This question got me thinking, the OP was wondering about how to "bring back" Leonardo boards connected to a Raspberry Pi via USB. The Leonardos would occasionally drop off line and could not be brought back by resetting the board.

So I got curious and hooked a Uno up to a Pi via USB and started poking around. I had the idea that perhaps resetting the 16U2 would do the trick. It does not. After resetting the 16U2 (by grounding the reset pin in the ICSP connector). This is what I see in the kernel log on the Pi:

[ 6277.570058] usb 1-1.3: USB disconnect, device number 11
[ 6278.576503] usb 1-1.3: new full-speed USB device number 12 using dwc_otg
[ 6278.684793] usb 1-1.3: New USB device found, idVendor=03eb, idProduct=2fef
[ 6278.684823] usb 1-1.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=1, SerialNumber=0
[ 6278.684841] usb 1-1.3: Product: ATmega16U2 DFU

As opposed to this:

[ 6325.960510] usb 1-1.3: USB disconnect, device number 12
[ 6329.267003] usb 1-1.3: new full-speed USB device number 13 using dwc_otg
[ 6329.382675] usb 1-1.3: New USB device found, idVendor=2a03, idProduct=0043
[ 6329.382703] usb 1-1.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=220
[ 6329.382720] usb 1-1.3: Product: Arduino Uno
[ 6329.382736] usb 1-1.3: Manufacturer: Arduino Srl 
[ 6329.382753] usb 1-1.3: SerialNumber: 75431343334351F061E2
[ 6329.384088] cdc_acm 1-1.3:1.0: ttyACM0: USB ACM device

Which is what I see if I unplug and replug the USB cable.

I'd like to know what happens differently during a 16U2 reset vs. an unplug/replug cycle.

I'd also like to know if there is a way to simulate unplugging and replugging the USB cable. The 16U2 reset comes close (the Pi notices that something happened), but it would be nice if there were a way that either code on the Uno or on the Pi could "wake up" a down USB link.

This question got me thinking, the OP was wondering about how to "bring back" Leonardo boards connected to a Raspberry Pi via USB. The Leonardos would occasionally drop off line and could not be brought back by resetting the board.

So I got curious and hooked a Uno up to a Pi via USB and started poking around. I had the idea that perhaps resetting the 16U2 would do the trick. It does not. After resetting the 16U2 (by grounding the reset pin in the ICSP connector). This is what I see in the kernel log on the Pi:

[ 6277.570058] usb 1-1.3: USB disconnect, device number 11
[ 6278.576503] usb 1-1.3: new full-speed USB device number 12 using dwc_otg
[ 6278.684793] usb 1-1.3: New USB device found, idVendor=03eb, idProduct=2fef
[ 6278.684823] usb 1-1.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=1, SerialNumber=0
[ 6278.684841] usb 1-1.3: Product: ATmega16U2 DFU

As opposed to this:

[ 6325.960510] usb 1-1.3: USB disconnect, device number 12
[ 6329.267003] usb 1-1.3: new full-speed USB device number 13 using dwc_otg
[ 6329.382675] usb 1-1.3: New USB device found, idVendor=2a03, idProduct=0043
[ 6329.382703] usb 1-1.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=220
[ 6329.382720] usb 1-1.3: Product: Arduino Uno
[ 6329.382736] usb 1-1.3: Manufacturer: Arduino Srl 
[ 6329.382753] usb 1-1.3: SerialNumber: 75431343334351F061E2
[ 6329.384088] cdc_acm 1-1.3:1.0: ttyACM0: USB ACM device

Which is what I see if I unplug and replug the USB cable.

I'd like to know what happens differently during a 16U2 reset vs. an unplug/replug cycle.

I'd also like to know if there is a way to simulate unplugging and replugging the USB cable. The 16U2 reset comes close (the Pi notices that something happened), but it would be nice if there were a way that either code on the Uno or on the Pi could "wake up" a down USB link.