Da Blinkin' Lights on Cisco TAs: TWC Austin

[tdbear]

Recently TWC in Austin added a few more HD Channels (like SciFi). Around about that time my Tuning Adapters started experiencing the blink light syndrome where you have to unplug the USB and plug it back.

I haven't checked yet if their updated the firmware on the TA and/or Tivo, but something definitely changed behavior.

I found a few stray threads on this, but didn't see anything recently. It's just strange that both TAs started doing this and last night both experienced the same problem (they were sort of alternating).

The other USB on both Tivos is connected to Wireless adapters and their network connection is fine, so I'm guessing it is not Tivo putting the USB to sleep.

[SCSIRAID]

Recently TWC in Austin added a few more HD Channels (like SciFi). Around about that time my Tuning Adapters started experiencing the blink light syndrome where you have to unplug the USB and plug it back.

I haven't checked yet if their updated the firmware on the TA and/or Tivo, but something definitely changed behavior.

I found a few stray threads on this, but didn't see anything recently. It's just strange that both TAs started doing this and last night both experienced the same problem (they were sort of alternating).

The other USB on both Tivos is connected to Wireless adapters and their network connection is fine, so I'm guessing it is not Tivo putting the USB to sleep.

What was the pattern of the blinks? constant? 8? 6?

You might get more help in the TWC Austin TA thread in the Series 3 area.

[tdbear]

What was the pattern of the blinks? constant? 8? 6?

You might get more help in the TWC Austin TA thread in the Series 3 area.

Thanks for the note about the thread... I confess to having been lazy and didn't search well enough.

My problem seems to have been power cycles and updates... the updates were happening when they added channels and apparently one of the TAs takes longer to come back up. But then after it did, I apparently had two days of power glitches.

I've noticed that if the TA is already booted and the Tivo is rebooted (or probably if it takes longer to reboot) that the TA will start blinking and the Tivo doesn't detect it unless you disconnect the USB and reconnect it. So it could be Tivo or the TA not even trying the USB once it gets into that state. Ideally, they both should go through an in-band reset sequence if the line detect shows something connected. It might be some sort of protection mechanism if the Tivo being off is somehow seen as a short... I don't have any USB monitors to see if either unit is doing line-detection or polling.

Sounds like a backup supply might help by keeping both alive through brief power outages. I've been meaning to get one, but my power in Oregon was super-stable since it was mostly underground and off the same branch that lighted Intel.