Error light in Cumulus - audible warning request

[RayProudfoot]

Steve,

I run Cumulus 24/7 on a netbook with only VirtualVP, WeatherLink, VPLive and Cumulus Toolbox running. It's connected wirelessly to a router upstairs.

Occasionally for reasons unknown it loses contact with the router and consequently the red error light illuminates in Cumulus. But sometimes it reconnects to the router and updates resume. However, the error light is not extinguished and it's not until I click the error light I see the log.

Would it be possible for you to switch the light off when comms resume? And might it be possible to generate an audible alarm when comms break and the error light come on? That would give me a clear warning of a comms problem.

Despite losing comms on the netbook my wireless laptop continues to work okay so it's baffling why the netbook occasionally loses contact. Having an audible warning of lost contact would be helpful.

[steve]

An optional audible warning for comms errors is a possible future addition, yes. Turning off the error light correctly in all situations is complicated, so probably not.

[RayProudfoot]

Thanks Steve.

[jandrew]

May I please second this suggestion.
My old laptop sits in a corner running Cumulus and uploading to the web.
I might be sat in the same room doing other things on my "real" computer, and not notice what Cumulus is doing for hours on end (or even for a day or two).
With the W1090 that I use, I get ocassional problems including disconnects from the consol which require a reset, or a loss of wireless connection with the outside sender.
It would be really useful to get an audible alarm when ANY error occurs.

In fact - my favorite would be :

• I will write a short program which will test the modify time of an "error file" every few minutes;
  Sound an alarm every few minutes until :
  • The modify time is more than (say) 10 minutes old;
    I switch the alarm off.
  Steve - you dont need to do anything except tell me if there is already a file which updates when (and only when) an error occurs, or modify Cumulus to create and/or modify an "Error File" when any error occurs.

Am I asking too much ?

jandrew

[steve]

Steve - you dont need to do anything except tell me if there is already a file which updates when (and only when) an error occurs, or modify Cumulus to create and/or modify an "Error File" when any error occurs.

If you could examine the contents of a file, rather than just the modified time, you could create a file using one or more of the following web tags, and get Cumulus to process it each web update (normal or realtime interval):

<#ErrorLight> 1 if the 'error' light is flashing, 0 if not
<#LatestError> The latest error logged to the error log window. Cleared to an empty string when the error light is clicked, and when Cumulus is restarted
<#LatestErrorDate> The date of the latest error logged to the error log window, using the system short date format. Gives dashes when latest error is reset
<#LatestErrorTime> The time of the latest error logged to the error log window, using the system short time format. Gives dashes when latest error is reset

[jandrew]

I like that.
Let me think how to do it.

jandrew

[jandrew]

OK Steve, I'm onto this now and have a few lines of code written.

I don't really want to uninstall or reinstall Cumulus, or disconnect the web updating, or create errors. And I can't remember all the steps which I took to get on-line in the first place; so will you please tell me :

• When is the cumuluswebtags.txttmp file first created?
  Is that file updated only and exclusivley when data is updated to a website?
  Are there any circumstances when the a webtags file can become available if data is not being sent to a website?

Thanks for your help.

jandrew

[steve]

• When is the cumuluswebtags.txttmp file first created?
  Is that file updated only and exclusivley when data is updated to a website?
  Are there any circumstances when the a webtags file can become available if data is not being sent to a website?

Presumably cumuluswebtags.txt is a file that you've added to the 'files' tab in Cumulus, so as with any other file in that list, it gets processed (and hence the 'tmp' file created/updated) either at the 'normal' web update interval, or the 'realtime' web update interval, depending on whether or not you've ticked the "realtime?" box.