Feedback on WiFi Logger etc please

[prodata]

Just looking for feedback from anyone who is using CMX with WiFi Logger or (especially) Meteo-Pi Ethernet** please:

Just a simple question really: Is the logger working well with CMX? Are there any particular issues you've encountered?

** For anyone who is not familiar with Meteo-Pi Ethernet (MPE), it is essentially the Ethernet-only version of WiFi Logger, though the two are not exact equals - MPE does not have all the upload options that WFL has, but conversely does have some extra hardware features.

(just asking to get a sense of how useful people are finding the WFL products in general with CMX, and to see if there are any remaining issues that need sorting out.)

[PaulMy]

Hi John,
I am running one instance of CMX with Vue console and WiFiLogger2 currently v2.42 (also some other instances of CMX with WLL on the same PC) and no issue. I think I've had it running for over 5 years, initially as a tester.
I have the Meteo-Pi Ethernet but have not tried it.

The WiFiLogger works very well and I have the CMX Disconnect period at 20. WiFiLogger is also enabled for uploading to third-party sites WL.com, WU, PWSweather, WC, AWEKAS, WOW, Windy, WE, CWOP, but Disabled GLOBE as that sets the logging interval to 15 minutes (Davis/GLOBE requirement) and I want to use 5 minute. Also doing the FTP of its Realtime and wflexp.json at 1 min interval. A big load but all is working well. The added message that indicates 'PC Software is Connected' is nice to have.

The wifilogger.net site Support is very helpful if you need to reconnect the logger to the local network (had to do this a few times due to my ISP making changes and modem replacement, but that is the same for reconnecting the WLL and AL.

Like any other standard logger, USB, serial or IP, it can only connect with one PC software at the same time.
While I've had an occasion or so when the WiFiLogger lost connection to CMX but no more than I've encountered with WLL and can't recall the last time. The historical catch-up from the logger after CMX is restarted works perfect.

Enjoy,
Paul

[mcrossley]

I had to put quite a lot of additional code in CMX to cope with the WiFi logger compared with the Davis; it's emulation of the Davis logger is not great. The CMX connectivity is still not perfect, but I'm not prepared to devote any more time/effort into coping with the loggers foibles.

[PaulMy]

Thanks Mark,
Yes I recall in its early days of a lot of things you worked on and to get to its current state in working reliably with CMX, You've done great as for me it currently works very well. Other than the expected "LOOP: Periodic disconnect from logger" I can't see any issues logged in MXdiags.

Enjoy,
Paul

[prodata]

I had to put quite a lot of additional code in CMX to cope with the WiFi logger compared with the Davis; it's emulation of the Davis logger is not great. The CMX connectivity is still not perfect, but I'm not prepared to devote any more time/effort into coping with the loggers foibles.

Thanks Paul and Mark. Mark, I sense a note of frustration creeping in there. Is there any particular area of WFL compatibility that it still causing issues? Or is it just a general concern that there might still be weaknesses and vulnerabilities that a new user might encounter?

[AndyKF650]

Hi John

I have been using the cabled MeteoPi for quite a few years now as the link from a wired VP2 console to a RPi 4 model b and it has not missed a beat. I only record the core weather data from the VP2 so it works as expected. Having previously used a wireless Oregon system having a cabled system solved the problem of constant battery changes.

As far as I am aware there are no issues with CMX or CUtils software.

[prodata]

Thanks Andy. But I'm guessing that what you have is the original Meteo-Pi, which is a micro-HAT for the Pi, or its more recent incarnation, the DIY logger?

Despite the unfortunate similarity in name between Meteo-Pi and Meteo-Pi Ethernet. these are actually very different devices. The plain Meteo-Pi (and more recent DIY logger) are essentially just simple but robust serial or USB interfaces to a Pi or other computer and have few other user interface or upload features of their own (unlike WFL or MPE loggers). And so I would fully expect these to work with CMX without issue - there is relatively little on these simple interface loggers to interfere with CMX operation. It is the WiFi Logger or Meteo-Pi Ethernet (WFL and MPE) where the logger microcontroller is potentially controlling several other upload functions where occasional collisions with passing data to CMX might occur.

It's really the more complex loggers, ie WFL and MPE, where I'd appreciate any other user comments please.

[mcrossley]

Thanks Paul and Mark. Mark, I sense a note of frustration creeping in there. Is there any particular area of WFL compatibility that it still causing issues? Or is it just a general concern that there might still be weaknesses and vulnerabilities that a new user might encounter?

It seems to work most of the time now, but WFL is prone to just silently dropping the connection with nothing sent to the peer.
CMX seems to eventually recover from all the failure modes.

I recall a weewx coder had a bit of a run in with WFL author a while back on the wx forum about its poor behaviour.

[prodata]

OK, thanks. So that sounds like WFL specifically (ie rather than Meteo-Pi Ethernet = MPE) and so could be an issue with maintaining WiFi connectivity. Just a tentative thought because there are definitely more WFL units out there than MPE, so could just be reporting bias.

But, that said, I'm conscious that the WiFi space is getting ever more complicated with 5GHz WiFi, semi-proprietary mesh networks from specific manufacturers etc and both WFL and Meteobridge Nano reportedly have issues with certain WiFi configurations. But there's just not enough hard information or investigations by users with really in-depth WiFi knowledge to be sure about all of these things. Nonetheless I do wonder whether MPE might offer more robust operation with CMX as it relies on just straight Ethernet for network connectivity.

[The PIT]

I use the wifi logger on three consoles I also use three different weather programs. Never had an issue with Cumulusmx works quite happily. I have set them to reboot overnight automatically and use the keep alive function so it doesn't go to sleep.

The only issue I had was with the clocks changing with the logger not dealing with the clocks going forward or back. This has supposed to have been corrected but the best solution is to disable the clock sync function on the wifi logger and let the consoles handle the change.