5,1 OHCI USB controllers since Big Sur, each subsequent release is worse for anything that is connected via USB.

If you install a USB 2.0 hub (EHCI) between the D+ and D- of the BT card and the USB connection on the backplane you'll overcome the missing OHCI support, since EHCI is still supported.

So, to clarify, originally there were OHCI and EHCI drivers to provide USB 1 and USB 2 compatibility, but OHCI is steadily being dropped. Is the BCM94360CS OHCI only?

Thing is though @tsialex, I ran this same Mac Pro and Monterey (albeit 12.6, now 12.7 and with smaller NVMe on different PCIe card) for years and no such problem with the BT/WiFi card. I somehow doubt the NVMe change is connected, but have drivers been removed between 12.6 and 12.7? Seems unlikely, but possible I guess. It's Apple.

Truth is, I have no need of WiFi. Is there a later BT only card I could use instead?

 

[UKenGB]

There is another difference I realise. I originally used OCLP 0.6.1 whereas now for the larger NVMe I'm using OCLP 2.4.1. So it is possible OCLP is now creating/allowing this problem.

 

[UKenGB]

Aha! The problem is OCLP 2.4.1. No idea exactly what though.

With the new NVMe drive still in place, I put the old stick (Monterey 12.6.?) in a USB case and connected to the Mac Pro. Tried to see differences in EFi setup, but not obvious to me.

However, in one of the MP's built-in USB front ports, the old drive then shows up as a boot device, so I restarted and held the Option key.

The boot menu shows 2 indistinguishable EFi boot options. I picked the one next to old drive and booted from that. Disappointingly it actually booted into 12.7.4, so from the new drive. However, an OCLP message then announced it was using an old version and a newer one is available, so it had actually booted from the old drive's OCLP EFI, but loaded the OS from the new drive. I guess the EFI config points to an internal NVMe drive. But…

The importance of this is that Bluetooth is working perfectly.

So same OS, same hardware but different OCLP version means BT working or not.

At least I now know where the problem lies, but what has OCLP 2.4.1 got wrong and who can I ask?

 

[UKenGB]

I downgraded to 2.3.2 and BT is working. 😆

So 2.4.1 (probably 2.4.0) has broken something.

I'd file a bug report on github, but not allowed which seems a daft restriction. How do they expect to find out about problems.

 

[kkinto]

I downgraded to 2.3.2 and BT is working. 😆

So 2.4.1 (probably 2.4.0) has broken something.

I'd file a bug report on github, but not allowed which seems a daft restriction. How do they expect to find out about problems.

Are you running Monterey here? I am on Sequoia so I can run FCPX latest version. My apple magic mouse was also working perfectly (except as per below) and then at some point (not sure anymore what that point was but pretty sure it was the 2.4.0 upgrade that killed it) I lost the bluetooth.

I also suspect OCLP as it was often problematic before that (had to manually remove a kext shown in this video:

) but after an upgrade it stopped again and when I went to remove that kext again it wasnt there (as per the video), but still no bluetooth mouse. The BT switch works but nothing ever found. Wifi works perfectly so the card is def working.

Haven't found a fix, but I too suspect OCLP has done something - I am also not sure what and how to found out. The discord chat group is useless - never get a response. All avenues even here on MR exhausted so I gave up and I am back on a wired mouse! Unfortunately OCLP decides on stuff automatically and under the hood so its hard to figure out wtf it did that kabooshed the mouse. Tried various configs but to no avail and much much time trying to get out of sticky boot failure situations due to the config changes.
Also I know OCLP used to work with it!

@tsialex's suggestion to insert a hub may work is too daunting for me to even consider! Also he says my particular replacement card (BCM94360CDP should not have P at end) is problematic.

I cant get a new one (two attempts at overseas orders just disappeared en route so I'm not going to try another). But it used to work perfectly even on Sequoia - only change was OCLP updates! Thats whats so frikkin frustrating.

At present my BT info seems to identify Macs/Phones/Ipads but no mice/keyboards. Also it wont connect to phone or ipd - nothing shows in the My Devices or Nearby Devices window. Not sure what Chipset: BCM_20703A1 means but maybe OCLP is misinterpreting/misidentifying my card?

Bluetooth Controller:
Address: 28:F0:76:0A:54:23
State: On
Chipset: BCM_20703A1
Discoverable: Off
Firmware Version: v169 c4825
Supported Devices: 0x392039 < HFP AVRCP A2DP HID Braille LEA AACP GATT SerialPort >
Transport: USB
Vendor ID: 0x004C (Apple)
Not Connected:
macmini:
Address: 58:B0:35:83:C71
iPadPro:
Address: 4C:56:9D:2C:61:63
iPhoneXSMax:
Address: A49:31:21:6C:45

 

[UKenGB]

I am running Monterey on that cMP. Are you able to downgrade OCLP to 2.3.2 or will that not work for Sequoia?

It's definitely OCLP 2.4 that causes the problem. Even on Discord I eventually was answered that this problem is to be expected.

 

[kkinto]

I am running Monterey on that cMP. Are you able to downgrade OCLP to 2.3.2 or will that not work for Sequoia?

It's definitely OCLP 2.4 that causes the problem. Even on Discord I eventually was answered that this problem is to be expected.

It didn't fix it unfortunately. I tried by creating a new partition with Sequoia I could mess with but OCLP 2.3.2 did not change things. Unfortunately going back further was very problematic with Sequoia. I have just gotten used to it not working anymore. Mac Pro used to even share screen with ipad (took me a while to figure out where my cursor was disappearing to), did 'continuity' airdrop etc. but now will not connect to anything bluetooth.

 

[UKenGB]

It didn't fix it unfortunately. I tried by creating a new partition with Sequoia I could mess with but OCLP 2.3.2 did not change things. Unfortunately going back further was very problematic with Sequoia. I have just gotten used to it not working anymore. Mac Pro used to even share screen with ipad (took me a while to figure out where my cursor was disappearing to), did 'continuity' airdrop etc. but now will not connect to anything bluetooth.

Try it with Monterey. That is known to work (with 2.3.2). Anything later introduces problems that may or may not be surmountable.

Get back to something that works and then move forward one step at a time to see when it breaks. That should help identify the problem.