USB connection hangs up after about 1 minute

[Malexx]

Hi,
I've already installed my new PWS (WH2080 - Conrad WS0101).
I want to use realtime data uploading with Cumulus but I have a problem with continuously USB connection between laptop and stadion. Cumulus after start reads all data from station but after about 50-60 seconds Cumulus reports error cannot communicate with station.
Then first I close Cumulus 1.9.2, after that disconnect USB cable and after 5 sec. connect USB again and start Cumulus. Also realtime is impossible because of problem with continuously USB connection and data reading...

Has someone the same problem?
I tested it on two different computers and there is the same issue.
EasyWeather also loss connection like Cumulus...

Power Management for USB is disabled for allowing Windows to turn off USB.
REGARDS,
MIKE

[Super-T]

Might pay you to update to the 193 Beta ver. 1057.

[Malexx]

Hi,

Super-T suggested to use 1.9.3 beta build 1057. The problem still exist. Now after about seconds I have following errors in log:
....
2012-12-24 09:47:42 : Fine Offset station not responding. You may need to reset it (remove batteries and USB cable)
2012-12-24 09:47:52 : Fine Offset station not responding. You may need to reset it (remove batteries and USB cable)
2012-12-24 09:48:00 : Data input appears to have stopped - check your station and connections
2012-12-24 09:48:02 : Fine Offset station not responding. You may need to reset it (remove batteries and USB cable)
2012-12-24 09:48:12 : Fine Offset station not responding. You may need to reset it (remove batteries and USB cable)
2012-12-24 09:48:23 : Fine Offset station not responding. You may need to reset it (remove batteries and USB cable)
2012-12-24 09:48:33 : Fine Offset station not responding. You may need to reset it (remove batteries and USB cable)
2012-12-24 09:48:43 : Fine Offset station not responding. You may need to reset it (remove batteries and USB cable)
2012-12-24 09:48:53 : Fine Offset station not responding. You may need to reset it (remove batteries and USB cable)
2012-12-24 09:49:00 : Data input appears to have stopped - check your station and connections
2012-12-24 09:49:03 : Fine Offset station not responding. You may need to reset it (remove batteries and USB cable)
2012-12-24 09:49:13 : Fine Offset station not responding. You may need to reset it (remove batteries and USB cable)
....

Station work fine only after reconnection of USB cable and restarting Cumulus (first close Cumulus and later disconnection of USB)...

Any suggestions?
It's a little old laptop and maybe USB version ? I think it's USB 2.0... but...

REGARDS,
MIKE

[steve]

Have you selected the 'synchronise' option in build 1057? Otherwise it won't make any difference. Having said that, your symptoms don't really match the usual 'USB lockup' problem, I think you have some other kind of issue with your USB connection, so build 1057 is unlikely to help.

[Malexx]

Hi Steve,

Yes - synchronize fine offset reads option is selected in station setup.
Today we have Christmas time so I'll send more time to solve this issue later.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year for all PWS users and the other!

REGARDS,
MIKE

I'll write more later ...

[pete_c]

You can do a through check of your USB ports and I personally would remove anything not utilized anymore to rule out a hardware problem versus an OS issue versus maybe a Fine Offset hardware issue (cable, console et al).

You can also test the Fine Offset console by trying it on another computer or laptop to rule out any issues with the Fine Offset.

Attached are two programs related to USB ports. One looks at all of them and the other does a clean up. Give them a try.

The two free diagnostic programs (USB view and Drive cleanup) come from this web site: (there are a bunch of different ones out there). Baby steps one piece at a time (Computer (USB ports), Fine Offset console (maybe an issue), hardware USB cable, XP OS (might be trashed) and then finally the Cumulus software).

http://www.uwe-sieber.de/english.html

USB-drivecleanup.zip

usbtreeview.zip

[Malexx]

Hi,

Today I tried following:
1. Reset station to factory defaults
2. Clear memory

And... The same. Both EasyWeather and Cumulus cannot read station after about 50-60 seconds.

I tried on two PC's (laptop and workstation) on two different systems (WinXP SP3 and W7 Prof.) and the same issue...

I think it's hardware issue of station. Maybe default Microsoft drivers for USB Input Devices don't work properly... I'll try to use other drivers...

Later I'll try USB view program (thx to pete_c).

On the back of station the model number is: WH2080 2012/40
It's quite new station I have bouhgt last days from Conrad (Germany).

They give only EasyWeather software on CD.
I'll try more in near time. I'll make it online...I hope.

REGARDS,
MIKE

[beelzebubs]

Have you tried with another cable?
Maybe some issue with that one.

[pete_c]

Yeah; guessing here if you are seeing the same with two computers you might be having a hardware issue with the console or a bad USB cable (as just mentioned).

Personally if the Fine Offset is under warranty I would contact the vendor/seller about a replacement.

I mean it is really a plug n play device which works or doesn't work.

Maybe default Microsoft drivers for USB Input Devices don't work properly

I wouldn't think this after testing it on two machines.

I tested the Fine Offset device initially here in the midwest before installing it in "production" in Florida for a few months.

I pushed the RF a bit by installing the Fine Offset weather station on a wooden post about 3 meters off the ground (and 7 meters from the house and putting the console in my server rack between servers and much metal about 50 meters away from the weather station and in the basement.

Today in Florida the Fine Offset weather station is mounted on a mast above the second floor of the all masonry home and the console is on the opposite side of the house and its getting data just fine. Cumulus is running on an old IBM laptop with the lid in a down position stuck in a metal shelf in a closet. I am only checking it remotely even when I am there.

[Malexx]

Hi,

I have tried other cable and it didn't helps.
I decided to go deeper and I made a log using USB logging application to create report.
The log (attachment) includes input-output from the moment from plug USB cable into PC USB socket, following run Cumulus and wait to error 'No response' in Cumulus software.

I contacted with user Mark who has the same Conrad WS-0101 station. He wrote he had no problem with his station but his model number on the back is HW2080 2012/21.
My model is 2012/40 and I suppose that there is some differences in firmware between Mark's model (2012/21) and my (2012/40).

In attachment you will find two reports:
1. USB_device_details_WH2080_model_2012_40.pdf (device details )
2. USB_report_input_output_WH2080_model_2012_40.txt (input-output log)

Maybe someone who will read input output records could tell more about?

REGARDS,
MIKE

[hso]

No conclusion here?
I face the same problem; "Fine Offset Station not responding. You may need to reset it (remove batteries and UDB cable)".
Happens on two different laptops, running latest Cumulus release; 1.9.3, build 1059.

[steve]

The only solution to the 'USB lockup' issue that Cumulus has to offer is the 'synchronise' setting that I mentioned earlier in this thread. But in your case I doubt that's going to help as it locks up so quickly. And the station's memory has some strange values in it. I would say the station is faulty.

[pernaczy]

I will throw this one into the mix just in case its relevant. I worked with USB a lot when working as a software engineer on the UK/US chipped passports. The devices that read the chips on the production lines were USB attached and we had problems with the readers loosing connections to the PC running the software checking the chips.
Two things we found were as follows:
1) Quite a few machines (laptops especially) were incapable of providing the correct power to keep the device running and the only way to guarantee a smooth, non fluctuating power feed was to use powered hubs. That in itself caused a problem as you had to make sure the powered hubs were fully 2.0 USB compliant, a lot of them are 1.0 hubs cheaply modified to support 2.0 that did not fully match the spec nor the required power levels.
2) Windows has settings in the Power Management functions to turn off what it considers idle hubs. If you look in Device Manager and right click on Generic USB Hub or USB Root Hub (anything that has Hub on the end, there are some strange ones!!), and select Properties, you will see a tab labelled Power Management. Click on this and you may find that "Allow the computer to turn of this device to save power" has a tick against it. Untick it and Windows will not arbitarily turn of your USB device when it enters the Power Management functions.
I made sure I did both of these when I attached my Weather Station last April, and to date (crossed fingers, touch wood) I have not had one single disconnection or lockup.

This is text user water01 wrote i his post in the topic https://cumulus.hosiene.co.uk/posting.php ... 13&p=60886 . Maybe you should try his advice.
I had similar problem with my WH2080 about 1 month ago. I used the way he described in point 2 and from then everything works fine (problem with USB connection has gone).

[soundhill1]

My new WS3083 was losing USB connection after a duration. Windows 7 was finding a fault and disabling that USB. And I cannot see a power management button that several replies have described.

I had read that rechargeable batteries may be no good for transmission strength. I have been using them and getting good connection between sensor and base, so presumed them to be OK.

But I have not had hangs for a couple of days since removing batteries from the base and powering it only through the USB.

[pernaczy]

I had read that rechargeable batteries may be no good for transmission strength. I have been using them and getting good connection between sensor and base, so presumed them to be OK.
.

According to my knowledge, rechargeable batteries are not recommended by any weather stations manufacturer.