Cumulus Support

Steve,

I continue to have this same problem with an Ambient WS-1090-C. I added a line to the configuration file to ignore errors (as per a previous poster who had this problem) but the problem has re-emerged after approximately 3 weeks of normal operation. I am unable to physically reset the station as it is at a remote location where human access is infrequent.

So since this is the second time it has occurred and after about 3 weeks of uninterrupted normal operation on both occasions it seems that cumulus is getting hung up on something that the WS-1090 is doing after about 3 weeks of operation leading to this "downloading data please wait" hang situation which effectively takes the station off line. As noted with the other poster simply restarting cumulus just brings you back to the downloading data stalemate.

I have updated the software to the latest release 1.9.2 and the problem is still there.

Since I am not able to physically touch and reset the WS-1090 (when the problem first occurred simply unplugging and reconnecting the USB cable solved the problem) are there any configuration settings which can work around this reoccurring error?

Bill

williambanker wrote:So since this is the second time it has occurred and after about 3 weeks of uninterrupted normal operation on both occasions it seems that cumulus is getting hung up on something that the WS-1090 is doing after about 3 weeks of operation leading to this "downloading data please wait" hang situation which effectively takes the station off line. As noted with the other poster simply restarting cumulus just brings you back to the downloading data stalemate.

Perhaps you have some faulty memory in the station; after running for three weeks, it hits the same area of memory again. If you have already used the ini-file setting to ignore the 'initialisation bytes' there are no settings to make the station start talking if it won't supply any data.

If you zip up the diags folder and attach it, I'll see if I can see anything.

Steve,

I have attached the zipped contents of the Diags directory

Bill

Your station stops responding, this is why you have to unplug and replug it to get it working again.

11/15/2011 10:06:03.909 : 10:06:03 EWUSB: Get history data
11/15/2011 10:06:03.911 : Request EW data block, addr = 000000
11/24/2011 13:10:01.210 : 13:10:01 EWUSB: HidControl Device Unplug
11/24/2011 13:10:01.210 : VID = 1941 PID = 8021

12/9/2011 07:57:04.445 : 07:57:04 EWUSB: Found Fine Offset station
12/9/2011 07:57:04.445 : Loading last N hour data from data logs: 12/9/2011 07:55:00
12/9/2011 07:57:04.585 : 07:57:04 EWUSB: Get history data
12/9/2011 07:57:04.585 : Request EW data block, addr = 000000

12/14/2011 08:37:02.281 : 08:37:02 EWUSB: Found Fine Offset station
12/14/2011 08:37:02.281 : Loading last N hour data from data logs: 12/9/2011 07:55:00
12/14/2011 08:37:02.503 : 08:37:02 EWUSB: Get history data
12/14/2011 08:37:02.513 : Request EW data block, addr = 000000

Windows knows that the station is there, but it doesn't respond when Cumulus asks it for data. I'm afraid I can't say any more than that, it's some sort of hardware problem I guess; either a problem with the station itself or the USB connection.

This sound like a problem I have with my WH1081 (bought as a replacement for an older Fine Offset station). I don't use Cumulus but have similar symptoms. After a few days or a week or two, the USB data transfer hangs up. The station is still recognised by the operating system, but neither my software or EasyWeather can get any data from it. Only a battery removal reset restores normal operation.

One other symptom is that the station's console won't show any history. Pressing the 'memory' touch area produces a bleep and lights up the screen, but doesn't turn on the '+' and '-' buttons to examine the history. Bill, if you get a chance to visit your station can you try this before you reset it?

I'm trying to find out more about the problem, experimenting with USB resets and the like, but as it's a very intermittent problem I'm not making much progress.

BTW I did return my first WH1081 when it had this problem, but as the second one shows exactly the same fault, and I'm not using the approved software, I reckon there might be something more systematic going on. Hence my interest in finding out if I'm not the only one with the problem.

Steve,

Thanks...well this is no good. I have remote access to the computer and have attempted to reset the USB connection but that did not solve the problem. Only a physical disconnect of the cable. Well this is a tough one. I did not see in the user manual in the station any requirement for periodic resets or cycling in order to insure that the port is open and the station transmitting data.

Guess I'll have to contact ambient.

Bill

jim-easterbrook wrote:This sound like a problem I have with my WH1081 (bought as a replacement for an older Fine Offset station). I don't use Cumulus but have similar symptoms. After a few days or a week or two, the USB data transfer hangs up. The station is still recognised by the operating system, but neither my software or EasyWeather can get any data from it. Only a battery removal reset restores normal operation.

One other symptom is that the station's console won't show any history. Pressing the 'memory' touch area produces a bleep and lights up the screen, but doesn't turn on the '+' and '-' buttons to examine the history. Bill, if you get a chance to visit your station can you try this before you reset it?

I'm trying to find out more about the problem, experimenting with USB resets and the like, but as it's a very intermittent problem I'm not making much progress.

BTW I did return my first WH1081 when it had this problem, but as the second one shows exactly the same fault, and I'm not using the approved software, I reckon there might be something more systematic going on. Hence my interest in finding out if I'm not the only one with the problem.

I'll give it try Jim. I'll swap cables too. But it does not bode well that you had this problem now two for two. As Steve has inferred this could be a firmware issue with the station itself in which overtime a corruption occurs which effectively stops transmission. Have you had any dialogue with Ambient on this?

Bill

jim-easterbrook wrote:This sound like a problem I have with my WH1081 (bought as a replacement for an older Fine Offset station). I don't use Cumulus but have similar symptoms. After a few days or a week or two, the USB data transfer hangs up. The station is still recognised by the operating system, but neither my software or EasyWeather can get any data from it. Only a battery removal reset restores normal operation.

[snip]

BTW I did return my first WH1081 when it had this problem, but as the second one shows exactly the same fault, and I'm not using the approved software, I reckon there might be something more systematic going on. Hence my interest in finding out if I'm not the only one with the problem.

Interesting. I bought one of the Maplin N96GYs a few weeks ago (which is a rebadged WH108x). Its been running for a few weeks and this week - the USB transfer stopped, the console history did not respond. In the logs for the software I'm using (WeatherSnoop on a Mac) I could see the request being made to the station but no response. So it sounds like a hardware fault, albeit intermittent, with this station ? I had to remove/replace the console batteries to bring it back to life.

I was wondering about returning it for a replacement.

Other symptoms were the temperature readings were stuck i.e. it was saying it was 23C during the night, when it was more like 17C.

This station appeared to be good value for money but if its going to hang every few days/weeks I'm not so sure.

Happened to me today after three weeks, exactly the same issues and same way of resetting it too, could also not clear the memory on the unit when Cumulus was not recieving data, it just has the recieving data box up but it was not doing anything.

Its going to have to be a Davis station if this continues as it does, shame really especially as I just bought a spare (Which has not arrived yet I might add)

I've not had a repeat so far, 10 days and counting. What I've been doing is to clear the memory once or twice a day on the console, just in case its something to do with a bad memory location. fingers crossed....

mine does the same thing... WS 2080. Multiple times since december 24th. Seems to do it every week or so.

dvb123 wrote:I've not had a repeat so far, 10 days and counting. What I've been doing is to clear the memory once or twice a day on the console, just in case its something to do with a bad memory location. fingers crossed....

I don't think that will help. "Clearing" the memory only resets the count of how many records are stored. It doesn't change the pointer to the current record, or any of the stored data.

For example, suppose you have 100 data items, in slots 0 to 99. The count is 100 and the pointer is 99. Clearing the memory resets the count to 1, but the pointer stays at 99, so your next 100 items are stored in slots 99 to 198.

jim-easterbrook wrote:

I don't think that will help. "Clearing" the memory only resets the count of how many records are stored. It doesn't change the pointer to the current record, or any of the stored data.

ok. thanks for the info. it has a placebo affect maybe

What I might do - is rely on USB power to supply the station & see if I can turn on/off power remotely to the USB port. Its a PPC Mac Mini so it might be possible, but this is a rainy day project, not going to bother any time soon.

* Edit *

Spoke too soon, its hung today - so think I'll explore remote reset options.....

mine is still hanging every 2 weeks. The station gets to 10% full and hangs. Last time it hung was on the 16th... well today it hung again.

I do not have batteries in the station as it is being powered by the usb. I'm losing hope with this software

The problem does not appear to be specific to Cumulus, other weather software is also having 'hangs' with what seems to be newer versions on the Fine Offsets, older models do not seem to suffer to the same extent. Maybe FO have subtly changed the way the station handles comms or memory management?