I-PAC Ultimate I/O: Unintended Mode Swapping and Config Loss

[RowleyBirkinQC]

I am running an I-PAC Ultimate I/O in a 4-player cabinet setup (50/50 MAME/Steam). I am struggling with two critical issues regarding mode persistence and stability:

Unintended Mode Swapping: While playing in X-Input mode (Mode 3), the board frequently drops back into Keyboard mode (Mode 1) at random. This occurs without holding the 10-second "Start+B1" shortcut.

Configuration Wipe: Whenever this unintended swap happens—or even when I manually swap back to Keyboard mode to make edits—my custom mappings are lost. The board appears to revert to a default/blank state, forcing me to reload my .ipc backup and "Write to Board" to restore functionality.

Programming Errors: I cannot "Write to Board" while in X-Input mode (getting "Failed to Configure" errors); I must be in Keyboard mode to save, but the settings aren't remaining persistent across mode changes.

Hardware/Testing Done:

Verified no stuck keys in Keyboard Checker.
Fixed a previously loose pin on the P3 harness (seated correctly now).
Using WinIPAC V2 for configuration.

Questions:
- What could trigger an unintended mode swap from X-input back to Keyboard during gameplay?
- Why are the Keyboard and X-Input mapping lost when this switch occurs?
- Is the above a well known issue, if so is there a fix or is this likely faulty hardware?