Cumulus Support

I've been running 1.8.8 b855 for many months (under Win2k/SP4), but occasionally it stops reading my WH1081PC data (all graphs 'flat-line' at the last-read values, sometimes for several hours), so I thought I'd check for an update with a (possible) fix.

I downloaded and installed 1.8.9 (today) over the top of my old installation, but on starting Cumulus it brings up the 'Downloading data' window, but doesn't progress from there. Since it blocks at that stage, I can't get into any menus to check my configuration or enable troubleshooting logs, though the .ini file seems to indicate that the new installation copied my settings from the 1.8.8 installation.

I killed it with the Task Manager and restarted (several times), but it hangs every time at the downloading screen. So I just re-installed 1.8.8 over the top of 1.8.9, and it works fine first-go.

Any clues what might be wrong with 1.8.9, or what I can try to fix the problem?

It's interesting that a handful of people can't get 1.8.9 to talk to their Fine Offset station - I haven't changed the code at all. As usual, no matter how many beta testers you get, there will always be problems after 'release' due to the vast number of different combinations of system.

Do you have any other USB devices connected?

Please zip up the diags folder and attach it.

Steve, sorry for the delayed reply – away for a short holiday, then busy catching up!

steve wrote:Do you have any other USB devices connected?

Yes, heaps! A bunch of card readers internally (one physical module but 4 logical 'drives'), a few external direct to the motherboard ports (mouse, scanner, 1TB USB-drive, hub), others via the external USB hub (weather station base, webcam, UPS, printer).

steve wrote:Please zip up the diags folder and attach it.

Just one file there; hope it's of some use.

I've re-installed 1.8.9 in a separate directory from the working 1.8.8, so I can now run further tests if you want to tell me what to try.

It's found the station OK, but the station has only sent 24 bytes of data, when it's supposed to send 32:

22/05/2010 18:19:09.507 : 6:19:09 PM EWUSB: Found Fine Offset station
22/05/2010 18:19:09.507 : 6:19:09 PM EWUSB: Get history data
22/05/2010 18:19:09.507 : Request EW data block, addr = 000000
22/05/2010 18:19:09.554 : EWUSB: EW startup data line 01 55 AA FF FF FF FF FF FF
22/05/2010 18:19:09.554 : EWUSB: EW startup data line 02 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
22/05/2010 18:19:09.554 : EWUSB: EW startup data line 03 00 00 00 B9 06 00 80 6C

When I say "supposed to", I actually have no idea what it's supposed to do, as I don't have the official spec; that's just the way it seems to work.

Perhaps you could try it a few more times, to see if the symptoms are exactly the same. I was also going to ask if you could try it without all the other USB devices connected, but I can see that would be tricky, and I'm not convinced it's anything to do with that anyway.

You could perhaps also try the 1.9.0 beta, but that is so similar to 1.8.9 that I'm sure it will behave in the same way.

I've just noticed that you're using Windows 2000! As it says in the FAQ: "It may also work on Windows 2000, but this is not supported. You will probably not be able to get it to work on Windows 2000 with a Fine Offset station. "

The USB subsystem is different in Windows 2000, and it clearly doesn't play nicely with the USB component which Cumulus uses. The symptoms in your diags file are exactly those I've seen in many other cases with Windows 2000. Some people are lucky and get it to work, as you seem to with 1.8.9 but not 1.9.0. I think someone devised a work around involving running Easyweather before running Cumulus, so I think you'll either have to try that or stick with 1.8.9. Sorry.

If you could, I would suggest upgrading to Windows XP. Having had numerous updates and three Service Packs, it's now pretty reliable and most hardware and software run with it. I have been using it on various machines since it came out and though I prefer Linux, I have to admit, XP works quite adequately.

steve wrote:It's found the station OK, but the station has only sent 24 bytes of data, when it's supposed to send 32:
--- snip---
Perhaps you could try it a few more times, to see if the symptoms are exactly the same.

I tried a few more times, results attached (.002 & .003). I also compared these with a file from the 'good' version (1.8.8) - .009, also attached - and noticed a 'pattern'. It seems to me that the station is sending all 32 bytes, but Cumulus is missing the third block of eight.

While knowing nothing about Winoze and USB comms (but lots of embedded systems experience!), I would venture that this is possibly because of a timing issue, maybe associated with interrupts.

steve wrote:I was also going to ask if you could try it without all the other USB devices connected, but I can see that would be tricky, and I'm not convinced it's anything to do with that anyway.

You're right, that would be tricky, so I'm not attempting that test at this stage!

steve wrote:You could perhaps also try the 1.9.0 beta, but that is so similar to 1.8.9 that I'm sure it will behave in the same way.

I couldn't find 1.9.0beta on your Downloads page - can you please send me a link? Given that you said the comms portion of 1.8.9 was little changed from 1.8.8 (which works), then maybe the little-changed 1.9.0 might work again!

DanielF wrote:I couldn't find 1.9.0beta on your Downloads page

Ah, yes, I'd forgotten I'd started posted links to the beta on the downloads page as well as in the announcements.

http://www.nybbles.co.uk/downloads/beta ... sSetup.exe

Thanks for the link, Steve. I've tried 1.9.0b now, and it has the same problem as 1.8.9 (hangs on initial data download). V1.8.8 still works fine.

I guess you'll just have to stick with 1.8.8 then.

Just a wild stab in the dark, but does your Windows 2000 machine have a VIA USB chipset on the motherboard? The VIA chipset often needs 'special' handling in the device driver due to timing and buffer size 'issues'. We found this teh hard way when reading Astro CCD cameras which clock the data from the CCD chip directly out to the USB line and any problems are immediately obvious in the downloaded image.

mcrossley wrote:Just a wild stab in the dark, but does your Windows 2000 machine have a VIA USB chipset on the motherboard? The VIA chipset often needs 'special' handling in the device driver due to timing and buffer size 'issues'. We found this teh hard way when reading Astro CCD cameras which clock the data from the CCD chip directly out to the USB line and any problems are immediately obvious in the downloaded image.

Good point. It might be worth trying a separate USB card.

mcrossley wrote:Just a wild stab in the dark, but does your Windows 2000 machine have a VIA USB chipset on the motherboard? --- snip ---

Mark, I finally found time to reinstall Sandra Lite to check what chips were on my Tyan motherboard. All five USB controllers are shown as 'Tyan'. The only VIA chip I could see was the second FireWire controller, and I presume that's not relevant to your observation.

I still think it might be solved by using a USB card. OTOH I know that one big thing about XP was proper built-in USB support where previously you needed USB drivers for the particular chipset used. Are you using the correct driver for your USB?

Well I turned off my computer and left the station XC0348 on and went away for a while and when I got back, Cumulus won't talk to the station, on execution just comes up with "Downloading Data" and thats it, tried version 1.9.0 still nothing but EasyWeather talks to the station OK, has the windows updates done something?
any sugestions welcome
cheers
Gyro