Problems with station communication: USB locks up completely

[41south]

Console to PC comms still going strong

I've had 2 isolated 'sensor contact lost' errors but I don't have any issue with those.

[ScottM]

Wonderful thread. I'm exchanging my Ambient-2080 because of a number of problems like this, and when I get the new one, I'll be looking at ferrite, aluminium foil, *anything* to get it stable. The disconnects and drop-outs are maddening.

Shame on Fine Offset, etc for not providing shielded cables, if that's the real problem. And yay for Cumulus for making the problems easy to spot.

[jwtower]

I moved my console from being on the far side of my laptop to being on the side closest to the weather station and I've now gone a week without having to reset the console where as before I was resetting it every other day. I do lose contact with the station 3 -4 times a day but even that number is down since relocating the console.

[hungerdunger]

I mentioned earlier in this thread (March 17th) that Maplin had asked me to send my N96GY back to them to examine. My old N96FY had worked with very few problems; the new one was giving errors from the start.

Anyway last week I received an email saying that a replacement was being sent out; there was no comment as to whether the old N96GY was faulty. The new one arrived nearly a week ago and has been error-free since then.

I'm not suggesting that this is the solution for everyone, but I wonder whether for some people it might be worth taking up the communication issue with Maplin, especially if you have experience of similar devices working properly in a similar situation.

[41south]

And failed this morning It's still much better than it was.

[Spider-Vice]

And mine has just failed aswell, it's always when it's rainy, I even isolated it with hot glue (The places where it's likely for water to come in) and it still seems to stop with wind and moderate rain.

[shoff14]

I had my first lock up recently.

System is only about 2 weeks old

Ambient Weather WS2080
I have been running without a reset for about a week.
Using Cumulus version 1.9.2 build 1032 running 24/7, recently restarted
Interval is set at 5 minutes
Sensor contact errors were happening at a random frequency

When restarting Cumulus I received an initializing error. The only way to get rid of the error was to reset the station. Easy weather was picking up the station just fine when started. I don't use the two software packages at the same time.

[steve]

Easy weather was picking up the station just fine when started.

Was Easyweather able to communicate with the station before you reset it, after it had stopped talking to Cumulus?

[shoff14]

Easy weather was picking up the station just fine when started.

Was Easyweather able to communicate with the station before you reset it, after it had stopped talking to Cumulus?

Before the reset.

[steve]

Before the reset.

That seems to be unusual. It appears that usually, once the station has got into the state where Cumulus can't talk to it, neither can Easyweather. But if Windows is saying that it can't find the device (which is what I assume you mean by an "initializing error"), there's nothing that Cumulus can do about that.

Edit: I think I've worked out what you mean by "an initializing error". Was the error message "The station is not initialised", with the suggestion "Try resetting the console"? If so, this means that the first two bytes of the station's memory did not contain the values which say that the station is correctly initialised and working. Easyweather - somewhat dangerously - chooses to ignore this. You can force Cumulus to behave in the same way by editing cumulus.ini and adding a line to the [Station] section:

EWdisablecheckinit=1

[shoff14]

Before the reset.

That seems to be unusual. It appears that usually, once the station has got into the state where Cumulus can't talk to it, neither can Easyweather. But if Windows is saying that it can't find the device (which is what I assume you mean by an "initializing error"), there's nothing that Cumulus can do about that.

Edit: I think I've worked out what you mean by "an initializing error". Was the error message "The station is not initialised", with the suggestion "Try resetting the console"? If so, this means that the first two bytes of the station's memory did not contain the values which say that the station is correctly initialised and working. Easyweather - somewhat dangerously - chooses to ignore this. You can force Cumulus to behave in the same way by editing cumulus.ini and adding a line to the [Station] section:

EWdisablecheckinit=1

That was the error. What is happening when this error is detected?

[steve]

That was the error. What is happening when this error is detected?

When it starts up, Cumulus checks the first two bytes of the station's memory. They are supposed to contain the values Hex 55 and Hex AA to indicate that the station has initialised itself correctly. If they do not, then presumably the station has had some kind of internal problem, so Cumulus doesn't try to read any data from it.

[Iain1701]

Interesting topic! I Have had problems with data drop out. I spent some time (days) finding out that Cumulus software was not the problem and the auto data restart is very good as a temp fix. My weather computer which was Running Vista now updated to Win 7 32-Bit still had the same drop data out. Next I started looking more closely at USB side of things. Leads changed, used different ports no difference!. Then I fitted a set of speakers and discovered that windows was telling me that a USB device had been disconnected and reconnected strait away. Then I found it! The Fridge. The fridge was causing a mains spike now and again upsetting USB input on the computer (long USB lead Pick up). Surge socket filter + UPs Filter no Help. Solution fitted suppressor across the thermostat contacts in fridge. Now No Data Drop out!. If You are having this type of problem unless you know what you are doing CALL an Electrician to solve this type of problem. Steve excellent Software !!!

iain1701

[jwtower]

This time when Communication between Cumulus and my WS-2080 stopped I opened Easy Weather which was able to communicate with the station. After Easy Weather finished syncing I used its utility to clear the memory on the station. After closing Easy Weather and restarting Cumulus it appears communication has been re-established. We'll see if I go the usual 2 weeks or so using this approach.

[williambanker]

Well running the latest version of cumulus along with a WH1090. Ewdisablecheckinit=1 added to the configuration file.

But the station effectively hangs after 2-3 weeks of continuous operation with a "Downloading Data - Please Wait" display box.

This error can be repeated without fail regardless of other conditions. I swapped out USB cables just to see if that was the problem and it is not. Also thought about EM interference and provided for a longer USB cable and this did not correct the problem.

The only way I have been able to correct the problem is through disconnecting and reconnecting the USB cable. Since this station is remote and unattended for most of the year this solution is not a viable solution.

So kinda of stuck at this point short of returning the unit (WH1090) which based upon readings of this thread does not seem to be reliable fix either.