ALPS input driver problem with DualPoint on Dell E6400/E6500

ALPS input driver problem with DualPoint on Dell E6400/E6500

[Matthew Chapman]

I have a Dell Latitude E6400 laptop with an ALPS touchpad/touchstick
combination, aka DualPoint.  Individually, the touchpad and touchstick
work fine.  However, if I accidentally touch both together, or use the
touchpad buttons while using the touchstick (or vice versa), things go
astray.  The pointer jumps around, stray mouse buttons are pressed, and
the driver typically loses sync:

[13333.661085] psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0
lost sync at byte 5
[13333.662353] psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0
lost sync at byte 1
[13333.669493] psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0 -
driver resynched.

To cut a long story short, it seems that in this case the ALPS device
sends a 9-byte packet format, with both a relative update and an
absolute update combined (why oh why...).  Has anyone else seen
something like this?


When I use just the touchstick and its buttons, the packets are normal
PS/2 relative mode packets, e.g.:

  08 01 00    dx=1 dy=0
  09 01 00    dx=1 dy=0   left T/S button down
  08 00 01    dx=0 dy=1   left T/S button up

When I use just the touchpad and its buttons, the packets look like
this, which also works fine with the current ALPS code:

  cf 27 1a 38 24 46   x=423 y=420 z=70 fin=1
  cf 2c 1a 39 1e 45   x=428 y=414 z=69 fin=1   left T/P button down
  cf 2f 1a 38 17 44   x=431 y=407 z=68 fin=1   left T/P button up

Let's say now I use the touchpad and press a touchstick button...

  cf 15 1a 38 5e 3d           x=405 y=478 z=61
  cf 19 1a 0f 00 00 39 56 3d  x=409 y=470 z=61  left T/P button down
           ^^^^^^^^
  cf 1d 1a 39 4e 3d           x=413 y=462 z=61

  cf 21 1a 0f 00 00 38 49 3f  x=417 y=456 z=63  left T/P button up
           ^^^^^^^^
  cf 21 1a 38 48 3e           x=417 y=455 z=62

Now let's try moving the touchstick also...

  cf 3d 12 3f fa fd 18 4c 21  dx=-6 dy=-3 x=317 y=204 z=33
           ^^^^^^^^
  38 fa fd                    dx=-6 dy=-3
  cf 3a 12 3f f9 fc 18 4c 20  dx=-7 dy=-4 x=314 y=204 z=32
           ^^^^^^^^
  38 fa fd                    dx=-6 dy=-3
  etc.

In other words, it seems like there's a relative update embedded right
in the middle of the absolute mode packet, which can be identified by
all the buttons being set to 1.

I can put together a patch, but it's a non-trivial change... I'm
interested in hearing whether anyone else has the same problem with
their E6400/E6500 or other DualPoint laptop, or has better ideas
regarding how to deal with this.

Matt

Re: ALPS input driver problem with DualPoint on Dell E6400/E6500

[Frederik Himpe]

On Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:48:28 +1100, Matthew Chapman wrote:

> I have a Dell Latitude E6400 laptop with an ALPS touchpad/touchstick
> combination, aka DualPoint.  Individually, the touchpad and touchstick
> work fine.  However, if I accidentally touch both together, or use the
> touchpad buttons while using the touchstick (or vice versa), things go
> astray.  The pointer jumps around, stray mouse buttons are pressed, and
> the driver typically loses sync:
> 
> [13333.661085] psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0
> lost sync at byte 5
> [13333.662353] psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0
> lost sync at byte 1
> [13333.669493] psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0 -
> driver resynched.
> 
> To cut a long story short, it seems that in this case the ALPS device
> sends a 9-byte packet format, with both a relative update and an
> absolute update combined (why oh why...).  Has anyone else seen
> something like this?

I can definitely confirm this problem, also on a Dell Latitutde E6400 with 
2.6.27 kernel.

dmesg contains errors like this:

psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0 lost sync at byte 6
psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0 - driver resynched.
psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0 lost sync at byte 5
psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0 lost sync at byte 1
psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0 - driver resynched.
psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0 lost sync at byte 5
psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0 lost sync at byte 6
psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0 lost sync at byte 3
psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0 lost sync at byte 3
psmouse.c: DualPoint TouchPad at isa0060/serio1/input0 lost sync at byte 3
psmouse.c: issuing reconnect request
input: PS/2 Generic Mouse as /class/input/input13

(Note also that this patch is still required to make this patch to make 
the synaptic driver recognize the touchpad:
http://lkml.org/lkml/2008/9/7/133 )

# cat /proc/bus/input/devices
I: Bus=0017 Vendor=0001 Product=0001 Version=0100
N: Name="Macintosh mouse button emulation"
P: Phys=
S: Sysfs=/class/input/input0
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=mouse0 event0 
B: EV=7
B: KEY=70000 0 0 0 0
B: REL=3

I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0001 Product=0001 Version=ab41
N: Name="AT Translated Set 2 keyboard"
P: Phys=isa0060/serio0/input0
S: Sysfs=/class/input/input1
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event1 
B: EV=120013
B: KEY=800000000000 0 0 500f02102002 380303cf810d001 feffffdfffefffff 
ffffffffffffffff
B: MSC=10
B: LED=7

I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0005 Version=0000
N: Name="Lid Switch"
P: Phys=PNP0C0D/button/input0
S: Sysfs=/class/input/input4
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=event4 
B: EV=21
B: SW=1

I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0001 Version=0000
N: Name="Power Button (CM)"
P: Phys=PNP0C0C/button/input0
S: Sysfs=/class/input/input5
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event5 
B: EV=3
B: KEY=10000000000000 0

I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0003 Version=0000
N: Name="Sleep Button (CM)"
P: Phys=PNP0C0E/button/input0
S: Sysfs=/class/input/input6
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event6 
B: EV=3
B: KEY=4000 0 0

I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0006 Version=0000
N: Name="Video Bus"
P: Phys=/video/input0
S: Sysfs=/class/input/input7
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event7 
B: EV=3
B: KEY=3f000b00000000 0 0 0

I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0006 Version=0000
N: Name="Video Bus"
P: Phys=/video/input0
S: Sysfs=/class/input/input8
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event8 
B: EV=3
B: KEY=3f000b00000000 0 0 0

I: Bus=0019 Vendor=0000 Product=0006 Version=0000
N: Name="Video Bus"
P: Phys=/video/input0
S: Sysfs=/class/input/input9
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event9 
B: EV=3
B: KEY=3f000b00000000 0 0 0

I: Bus=0003 Vendor=413c Product=8157 Version=0111
N: Name="HID 413c:8157"
P: Phys=usb-0000:00:1a.0-1.1/input0
S: Sysfs=/class/input/input10
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event10 
B: EV=120013
B: KEY=1000000000007 ff800000000007ff febeffdff3cfffff fffffffffffffffe
B: MSC=10
B: LED=7

I: Bus=0001 Vendor=111d Product=76b2 Version=0001
N: Name="HDA Digital PCBeep"
P: Phys=card0/codec#0/beep0
S: Sysfs=/class/input/input12
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event12 
B: EV=40001
B: SND=6

I: Bus=0011 Vendor=0002 Product=0001 Version=0000
N: Name="PS/2 Generic Mouse"
P: Phys=isa0060/serio1/input0
S: Sysfs=/class/input/input13
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=mouse1 event2 
B: EV=7
B: KEY=70000 0 0 0 0
B: REL=3


 
> When I use just the touchstick and its buttons, the packets are normal
> PS/2 relative mode packets, e.g.:
> 
>   08 01 00    dx=1 dy=0
>   09 01 00    dx=1 dy=0   left T/S button down 08 00 01    dx=0 dy=1  
>   left T/S button up
> 
> When I use just the touchpad and its buttons, the packets look like
> this, which also works fine with the current ALPS code:
> 
>   cf 27 1a 38 24 46   x=423 y=420 z=70 fin=1 cf 2c 1a 39 1e 45   x=428
>   y=414 z=69 fin=1   left T/P button down cf 2f 1a 38 17 44   x=431
>   y=407 z=68 fin=1   left T/P button up
> 
> Let's say now I use the touchpad and press a touchstick button...
> 
>   cf 15 1a 38 5e 3d           x=405 y=478 z=61 cf 19 1a 0f 00 00 39 56
>   3d  x=409 y=470 z=61  left T/P button down
>            ^^^^^^^^
>   cf 1d 1a 39 4e 3d           x=413 y=462 z=61
> 
>   cf 21 1a 0f 00 00 38 49 3f  x=417 y=456 z=63  left T/P button up
>            ^^^^^^^^
>   cf 21 1a 38 48 3e           x=417 y=455 z=62
> 
> Now let's try moving the touchstick also...
> 
>   cf 3d 12 3f fa fd 18 4c 21  dx=-6 dy=-3 x=317 y=204 z=33
>            ^^^^^^^^
>   38 fa fd                    dx=-6 dy=-3 cf 3a 12 3f f9 fc 18 4c 20 
>   dx=-7 dy=-4 x=314 y=204 z=32
>            ^^^^^^^^
>   38 fa fd                    dx=-6 dy=-3 etc.
> 
> In other words, it seems like there's a relative update embedded right
> in the middle of the absolute mode packet, which can be identified by
> all the buttons being set to 1.
> 
> I can put together a patch, but it's a non-trivial change... I'm
> interested in hearing whether anyone else has the same problem with
> their E6400/E6500 or other DualPoint laptop, or has better ideas
> regarding how to deal with this.

-- 
Frederik Himpe

Re: ALPS input driver problem with DualPoint on Dell E6400/E6500

[Alexander Hofbauer]

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Hi!

> I can put together a patch, but it's a non-trivial change... I'm
> interested in hearing whether anyone else has the same problem with
> their E6400/E6500 or other DualPoint laptop, or has better ideas
> regarding how to deal with this.

I'm facing the same problem here on my "Latitude E5500" and 2.6.27.7
with no found workarounds so far ("synclient TouchpadOff=0" works until
reset but doesn't avoid the touchpad getting reset eventually).


If there was a patch to test I'd be happy to do so :-).


Thank you,
Alex

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