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Re: [TowerTalk] [Bulk] Somewhat OT Anyone seen this problem with Green H

To: "'Grant Saviers'" <grants2@pacbell.net>, "'Larry Loen'" <lwloen@gmail.com>, "'TowerTalk'" <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] [Bulk] Somewhat OT Anyone seen this problem with Green Heron Controllers?
From: "David Robbins" <k1ttt@arrl.net>
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 2015 23:00:16 +0000
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
I have 9 rt-21's and 2 gh base wireless transmitters on one asus computer
running win 8.1, the rt-21's are always turned on before the computer by my
power sequencer, the wireless boxes are usb powered.  It also has usb
Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and a usb connection to a large touch screen.
They always come on just fine on the same com ports.

David Robbins K1TTT
e-mail: mailto:k1ttt@arrl.net
web: http://wiki.k1ttt.net
AR-Cluster node: 145.69MHz or telnet://k1ttt.net


-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Grant
Saviers
Sent: Sunday, November 29, 2015 22:06
To: Larry Loen; TowerTalk
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] [Bulk] Somewhat OT Anyone seen this problem with
Green Heron Controllers?

I've encountered what may be a related problem with several (8) RT21's usb
connected.

It seems that at least Win7 boot can't properly assign multiple USB devices
that are already powered up. I delved as deeply as I am able into the boot
process and concluded that when a large number of usb devices are powered on
prior to boot, windows can't sort them out. It assigns them to other than
COM ports and other things in the case of serial emulating devices such as
the RT21.  I had many emails with Jeff at GH and concluded this is not his
problem.

I'll speculate a bit that with multiple bridges, hubs and whatever current
systems use to have the max USB 2 and 3 ports (some hidden) and the Windows
promise to be able to boot from usb, it is a flaw in the OS.  I am able to
demonstrate the problem on another Win7 system.  The main system is an HP
business class desktop and HP second level support was stumped, but promised
to send a replacement system.

Anyway, the simple answer for my grief was to put all RT21's on a power
strip and power them up after the boot is stable.  Ah, there is another
gotcha - the Win7 boot forks early in the process to give you a screen to
play with but the full Windows OS is really not there yet.  Pre SSD's it was
reported that all of Windows doesn't exist until 6 minutes into the startup,
but that is what I have read on the web.  That's how usoft gives you a
faster boot - Penn and Teller tricks.

I wait a bit into the boot process and then turn on all RT21's at once.  
They reliably are assigned to the same COM port each time. How that works is
a bit of a mystery to me as I am using a 9 port USB hub, but there must be
some sequencing by connector position.

Maybe why one person told me "USB really means Unreliable S o B"

Grant KZ1W



On 11/28/2015 10:58 AM, Larry Loen wrote:
> I know a lot of you guys have Green Heron Controllers.  Up to today, 
> my RT
> 21 has worked flawlessly.  Firmware version 3.07, unchanged from a 
> while back.  However, today is a new adventure.
>
> Computer control is very important to me.  Today, there was no 
> computer control.  The "RS232" interface (which is actually USB on my 
> unit) simply doesn't work.  The COM port does not "report in" to Windows.
>
> I validated everything that I could.
>
> 1.  I used several USB ports and validated they worked with my cell 
> phone over a suitable wire I had long used for convenience in 
> attaching it as a USB drive.  That all still works.  I used those 
> known good ports in the following steps.
>
> 2.  I used a different wire from my PC to the Green Heron Controller.  
> That failed, but the same USB port and cable work just fine with the 
> original device (my Alpha).
>
> 3.  I went through several power down / power up cycles with the PC 
> and the controller.  No joy.
>
> Another symptom of interest is that a lot works on the controller still:
>
> 1.  It works fine in basic manual operation.  CCW, CW works.  Cancel 
> an in-flight turn works.  Turning the manual knob all works as expected.
>
> 2.  However, I cannot successfully press and hold the Cancel/Setup 
> button to enter Setup.  I've depressed it for upwards of 30 seconds 
> (the manual just says press and hold until the display changes) but. .
.nothing.
>
> This suggests to me one of the worst outcomes -- the 
> computer/micrprocessor on the board is suffering from some sort of 
> physical or firmware-induced damage.
>
> One last thing that may somehow be an issue.  I power the unit on and 
> off with a remote switch. So, the regular power on button is on all 
> the time and AC flows directly into the unit and ceases like a power 
> failure.  I don't think this is obviously different than using the 
> front panel switch, but maybe there's a difference here.
>
> Ideas?  Anyone seen this before?
>
>
> Larry WO7R
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