[Simon]

So I read that in order to reset the trackpad on a new PowerBook, you have to put your entire palm on it for 3-4 seconds and then slide it off.

Since I had some strange trackpad behavior I tried to follow the procedure on my 1.67 GHz 15" PowerBook. I didn't notice that the trackpad reset (how should you notice this?), but my thanks to MKConsole displaying among others my system.log file to my desktop, I immediately noticed that the system.log file was filling up. Take a look at this:

Code:
Mar 17 10:43:11 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c49, B:1, A:5c S:7d, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:11 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:11 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getVoltage i2c read config1 A:0x40 error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:12 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c4b, B:1, A:5c S:28, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:12 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:12 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getFanTach i2c read low A:0x28 error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:13 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c4d, B:1, A:5c S:2a, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:13 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:13 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getFanTach i2c read low A:0x2a error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:17 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c4f, B:1, A:5c S:7d, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:17 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:17 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getVoltage i2c read config1 A:0x40 error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:18 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c51, B:1, A:5c S:28, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:18 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:18 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getFanTach i2c read low A:0x28 error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:19 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c53, B:1, A:5c S:2a, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:19 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:19 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getFanTach i2c read low A:0x2a error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:23 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c55, B:1, A:5c S:7d, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:23 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:23 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getVoltage i2c read config1 A:0x40 error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:24 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c57, B:1, A:5c S:28, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:24 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:24 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getFanTach i2c read low A:0x28 error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:25 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c59, B:1, A:5c S:2a, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:25 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:25 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getFanTach i2c read low A:0x2a error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:29 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c5b, B:1, A:5c S:7d, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:29 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:29 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getVoltage i2c read config1 A:0x40 error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:30 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c5d, B:1, A:5c S:28, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:30 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:30 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getFanTach i2c read low A:0x28 error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:31 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c5f, B:1, A:5c S:2a, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:31 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:31 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getFanTach i2c read low A:0x2a error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:35 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c61, B:1, A:5c S:7d, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:35 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:35 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getVoltage i2c read config1 A:0x40 error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:36 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CController::clientReadI2C cmd key:19c63, B:1, A:5c S:28, L:1, M:3 status:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:36 80-219-193-231 kernel: -IOI2CController::clientReadI2C status = 0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:36 80-219-193-231 kernel: IOI2CADT746x@5c::getFanTach i2c read low A:0x28 error:0xe00002e9
Mar 17 10:43:36 80-219-193-231 shutdown: reboot by simon:

What is that? It wouldn't go away by trying to reset the trackpad again or by logging out. I had to actually reboot the machine.

What's the IOI2C controller? Any idea what this stuff is? Could it have something to do with my strange sleep light problem?

[Pierre B.]

Sorry to hear that you have such problems Simon. At least Apple acknowledged officially the issue and of course some poor souls are working right now to solve it. As to what it is, I have no idea.

[Dog Like Nature]

Information on I2C: http://www.semiconductors.philips.co...protocols/i2c/

A lot of the small pieces inside the PB are on an I2C bus.

[Simon]

Well, I took at a look at the busses on the new 15" PowerBook:
http://developer.apple.com/documenta...H206-TPXREF102

Indeed, the SMS is connected to a 'I2C' bus and I guess some other small stuff (thanks for that Philips link there!) like maybe fan, temperature, etc.

Anyway, looking at my error messages, it seems there is trouble reading back a voltage and then 'FanTach' why I suppose is short for fan tachometer, i.e. number of fan rpm.

What's the deal? Is this just software bugs that Apple needs to iron out (the I2C, trackpad and SMS design is new after all) or am I facing exceptional behavior here that would warrant a hardware replacement? I really don't want to send it in because I need it for work (especially now that I'm traveling quite a lot), but if part of the board has kicked the bucket, I want it fixed.

[Simon]

I think I've managed to narrow it down. It actually starts throwing all the error messages when it's in closed-lid mode and I open it. So, when I was testing the trackpad reset, it wasn't the reset that caused the errors, but the fact that I had just opened it after I had been using it in closed-lid mode.

Interesting. Since the opening of the latch has something to do with it, it looks more and more as if my not properly working sleep light is related to the bug...

[iREZ]

I hate to hear such horror stories that happen to the Apple faithful. Things like this this make second guess an upgrade in systems. Hope things work out Simon.

[Simon]

I really have no clue what's going on, but since I hope it's software, I sent Apple some bug report feedback -> http://www.apple.com/macosx/feedback

[Simon]

Is there really nobody else experiencing these problems?

If I'm the only one, I guess it's hardware.