Griffin Powermate (Update OCT 14, 08)

[DaOld Man]

I just bought a power mate for a new juke box project (based on mountains design).
The thing will not work after a boot-up. I have to unplug it from usb port and re-plug.
I have searched this forum and found that several others have seen this problem.
I think mountain said he fixed his by installing a better cable.
Someone else said they used older drivers (where do I find these?)
I guess I just would like to know how everyone else is dealing with this problem.
I like the way it feels and looks, but I dont want to have to design an auto switch for it or unplug it from usb every time I powerup the juke box, I would rather just use a pot for volume control.
I tried downloading the latest drivers, but it still doesnt do right.
Any thoughts?
TIA

[javeryh]

Did you buy it brand new?  I have a used one that doesn't seem to mute (the button press does not work).  It's a version 1.0 knob though so I had to contact the manufacturer to get the driver to even work in the first place.  Apparently there is a version 1.1 or 2.0 (i.e. updated) knob that they sell now.  I'm actually thinking of ordering another one from the Griffin website. 

I'd love to hear people's thoughts about it but I don't know much about the inner workings.  I was just going to splice a USB cable and hook it up - I had to rip it apart to take it out of the casing.  I should know more in a few weeks when I try installing the guts of my jukebox.     

[DaOld Man]

Im not sure what the model # is for the powermate itself.
The software is version 2.0.1
The button press on mine works great, but everytime I turn on the PC, I have to unplug it and plug it back in before it lights up or is even seen by the computer. Just now I had to unplug/re-plug twice.

[Turnarcades]

Check how other USB devices respond first to rule out a USB conflict. If it remains a problem and all else seems well, check if your setup is loading the required drivers/utility at startup. I had to do a pre-frontend batch file to load the utility for my LCD Topguns.

[DaOld Man]

Thanks turnacrcades..
I have a usb keyboard and mouse that do just fine on startup.
I also have a usb memory stick that works on startup if left plugged in.
The powermate software has a "Run on startup mode" option, which is checked.
What type of driver do you think I need to load on startup?
The software that came with the PM does load on startup, it is in the task bar by the clock, but the PM is dark until I unplug it and re-plug it.

[studmuff]

I have a griffin powermate that I use on my arcade cab as a volume control.  Sounds like you have the latest drivers.  Is it recognized by windows.  I have win vista and in the lower right hand corner where all the icons are there is an icon for the powermate.  I had to use the powermate software to setup Maximus Arcade and MAME32 to use it in those apps, but is would initally control the volume in desktop.
It wouldn't hurt to try and reinstall the software or drivers.  I have the 2.0v disc but when I intially installed it would not work so I downloaded the 2.0.1 (which you have) off their website.  Sometimes you need to install the software before you plud a device in or vice versa.  I would uninstall the software and try again.

[DaOld Man]

studmuff: I tried un-installing the drivers, unplugging the powermate, re-installing the drivers, plugging in PM.
It seems to be working now!
I tried re-booting once and the powermate came up like it is supposed to do.
I will try it again on my next boot.
When I first installed the software, I did have the PM unplugged.
Only thing I can think of is that I installed software that came with it, then I went to the website and downloaded latest driver.
I didnt un-install old software first, but the new software said it was un-installing it when i ran it. Maybe you have to manually un-install the older version first?
Anyway, it appears to be working now. Thanks for your help!
 

[Ian]

You are not alone... my powermate does that every once in a while... annoying for sure.

[DaOld Man]

Well, I thought I did good, but apparently not.
Last night I tried restarting the computer and the PM (powermate) did not start up.
I figured I could live with that, because how many times do you actually restart the PC on a project like a juke? Last night I shut down and powered up 2 times and it worked both times.
So I thought I was good to go.
This morning when I powered up the PC, the  PM did not start.
Computer had been off all night.
I had to unplug the PM and re-plug it.
Ive got to go to work today, but tonight Im going to try to install the older drivers that came with it.
Im just about ready to nix this idea.
Its a shame too, the PM is very expensive compared to other parts we use in this hobby, but it does look and feel real slick.

[whammoed]

When you don't have access to the plug, you can go to Computer Management -->Device Manager and disable the device, then enable it.

[Turnarcades]

There isn't a power issue with the USB port you're using is there?

[DaOld Man]

When you don't have access to the plug, you can go to Computer Management -->Device Manager and disable the device, then enable it.

I tried that, and the light on the PM came on, but it wouldnt control my volume.

[DaOld Man]

There isn't a power issue with the USB port you're using is there?

I dont think so. Everything else Ive tried seems to work ok. I have also tried the PM in other USB ports.

I have just uninstalled the software and re-installed the older version that came with the PM. I'll see what happens now.

[DaOld Man]

re-installing the older software did not work..

[whammoed]

When you don't have access to the plug, you can go to Computer Management -->Device Manager and disable the device, then enable it.

I tried that, and the light on the PM came on, but it wouldnt control my volume.

Did you try it more than one time or multiple times?  It usually works for me, but I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't work every time.  Unplugging it and plugging back in doesn't always work either.  I really wish they would address the issue.  It is a known issue which used to be in the FAQ at Griffin but I can't find it anymore.

[DaOld Man]

No I didnt try that, but I will.
Ive been researching this on the web, and it seems this problem is the number one concern with most people.
I have thought about making a small timer that will connect the PM after the computer has time to boot, but if cycling the connection doesnt work everytime then that will be useless too.
Its a shame, cause I really like the thing, but for the price I paid you would think it wouldnt have to be disconnected every time you reboot the PC.

[Ummon]

I haven't used it in a while (and partly why), but I had similar issues, too.

[DaOld Man]

Last night I removed the software, it was still listed in device manager, so I removed it there. removed any references to powermate in my registry I could find, then re-installed the newest version of the software. Didnt plug in PM until all software was installed.
The first time it came up ok, so I thought I had it. Then it didnt come up after 2 re-boots.
This morning it didnt come up. I had to unplug-replug twice to get it to come on.
The reason I went into the registry was because even though I removed the software, and removed the devices in device manager, when I rebooted, i got the "found new hardware" notify, and it said it found griffin powermate, even though the thing wasnt plugged in!
 Here is my plan B:
As soon as I get my juke PC back up, Im going to try it on it. If it wont work on it, I guess I will scrap the idea and go with a pot. I may have to reformat the jukes HD to get completely rid of the flaky software.

My opinions of the powermate:
I like the concept, and the hardware is pretty good.
But (and this is a big but), the software sucks.

Is it worth 40 bucks?
No.

[Teebor]

I don't remember having these problems with mine, I had mine plugged in to a passive USB hub and it worked ok iirc

I haven't used it for a long while but I am sure I had no problems with the system detecting the device at any point.

[leapinlew]

Mine has these problems too. In fact, I can't even say it happens consistently. A majority of the time, it doesn't come up unless I unplug the USB cable and replug it up. Thats why my new jukebox will not feature a powermate.

[javeryh]

This doesn't bode well for me...  hmmm... if I can't get my Powermate to function properly can I still use the knob on top of a different type of volume control (pot)?  I'm really more concerned about using the knob than using the functionality of the powermate...

[whammoed]

FYI:

I'm working on a new product that you can use to control system volume.  You can either hook it up to a keyboard or gamepad encoder and have it send button presses for volume up/down/mute or you can use the parallel port.  Won't be as expensive as the powermate.  I'll have to see if the powermate knob fits on it.

...It will have another cool function related to BYOAC as well.   

[whammoed]

Also,  there are ways to control system volume with a mouse, so you could also hook up a quadrature encoder to an opti-wiz to control system volume.  The optical ones tend to be expensive, but I'm sure you could make your own by hacking an old mouse.

[DaOld Man]

This doesn't bode well for me...  hmmm... if I can't get my Powermate to function properly can I still use the knob on top of a different type of volume control (pot)?  I'm really more concerned about using the knob than using the functionality of the powermate...

I have took mine apart. it looks like the knob will fit a pot with a flatted shaft (?), a shaft with half the diameter cut out, making it flat on one side.
I may do that with mine too. 40 bucks is a lot for a pot knob  though

Also,  there are ways to control system volume with a mouse, so you could also hook up a quadrature encoder to an opti-wiz to control system volume.  The optical ones tend to be expensive, but I'm sure you could make your own by hacking an old mouse.

You can control the volume on the touchscreen with Xlobby, but Mountains idea of using the knob is the way i want to go.

JH: you may want to try yours with your jukes PC, judging from what people are saying, it behaves differently on different PCs.
I just tried disabling and re-abling from device manager and that worked.
From what I have been experiencing, that may not work the next time though.

[leapinlew]

This doesn't bode well for me...  hmmm... if I can't get my Powermate to function properly can I still use the knob on top of a different type of volume control (pot)?  I'm really more concerned about using the knob than using the functionality of the powermate...

I have took mine apart. it looks like the knob will fit a pot with a flatted shaft (?), a shaft with half the diameter cut out, making it flat on one side.
I may do that with mine too. 40 bucks is a lot for a pot knob  though

Also,  there are ways to control system volume with a mouse, so you could also hook up a quadrature encoder to an opti-wiz to control system volume.  The optical ones tend to be expensive, but I'm sure you could make your own by hacking an old mouse.

You can control the volume on the touchscreen with Xlobby, but Mountains idea of using the knob is the way i want to go.

JH: you may want to try yours with your jukes PC, judging from what people are saying, it behaves differently on different PCs.
I just tried disabling and re-abling from device manager and that worked.
From what I have been experiencing, that may not work the next time though.

I've considered hooking mine up to a USB hub, and having a button control the power to the USB hub. This would allow me to conveniently disconnect it. But still...

[DaOld Man]

I havent tried it yet, but Im thinking if you put a switch in the +5vdc wire of the USB cable to the PM, you can basically do the same.
I was thinking of using a time delay relay that would turn on the PM this way after the PC has time to boot.
But I couldnt get the PM to respond everytime by unplug/plugging. Sometimes I have to un/plug a couple of times.

[whammoed]

I usually just put my juke computer into standby mode, so it hasn't or won't be much of an issue.

FYI, the knob for the powermate fits nicely on the product i'm working on.

[sewerrat]

I know where you're coming from, because I fought with my powermate for 2 days.
But it has now been working flawless for well over a year.
What I did (assuming your using XP) was go to the device manager, find the powermate under the USB devices (device manager didn't report it as a powermate, but rather a mouse device), right click, properties, install driver manually, then navigate to the CD with the driver and install it that way.
Been at least 15 months with no issues . . power up and shut down every night.
GL 

[DaOld Man]

Thanks sewerrat..

I booted this morning and the PM came up just fine. This is two times in a row.
If (when) it messes up again i will try what you suggested.

[javeryh]

Wow - great news.  I hope that fix works for everyone.

[DaOld Man]

This afternoon it failed to come up after I turned on the PC.
So I dont think I have the fix yet.

[DaOld Man]

I hooked up the Powermate to my intended jukebox PC.
Sometimes it works on boot up, sometimes it doesnt..
Here is a little eye candy:

[Ummon]

Hey, I've had mine hooked up for that past week or so. I had it in a front socket and the first time it was fine, then next it wasn't. So I put it in a back one; same deal. I switched it to the one next to that and except for once, it turned on at boot up the last few/several times.

I noticed the time it didn't was when a lot of stuff happened to be trying to load. What I'm thinking is it can get excluded from the process if Windows is loaded down with things. Not sure how to go about addressing that.

Also, or/and it might be where it boots in line, and if it gets passed up then it won't retry. Since there is software, maybe one of the files executes/triggers it? In which case you could put it in the startup folder. These are my thoughts.

[DaOld Man]

Hey, I've had mine hooked up for that past week or so. I had it in a front socket and the first time it was fine, then next it wasn't. So I put it in a back one; same deal. I switched it to the one next to that and except for once, it turned on at boot up the last few/several times.

I noticed the time it didn't was when a lot of stuff happened to be trying to load. What I'm thinking is it can get excluded from the process if Windows is loaded down with things. Not sure how to go about addressing that.

Also, or/and it might be where it boots in line, and if it gets passed up then it won't retry. Since there is software, maybe one of the files executes/triggers it? In which case you could put it in the startup folder. These are my thoughts.

Thanks ummon.
The powermate software has an option you can check that allows it to start on boot-up.
Ive tried unchecking this and placing a shortcut in the startup folder, I didnt see any difference.
I have noticed something on my jukebox pc that may work for me.
I set the PC's bios to resume after power failure.
Now if I unplug the PC power cord(which is the same as putting in a mains power switch), then plug it back in, the powermate works every time.
I dont know why this makes a difference unless...
When I unplug the PC's power cord, the powermate starts flashing until the capacitors in the power supply fully discharge.
I have the powermate set up in its software to flash when in standby mode, so Im thinking that by unplugging the PC then plugging it back in, the powermate just resumes from standby mode??
I dont know, but it has worked on each of several tries I have done since last night.
Im not real crazy about shutting down my PC like that, but it hasnt seemed to hurt Windows or Xlobby yet. Everything comes back up ok, so I may install a mains power switch on the jukebox.
I know, I have preached my head off against this method, but i dont really know what else to do.

[DaOld Man]

Well, it just made a liar out of me..
I just tried it and it didnt work.
Cycled power to the PC again and it did work.
I need it to work EVERY time.

[sewerrat]

Did you install the drivers the way I had suggested rather than letting the setup routine install them?

Load up the Device Manager and look for the Human Interface Device with the hardware ID "USB\VID_077D&PId_0410". Choose to update the driver, and browse your computer for the driver software. Opt to pick from a list of device drivers on my computer, and then click on the "Have Disk" button. Select the C:\Program Files\Griffin Technology\PowerMate\Driver sub-directory with the PowrMate.inf and PowrMate.sys.

I found this on numerous other forums and it worked perfectly for me

[DaOld Man]

Thanks sewerrat, actually, I did not try the method you just outlined.
But I will try it..

After booting up by turning on mains power to the PC several times, the powermate has only failed to initialize once.
But I would really want it to work every time.
I will see if your method works for me. Thanks again.

[DaOld Man]

I dont have a driver folder:
C:\Program Files\Griffin Technology\PowerMate\Driver

The only sub folder I have under powermate is plugins.
C:\Program Files\Griffin Technology\PowerMate\Plugins

I have view set to show hidden folders and files.
I have version 2.0.1 software Build 61
if that helps any.

[DaOld Man]

I made a time delay circuit to apply power to the powermate about 25 seconds after computer powerup.
This sometimes works, sometimes doesnt, so a time delay circuit is basically useless.
I have found out that if I dont use the extension cable that came with the powermate, it boots up correctly a lot more times than not.
I used the extension cable to connect to my 556 timing circuit, and I have to say the wires in the cable are very small.
I think Mountain mentioned in his juke box thread that he replaced the cable on his PM with a higher quality usb cable. So he may be on to something.
I think I will dissect the PM, and attach a usb cable that has heavier gauge wires in it.
Stay tuned..

[mountain]

leapilew actually mentioned that he suspected it could be the cheap ass cable they use. I planned on cutting the length down anyway, so because of his suspicions, I replaced it.

I think it is one of two things: it's either a conflict between the different hardware versions of the PM and drivers available or simply the cable itself.  Seeing as how you have done a lot of testing with your version of the PM, it will be interesting to see what you come up with after swapping the cable out.