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99 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
99 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
# Hardware problems
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## Tips on making a system reliable
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If you are having problems keeping your weather station up for long periods of
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time, here are some tips, in decreasing order of importance:
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* Run on dedicated hardware. If you are using the server for other tasks,
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particularly as your desktop machine, you will have reliability problems. If
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you are using it as a print or network server, you will probably be OK.
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* Run headless. Modern graphical systems are extremely complex. As new features
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are added, test suites do not always catch up. Your system will be much more
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reliable if you run it without a windowing system.
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* Use an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). The vast majority of power glitches
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are very short-lived — just a second or two — so you do not need a
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big one. The 425VA unit I use to protect my fit-PC cost $55 at Best Buy.
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* If you buy a Davis VantagePro and your computer has an old-fashioned serial
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port, get the VantagePro with a serial connection, not a USB connection. See
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the Wiki article on [Davis cp2101 converter
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problems](https://github.com/weewx/weewx/wiki/Troubleshooting-the-Davis-Vantage-station#davis-cp2101-converter-problems)
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for details.
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* If you do use a USB connection, put a ferrite coil on each end of the cable to
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your console. If you have enough length and the ferrite coil is big enough,
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make a loop, so it goes through the coil twice. See the picture below:
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<figure markdown>
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{ width="300" }
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<figcaption>Cable connection looped through a ferrite coil
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Ferrite coils on a Davis Envoy. There are two coils, one on the USB connection
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(top wire) and one on the power supply. Both have loops.</figcaption>
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</figure>
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## Archive interval
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Most hardware with data-logging includes a parameter to specify the archive
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interval used by the logger. If the hardware and driver support it, WeeWX will
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use this interval as the archive interval. If not, WeeWX will fall back to using
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option `archive_interval` specified in
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[[StdArchive]](../../reference/weewx-options/stdarchive.md). The default
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fallback value is 300 seconds (5 minutes).
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If the hardware archive interval is large, it will take a long time before
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anything shows up in the WeeWX reports. For example, WS23xx stations ship with
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an archive interval of 60 minutes, and Fine Offset stations ship with an archive
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interval of 30 minutes. If you run WeeWX with a WS23xx station in its factory
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default configuration, it will take 60 minutes before the first data point shows
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up, then another 60 minutes until the next one, and so on.
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Since reports are generated when a new archive record arrives, a large archive
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interval means that reports will be generated infrequently.
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If you want data and reports closer to real-time, use the
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[weectl device](../../utilities/weectl-device.md) utility to change the
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interval.
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## Raspberry Pi
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WeeWX runs very well on the Raspberry Pi, from the original Model A and Model B,
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to the latest incarnations. However, the Pi does have some quirks, including
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issues with USB power and lack of a clock.
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See the [Wiki](https://github.com/weewx/weewx/wiki) for up-to-date information
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on [Running WeeWX on a Raspberry
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Pi](https://github.com/weewx/weewx/wiki/Raspberry%20Pi).
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## Davis stations
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For Davis-specific tips, see the Wiki article [Troubleshooting Davis
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stations](https://github.com/weewx/weewx/wiki/Troubleshooting-the-Davis-Vantage-station)
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## Fine Offset USB lockups
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The Fine Offset series weather stations and their derivatives are a fine value
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and can be made to work reasonably reliably, but they have one problem that is
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difficult to work around: the USB can unexpectantly lock up, making it
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impossible to communicate with the console. The symptom in the log will look
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something like this:
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```
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Jun 7 21:50:33 localhost weewx[2460]: fousb: get archive interval failed attempt 1 of 3: could not detach kernel driver from interface 0: No data available
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```
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The exact error may vary, but the thing to look for is the **"could not detach
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kernel driver"** message. Unfortunately, we have not found a software cure for
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this. Instead, you must power cycle the unit. Remove the batteries and unplug
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the USB, then put it back together. No need to restart WeeWX.
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More details about [Fine Offset
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lockups](https://github.com/weewx/weewx/wiki/FineOffset%20USB%20lockup) can be
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found in the [Wiki](https://github.com/weewx/weewx/wiki).
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