USB Device Disconnects and Reconnects Periodically on Windows PC

Issue Details

• My device connected via USB is continuously disconnecting and reconnecting to my Windows PC. How do I stop this from happening?
• My DAQ or RIO device does not show as connected in NI MAX (Measurement and Automation Explorer) after my computer wakes up from being suspended or sleeping.
• LabVIEW does not show my USB device ports after my computer goes to sleep.
• I receive Error -50808 when using a USB device in LabVIEW with DAQmx.
• I'm running a LabVIEW and DAQmx data acquisition application on a remote machine, using Windows Remote Desktop Connection. When I disconnect from the machine, the LabVIEW application stops acquiring data until I log into the remote machine again.

Solution

This may occur due to a Windows setting called USB selective suspend. By default, this setting is enabled. When enabled, it cuts power to idle USB devices in order to conserve power. 

This setting can be disabled through Performance Settings as follows:

1. Go to Power Options via: All Control Panel Items » Power Options » Edit Plan Settings 
    
   
    
2. Select Change advanced power settings
3. Expand the USB Settings tab and disable USB selective suspend settings 
    
   

Alternatively, this can be the result of an incorrectly grounded device that can result in the device going out of specification, causing your computer to lose connection to the device. To solve this issue ground all inputs to the device as described in the Field Wiring and Noise Considerations for Analog Signals .
 

Additional Information

• Always try rebooting your computer before having to reinstall the DAQmx drivers.
• USB 3.0 ports seem to be unaffected by this setting, so using a USB 3.0 port may be a viable solution as well.
• This feature was added in Windows XP and is present in later versions of the operating system (Windows Vista, 7, 10, etc.). You can find more information about this feature from Microsoft Hardware Help.
• Avoid using USB hubs as based on Using USB Based DAQ Devices on a Bus-Powered Hub, NI recommends against using USB hubs, as the specifications all vary with each manufacturer. 
• If using USB hubs, ensure that USB hubs type is tally with the USB Bus Interface. As example, USB-6008 supports USB 2.0 not USB 3.0.