USB connectivity after Lollipop Update

[Guest ljbdv8r]

Hi,

From being a quiet observer on this forum, picking up valuable help and tips, I now need some help.

Since upgrading to Lollipop, I seem to have lost the ability to connect devices to the USB port using an OTG cable.

Previously, I was able to connect a usb stick or SD card in a a reader to transfer files. Also, I was able to connect a keyboard or mouse and use these (i think the mouse worked!).

Since Lollipop, the Hudl 2 will not detect anything connected to the USB port.

Either the upgrade has disabled this feature or my tablet has a fault. It no longer seems to provide any power to devices, e.g. USB stick LED does not come on or optical mouse does not light up.

To confirm, i went into Tesco with my USB OTG cable and connected my mouse and USB to a device still on Kitkat and it worked perfectly.

Can anyone else check their device to see if this issue is just on my tablet or if this is linked to the update?

 

[Guest ljbdv8r]

forgot to add.....

I have done a factory reset 2 times to see if I could fix the problem, but this did not help.

[Guest Hudluser]

Hi I have just checked it and my hudl is the same. Most likely Tesco have removed the otg function whether it was intentional is another question. I have sent an email to Tesco to find out.

[Guest ljbdv8r]

Thanks for checking so quickly.

At least I can stop thinking that it is a hardware issue!

I have also contacted Tesco to ask about this. They told me on the phone that there are lots of issues, mainly with the update process and battery drain.

[Guest bigpmc]

Glad I saw this. Was going to update the hudl but don't think I will bother yet as I use memory sticks etc quite often and don't want to lose that ability. Does anyone know if this is possible at all with lollipop, or is it just a tesco thing they could undo later on?

[Guest Hudluser]

I'm not sure I have ran an otg checker that says the OS supports it maybe they didn't include it in the kernel.

[Guest CPN200]

Sorry to disappoint everyone but I have just checked using my Logitech Wireless Keyboard and Mouse and also my 64Gb Sandisk Dual USB Drive and they all worked fine with absolutely no issues at all under Lollipop 5.1 on my Hudl 2 so this is definitely NOT a "they have removed OTG support in 5.1 on the Hudl 2" issue...

[Guest ljbdv8r]

This is definitely a strange one.

I just tried my portable HDD and Hudl powered the device from the OTG cable, but would not allow me to access the drive with or without additional power from a Y-cable.

It will however, not power an optical mouse or a USB stick.

Could there be different hardware specs on the market? 

[Guest CPN200]

Whenever you attach any kind of OTG storage to the Hudl 2, access authorisation to it needs to be done via the system dialogues. Apps like the Fx File Manager walk you through this every time via its own dialogue but eventually leads you to the system one before fully enabling it. Works fine. I have just tried a wired USB Optical Mouse, works fine. I have even just plugged in my 2.5" 320Gb Medion "Drive-n-go" which has no external power socket, works fine... I have no idea why yours don't work. I'm even more surprised because you mentioned earlier that you had done 2 factory resets? Why 2??

[Guest ljbdv8r]

First reset after update to stop battery drain etc, second after I realised there was an issue. 

My Hudl is not recognising that anything is connected. Sometimes it will power a device, sometimes not. The option to mount USB storage in settings remains greyed out. 

[Guest CPN200]

I realize that you have probably checked but what are you using to make the connection to the Hudl? I mostly use my StarTech USB to male Micro USB adaptor and that only because most micro USB connectors/adaptors won't go right in completely to my Hudl 2's socket when it is in the leather case that I have and it's a pain in the rear to keep taking it out of the case just to connect something... Your plugs are going right in yes?

This is the one I use...

You'll notice that it has nice narrow shoulders at the micro end...

Edited October 5, 2015 by CPN200

[Guest CPN200]

First reset after update to stop battery drain etc, second after I realised there was an issue.

What was the "issue"? (after the 1st factory reset)

[Guest Hudluser]

Checked mine again with a USB drive and mouse both where working on the hudl prior to 5.1 and are working with other tablets and phones I have. Definitely a strange one. I also did 1 reset after the upgrade.

[Guest CPN200]

How old are your Hudl 2's?

 

[Guest Hudluser]

Got mine end of October last year

[Guest ljbdv8r]

I just took the Hudl out of the case to check the contact was good, but there was no change. 

Hudl purchaed December 2014

Initial reset was due to slow performance and massive battery drain after the Lollipop update. Working perfectly other than the USB problem. 

[Guest ljbdv8r]

Also, every USB device works like a charm on my Nexus 7 2012. Just to rule out the items I am connecting. 

As mentioned above, I tested some display devices in a Tesco store, running kitkat and everything worked. 

When I contacted support, they offered a repair

[Guest CPN200]

Hmmm... our two were purchased in March of this year so they are 3 months newer than your two at least... I'm beginning to wonder if we are not looking at a hardware problem on both of your machines here...

 

Edited October 5, 2015 by CPN200

[Guest CPN200]

Try something? Look on the Play Store for an App called "Device ID", run it and tell me what comes up under "Hardware Serial"?

 

Edited October 5, 2015 by CPN200

[Guest ljbdv8r]

Android Device ID: EC75C98563E80F7C

Google Service Framework (GSF): 36A1DC74A9B6A397

IMEI: Not found

SIM Subscriber ID: Not found

SIM Card Serial: Not found

Hardware Serial: 041014PE5013061

Device Build Fingerprints: Hudl/HTF8A4XX/HTF8A4:5.1/LMY47I/rel.android-build.20150917.142239:user/release-keys

[Guest ljbdv8r]

The model number on the back is HTFA4B

I presume the B is the iteration of the hardware

[Guest CPN200]

I'm guessing that the first six digits of the hardware serial is the build date in US format which puts yours as 10th April 2014 and mine at 10th November 2014 and that puts their build dates 8 months apart... In the fast moving world of technology, I cannot perceive of an 8 month difference not making some minor (hardware) differences to be honest... (mine are also HTFA4B also)

 

Edited October 5, 2015 by CPN200

[Guest ljbdv8r]

Thanks for all your work to help with this. 

I wonder if there are others users who can help with this theory. 

I'm happy to let Tesco try and repair it, chances are I will get a different device back. That is assuming they claim that USB OTG is not a supported function

[Guest CPN200]

Thanks for all your work to help with this. 

I wonder if there are others users who can help with this theory. 

I'm happy to let Tesco try and repair it, chances are I will get a different device back. That is assuming they claim that USB OTG is not a supported function

You're most welcome. Only sorry we can't get to a positive conclusion on the subject. FWIW and as someone has re-iterated elsewhere, I don't think that this is an Android issue "per se" but probably Tesco not wanting the support headaches that USB OTG may introduce in relation to the Hudl line because OTG has been supported natively in all builds of Android since KitKat so they are just making the statement "it's an unsupported function on the Hudl" to get themselves off the hook IMO...

[Guest CPN200]

Just as a final thing, someone asked whether the Lollipop 5.1 implementation on the Hudl 2 would support Linux Ext4 partitions so I got a spare 2.5" USB HDD (no external power connection), formatted it to Ext4 on my Linux box and tried it on the Hudl 2. No go I'm afraid. It detected the drive but kept going on and off (mount/unmount) when trying to make sense of its format. So, I took the exact same drive and this time used GPartEd to create a standard Fat32 partition and plugged it into the Hudl 2... No problem...