Cumulus Support

gemini06720 wrote:Sorry for having used the wrong first name - I do not know why I had the 'Pierre' name in mind ... not that I know that many Pierre and the few Pierre that might live on the west coast of Canada are usually called Peter...

OK, Gilles, so that we understand each others...

Under which operating system are you going to use Davis Vantage Pro2 weather station and the WeatherLink USB.

After searching the Davis products pages (and all the Davis documentation I have downloaded from their site) I found the WeatherLink USB adaptor/logger can/sould be used under any operating software/system - it is just an adaptor allowing the weather data stored inside the console to be transferred to a computer (Davis offers at least 5 different types of WeatherLink adaptors/loggers).

What is important to know is that Davis offers a version of the WeatherLink software for both Windows and Apple computers - the latest release of WeatherLink (I will, from now on, use the word WeatherLink to indicate the software and not the adaptor/logger) for Windows is version 5.9.2 (released March 26, 2010) - I could not find any software update for Apple MAC OS X!

Note: I do not know/think (honestly, I cannot remember ) if it is possible to install the latest Windows release/update without first installing the CD version of WeatherLink.

If you are going to connect your Vantage Pro2 console to your Windows-based computer, then it is highly recommended that you install the WeatherLink software - it is quite acceptable to install the software inside the 'C:\Program Files' directory, even under Windows 7.

During the installation, WeatherLink should install (at least) two device drivers from Silicon Laboratories, one 'USBXpress Device' and one 'CP210x USB to UART Bridge' (you do not really need to about those drivers nor should you uninstall either).

When WeatherLink is initially started, DO NOT SELECT USB COMMUNICATION, select serial communication.

• Explanation:
  
  When one chooses the USB communication setting, WeatherLink activates the USBXpress device and locks the adaptor/logger into that mode, and renders any communication between the adaptor/logger and other software (other than WeatherLink) next to impossible.
  
  Whereas, when one chooses the serial communication setting, WeatherLink activates the USB to UART (serial) bridge and, again, locks the adaptor/logger into that mode, but, the advantage is that, in that mode, (almost) software can communicate with the console through the adaptor/logger.

I cannot remember how WeatherLink behaves when first started, I cannot remember if, when first started, WeatherLink requests that the communication port be selected. Again, DO NOT SELECT USB COMMUNICATION.

Once WeatherLink has been started, one must click on the "Setup" pull-down menu and select the "Communications Port" option. Once the "Communications Port" window has opened, inside the "Communications" box, one must select/click on the "Serial" option. Then, one must click on the "Test" button. After a few milliseconds, a communication port number should appear in the form box beside "ComPort:".

Please make a note of that communication port number (a paper note is preferable to a mental note ... as the memory has a tendency to forget things.. ) - it will, more likely be COM3.

Once the communication port has been selected (and that information has been paper-saved), one can click on the "OK" button to save those settings - I think WeatherLink will then request to be closed or will close itself to activate the new communication port settings.

Note: If the CD version of WeatherLink had to be initially installed, before restarting it, one can install the updated version 5.9.2 of WeatherLink ... <= link ...

Once the updated version of WeatherLink has been installed and once the communication type/port have been setup, one can proceed to the other settings to fully activate all the functions of WeatherLink.

Now, Gilles, to answer the questions in your last message...

Gilles P wrote:WeatherLink has not been installed on my laptop(Window 7). Does it have to?

YES, even if many people will/would tell you not to install WeatherLink - WeatherLink allows one to activate some of the internal setting of the Vantage Pro2 console.

Gilles P wrote:Data logger used, is the one that was included in the Weatherlink Mac software. Could the logger be the problem

As I indicated above, it should be possible to use the adaptor/logger itself with other operating software/system UNLESS there are information/warnings in the included documentation that indicate the adaptor/logger cannot be used with other operating software/system.

But, indeed, there is a big BUT, the software included with the WeatherLink adaptor/logger you bought can only be used on a MAX OS X operating software/system and that could be VERY INCONVINIENT since one probably needs the Windows CD version of the WeatherLink software in order to install under Windows!

If it has not been too long since you bought the WeatherLink adaptor/logger, and if the retailer you bought it from is a bit understanding, you might want to exchange the Apple version for a Windows version...

Gilles P wrote:Bought the software from my reseller who didn't seem to know about problems running on Mac

Where did you buy the WeatherLink adaptor/logger, from a retailer in Montréal or from a retailer outside the province of Québec? Unfortunately, most retailers know little if nothing of the software they sell...

Gilles P wrote:Found out about Cumulus and would like to use it on my laptop and no longer on my Mac

Correct me if I am wrong, but I do not think one can run Cumulus "directly" under the Apple MAC OS X operating software/system (as one can run Cumulus "directly" under Windows operating software/system without any additional software)!

Well, once one has installed WeatherLink under Windows 7, once one has selected the appropriate serial communication port ( THINK SERIAL ) (and once one has made a paper note of the port number), then one can install Cumulus under Windows 7 and connect the Vantage Pro2 console through the WeatherLink USB adaptor/logger to a USB port on the computer.

Note: Under Windows 7, Cumulus MUST BE INSTALLED IN THE ROOD/TOP DIRECTORY and not inside the "C:\Program Files" directory - if that is not clear to you, do not feel shame in asking for clarification.

Well, I guess that should be more than enough reading for one evening...

Should you need further advice, should you have any questions, please feel free to ask them, preferably before the installation of the WeatherLink software...

Final note: If for some reasons the retailer you bought the WeatherLink adaptor/logger/software from does not want to provide you with an exchange (from Apple MAC OS X to Windows), you have two options:
- you can send an e-mail message to the technical support personal of Davis Instruments requesting the Windows CD version of WeatherLink and wait a few weeks for the delivery;
- or you can contact me via a private e-mail message (e-mail link in my signature) and I will provide you with the original/outdated Windows CD version 5.8.2 (backup).

Gilles P wrote:From now on I will use WL running on Windows 7 in order to able to install Cumulus. Chances are it will work???

Paragon wrote:How many scans can the WeatherLink data logger store? The manual says up to 200 days depending on your archive interval, which is meaningless. I want to store at 1-minute intervals.

• -- click on the 'Setup' pull-down option (the second top left option);
  -- select the 'Set Archive Intervcal' option (eight from the top);
  -- on the newly opened 'Set Archive Interval' window, selecting the '5 min' (5 minutes) logging interval is more than adequate for most users (including you).
  -- click on the 'OK' button to save (upload) the modified setting to the console.

Paragon wrote:I don't have a "Ports" option. There is a "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" section. There are no "COM" or PORT options in it - they are all related to USB - 1st Failed Confirmation.

Paragon wrote:I am not sure what your last confirmation requires. Presumably yes. So I remove "Silicon Laboratories USBXpress Device (Driver Removal)"?

Paragon wrote:I am working very hard on doing nothing until you tell me what I should do. It is very difficult and requires a lot of self discipline, which I am seriously short of.

Paragon wrote:I reinstalled Weatherlink. It reinstalled the two SL drivers. I detect no change in devices found by Device Manager. Maybe it is created when you ask for a serial port in the software?

• - Start WeatherLink;
  - once the WeatherLink screen has been displayed:
  * click on the 'Setup' pull-down option (the second top left option);
  * select the 'Communications Port' option (third from the top);
  * click/select on the 'Serial' option in the 'Communications' box;
  * click on the 'Auto Detect' button.

• - close (shut-down) WeatherLink if it is opened;
  - open the device manager window ('Control Panel' -->> 'Device Manager' );
  - disconnected the USB cable from the computer (that is the USB cable connecting the Vantage Vue console to the computer);
  - waited a couple of minute;
  - reconnected the USB cable to the computer;
  - look at the system tray - a new 'Driver Software Installation' icon should appear;
  - click on that icon to open the 'Driver Software Installation' window (while it is still looking for the driver);
  - hopefully your Windows is going to find and recognise the 'Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge' driver that has already been installed by WeatherLink on your computer;
  - if/when the 'Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge' driver is found, the new port number should be displayed in that window with a green check mark in front of 'Ready to use';
  - keep the 'Driver Software Installation' window opened until I tell you to close it;

• - restart WeatherLink;
  - click on the 'Setup' pull-down option (the second top left option);
  - select the 'Communications Port' option;
  - on the newly opened 'Communications Port' window, inside the 'Communications' box, click/select the 'Serial' option;
  - in the selection box beside 'Com Port' select the port number that is/was shown in the 'Driver Software Installation' window;
  - the 'Baud Rate' should be left at 19200 (that should be the default);
  - click on the 'Test' button;
  - hopefully, a new small 'Please Note' window should open with the 'A Vantage Vue station was found' message!!!
  - click on the 'OK' button to exit the 'Please Note' window;
  - click on the 'OK' button, this time to save the new port configurations and exit the 'Communications Port' window;
  - you can now close the 'Driver Software Installation' window.

The amount of data saved inside the Vantage Pro2/Vue console is controlled by WeatherLink (the software):
- click on the 'Setup' pull-down option (the second top left option);
- select the 'Set Archive Intervcal' option (eight from the top);
- on the newly opened 'Set Archive Interval' window, selecting the '5 min'
--- 5 minutes logging interval is more than adequate for most users (including you);
- click on the 'OK' button to save (upload) the modified setting to the console.

Paragon wrote:Self control and patience are tricky things. We are into instant gratification round here!

Paragon wrote:Ref. data storage, how much can it store? At 5mins, how long will it go between downloads before starting to over-write the oldest data?

Paragon wrote:Could WeatherLink have downloaded the data and Cumulus is starting from scratch, so there has been no rain since it started?

Paragon wrote:So then I shut down weatherlink and unplugged. "Bing Bong!". Device Manager has no Ports item.

steve wrote:It can hold 2560 entries, so at a 5-minute interval, that's just under nine days.

gemini06720 wrote: Steve, where did you find that information

steve wrote:It's mentioned in a number of Davis documents (all available on the Davis web site), most notably in the Weatherlink Specification