Precision 5530 and TB16 dock - mouse and keyboard freeze

Almost too good to be true,

There is a whole bunch of upgrades bundled in the late TB16 docking station upgrade (as of this morning, see this link), which includes upgrades for the ASMedia USB Controller, and apparently also for the Dell Power Management app (Use the Dell Command | Update afterwards for additional upgrades). As it is of this moment, I am no longer experiencing any of the above mentioned issues.

I'll try  new drivers soon, just before that - one report from fight with monitors. Accidently I've spotted that my display ports monitors are using reduced color depth... I started to investigate and found this thread: https://forums.intel.com/s/question/0D50P0000490Tl9SAE/solved-intelr-hd-graphics-630-6bit-color-windows-10-1803?language=en_US

My guess is that there is an issue in intel's display port drivers and disabling monitors and lower color depth may be related. Now I have deleted Intel driver and work on default windows one - at least there is no issue with color depth. I will check disabling of displays during the day, but I recall that at the beginning I also used to work without intel driver and I didn't experience such problems.

Looks like Intel already have fixed the issue, but again we should wait for dell to make new drivers available.... until then I will stick to basic drivers.

@AspCom do you have c-states enabled, or have you enabled them after firmware update?

---

@AspCom wrote:

I agree it's great to find a working solution, but I'm quite disapointed in the overall design of what is supposed to be a top of the line product, an issue which has obviosuly been marked solved earlier by Dell addressing a BIOS update in 2016 is continuosly re-appearing, latest in in the fourth quarter of 2018 on TB16/XPS models, and noticably on every single one of them, not just a subset of installations. And the solution is to turn off the powersaving CPU C states in BIOS when using USB solutions?

To me, this solution sounds a bit like asking someone to bypass all the fuses, because the fuse-box is malfunctioning. Not an acceptable solution at all. I will expect Dell to address and fix this issue.

---

I have a 7530+TB18DC dock, and have the same issues. Mouse and keyboard often hangs. Turning off CPU C states in BIOS made it more useable (but waking up from sleep is still a problem). Once it is working, it works, but if the system enters to sleep, the problem is back, I have to plug-unplug the dock.

I am quite disappointed that we spend all these expensive amounts on Precision laptops, and then again hundreds of Euros for the docks, and then they still don't work, and we have to turn off features that are supposed to work.

The workaround that I found is to plug the USB hubs directly to the laptop, but then there is no real reason to use the Dell dock anymore.

The latest update (As of January 3rd 2019) seems to address the USB issues and Display not waking from hibernation, at least when combined with my Dell XPS 9570 (Core i9 version).

However, the latest UHD 630 Graphics drivers, have introduced a new problem, which may seem like refresh-rate issues, feeling exactly like the system lacks power to process images, even when hardly using graphics at all.

Forcing an earlier ghraphics card installation (version 23.20.16.5017, A02 from 10 Jul 2018) has fixed the issue. (See https://www.dell.com/support/home/uk/en/ukbsdt1/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=myk8d )

Update: Didn't solve anything, at least not when playing fullscreen videos, however system does seem to run a bit more smoothly.

Again, I'm still frustrated over the fact, that Dell is unable to provide sufficient Q/A on a high-end product such as this one.

Please look at your current setting of USB Wake Support... If disabled in BIOS, enable it.

I'm not having a problem putting the 7730 to sleep, and waking it by pressing on the power switch on the dock. I am able to use the mouse and keyboard (which are both plugged into the front of the dock).

Update: this was true, when I was putting the unit to sleep and waking it with one dock at home. However, I bring the laptop to work (connect to my TB18DC dock there), then back home (connect to my other TB18DC dock there) and cannot get the home dock to recognize the keyboard and mouse plugged into the front of the dock, and 2oo3 displays are blank.

Yes, I have two docks, one supplied by my employer, and one I purchased myself for use at home.

The system (laptop and dock) seems to be having difficulty "remembering" configurations, -and/or- enumerating devices plugged into the dock, and/or possibly the unit is having difficulty approving connected devices. 

I should be able to bring it to work and use one TB18DC dock, and bring it home and use another TB18DC dock without doing anything special.

It should just work.

Its great to read that others are having the same issues.

Whenever you speak to Dell, its never a known problem or its a driver or something else.. actually, my view on this is it is a total screw up by Dell on their docks.  Ever since moving to their C docks I've seen nothing but hassle.

The TB16 especially, is an overpriced lump of **bleep**.

I will try this C setting, so thank you.

And Dell.. if you are reading which we know you are, stop hiding behind rubbish support and admit you got these things wrong and sort it out.

As for myself, I have sent the TB18DC back for a refund. I think it is a waste of time for two reasons:

1. Apparently it doesn't work. I'm not sure it is an issue with Dell, it can be the technology is buggy as it is.

2. Even if it works as it is supposed to work, I don't have 20 seconds of my life to wait for the screen to turn on after sleep.

I can't believe Intel released this technology like this. Finally we reached an era when Windows 10 PCs boot up in a few seconds, and they turn on instantly after sleep. And here it comes Intel, who sets back everything to a super slow and sluggish wake up from sleep.

experienced the same issue with a G5 5587 and two different usb-c hubs (one of the them a dell WD15). mouse and keyboard work well when connected to laptop, but experience lag when plugged in to the hub.

Disabling C-states makes it work. thanks.

"Try disabling "C" states in the computer's BIOS."

Worked for me.  I have Dell pro support looking into fixing this.

I have and still am interacting with Dell Pro support and they helped out.

I have 3 issues:

•  Mouse & Keyboard freeze when C-states are on and peripherals are connected via USB via the TB16
•  External displays connected via DP only have 6 bit color
•  BSOD when connecting the dock, after having updated the ASMedia Hub Controller drivers. They gave me drivers and firmware to update for dock and hub and the issues with C-States and BSOD hav ebeen fixed.

So I advise all of you to try the same steps:

•  Update BIOS to latest (at this moment it's 1.7.0) - https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/drivers/driversdetails?driverId=KT0JM&osCode=WT64A&productCode=precision-15-5530-laptop&dgc=SM&cid=546&lid=spr2087167046&linkId=62540191
•  Update the dock firmware using this link that Dell Pro Support provided: https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/drivers/driversdetails?driverId=7TJ1H&osCode=WT64A&productCode=dell-thunderbolt-dock-tb16 Then you should be able to update all other drivers using Dell Command Update and re-enable Processor C-States and all should be well.