Welcome to the Cumulus Support forum.

Latest Cumulus MX V3 release 3.28.6 (build 3283) - 21 March 2024

Cumulus MX V4 beta test release 4.0.0 (build 4018) - 28 March 2024

Legacy Cumulus 1 release v1.9.4 (build 1099) - 28 November 2014 (a patch is available for 1.9.4 build 1099 that extends the date range of drop-down menus to 2030)

Download the Software (Cumulus MX / Cumulus 1 and other related items) from the Wiki

Data flatlining

Discussion and questions about Cumulus weather station software version 1. This section is the main place to get help with Cumulus 1 software developed by Steve Loft that ceased development in November 2014.
Post Reply
devil
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed 15 Nov 2017 2:33 pm
Weather Station: davis & aercus
Operating System: win10

Data flatlining

Post by devil »

At irregular intervals from a few days to about three weeks, the data to Cumulus (or WD) flatline for no apparent reason. It is easy to bring them back on: close down Cumulus, disconnect the console, remove the batteries, after a few seconds replace the batteries, reconnect the console, press the Down key on the console for a few seconds, reload Cumulus and, after a couple of minutes, everything works again until the next glitch.

Is there any way to avoid this flatining?
User avatar
steve
Cumulus Author
Posts: 26702
Joined: Mon 02 Jun 2008 6:49 pm
Weather Station: None
Operating System: None
Location: Vienne, France
Contact:

Re: Data flatlining

Post by steve »

Are you saying this happens with Weather Display too?

What weather station? You have two in your profile. It sounds like you mean the Fine Offset station - these are well known for the USB connection locking up. I assume you are using the settings in Cumulus to synchronise reads with the station?
Steve
User avatar
ConligWX
Posts: 1570
Joined: Mon 19 May 2014 10:45 pm
Weather Station: Davis vPro2+ w/DFARS + AirLink
Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
Location: Bangor, NI
Contact:

Re: Data flatlining

Post by ConligWX »

have you any power management set on your windows 10 box to user power Management on USB connections?

Which Weather station console connection is locking up? Davis or aercus?

here are some tips on stopping Windows from preventing power management.

https://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/prevent ... sb-device/

please note even when Windows Power Options Scheme is set to High Performance, USB ports can still be powered down!

https://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us ... ed-Devices

Also installing Ferrite Cores onto the USB cable of the Fine Offset console or using a USB powered hub can help with lockups.
Regards Simon

https://www.conligwx.org - @conligwx
Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus with Daytime FARS • WeatherLink Live • Davis AirLink • PurpleAir •

Image
devil
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed 15 Nov 2017 2:33 pm
Weather Station: davis & aercus
Operating System: win10

Re: Data flatlining

Post by devil »

steve wrote:Are you saying this happens with Weather Display too?

What weather station? You have two in your profile. It sounds like you mean the Fine Offset station - these are well known for the USB connection locking up. I assume you are using the settings in Cumulus to synchronise reads with the station?
Steve, thanks for your reply. It happens with both WD and Aercus at the same time. Sorry, I don't know what 'Fine Offset' means. The back of the console reads:
Aercus Instruments
Weather Station (receiver)
Model WS 3083...

Yes, settings in Cumulus are synchronised.

I realise that this problem is Aercus and not specifically Cumulus, but I thought I'd try for help here, Ta much!
devil
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed 15 Nov 2017 2:33 pm
Weather Station: davis & aercus
Operating System: win10

Re: Data flatlining

Post by devil »

Toxic17 wrote:have you any power management set on your windows 10 box to user power Management on USB connections?

Which Weather station console connection is locking up? Davis or aercus?

here are some tips on stopping Windows from preventing power management.

https://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/prevent ... sb-device/

please note even when Windows Power Options Scheme is set to High Performance, USB ports can still be powered down!

https://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us ... ed-Devices

Also installing Ferrite Cores onto the USB cable of the Fine Offset console or using a USB powered hub can help with lockups.
Thanks for your help. Both the Davis and Aercus systems stop working at the same time; both flatline. As I said to Steve, I know this is not specifically a Cumulus problem but probably within the Aercus console as rebooting it by USB connector and battery removal is a workaround for both weather systems at the same time. Your idea of ferrite cores may be a help.
User avatar
ConligWX
Posts: 1570
Joined: Mon 19 May 2014 10:45 pm
Weather Station: Davis vPro2+ w/DFARS + AirLink
Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
Location: Bangor, NI
Contact:

Re: Data flatlining

Post by ConligWX »

devil wrote:Your idea of ferrite cores may be a help.
A Powered USB Hub is usually a better option though slight more expense or try a better USB cable with Ferrite chokes built in may possibly help.
Regards Simon

https://www.conligwx.org - @conligwx
Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus with Daytime FARS • WeatherLink Live • Davis AirLink • PurpleAir •

Image
User avatar
Super-T
Posts: 890
Joined: Tue 09 Sep 2008 3:37 am
Weather Station: wh-1081
Operating System: Weather Laptop - Windows 10 Pro
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: Data flatlining

Post by Super-T »

WH-1081 Weather Station.
Slightly different problem but possible the same cause. I get just the outside temperature flat-lining at around 7am each day. It was intermittent but is turning into very regular now. Strange thing is that it is only the Outside Temperature that flat-lines.
Easy to fix by going back to the previous backup and copying the data to the data folder. Then all good for another day.
First pic shows the outside temperature flat. Second pic shows the Pressure as NOT flat-lined (Wind Direction & strength both NOT flat lined as well).
Third pic shows all OK after replacing the data from backup.
This suggests to me that the problem is in the Console and only affects the outside temperature data as the data is actually still in the console but just not displaying correctly. Possibly a problem with Cumulus but unlikely as nothing has changed there.
This Weather Station has been up and running for quite a while. Connected to an "always On" laptop that doesn't sleep. The USB Cable has a couple of loops through a Ferrite.
One suspicion could be that somehow the latest MS updates have upset things.

Ignore the temperature rapid climbs.....sun-strike which I am working on.

Any logical explanation welcomed as I can't see a pattern or a reason yet.
2017-11-17_092849.jpg
2017-11-17_092943.jpg
2017-11-17_094959.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
AllyCat
Posts: 1124
Joined: Sat 26 Feb 2011 1:58 pm
Weather Station: Fine Offset 1080/1 & 3080
Operating System: Windows XP SP3
Location: SE London

Re: Data flatlining

Post by AllyCat »

Hi,
Super-T wrote:Slightly different problem but possible the same cause. I get just the outside temperature flat-lining at around 7am each day. It was intermittent but is turning into very regular now. Strange thing is that it is only the Outside Temperature that flat-lines.
You have checked the spike removal setting, haven't you ?

Cheers, Alan.
User avatar
Super-T
Posts: 890
Joined: Tue 09 Sep 2008 3:37 am
Weather Station: wh-1081
Operating System: Weather Laptop - Windows 10 Pro
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: Data flatlining

Post by Super-T »

Yes, set at 0.3C and that hasn't changed.
Mind you I have had to remove spikes larger than that at times so perhaps the spike removal is not working.
Also interesting is that the temperature spike removal is the only one operational under "Spike Removal"
SpikeRemoval.png
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
steve
Cumulus Author
Posts: 26702
Joined: Mon 02 Jun 2008 6:49 pm
Weather Station: None
Operating System: None
Location: Vienne, France
Contact:

Re: Data flatlining

Post by steve »

That’s a very low setting for spike removal, a Fine Offset “spike” is typically very much higher than that. Your flat-lining is almost certainly caused by your spike removal setting (i.e. your station is recording an increase in temperature of more than 0.3 degrees over a 48 second period, this is perfectly reasonable and is not a spike).
Steve
User avatar
Super-T
Posts: 890
Joined: Tue 09 Sep 2008 3:37 am
Weather Station: wh-1081
Operating System: Weather Laptop - Windows 10 Pro
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: Data flatlining

Post by Super-T »

Bumped it up to 1 degree and will see what happens. Will take it higher if required.
Why would a low setting make the data flat-line. I thought it was to limit the height of the spike when there was a spike?
What do other people have the temperature spike removal set to?
User avatar
steve
Cumulus Author
Posts: 26702
Joined: Mon 02 Jun 2008 6:49 pm
Weather Station: None
Operating System: None
Location: Vienne, France
Contact:

Re: Data flatlining

Post by steve »

All the true spikes I’ve seen generated by Fine Offset stations have been several degrees, so I I’m assuming that’s what most people have it set to. The typical spikes which Cumulus tries to ignore exist for one reading only, and the reading returns to normal. So the spike removal setting makes Cumulus ignore a reading which suddenly increases by more than the setting, on the assumption that it will return to normal on the next reading.

If it’s not actually a spike, just a valid increase, the reading won’t revert, so Cumulus continues ignoring the reading.

This isn’t a sophisticated facility, it does a reasonable job of filtering out the sudden, very large, one-off readings which Fine Offset stations are known to produce from time to time.
Steve
sfws
Posts: 1183
Joined: Fri 27 Jul 2012 11:29 am
Weather Station: Chas O, Maplin N96FY, N25FR
Operating System: rPi 3B+ with Buster (full)

Re: Data flatlining

Post by sfws »

steve wrote:All the true spikes I’ve seen generated by Fine Offset stations have been several degrees
My spike setting has been 20 degrees Celsius, and I don't recall any problems ever with that figure in half a decade.
AllyCat
Posts: 1124
Joined: Sat 26 Feb 2011 1:58 pm
Weather Station: Fine Offset 1080/1 & 3080
Operating System: Windows XP SP3
Location: SE London

Re: Data flatlining

Post by AllyCat »

Hi,

"0.3 degrees rise in 48 seconds" might sound like a reasonable limit, but it isn't.

Firstly, several "messages" from the transmitter might be "lost" due to radio noise or interference of some type. The Console only assumes a "problem" if about 7 consecutive transmissions are lost (> 5 minutes). Also, the Real Time Clock versions (not in Australasia) actually stop transmitting (weather) data for around 5 minutes after each hour. So users may need to consider the greatest possible rise that might ever occur over say 5 minutes or more.

Also, there have been several reports (from Australia I believe) that at least some of the WH308x (solar) versions generate quite large "steps" (approaching one degree C) in the scale at certain temperatures. This is presumably a "sample" calibration fault, but hasn't been explained or disproved. Personally, I don't use a spike threshold, but if I did, it would be at least several degrees C.

Note that the spike detection doesn't apply to Logger data, which explains why downloading from the Console fixed the flatline problem.

Cheers, Alan.
User avatar
Super-T
Posts: 890
Joined: Tue 09 Sep 2008 3:37 am
Weather Station: wh-1081
Operating System: Weather Laptop - Windows 10 Pro
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: Data flatlining

Post by Super-T »

Thanks all. Much clearer now.
Post Reply