Problems with station communication: USB locks up completely

[ws2080jo]

yes steve I know but just wanted to post the new message when station in faulty, thanks for your support

[Pete Dowson]

I am using Cumulus with what I think is a WS1080 (Maplin origin). In fact I have two, both receiving data from the same set of sensors (I bought another in a half price sale so I would have spare sensors).

Since I've been using Cumulus I've had two lockups on the USB reception -- one on each unit. And BOTH have been when the memory is full or certainly very nearly so (with the circular measure bottom right showing all black). Clearing the memory with EasyWeather, or simply removing and replacing the batteries fixes it. Luckily, having two units, I swap over the one connected to Cumulus before resetting the locked-up one, so I lose no data, only having to restore the date/time/pressure settings on the locked up unit if it is a battery removal.

My conclusion is that, at least one of the causes of lockups (and the only one in my case) is the full or nealy full memory in the unit. Maybe that wrecks the 55 AA lead-in that Cumulus is looking for -- next time it happens I'll run a USB monitor to see whether it gets any data and if so what it is. I'm used to checking USB data in order to implement assorted drivers for Flight Sim attachments.

So, a suggestion: can Cumulus please have an option to clear the memory of entries once they are safely read and stored, or at least on a regular basis -- say once a week or fortnight? I feel reasonably confident that such an action would help avoid many of these lockups once and for all.

Thanks you & Best Regards

Pete Dowson

[steve]

There is no mechanism for clearing the memory. All that the Easyweather action does is to reset the indicator on the display. If you can connect to the station using Easyweather, you do not have the 'USB lockup' problem, because when that occurs, EW cannot communicate with the station either. The 55 AA memory values are similarly not related to the USB lockup problem; Cumulus cannot read those values when the USB lockup problem occurs.

Perhaps whatever problem you are having is fixed by letting EW talk to the station - some people have experienced that before. Unfortunately I do not know what it is that EW apparently does to the station to make Cumulus able to talk to it again.

[Pete Dowson]

There is no mechanism for clearing the memory. All that the Easyweather action does is to reset the indicator on the display. If you can connect to the station using Easyweather, you do not have the 'USB lockup' problem, because when that occurs, EW cannot communicate with the station either. The 55 AA memory values are similarly not related to the USB lockup problem; Cumulus cannot read those values when the USB lockup problem occurs.

Perhaps whatever problem you are having is fixed by letting EW talk to the station - some people have experienced that before. Unfortunately I do not know what it is that EW apparently does to the station to make Cumulus able to talk to it again.

Well as it only occurs when the INDICATOR is showing full, or nearly full, I shall wait till that is so again, and be prepared with a USB monitor program to see what ensues. Maybe it is related more to the handling of that memory graphic than actual memory content, or maybe resetting the memory graphic resets the "next data goes here" pointer whereas just letting it wrap around corrupts something.

I've no doubt it's likely to be a WS1080 firmware bug, but the likelihood of getting that fixed is negligible. If resetting the graphic might help, then let's try that. It might be clutching at straws, but what alternative do you currently propose?

Pete

[steve]

maybe resetting the memory graphic resets the "next data goes here" pointer

As I said, it just resets the display, it doesn't change the current data pointer. Not in any of the cases I've seen so far, anyway.

If resetting the graphic might help, then let's try that. It might be clutching at straws, but what alternative do you currently propose?

I don't have an alternative. I've spent many hours and written a huge amount of code trying to work around the problems with these stations already, and to be honest I'm a bit fed up with people complaining to me about the issues with their stations. As far as I am aware, the USB lockup problem as described in this thread is virtually eliminated by the 'synchronisation' option.

I don't know how to reset the memory display from Cumulus; if you want me to consider adding it to a future version of Cumulus, you'll have to tell me how to do it. Presumably your USB monitor will enable you to do that?

[Pete Dowson]

I'm a bit fed up with people complaining to me about the issues with their stations.

Oh, I am sorry. It was my first post here. and it'll be my last. My friend said you were a nice helpful sort, so much so, he said, that I should contribute, so I did. I really didn't expect to be shown the door so quickly. I try not to do that in my FSUIPC / WideFS support forum (though I too can get irritable at times).

But before I leave you in peace, would you so so kind as to point me to where I find this answer?

... virtually eliminated by the 'synchronisation' option.

I assume it is somewhere in this thread? I did start reading through, but it is 27 pages long and I was exhausted way before the end!

Pete

P.S. If you did ever want to pursue things another time I can certainly work out what EasyWeather does if it might be useful.

[jim-easterbrook]

Well as it only occurs when the INDICATOR is showing full, or nearly full, I shall wait till that is so again, and be prepared with a USB monitor program to see what ensues.

Alternatively, you could just manually clear the memory indicator every time it's half full, then according to your theory you won't get another lockup. I've had a lockup within three days of resetting the station, when the indicator was nowhere near half full though.

[steve]

Oh, I am sorry. It was my first post here. and it'll be my last. My friend said you were a nice helpful sort, so much so, he said, that I should contribute, so I did. I really didn't expect to be shown the door so quickly. I try not to do that in my FSUIPC / WideFS support forum (though I too can get irritable at times).

Who showed you the door? Look, I don't know how much of your time you spend on FSUIPC, or how much you make from it, but as I understand it, it's a very popular commercial product. Cumulus is free (and I don't get a large number of donations compared to the effort I put in), and I spend a huge amount of my time on it - virtually the same as my full time day job - and I reckon the support I give is pretty damn good (I'm not sure how many other products' support have a typical response time of a few minutes, commercial or otherwise - my response to you took rather longer than usual as I have unusually been out all day), and I reckon I am pretty damn patient most of the time, considering what I have to put with. I think I can be forgiven for getting a little irritated at times with some people, all things considered. You are free to disagree.

But before I leave you in peace, would you so so kind as to point me to where I find this answer?

... virtually eliminated by the 'synchronisation' option.

It's the "Synchronise Fine Offset Reads" setting on the station settings screen.

I assume it is somewhere in this thread? I did start reading through, but it is 27 pages long and I was exhausted way before the end!

The problem with this thread is that despite my plea in the first post, it has been used for posting about all kinds of other problems, so it is significantly longer than it would be otherwise.

P.S. If you did ever want to pursue things another time I can certainly work out what EasyWeather does if it might be useful.

Well, I have already said that if you tell me how to do it I would consider adding it. I'll leave it up to you. I'd need convincing that resetting the memory indicator really does help; others have had this theory in the past and then come to realise it was a coincidence.

I'll refund your donation. Sorry you didn't get what you were expecting.

[Pete Dowson]

It's the "Synchronise Fine Offset Reads" setting on the station settings screen.

Oh, no help then. I've always had that set.

I'll refund your donation. Sorry you didn't get what you were expecting.

No, the donation is for the software, which I'm continuing to use. It isn't for support. It seems I really don't need or can't use further support in any case, I've just got to reset my station every now and then -- so far, in months, only when the memory indicator shows full. Just a coincidence? Maybe. But i won't bother you again as there's evidently no solution with these very cheap stations.

Pete

[steve]

This thread is now closed.

A solution has been implemented in Cumulus for the problem, see the first post in this thread. The solution is a setting in Cumulus which makes Cumulus work around the problem in the station, so that it rarely occurs. If the solution has no effect at all on your problem, you do not have the problem described in this thread.