Gladiator NXT Suddenly Not Recognized

[MashJVS]

New video for attempt 3. Unfortunately, still no change. The NXT is still not being recognised. I have tried this with and without shorting the boot pins as per your previous feedback.

https://youtu.be/1Mix0161

Is anyone looking at ticket number #6994? I have provided additional information there but I have go no response so far.

As you will see in the video one of the USB cables provided by VKB is working with both NXT's. The other cable you provided is not working with both NXT's so the problem is with the cable or the USB port on the NXT's itself.

Please advise how we can fix this issue.

[fallout9]

Video not available. Does you device works with the other cable?

[MashJVS]

Ah. Apologies. I shared in incomplete link. This one should work.

https://youtu.be/1Mix0161-so

Yes. I have two NXT's. One cable works for both NXT's. The other cable doesn't work for both NXT's.

Both cables were provided by VKB.

[fallout9]

Did you ever have both joysticks running at the same time?

[MashJVS]

Yes. In the beginning. But the first time I unplugged them this issue started. I have had the NXT's for less than a month.

[fallout9]

You were saying in the video that you received different cables, but if that was the case, then one cable would've never worked. But both cables worked for a while and one got damaged; probably one of the data wires has been severed inside, it happens.
Please update your ticket so they know to send you a cable. Or, if you don't want to wait for shipping, you could use a printer cable.

Thank you for providing detailed info on your case and for digging into it!

[MashJVS]

I have asked in the ticket a couple of times. No one is responding to anything in my ticket. How long does it usually take them to respond? Are you able to push them on this?

I have already bought 2 different printer cables. Both do not work with either NXT. This is also in the ticket.

[MashJVS]

I have tested the cables with a printer that I have. They all work fine when noticing the printer. The issue seems to be somewhere within the NXT USB connectors and the cables themselves. Why one cable works and the rest do not puzzles me still.

This issues seems to be the same as what tanmaym was reporting earlier in the thread. ----> "I have support ticket opened and have been testing it with team. Seems like issue with board connected to USB cable."

Any way we can expedite the team to look at my ticket? Surely they have an update based on their learnings with tanmaym.

[fallout9]

Bit of patience please, your ticket will get updated very soon.

[MashJVS]

I thank you for your support so far fallout9.

[TwoLemonsInARow]

Hello!!

I just bought 3 Gladiators and I feel horrible right now. This same problem happened to one of the first two I bought. Then I ordered a third one and it's just happened again.
Thank god I found this thread.

In both cases I have gotten the same issue you described. Both times it was on the NXT Right stick, the left stays fine.
If I switch the right hand grip for the left it keeps working fine.

Windows doesn't identify the right controller at all, it won't even register after a reset. All that happens is the white light flashes and then it goes dark.
The first one was bricked completely and wouldn't show any signs of life whatsoever.

I think something has gone terribly wrong and I need to ask some questions from VKB. I will point out this thread and that this is more than just an isolated issue.
Hopefully they will respond with something that will be satisfactory, considering that I have now spent $320 US dollars on controllers that do not work properly.
This is extremely disappointing considering how much hype I have heard about what a great brand this is. I saved up this money for months to be able to afford this and I am absolutely distraught over this.

I will be in touch hopefully with some answers soon. In the meantime if anyone knows anything further I would dearly love to get these working again.

[fallout9]

Please open up a service ticket and report your issues. You should've done this from the first time, not buy a new one (speak with your local rep, maybe you can return it?). Try the resolves in this thread and update your ticket with your findings; this will help to get your issue fixed faster.
I'm sorry you're disappointed, but these kind of issues are happening with all electronics, there's always a defective cable or a bad board here and there. The number of these issues compared to the total number of Gladiators sold is an unsignificant percent.
Do not worry, whatever issues you have, be it a cable or a board, will get fixed.

[TwoLemonsInARow]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. I should have shared more info up front, so you would know that I had done something before coming here for help.

Already, I opened up a service ticket the first time this happened. I ordered a replacement thinking the first one must have been a hardware defect, which was also the advice given by VKB's tech support. An understandable assumption to make for a controller that is dead, or bricked, or, I'm not sure as of yet. There are two tickets opened as of now.

It would be easy if it was just a defective part, but it's hard to explain how two different units stopped functioning in exactly the same way, under the same exact circumstances. Since this thread already exists, I am not the only one who has had the issue we know so far.

The problem seems to have something to do with Windows, it seems to get confused when the left and right controllers are connected together. The right one malfunctions for a few minutes and then eventually stops working, and is no longer recognized by windows at all. In both cases it was the right hand controller that bricked, and the left one kept working fine. In both cases I switched the base units back to the right hand grip and had no problems. Just that both of the base units that were connected as right hand units when the left one was connected got bricked. So something is wrong either on the firmware level, with windows settings or something causing corruption or other malfunction in the NJoy controller (just a semi educated guess).

I have read an extensive amount about the topic, just so you know I did the reset procedures including the hard reset jumper, to no avail.
One base unit is completely bricked (the first one) and shows no life.
The second one is non functional but the grip displays a white LED for 3 seconds when plugged in, then goes dark. No lights on base.

I have not heard of VKB products having technical defects or quality control issues, as you said most function fine. So I suspect that something in the firmware or some problem caused by the way the controller interacts with windows has created this issue, since it's replicated twice now. Perhaps this can be fixed somehow? But not if the controller is bricked and windows does not/ cannot recognize it.

My cause for being a bit unhappy about the situation is because I took an extreme degree of care in every aspect - I studied the manual for the joysticks and the software fully before receiving the controller, and watched every instructional video on putting it together, which I did very professionally.
Before coming to this forum I filed a service ticket, and spent about 14 hours researching this problem and trying to solve it.
I have enough knowledge to say with some authority that this is not a defective hardware issue. Something more serious is wrong.

Obviously it doesn't make sense to replace the PCB in the controller only to have the issue repeat itself again, so it will need further investigation. I am quite confident that if I ordered yet another controller, that the same thing would happen. What we'd prefer is to have the issue identified and fixed at the root before sacrificing any more expensive hardware.

The behaviour of the joysticks resulting in their becoming bricked is very unusual, I have never experienced this with a usb device before this. I don't know what to make of it. But nonetheless I have 2 out of the 3 controllers I bought that are for the moment unusable, unfortunately. I can afford to eat the lost money, but I would have a lot more nice things to say about the whole matter if it gets fixed or resolved without me having to eat a snake sandwich. It does seem like a great product and what's happening here is probably an anomaly related to something beyond my understanding. I have faith in VKB so far, I am hoping for the best. At least one of the three NXTs I bought is still working, and I must say that one is very nice and I very much like using it.

Anyhow, thank you for your help, I am patient, but I think my concern is understandable here.
Cheers

[epimyth]

My left stick had always given me unknown device or damaged USB device, but I eventually got it working. Then recently it stopped and seemed completely bricked. If I left it plugged in for hours sometimes it would power on but still be unrecognized. I realize that when it seemed to fail, my office was pretty cold. Just for the hell of it, after having tried all the usual troubleshooting steps from the internet and tech support, I decided to put it in front of my space heater for 30 seconds. This got the PCB and metal components warm, but not hot (certainly not hot enough to melt solder etc.) Wouldn't you know, my stick boots up every time now, works perfectly. No idea as to why. Waiting to hear what support has to say. Obviously, do this at your own risk. You could permanently damage components/PCB etc. But if you're desperate for a fix, perhaps this will work for you.

[epimyth]

Wanted to post a follow up - VKB support unsure why heating up my stick worked. This morning is was cold in my office again and I got the unknown / bad USB device error when plugging in, but I did get lights. Removing the device and scanning for hardware changed in device manager fixed it, but it seems my stick is still a little weird at best. Support is replacing my PCB so hopefully no more issues! I will say, VKB sticks are awesome and the support has always been good, even over a year after purchase.