Connecting but no functions [solved: defective hardware]

[jondho]

Hi,
I am having issues with the UNLEASHED '22. The issues seem a bit similar to some other reports (e.g. viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1909&p=5524 and viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1980&p=5491), but not identical.

I can successfully and easily pair to the UNLEASHED but no camera functions are available in the app. All functions in all main screens of the app are greyed out and I get the messages similar to "Wrong USB mode. Change USB mode in your camera menu." or "USB is not working. Check USB connection, magnetic plug, disable Wi-fi in camera and check camera's USB mode."... or similar depending on the function.

I am using:

• Canon EOS 90D - latest firmware - v1.1.1
• UNLEASHED '22 - firmware A 3.2.0, B 3.2.0, C 3.1.0
• Unleashed iOS app version 3.1.0 (1712)
• iPhone 13 Pro - iOS 17.2.1

The UNLEASHED unit itself has a solid green/teal light when the app is open and the app shows the teal connected dot. When pairing, the app initially shows the correct serial number as the name of the unit ("UNLEASEHED 012XXX" X's are actually real numbers), but that is quickly replaced by "M: [0xFF]". When I first tested it, I did have some issues but it "worked"... various functions worked (I think I even took a photo with it), but I couldn't get things like geotagging to work properly and there were some other errors which I don't recall, but I became busy and have only just come back to it. The first thing I did when I started testing it again last month was to update the firmware (to the versions prior to the current set listed above) and have never been able to access the camera functions since. It seems that it refuses to connect to USB on the camera.

What I have tried:

• all steps in getting started guides
• unpair/repair several times
• delete/uninstall app several times
• reboot of UNLEASHED via app
• factory reset of UNLEASHED via app
• tested and confirmed USB connectivity via Canon EOS Utility 3
• different SD cards in camera (32GB and 128GB)
• different fully charged batteries
• different camera settings
• disabling Wi-fi in camera
• wriggle/adjust all cables, connectors, tried device at different angles
• confirmed that all plugs are connected correctly, in the right orientation, etc (including confirming the cable into the UNLEASHED is the right way around) - tried more loosely, etc.
• check for visible damage to connectors (none visible)
• all relevant suggestions in the forums linked above (including the wait 3 seconds bit, push on unleashed, etc)
• sent 2 emails to the support email

Could you please advise of any further steps that I can try, or whether you think that there might be an issue with the unit?

Below are some screenshots of the app screens. These are mostly from the Photo screen, but all other main function screens are similar, with buttons either greyed out or in red.

Thanks,
Jonathan.

After pairing

IMG_6440.PNG (47.53 KiB) Viewed 1997 times

Photo screen after clicking "i" icon

IMG_6441.PNG (66.29 KiB) Viewed 1997 times

Photo screen after clicking "iso" function

IMG_6442.PNG (75.03 KiB) Viewed 1997 times

[jondho]

Well, annoyingly, after writing that and testing a million things, I managed to make it work... it seems that I can get it to work if I wriggle everything around. It initially started working when I got a bit rougher with it and I thought that it might be the HDMI cable connection into the camera, but I think it might be the magnetic connector or the USB part of it... it is hard to tell. Either way, by putting a bit of pressure in different directions on different parts, it can work, although it is extremely sensitive to any movement and it more often doesn't work than does.

Can you please advise the best solution?

Regards,
Jonathan.

[Oliver]

Hi Jonathan,

Sorry for the trouble!
Thank you very much for the very well written report!
One of the few with all the details we need!

Everything you write indicates that this is a problem with the physical USB connection.
There's 4 places where this problem can come from:

1. Soldering of the connectors onto the Unleashed's PCB (possible, but unlikely, also as the 7 pins of the magnetic plug are mirrored, so there's two of each (except the center one)
2. contact of the spring loaded pins onto the contact rings of the Magnetic plug (most likely problem)
3. contacts inside the magnetic USB plug
4. soldering contacts of the USB socket to the PCB of the Camera. )

My first guess would be 2), which again can have several reasons (in order of likelihood):
- the contact circles on the magnetic plug might not be 100% clean - wipe them with plenty of pressure on a fabric with some texture (like jeans or so), then twist the Plug on the Unleashed a few times back and forth (the "scratching" of the pins on the contact circles will help creating better contact).
- the contact circles on the magnetic plug are not concentric. We did have a few plugs we sorted out during QC because of this issue, we might have missed one. In this case, rotating the Unleashed by roughly 90º should get it to work perfectly, but we'll replace your plug!
- small metal shavings might have been attracted to the Unleashed or magnetic plug, and is either creating a short or is just stopping the magnet surfaces from mating flush. - visually inspect both sides and remove anything that might be there.
- The magnet might have come loose from the Unleashed, so the pins don't reach the contact circles of the plug anymore. (after removing the plug - which in this case would slightly pull the magnet out of the Unleashed - can you try pushing on the magnet of the Unleashed, to see if it moves back into the Unleashed.

If you send us a straight-on photo of the rings on the magnetic plug, and angled shot of the back of the Unleashed (without the magnetic plug) we can help judge some of those potential issues.

My second guess would be 4) which would especially be probable if you previously used the camera for tethering. Micro USB sockets are really not designed for the kind of strain a tethering cable would put on it. test this with your USB cable and Computer software - pushing the plug towards the back of the camera would create a levering effect on the pins at the back of the socket, lifting them off the PCB if the solder connection is broken

if it's neither of these two, and you can always get a good connection when pushing the Unleashed straight into the camera (this would create a temporary contact between Unleashed PCB and the pins of the magnetic base), then 1) is definitely a possibility.

Let me know what you find and we'll figure it out from there!

[jondho]

Thanks for the reply.

I don't use the camera for tethering at all, I was just testing it using another USB option to make sure that it wasn't the camera.

After a bit more investigation, it takes very little pressure to make it work. If I push very slightly (more just a touch) on the "top" (UNLEASHED in vertical orientation with logo upright), pushing in towards the camera body, it works. When I do this, it look like the USB plug shifts slightly (together with the UNLEASHED itself in the camera's USB plug. When I test it with a USB cable, the connection isn't unreliable at all, so I don't think that it is the connection on the camera end.

If I push directly on the center the UNLEASHED towards the camera body, it doesn't work, I have to push slightly on the top as mentioned above. If I rotate the UNLEAHSED 90 degrees (clockwise when looking directly at the UNLEASHED), then I still have to push on what is now the new "top" of the unleashed (i.e. what was previously the side of the UNLEASHED before rotation - the upper-most part compared to the camera). My impression is that it feels like it is a problem with the USB plug, not the magnetic connector because I am effectively pushing the USB connector in the same direction. In fact it only works if I push on the "top" of the UNLEASHED compared to the camera, almost no matter which orientation it is in.

However, as you will see in the photos below, one of the pins on the magnetic connector does look out of place, but not sure how consequential that is given that there the pins are paired.

Regards,
Jonathan.

IMG_6460.jpg (145.2 KiB) Viewed 1929 times

IMG_6458.jpg (119.35 KiB) Viewed 1929 times

[Oliver]

Hi Jonathan,

oh, the plug looks like its rings are not concentric at all!

I can't see how bad it is, since a bit of a perspective shift can make it seem much worse than it might actually be, but this would explain your problems.
The bent pin might make this worse as it might actually reach far enough to touch the next ring.

We'll just send you a new one! my colleague will send you an email with the details.

concentricity.jpg (153.18 KiB) Viewed 1887 times

[jondho]

Ok, thanks.

[jondho]

Hi. Can you please confirm that the replacement is happening? I haven't seen any email yet.

[Oliver]

Hi,

yes, we're sending you a replacement.

I wrote you an email on the 8th of January to confirm your shipping address!
Please check your spam folder!

Even if you don't find my email, please just write us an email with the Address. (don't post it here)

[jondho]

ok, thanks. I had been watching my spam folder but nothing had come through, not sure why. I will email directly.

[jondho]

Hi,
the replacement UNLEASHED arrived today and it works perfectly. After reviewing both, I am 99% certain that it is the micro USB connector on the UNLEASHED which is the problem. When the faulty one is in the camera, the actual micro USB plug has a bit of movement in the camera, whereas the new one has a much more solid connection. The out of position pin on the main body of the UNLEASHED might also be a contributing factor, but the way that the two USB plugs (old and new) connect into the camera feels different. I can't spot any visual difference, but it definitely feels different.

Thanks for your response and support.

Regards,
Jonathan.