Apple magic trackpad continuously disconnects

Hi

I have an old Apple magic trackpad (version 1) which I am able to connect via bluetooth, but somehow it keeps disconnecting and reconnecting an insane amount of time that it renders it essentially unusable.

Every few minutes this happens, and it takes about 15 seconds or so to reconnect.

Here is some info about my system. Other relevant info is that I do not have a power saving/manager installed (like tlp), and by looking at sudo powertop I see that some devices have enabled the autosuspend, other don’t. Not sure how to continue from here. All the info I found online is pretty old (as it the trackpad), and mostly for ubuntu 16 or so. By the way, it’s not the batteries, as I just changed them.

Any help is appreciated.

Cheers.

11:03:39 ⟩ inxi -Fazy
System:
  Kernel: 6.3.6-arch1-1 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.1.1
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux
    root=UUID=31d343cb-35ae-43f2-8b80-8a6576332235 rw rootflags=subvol=@
    loglevel=3 nowatchdog nvme_load=YES
  Desktop: GNOME v: 44.2 tk: GTK v: 3.24.38 wm: gnome-shell dm: GDM v: 44.1
    Distro: EndeavourOS base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: ASRock model: X300M-STX serial: <superuser required>
    UEFI: American Megatrends v: P1.40 date: 08/04/2020
Battery:
  Device-1: hid-d0:a6:37:f3:ca:bf-battery model: Trackpad de Oriana Brea
    serial: N/A charge: N/A status: discharging
CPU:
  Info: model: AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750G with Radeon Graphics bits: 64 type: MT MCP
    arch: Zen 2 gen: 3 level: v3 note: check built: 2020-22
    process: TSMC n7 (7nm) family: 0x17 (23) model-id: 0x60 (96) stepping: 1
    microcode: 0x8600103
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 8 tpc: 2 threads: 16 smt: enabled cache:
    L1: 512 KiB desc: d-8x32 KiB; i-8x32 KiB L2: 4 MiB desc: 8x512 KiB L3: 8 MiB
    desc: 2x4 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1762 high: 3600 min/max: 1400/4454 boost: enabled
    scaling: driver: acpi-cpufreq governor: schedutil cores: 1: 3033 2: 1400
    3: 1354 4: 3600 5: 1400 6: 1400 7: 1400 8: 1400 9: 1400 10: 1400 11: 1363
    12: 3453 13: 1400 14: 1400 15: 1400 16: 1400 bogomips: 115038
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: itlb_multihit status: Not affected
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed mitigation: untrained return thunk; SMT enabled with STIBP
    protection
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
    prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
    sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines, IBPB: conditional, STIBP:
    always-on, RSB filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD Renoir driver: amdgpu v: kernel arch: GCN-5 code: Vega
    process: GF 14nm built: 2017-20 pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16
    link-max: gen: 4 speed: 16 GT/s ports: active: DP-1,HDMI-A-1 empty: DP-2
    bus-ID: 04:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:1636 class-ID: 0300 temp: 35.0 C
  Device-2: Logitech HD Webcam C525 driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo type: USB
    rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-1:2 chip-ID: 046d:0826
    class-ID: 0e02 serial: <filter>
  Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.8 with: Xwayland v: 23.1.2
    compositor: gnome-shell driver: X: loaded: amdgpu
    unloaded: modesetting,radeon alternate: fbdev,vesa dri: radeonsi
    gpu: amdgpu display-ID: 0
  Monitor-1: DP-1 model: Samsung S24E650 serial: <filter> built: 2015
    res: 1920x1200 dpi: 94 gamma: 1.2 size: 518x324mm (20.39x12.76")
    diag: 611mm (24.1") ratio: 16:10 modes: max: 1920x1200 min: 640x480
  Monitor-2: HDMI-A-1 model: Samsung S24E650 serial: <filter> built: 2016
    res: 1920x1200 dpi: 94 gamma: 1.2 size: 518x324mm (20.39x12.76")
    diag: 611mm (24.1") ratio: 16:10 modes: max: 1920x1200 min: 640x480
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 23.1.1 renderer: AMD Radeon Graphics (renoir LLVM
    15.0.7 DRM 3.52 6.3.6-arch1-1) direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: AMD Renoir Radeon High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 link-max: gen: 4
    speed: 16 GT/s bus-ID: 04:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:1637 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD Family 17h/19h HD Audio vendor: ASRock driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 link-max: gen: 4
    speed: 16 GT/s bus-ID: 04:00.6 chip-ID: 1022:15e3 class-ID: 0403
  Device-3: Logitech HD Webcam C525 driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo type: USB
    rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-1:2 chip-ID: 046d:0826
    class-ID: 0e02 serial: <filter>
  API: ALSA v: k6.3.6-arch1-1 status: kernel-api
    tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.71 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168NGW [Stone Peak] driver: iwlwifi
    v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 02:00.0
    chip-ID: 8086:24fb class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
    vendor: ASRock driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1
    port: f000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp3s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel Wireless-AC 3168 Bluetooth driver: btusb v: 0.8 type: USB
    rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 1.1 bus-ID: 3-2.1:4 chip-ID: 8087:0aa7
    class-ID: e001
  Report: rfkill ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: up address: see --recommends
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 238.47 GiB used: 136.77 GiB (57.4%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Toshiba model: THNSN5256GPUK
    NVMe 256GB size: 238.47 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B
    speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 tech: SSD serial: <filter> fw-rev: 5KDA4101
    temp: 50.9 C scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 238.17 GiB size: 238.17 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 130.94 GiB (55.0%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 300 MiB size: 299.4 MiB (99.80%)
    used: 908 KiB (0.3%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 maj-min: 259:1
  ID-3: /home raw-size: 238.17 GiB size: 238.17 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 130.94 GiB (55.0%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
  ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 238.17 GiB size: 238.17 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 130.94 GiB (55.0%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
Swap:
  Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 43.2 C mobo: N/A gpu: amdgpu temp: 35.0 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 383 Uptime: 1h 23m wakeups: 3 Memory: available: 13.55 GiB
  used: 5.42 GiB (40.0%) Init: systemd v: 253 default: graphical
  tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 13.1.1 clang: 15.0.7 Packages: pm: pacman
  pkgs: 1620 libs: 294 tools: pamac,yay Shell: Zsh v: 5.9 running-in: tilix
  inxi: 3.3.27

Since its old it could just be dying. Maybe time to replace it

Works fine in mac OS though…

Then get more specific with details We can’t help you if you withhold information.

Which information do you still miss that was not part of my original post?

I have a similar situation as described in this post:

If I keep open bluetoothctl when the issue happens, I also see the series of

[CHG] Device 34:88:5D:B3:C2:64 Connected: yes
[CHG] Device 34:88:5D:B3:C2:64 Connected: no
[CHG] Device 34:88:5D:B3:C2:64 Connected: yes
[CHG] Device 34:88:5D:B3:C2:64 Connected: no
[CHG] Device 34:88:5D:B3:C2:64 Connected: yes
[CHG] Device 34:88:5D:B3:C2:64 Connected: no
[CHG] Device 34:88:5D:B3:C2:64 Connected: yes
[CHG] Device 34:88:5D:B3:C2:64 Connected: no
[CHG] Device 34:88:5D:B3:C2:64 Connected: yes
[CHG] Device 34:88:5D:B3:C2:64 Connected: no

whenever the trackpad disconnects and reconnect. I tried to follow the solution shown in that manjaro post without luck.

Any other idea of what it could be?

Thanks for your help!

What happens if you delete the trackpad from BT known devices (paired earlier), and reboot, then pair it again?

I just tried, and the problem persists:

12:00:27 ⟩ bluetoothctl 
Agent registered
[CHG] Controller 40:EC:99:52:EE:A9 Pairable: yes
[CHG] Device D0:A6:37:F3:CA:BF Connected: no
[CHG] Device D0:A6:37:F3:CA:BF Connected: yes
[CHG] Device D0:A6:37:F3:CA:BF Connected: no
[CHG] Device D0:A6:37:F3:CA:BF Connected: yes
[CHG] Device D0:A6:37:F3:CA:BF Connected: no
[CHG] Device D0:A6:37:F3:CA:BF Connected: yes
[Apple Magic Trackpad]# 

It already happened a few times. :confused: