Virtual VP missing data recovery?

[silverview]

I'm running Cumulus 1.8.9 build 913 with Virtual VP on computer with Windows Vista. Davis VP2 with a USB data logger. I have also experienced the problem where Cumulus won't recover the data from the data logger after it has been shut down and then started again. While on vacation away from home this past week, my weather computer restarted after a Windows update, but I didn't have things set up so Virtual VP and Cumulus would restart. When I got home four days after the problem occurred, Cumulus picked up from where I started it today, but won't load all the data that is still in the logger for the past four days. I would really like to get this data into Cumulus. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to reconfigure everything so I can run Cumulus without Virtual VP. I was hoping to run it via USB, recover the data, then return to using Virtual VP. Any help on what I should do to get the missing data from the data logger into Cumulus would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[DaveNZ]

Hi, I am also running Cumulus through VirtualVP (VVP), with a Davis VP2 USB logger. When the computer gets shut off, I open VVP first, and it will download the data from the logger. Then I open Cumulus and it will download it's data from VVP. Always works without fail for me. Have you tried this already?

Those automatic Windows updates/restarts sure are pesky, you should change the settings in Windows Update to "Download updates but let me choose whether to install them" (I'm running windows 7 so it may be a little different)

[TNETWeather]

.. but won't load all the data that is still in the logger for the past four days. I would really like to get this data into Cumulus.
Thanks.

Depending on your logging interval, there may not be data going back 4 days.

I would highly suggest turning off automatic windows updates. have it set to notify you when there are update to do, but I normally do them Wed or Thur manually to prevent restarts when I don't expect it.

I also use Startwatch which starts up my weather and weather related apps in an organized startup so that everything restarts after a reboot.

[steve]

There is also a known issue where VirtualVP sometimes doesn't return the logger data which Cumulus asks for - this is presumably the problem you are referring to?

You can't get Cumulus to drive the station directly via USB. There is a known issue (unacknowledged by Davis) where the USB support in the Davis DLL which Cumulus uses is broken. You will have to drive it in serial mode using the CP210X usb/serial driver.

[silverview]

"Hi, I am also running Cumulus through VirtualVP (VVP), with a Davis VP2 USB logger. When the computer gets shut off, I open VVP first, and it will download the data from the logger. Then I open Cumulus and it will download it's data from VVP. Always works without fail for me. Have you tried this already?"

DaveNZ, this doesn't work for me, that is the problem. A few other people here have the same issue.


"Depending on your logging interval, there may not be data going back 4 days."

My archive interval is set for 5 minutes, so the information should still be there if I can figure out how to get connected to it.


"There is also a known issue where VirtualVP sometimes doesn't return the logger data which Cumulus asks for - this is presumably the problem you are referring to?"

Yep, that's the problem.


"You will have to drive it in serial mode using the CP210X usb/serial driver."

Steve, for some reason I can't get Cumulus to connect that way. I get the 32701 error when trying to connect via serial without Virtual VP. I must be forgetting to undo some setting that I changed in order to use VVP and Weatherlink.

[steve]

Steve, for some reason I can't get Cumulus to connect that way. I get the 32701 error when trying to connect via serial without Virtual VP. I must be forgetting to undo some setting that I changed in order to use VVP and Weatherlink.

I think that when you have driven the station is USB mode, it can't be used in serial mode (it gets set to something called "USB Express" mode). I think the only way to get it into serial mode is to run Weatherlink, and set that to serial mode. It's a pain that you have to do this, but there's nothing I can do, as both problems are down to other software. There's a new version of the Davis DLL available, which I will be switching to at some point. It's possible that the USB support will work in this, which would at least be an improvement.

[silverview]

I think that when you have driven the station is USB mode, it can't be used in serial mode (it gets set to something called "USB Express" mode). I think the only way to get it into serial mode is to run Weatherlink, and set that to serial mode. It's a pain that you have to do this, but there's nothing I can do, as both problems are down to other software.

Thanks Steve. I'll try making the changes in Weatherlink first. I knew data logger issue was caused by other software, that's why I hadn't bothered to mention it before. I'm just trying to change the appropriate settings to get the information before it is overwritten. All this and an Easter egg hunt too!

[silverview]

Okay, I've managed to get Cumulus to connect via serial setting without using VVP. Cumulus has been gathering data on and off for the last 24 hours. Now I would like to get it to go back and load everything in the data logger since Mar 31 when the problem initially occurred. What files do I need to edit so it will go back to that date? I've restarted Cumulus too many times to have a back up from that date.

Thanks.

[steve]

Stop Cumulus and edit today.ini. In there is a line "Timestamp=...". Set this to the date and time (probably best to go back to 00:01 if possible, i.e. the start of a full day) that you want to download data from, and start Cumulus. Note that it doesn't do any intelligent merging of data, it will just add it on to the end of any existing files, so you may want to delete the April log and trim back the March log and dayfile.txt appropriately.

[silverview]

Excellent! I have recovered all the data back to the point of failure. Thank you very much for your help.