Hacking cIOSX rev21: controller lag [FIXED!]

[netspy]

The issue

I read (and wrote) on several topics that the controllers are lagging when using IOS56 as a base for cIOSX rev20 :
- Configurable USB Loader
- Monster Hunter Tri and instrument games
- Wii #2275 - Rock Band 3 (Europe)

It's too bad because I believe that the IOS56-based cIOSX rev20 is the best combination available today (most games run fine with it, SDHC compatible, USB mic compatible, etc...).
It seems to me that the problem is not always present, but I don't understand what makes the difference. Some people report they don't have any problem with CFG USB Loader v60 and cIOSX 56 Rev20, but that's also the configuration I'm using, so I don't think the loader is the key.
I'm quite convinced it's a cIOS-related problem (I have the original games discs, and there is no lag when using games from disc channel).

Any advice/tip to try to solve this issue is heavily welcome. Or maybe we just have to wait for a future revision ?
Thanks in advance.
The problem is still there with cIOSX rev21.


Cause of the issue

To sum up ...
The controller lag issue is caused by the HDD you use (if you want more details, see the great posts by BBogey in the cIOSX Rev21 thread, as well as posts by xxbeanxx and Lacius). The issue exists with rev20 and rev21, but not with rev19 - as Lacius said before, no matter the base IOS you use (the title of this topic is a bit incorrect but I can't modify it).

Here's a quick way to check if your drive has the controller lag issue :
- load "Wario Land: Shake It!" using cIOSX rev20 or rev21 and stay on the screen where you choose a save file.
- if you can see a message saying the wiimote is disconnected (approximately every 8 seconds), too bad, your HDD has the controller lag issue.
There are of course many other ways to check, since other games have the same issue : Twilight Princess, Rock Band 3, Guitar Hero WoR, Wii Sports Resort, Cooking Mama, Animal Crossing: City Folk...

HDD with controller lag issue with cIOSX Rev20+
- Lacie Rikiki 500GB USB 3.0
- Packard Bell Silver 640GB
- Seagate Expansion 250GB / 320GB / 500GB
- Western Digital My Passport 250GB
- Western Digital My Passport 500GB USB 3.0
- Western Digital My Passport Essential 320GB / 500GB / 1TB
- Western Digital Elements 500GB / 1TB / 2TB
- Western Digital Elements SE 2,5" 1TB
- Western Digital My Book 2TB USB 3.0

HDD without controller lag issue with cIOSX Rev20+
- Hitachi XL Desktopdrive 2TB
- I-O Data HDL-GS 620GB
- IProDrive 1.0TB 3.5" External Hard Drive (HDE11TB)
- Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1.5TB (not sure!)
- Western Digital My Book Essential Edition 500 GB USB 2.0 Desktop (model with the green button).
- Western Digital My Book Premium ES Edition 500GB

Reported as 'working' or 'not working' according to different people (I would'nt buy these drives if I were you)
- Seagate FreeAgent Go 500GB
- Western Digital My Book 1TB

If you encounter this lag issue with other HDD or are SURE your HDD does not have the issue (please do the 'Warioland : Shake It" test, loading the game with cIOSX rev20 or rev21), just reply here and I'll add it to the list.


The fix ... at last

XFlak had the great idea to replace the EHCI module from rev21 with the one from rev19 (the last version known no to have the controller lag), and the lag disappeared.
Then, davebaol and xabby666 managed to modify the EHCI module from rev21 to fix the issue. They modified the code handling the watchdog preventing the hard drive to spin down (if you want more technical details, just look a bit further in this topic).

You can now easily build WADs for these modified cIOSes (v21d2x, for v21 davebaol/xabby666/XFlak), thanks to XFlak's ModMii 4.4.7.

4.4.7 Changelog
[*]Added cIOS249[XX]-v21d2x for IOSs with bases 37/38/56/57. cIOS249[56]-v21d2x
and cIOS250[57]-v21d2x are the new ModMii recommended cIOS 249 and 250.
Thanks to davebaol and xabby666 for working with me to create these cIOSs.

If you still encounter freezes ...

(especially with Guitar Hero : Warriors of Rock)

If you look carefully at this video (gh6_lag.mpg), the picture seems to be shortly freezing at 0'10 (focus on the grey background, it's easier to see it this way).
No matter the version of cIOSX rev21 you are using, here is the fix :
QUOTE(sock99 @ Jan 29 2011, 05:42 PM)

when I came to GH6 & played Burn it stuttered every 30 secs or so. However, I unplugged my Wi-fi & restarted the Wii and played the same track with no problems. So can you try with disconnecting your wi-fi & see if it's any better?

Thanks!

I'd like to thank davebaol, xabby666 and XFlak (of course!), but also Lacius, BBogey, oggzee, sock99 and every people here that have done some tests and reports, they were really helpful on the way to find the solution. Thanks a lot !

 

[egurgle]

Maybe old HBC 1.06 less without ios 58 (usb 2.0 support).
Im using rev20b base 56 and all is working great,,, no lag, nothing.
I mean HBC 1.08 + ios 58 cause i saw too many diference now compared to HBC 1.06 + ios 61.

 

[netspy]

Thanks for your answer. I'm using HBC v1.08 running with IOS58.

 

[Raul83]

U are right, like controller lag in zelda:tp(while running, link pauses every 10 seconds) and wii sports resort(motion input lags every 10 sec) too.

 

[chonka]

heres one for the rev20 controller issues. Cooking Mama - anytime you need to hold in a button it doesn't register properly if using rev20 (any base)

eg. try the recipe where you have to pick up a fish by holding in B button and dip it in the bowl of milk, you cant keep the fish held, it just keeps getting dropped. Using cios rev19 works fine

 

[nando]

so what do you guys think is more likely to happen/ or happen first? will waninkoko fix the rev20 issues are will hermes add sdhc support?

one problem i was having before that i haven't experienced in rev20 is in gh6 when there was a yellow sustain note, it would get released by itself. i thought it was my guitar, but that hasn't happend on rev20.

 

[justmike]

Hm. I think waninkoko and hermes need to work together lol.

I guess you can't fix the problem until those guys do. So, I guess it is a waiting game.

 

[netspy]

Thanks for all your answers. Wait and see seems to be the solution.

 

[Vamosi]

I too also have these exact problems.

rev20b base 56
HBC 1.08 ios 58
Configurable USB loader v60

The wiimotes also get the disconnect/interrupted error on the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 menu.

Just tried with base 57 and still having the same issue above also lags in Configurable USB loaders menu.

 

[Hermpie]

I discovered problems with my motion plus controller (original nintendo brand)
I upgraded my wii with CiosX rev 20
Installed NeoGamma R9 beta 41
Wii FW 4.2E
BootMii in Boot2

Now, when i load Wii Sports Resort, it seems to be working fine but after a few seconds it seems to be loosing track for a short moment.
and then it goes on working fine. I noticed this while playing basketball...

I never had these problems in rev 18.
I have tried another wii with a different controller and applied the same softmod (this time through pimp my wii)
and its giving the same problem.

If I use the original disc of WSR it is working fine.

Could someone tell me how to fix this issue?

 

[Hielkenator]

I discovered problems with my motion plus controller (original nintendo brand)
I upgraded my wii with CiosX rev 20
Installed NeoGamma R9 beta 41
Wii FW 4.2E
BootMii in Boot2

Now, when i load Wii Sports Resort, it seems to be working fine but after a few seconds it seems to be loosing track for a short moment.
and then it goes on working fine. I noticed this while playing basketball...

I never had these problems in rev 18.
I have tried another wii with a different controller and applied the same softmod (this time through pimp my wii)
and its giving the same problem.

If I use the original disc of WSR it is working fine.

Could someone tell me how to fix this issue?

Hmmm, Use "HERMES CIOS"..

 

[Hermpie]

hermes 222 ios fixed the lag!

thank you!!!

 

[Lacius]

I have noticed controller lag issues in Animal Crossing: City Folk (only when using the item menu) with IOS249 rev20b, and it does not seem to matter what base IOS I use. Using Hermes' IOS (5.1) fixes the problem.

 

[netspy]

The only problem with Hermes cIOS is that it is not compatible with SDHC cards. This is an issue when playing the latest Guitar Hero or Rock Band, all the imports and DLCs are stored on SDHC (a 2 Gb standard SD Card is not enough when you import tracks from previous GH and RB games).

 

[netspy]

(content of this post merged with 1st post)

 

[Pat123456789]

Hi,

you can add Western Digital MyPassport 500 GB usb3 and Western Digital Elements 500 GB to the list of the HDD with lag issue.

I've tried with Wario Land shake it and I heard a click from the hard drive exactly when the message appears.
Also, Trackmania is subject of controller lags at the beginning of a race.

I'm disappointed that I've recently bought the WD MyPassport in order to take the place of the WD element and to prevent the spin down issue...
maybe the third will be the good one ... but I prefer to wait.
(OT : hermes cIOS doesn't seam to work with my WD MyPassport)

Anyway, great topic !

 

[Lacius]

HDD with controller lag issue with cIOSX Rev20+
- Lacie Rikiki 500GB USB 3.0
- Seagate Expansion 500GB
- Western Digital My Passport 250 GB
- Western Digital Elements 2TB

HDD without controller lag issue with cIOSX Rev20+
- Western Digital My Book Essential Edition 500 GB USB 2.0 Desktop
- Western Digital 500GB My Book Premium ES Edition

You can add Western Digital My Book 1TB to the list of devices without controller lag. You can also add Western Digital My Book 2TB USB 3.0 to the list with controller lag.

 

[Pat123456789]

@ Lacius

Which version of the WD MyBook 1TB have you? (3.0 or essential?)
Because we can prevent the spin-down issue with the MyBook essential with the smartware software but not with the MyBook 3.0.
(The controller lags issue isn't related to the spin-down issue apparently)

 

[Lacius]

Which version of the WD MyBook 1TB have you? (3.0 or essential?)
Because we can prevent the spin-down issue with the MyBook essential with the smartware software but not with the MyBook 3.0.
(The controller lags issue isn't related to the spin-down issue apparently)

I'm think it's a MyBook Essential, but I left it at my parents' house so I can't be 100% sure.

 

[netspy]

Thanks a lot Pat and Lacius !
I just added your information to the list.