Settings with strange behaviour

[hb9bun]

I have a couple of settings that with 2.8.0.123 (probably also in the versions before) show strange behaviours.
e.g.

• Mic Gain after every restart goes back to 29, although it should be 35. If I change TX profile to another and load the right one again it is at 35. So somehow it is loading this value from an old setting. No clue how I can get this overwritten.

• since at least 2.8.0.121 switching bands unchecks TX1 in antenna settings, sometimes it does not but very often it does

• since at least 2.8.0.121 switching bands often switches AGC-T to 50, also here no clue where this "default" comes from and how I could at least change it

I already did an repair install over the install of the new version. This did not help.
BR Peter - HB9BUN

[ke9ns]

Not only does PowerSDR have Profiles you can Save under a name, but it also has a built in virtual "last state" profile.

So, when you make a change (like the Mic Gain ), but do not expressly re-save it into your current Saved Profile, PowerSDR will update the virtual "last State" profile at power down. So when you Launch PowerSDR the next time, the settings will not match the currently shown profile... They will match the "last state" saved.

However... If something prevents PowerSDR from updating a new "last state" as you power down, then when you launch PowerSDR, the previous "last state" values will appear. So that is probably what your seeing.

Sometimes its corruption in the database (or PowerSDR didnt shut down correctly) that prevents the virtual "last state" update.

The same goes for when the database updates data based on Band, like the Antenna or AGC-T.
If something prevents the power down update to occur, then it just goes back to the last setting that was saved.

Also, Flex has a multiple backup database file system (thats why you see 5 database files with your radios serial# in them. One file is your database and the other 4 are your backups), but (for me) it has never worked (at least automatically).

I think part of the problem is that when I make updates and changes to the database (add a new saved variables), strange things sometimes happen to some people. And in those cases, you need to do a Setup->Factory Defaults (sometimes even a backup Setup->Import wont fix it)

Darrin ke9ns

[G7DAZ]

Hi, do you have an Hercules MP3LE or similar ? ...the reason i ask is that a couple of updates back i had very very similar problems to yours....no amount of re-install's, database backups etc. etc. would cure/fix my issues; they (certain settings) always defaulted back to "set-values". After much head scratching and an apology to Darrin i realised that the "error" was all mine ....it turned out that my cat had caught/nudged/moved "some" of my sliders/knobs on my Hercules mixing desk that i use for my VFO's, volume, AGC etc. etc.

After re-adjusting the sliders/knobs back to the values that i had (when working) before the update it turned out that everything was "cured and back to normal" i.e. there never was any issues in the 1st place; just mal-adjusted control knobs

Darren - G7DAZ

[hb9bun]

Thanks for the hints and clarifications. I am using a Hercules MP3 LE btw. Normally it only influences values on changes, so on turning a knob. Otherwise it does not show any static effects with me.
@Darrin: 1 out of 4 times I stop PSDR and exit from it, I need to do a hard stop since the program just freezes on the screen and even after 15 minutes the task is still active. I tend to forget about such incidents. Maybe I really have to set the values to default (after many months and upgrades) and manually apply all settings again.
Peter - HB9BUN

[hb9bun]

Thanks for the hints and clarifications. I am using a Hercules MP3 LE btw. Normally it only influences values on changes, so on turning a knob. Otherwise it does not show any static effects with me.
@Darrin: 1 out of 4 times I stop PSDR and exit from it, I need to do a hard stop since the program just freezes on the screen and even after 15 minutes the task is still active. I tend to forget about such incidents. Maybe I really have to set the values to default (after many months and upgrades) and manually apply all settings again.
Regarding the database: The database contains all actual settings of PSDR, some settings are general settings, some settings are per band (like AGC-T, Antenna settings, ...). Are profiles then just a specific subsets of some of the settings that are stored and loaded under the profile name or are profiles complete settings?
Until now I assumed that they are just a subset meaning what is stored under a profile is for sure not a database backup, correct? It just helps overwriting the values that are in use with a defined parameter subset.
So when I do regular database backups the my actual profile definitions are stored with it. Is this somehow correct?
Peter - HB9BUN

[ke9ns]

When you refer to "freezes", it usually means the Panadapter/waterfall freeze, but PowerSDR itself still functions.
Its the DSP part of the code DttSP, that does not like DPC latency.
But hitting the STOP / START button resync's the DSP and it will start working again.

Chrome is sometimes the culprit in DPC latency. Sometimes its Microsoft background Telemetry or Microsoft Windows Defender anti-malware scans that happen in the background and you cannot stop them. Also PC programs using COM ports (CAT commands) can sometimes cause DPC latency.
But I also think sometimes, a poor 1394 FireWire driver that can cause the DPC latency issue as well. When I purchased a new TI chip "XIO2213B" IEEE-1394b Controller, I stopped having the "Freeze" issue.

I added a Setup->General->Hardware Config->DttSP Auto Restart check box to automatically restart the DSP if it senses a Freeze condition

Darrin ke9ns

[hb9bun]

Hello Darrin
Thank you.
I was not properly using the word "freeze". The app does not respond any more after I press STOP and then click the x-Symbol to close go out of the application. Then the window is not stopping, pressing START does not change anything (the window is like frozen). The only way out is to kill the app in task manager. The application does not close properly.
I will this eveing set the DB to factory defaults. Switching to profiles that were saved with previous versions of the program cannot cause issues?
73, Peter

[ke9ns]

Got it.

Worst case (to do a full factory defaults) would be to go into the database folder: %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.8.0\
and remove the 5 database files (with your radios serial# in the file name), and the ke9ns8.dat file.

But, I will look into how PowerSDR shuts down.
Yes, a previously "Exported" database file should "import".

Darrin ke9ns

[ke9ns]

I looked at the Shutdown part of the PowerSDR code and it appears there was a problem.
go download & install .126 (even though the webpage still says .125). This should fix the issue of not saving things upon a shutdown.

And I also now create 3 shutdown.log files, so if its not saving things properly, I can try to determine what happened.

Darrin ke9ns

[wd5jko]

Darrin, Getting shutdown errors now with 126. Was on 123, and it would happen occasionally, but it seems more often now. The Power SDR task is always killed now, so that is good. Image attached.
Where are the new log files?

Thanks,
Jim
Wd5JKO

[ke9ns]

.126 is to fix shutdown database SAVE issues, not to prevent a crash (like your seeing).

Anyway, the log files are shutdown1.log, and shutdown2.log and shutdown3.log found in the database folder: %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\FlexRadio Systems\PowerSDR v2.8.0\. They just let me know if it was able to save everything when it shut down. I suspect in a crash, that may not happen.

The only time I have ever seen that "PowerSDR has stopping working" fault was when I accidentally bumped my FireWire cable, and it lost connection.
If you want, you can email me the 3 tmp files from the crash. I would like to see if lists the cause of the crash.

Darrin ke9ns

[wd5jko]

Darrin,

OK, I am attaching those files here. Renaming as a .txt since a .log is not allowed. Strike that, .txt not allowed either. OK, they are attached as .txt files within a zipped file, PowerSDR v2.8.0.zip.

Thanks,
Jim
Wd5JKO

[ke9ns]

Jim,

OK. the Shutdown log files are good. they show the last time it was closed, it saved properly and closed.

But I want you to send me the 3 files windows created when "powerSDR has stopped working" fault occurred.
The 3 files are shown in your photo
Thanks
Darrin

[wd5jko]

Hi Darrin, Just getting to this now. Those log files are gone after a reboot. Oh well. I tried booting up my F5K 4 times just now, and each time it went down gracefully when I closed the window. Interesting. Still on .126

I love your work, and dedication. Thanks!

Jim
Wd5JKO

[aa4lb]

Darrin & everyone,
I have been following this post as I have a similar issue. The "last state" files do not seem to be saving on my system. (FLEX-3000 v2.8.0.128) I notice this most because the Spotter information is always missing at startup.

Just now I stated PowerSDR, added my information to Spotter and made sure all functions were working. My location data was showing up correct on world map, VOACAP contours on map, DX spots showing up. I made a 40m contact receiving a 59 report. I closed the spotter window with the X. Then pressed STOP and then the X to shutdown PowerSDR.

I looked at the files in PowerSDRv2.8.0 folder sorted by date modified. In order they are shutdown2.txt, shutdown1.txt, ke9ns_SWR1.dat, ke9ns.dat, power.xls, database_RevQ_F3K_0810-0535.xml, ATU.txt

I then restarted PowerSDR. When it came up it was not on the frequency I had just worked the guy on and none of the information in the Spotter window was saved.

I viewed shutdown1 and shutdown2 and there is a Done indicator after each action. There was no shutdown3 file.

I have not tried deleting the 5 database files and the ke9ns files yet. Any thoughts?

Thanks for the great software, Darrin. I'm sure this will all work out.

73,
Lee, AA4LB

[ke9ns]

Yes I would try removing the 5 files and see if everything saves and recalls correctly, then if it works, make a backup (setup->export database) after you reset everything the way you like it.

Darrin ke9ns

[aa4lb]

Deleting ke9ns8 seems to have done the trick as far as the Spotter data being saved.
Thanks Darrin!

73,
Lee

[hb9bun]

@G7DAZ:
Hi Darren
Coming back to you reply from May 9th: You were right. Now that all other effects are not there anymore it seems clear, that PowerSDR after restarting is reading the settings from the console and setting the levels accordingly (but only for the actual band and at restart). Once this behaviour is clear, there are not "strange" settings anymore. Many thanks again for your hint.
73, Peter - HB9BUN

[ke9ns]

Great.
And once you have it set the way you like it, make sure to do a Setup->Export Database (make a backup)

Darrin ke9ns

[G7DAZ]

@G7DAZ:
Hi Darren
Coming back to you reply from May 9th: You were right. Now that all other effects are not there anymore it seems clear, that PowerSDR after restarting is reading the settings from the console and setting the levels accordingly (but only for the actual band and at restart). Once this behaviour is clear, there are not "strange" settings anymore. Many thanks again for your hint.
73, Peter - HB9BUN

No worries bro, glad my hint may have helped in some way....it took some serious head-scratchin at the time...end result=user error+1 feline

Take care Peter
73 de G7DAZ (Darren/Daz)