Studio Display with "Touchy" USB Ports

[bunnspecial]

I've been fighting for several months now with my 17" LCD Studio Display. It came with my first G5, and I was never able to get the USB ports to work with that computer(stock Geforce 5200). I gave up trying as I ended up using a 1080p LED monitor and upgrading the card to something without ADC(6800 Ultra).

I've cycled it through a couple of different G4s and graphics cards, and generally have had no luck with getting the USB ports to work. It's currently connected to my Quicksilver through a GeForce 4MX.

A few months back, I bought a 20" Cinema Display. The USB ports worked on it, but I ended up returning it due to pressure marks on the screen. Much to my surprise, when I reconnected the Studio Display, the USB ports then worked on it.

Somewhere along the way, I had to unplug the Studio Display and when I plugged it back in, the USB ports were again dead. Just on the off chance that it would work(but not really expecting anything) I downloaded the drivers for the 23" HD Cinema display off Apple's website, and all of a sudden the USB ports were alive again. I've left the display undisturbed since then out of fear of once again losing the ports.

I disconnected it yesterday to install the Geforce 4 Ti that I bought. Unfortunately, that card was dead, so I ended up replacing the GeForce 4MX.

I've now, once again, found myself without USB ports on the monitor.

I'll also add that when I lose the USB ports, the hub does not show up in System Profiler.

As I'm sure you all know, this a little more than just a simple annoyance as it is impossible to control the display brightness. For some strange reason, I've also not been able to successfully boot into OS 9 when an ADC display with dead USB ports was connected.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what could be wrong given the symptoms I've described, or at least for things to check or try?

 

[Altemose]

I've been fighting for several months now with my 17" LCD Studio Display. It came with my first G5, and I was never able to get the USB ports to work with that computer(stock Geforce 5200). I gave up trying as I ended up using a 1080p LED monitor and upgrading the card to something without ADC(6800 Ultra).

I've cycled it through a couple of different G4s and graphics cards, and generally have had no luck with getting the USB ports to work. It's currently connected to my Quicksilver through a GeForce 4MX.

A few months back, I bought a 20" Cinema Display. The USB ports worked on it, but I ended up returning it due to pressure marks on the screen. Much to my surprise, when I reconnected the Studio Display, the USB ports then worked on it.

Somewhere along the way, I had to unplug the Studio Display and when I plugged it back in, the USB ports were again dead. Just on the off chance that it would work(but not really expecting anything) I downloaded the drivers for the 23" HD Cinema display off Apple's website, and all of a sudden the USB ports were alive again. I've left the display undisturbed since then out of fear of once again losing the ports.

I disconnected it yesterday to install the Geforce 4 Ti that I bought. Unfortunately, that card was dead, so I ended up replacing the GeForce 4MX.

I've now, once again, found myself without USB ports on the monitor.

I'll also add that when I lose the USB ports, the hub does not show up in System Profiler.

As I'm sure you all know, this a little more than just a simple annoyance as it is impossible to control the display brightness. For some strange reason, I've also not been able to successfully boot into OS 9 when an ADC display with dead USB ports was connected.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what could be wrong given the symptoms I've described, or at least for things to check or try?

Sounds to me like a damaged ADC connector or cable. Look at the cable for bent pins. I can find a diagram of the pin out if you need it.

 

[weckart]

What do you mean it is impossible to control the screen brightness? What is showing up in SysPrefs under Displays? There should be a brightness slide control there.

 

[bunnspecial]

What do you mean it is impossible to control the screen brightness? What is showing up in SysPrefs under Displays? There should be a brightness slide control there.

As I understand it, the brightness control works via the USB ports.

When the USB ports quit working, there is not brightness slider under display preferences. It reappears when the USB ports are working. I've used the display with 10.3, 10.4, and 10.5 and it's the same way under all three. As I mentioned, the computer won't boot into OS 9 with non-functioning USB ports on the display, but the brightness slider is also there under OS 9 when the USB ports are working.

Sounds to me like a damaged ADC connector or cable. Look at the cable for bent pins. I can find a diagram of the pin out if you need it.

I've checked for bent or bad pins, and don't find anything. I appreciate your offer to find a diagram, but found one pretty easily on Google. I'll get out my multimeter and see if I can find anything obvious.

 

[Altemose]

As I understand it, the brightness control works via the USB ports.

When the USB ports quit working, there is not brightness slider under display preferences. It reappears when the USB ports are working. I've used the display with 10.3, 10.4, and 10.5 and it's the same way under all three. As I mentioned, the computer won't boot into OS 9 with non-functioning USB ports on the display, but the brightness slider is also there under OS 9 when the USB ports are working.



I've checked for bent or bad pins, and don't find anything. I appreciate your offer to find a diagram, but found one pretty easily on Google. I'll get out my multimeter and see if I can find anything obvious.

I have never taken apart an Apple Display but maybe it is simply a wire inside that needs to be resoldered? This is a good question for Intell...

 

[Intell]

I HATH BEEN SUMMONED BY THY NAME. *Puts cheese hat on Altemose*

The ADC cable is connected to the main board by two cords connected with a connector. From that main board, there is another internal cable going from a connection on the main board connector J6 to the USB board. Either the ADC cable, main board, or USB board could be failing. Last I recall there are a few 17" main boards on eBay. I do not believe the ADC cable is universal across the different models of LCD ADC displays without some modifications. Neither are the USB or main boards.

 

[Altemose]

I HATH BEEN SUMMONED BY THY NAME. *Puts cheese hat on Altemose*



The ADC cable is connected to the main board by two cords connected with a connector. From that main board, there is another internal cable going from a connection on the main board connector J6 to the USB board. Either the ADC cable, main board, or USB board could be failing. Last I recall there are a few 17" main boards on eBay. I do not believe the ADC cable is universal across the different models of LCD ADC displays without some modifications. Neither are the USB or main boards.

I knew you would come in! I wasn't going to take apart my Studio Display especially since it is already damaged from UPS...

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

I have never taken apart an Apple Display but maybe it is simply a wire inside that needs to be resoldered? This is a good question for Intell...

I didn't think the Studio Display would be too user-serviceable until I opened mine up. It's actually not too bad to get into. If everything looks fine about the ADC connector, try opening the monitor and looking at the wiring. Obviously there will be tear-down guides online in case you run into difficulties.

 

[Altemose]

I didn't think the Studio Display would be too user-serviceable until I opened mine up. It's actually not too bad to get into. If everything looks fine about the ADC connector, try opening the monitor and looking at the wiring. Obviously there will be tear-down guides online in case you run into difficulties.

I would have opened mine up for Bunn but since it was damaged by UPS (and effectively making it a freebie), I am afraid it would not go back together.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Just chiming in to say I'm paying attention to this - please make sure to let us know if/how you get it fixed! (I have one with the same problem.)

 

[weckart]

I didn't think the Studio Display would be too user-serviceable until I opened mine up. It's actually not too bad to get into. If everything looks fine about the ADC connector, try opening the monitor and looking at the wiring. Obviously there will be tear-down guides online in case you run into difficulties.

The 23" is easy peasy to open. The 22" not so much . Some stupid design shortcomings that Apple corrected later. Nothing excuses that fragile, brittle hinge, however.

Anyone know of a metal glue that actually works?

 

[bunnspecial]

I can't say what I did, but I did had the USB ports working for a while.

I finally acquired a working Ti. I should have known better than to mess with it, but I put the Ti in my Quicksilver as it is my most-used G4 Mac.

My USB ports are once again dead.

If they decide to come back to life, I will report back with information on what(if anything) I did to make them come to life again.

I should also add that I've had the display apart and checked continuity both in the cable and at every internal point I can think to check in the display.

 

[Altemose]

It is either a cable that was abused (overly bent, coiled improperly, etc.) or a dying USB board if these displays have them.

 

[iMacC2D]

Removed.

 

[robertdsc]

The 23" is easy peasy to open. The 22" not so much . Some stupid design shortcomings that Apple corrected later. Nothing excuses that fragile, brittle hinge, however.

Anyone know of a metal glue that actually works?

No doubt. What worked for me to open an extra 22 that was given to me was an Allen wrench set from the 99 cent store. That cheapie thing had just the right size wrench to pull all of the screws out of the back end. Nothing in my toolbox up to that point would work on those screws.

The monitor itself was toast when I opened it, so I pulled the hinge off and kept it in storage in case the hinge on my good 22 goes out.

 

[bunnspecial]

And, just like that they're back.

I've had a spare Apple Pro mouse plugged into one of the ports since they went out most recently, as it gave me a quick visual(LED/No LED) as to whether or not the ports were "live."

I'm not sure what happened-I put the computer to sleep(manually) last night before going to bed. When I came back to it tonight, it refused to wake up from sleep. On a forced reboot, much to my surprise the mouse lit up.

I moved the main keyboard and mouse over to the display, and both are continuing to work.