1 Topic by stub (edited by stub 2021-12-28 01:08:26)

  • stub
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  • From: Colorado
  • Registered: 2021-12-26
  • Posts: 34

Topic: Fireface 800 not mounting in Mojave [SOLVED]

Fireface 800 connected to mid-2012 MBP with FW800 cable into FW800-to-TB adapter. Worked fine for years, but stopped recently. Red light, no host.

Tested FF800 with same cables (minus the FW800-to-TB adapter) with my older (2008) MBP and the FF800 works fine in that configuration.

Back on the 2012 MBP, the System Report/Software/Extensions/FirefaceAudioDriver shows:
Notarized, but not loaded
Obtained from: Identified Developer
Loadable: Yes
Dependencies: Satisfied

The System Report/Hardware/Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt Bus/Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter shows:
Status: Device connected
Link Status: Ox2
Speed: Up to 10 Gb/s x1
Port Micro Firmware Version: 0.0.17

Other stuff I tried:
disk first aid (there were some errors in the fsroot tree that were corrected, after several attempts).
safe boot, then regular boot
reinstalled driver
installed previous version of driver, tried it, then reinstalled latest driver, tried again
I never got the "allow" option, perhaps because it is an identified developer.
rebuild launch services
reset PRAM
reset SMC
tested on older MBP-- it DID work when I connected to the older MBP's FW800 port,
      but it did NOT work using FW-to-TB adapter into the TB port

At first it was intermittent, where FF800 showed up randomly once or twice. But since I started troubleshooting it properly, I haven't had it show up.

If it is hardware, I suppose it could either be the FW800-to-TB adapter, or the MBP's TB port?
If it is software, it may be more difficult to identify, because it was working, then something made it stop working.

Again, the FF800 and cables (apart from the FW/TB adapter) are known working.

Any ideas?

Performer, Teacher, Composer

2 Reply by stub (edited by stub 2021-12-28 04:55:31)

  • stub
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  • From: Colorado
  • Registered: 2021-12-26
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Re: Fireface 800 not mounting in Mojave [SOLVED]

I testing both TB ports using a display, (both ports working), which narrowed down to the Apple FW to TB adapter.

Just got a new one and it worked right away.

It was a 7-year old adapter. No idea why it failed. The Apple employee smiled when I asked if I could exchange it, and even explained that after this long it wasn't under warranty.  "Yea, I know. I was just thinking, you know, $30 adapter..."

Performer, Teacher, Composer