2 hotspots failed after upgrade to 4.1.2

General support for the Pi-Star System
W4BPP
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:19 pm

2 hotspots failed after upgrade to 4.1.2

Post by W4BPP »

first let me state, i'm a dummy. pi-star has been so reliable that i stopped having good habits. like testing an update for good functionality before updating a second unit. i didn't do that. now i have 2 non functional units. i have actively troubleshot with the one and left the other one alone (finally common sense kicked in) so i have one that is basically fresh after the update and one i have probably made worse. here's what i've done and some information. any help would be much appreciated.

background:
2 hotposts exactly the same.
hw Pi Zero W Rev 1.1 (512MB)
mmdvdmhs simplex hat
both working perfectly before any actions today.
same config on both, Dstar and DMR not using a satellite freq (so freq is green)

i will call them:
-HS_asis (i have done no config changes post update) and
-HS_played (where i played after the fail).

-Hs_asis was running 4.1.0rc7 with a dashboard from december (it was off for awhile, i travel with it and ya, know covid19!)
-Hs_played was running 4.1.0 release with a dashboard from 20200524

for both i did the following:
1. expert/ hit the update button to update, then upgrade several times to get on 4.1.2 no errors, no issues, no failures.
2. reboot
3. powers on, dashboard comes up. no display at all, and the only LEDs are SOLID GREEN power and SLOW FLASH RED on SVC. no other LEDs.

so, on HS_played here is what i tried:
1. reboot, reupdate, reupgrade. several iterations no changes, no issues, no different outcomes.
2. ok, so lightbulb, i'll update firmware of mmdvm board. that threw an error (which i didn't perceive at the time) which to the effect said "unable to initialize modem" at the very end of the fw upgrade. reboot
3. now the unit has no modes enabled and DMR network is red. dstar is still green.
4. try the fw upgrade again. no difference in result.
5. try importing recent config no difference
6. try various settings changes (change modem type, change display type)
7. sigh deeply and start taking notes.

here is the log from the unit i probably made worse:
HS_PLAYED LIVE LOG

Code: Select all

I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.868 This software is for use on amateur radio networks only,
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.868 it is to be used for educational purposes only. Its use on
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.868 commercial networks is strictly prohibited.
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.868 Copyright(C) 2015-2020 by Jonathan Naylor, G4KLX and others
M: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.868 MMDVMHost-20200503_Pi-Star_v4 is starting
M: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.868 Built 22:38:53 May  5 2020 (GitID #7718676)
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869 General Parameters
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     Callsign: W4BPP
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     Id: 3105663
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     Duplex: no
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     Timeout: 240s
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     D-Star: enabled
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     DMR: enabled
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     YSF: disabled
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     P25: disabled
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     NXDN: disabled
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     POCSAG: disabled
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     FM: disabled
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869 Modem Parameters
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     Port: /dev/ttyAMA0
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     Protocol: uart
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     RX Invert: no
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     TX Invert: yes
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     PTT Invert: no
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     TX Delay: 100ms
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     RX Offset: -100Hz
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     TX Offset: -100Hz
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.869     RX DC Offset: 0
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     TX DC Offset: 0
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     RF Level: 100.0%
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     DMR Delay: 0 (0.0ms)
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     RX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     CW Id TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     D-Star TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     DMR TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     YSF TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     P25 TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     NXDN TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     POCSAG TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     FM TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.870     TX Frequency: 433000000Hz (432999900Hz)
M: 2020-05-25 17:57:22.913 Opening the MMDVM
E: 2020-05-25 17:57:28.562 Invalid length received from the modem - 254
E: 2020-05-25 17:57:32.180 Invalid length received from the modem - 254
E: 2020-05-25 17:57:35.784 Unable to read the firmware version after six attempts
now, on to the unit i did NOT make worse: update, upgrade, upgrade, upgrade, reboot. same outcome, same LEDs.

here is the log from that unit:
HS_ASIS:

Code: Select all

I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.560 This software is for use on amateur radio networks only,
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.560 it is to be used for educational purposes only. Its use on
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561 commercial networks is strictly prohibited.
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561 Copyright(C) 2015-2020 by Jonathan Naylor, G4KLX and others
M: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561 MMDVMHost-20200503_Pi-Star_v4 is starting
M: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561 Built 22:38:53 May  5 2020 (GitID #7718676)
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561 General Parameters
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     Callsign: W4BPP
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     Id: 3105663
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     Duplex: no
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     Timeout: 240s
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     D-Star: enabled
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     DMR: enabled
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     YSF: disabled
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     P25: disabled
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     NXDN: disabled
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     POCSAG: disabled
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     FM: disabled
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561 Modem Parameters
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     Port: /dev/ttyAMA0
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     Protocol: uart
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     RX Invert: no
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     TX Invert: yes
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.561     PTT Invert: no
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     TX Delay: 100ms
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     RX Offset: -375Hz
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     TX Offset: -375Hz
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     RX DC Offset: 0
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     TX DC Offset: 0
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     RF Level: 100.0%
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     DMR Delay: 0 (0.0ms)
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     RX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     CW Id TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     D-Star TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     DMR TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     YSF TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     P25 TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     NXDN TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     POCSAG TX Level: 50.0%
I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562     FM TX Level:
i notice that it seems to not have finished there... on a previous reboot this is where it ended and seems to hang:

Code: Select all

I: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.562 TX Frequency: 433000000Hz (432999625Hz)
M: 2020-05-25 18:32:18.563 Opening the MMDVM

so. on neither unit do i get any RF action. on neither unit is TRX reporting anything (just a blank square) and there is not even a square for FW or TCXO.

soooo.... not sure what happened on HS_ASIS and not sure how i made things worse on HS_PLAYED.

i am sure that they were both functional and now neither is. and I am also sure that somehow i have been dense. but i cannot see it. any help is much much appreciated.
User avatar
MW0MWZ
Site Admin
Posts: 1505
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 9:15 pm
Location: Wales, UK
Contact:

Re: 2 hotspots failed after upgrade to 4.1.2

Post by MW0MWZ »

Out of intererest, can you check what the screen setup is set to on one of those ?
Andy

73 de MW0MWZ
http://pistar.uk
W4BPP
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:19 pm

Re: 2 hotspots failed after upgrade to 4.1.2

Post by W4BPP »

after the upgrade they were both set to type OLED3. i went through an old config zip and they were set to type "OLED". the PCB they come on says nextion but i cant recall (been a long time since initial config) if the original selection was nextion or OLED. i have some older configs if that's helpful.
K5MRE
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun May 27, 2018 1:28 pm

Re: 2 hotspots failed after upgrade to 4.1.2

Post by K5MRE »

I had this issue as well. NextionDriver was on them. I had to nuke it, and then everything was fine again.
DJ5UW
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:39 pm

Re: 2 hotspots failed after upgrade to 4.1.2

Post by DJ5UW »

Same with me.
The update to 4.1.2 killed the Nextion Driver,

Uli
DJ5UW
W4BPP
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:19 pm

Re: 2 hotspots failed after upgrade to 4.1.2

Post by W4BPP »

What screen do you have? If you have a Nextion it should be set to Nextion. If you have an OLED it should be set to OLED.
sorry to be dense, but i dont know what a nextion vs oled is. they have always been set to oled in recent memory and i went through old configs by hand and they were set as oled in those. now there doesnt seem to be an "OLED" option, but OLED3 and OLED6...
That message tells me that there is a problem communicating with the MMDVM. The LED's you mentioned also confirm that suspicion.

Your attempt at updating the firmware failed because the auto initialization feature did not work correctly, some boards need to be put in manual bootloader mode to update. Look for some pins or through holes that are labeled BOOT or BOOT0 on the PCB.
agreed. i have updated the firmware on this unit through pi-star several times. everything was flawless until the upgrade process. simply upgrading and rebooting caused the issue. i was running a recent version (4.1.0) when i hit upgrade.
I would manually put the MMDVM in bootloader mode and then flash it with the correct firmware. That will probably solve your problem IF there isn't a hardware failure on the RPi.
not sure i have any concept of how to do that, or how it would help. something changed with this upgrade.
Lastly are you restoring old configs that were created before 4.1 into the latest 4.1 image? I suspect you are and that is causing issues with new settings that the old configs are missing.
i have one unit that is clean. did not try this on. just rebooted, oh shucks... and there it sits.
W4BPP
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:19 pm

Re: 2 hotspots failed after upgrade to 4.1.2

Post by W4BPP »

Does your hotspot even have a display screen?
yes. not sure if you mean to be aggressive or if that's accidental. thanks, never understood the difference between nextion and OLED. definitely oled. try googling that one to see why i had no idea how to sort it out...
I wouldn't conclude that the upgrading process caused your issue. Yes, things are no longer working correctly but there could be any number of reasons why.
i'm sorry but this 100% not in question. the hotpost was working, i hit update then upgrade, then reboot (as many many times before) and when it rebooted it could no longer talk to the radio.
Well, you'll need to learn then.
so maybe the aggressive tone wasn't accidental? yes agreed, that would be a great skill. a nice link or basic explanation (as in nextion above) would have been great. i have been working on this for days and google as best i can extensively i try not to ask dumb questions, and try to post as much actual useful information as possible.
I guess, you'll have to work on that hotspot also.
you missed my point, and when troubleshooting it's important to stay focused on actions and facts. i was responding that the importing of older configs was a bit of a red herring as i had one unit which was in the entirely failed condition on which no steps (including importing a config) had been taken.

so here is where I am now:
i have built a completely scratch config and it works great. the MMDVM board is working just fine. when i put the original SD card in it and boot with all the same settings it doesn't work the only difference being that SD was upgraded to it's current state and not built from scratch starting with SD format on windows. i will now play with the broken one to see if i can import a working config or something and continue troubleshooting. not sure how it got messed up, and hopefully I'm a one-off and not indicative of a failed upgrade process (for which I had 100% failure rate) as that would be concerning for a lot of people.

i do really appreciate all the help, and really think pistar is amazing. i can also firmly say that sometimes responses here are a bit heavier handed than might be called for. perhaps folks get tired of answering the same questions over and over again? i waited to post until the very last resort and all other steps short of a scratch config had been exhausted. your help has been sincerely appreciated.


thanks,
charles
W4BPP
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:19 pm

Re: 2 hotspots failed after upgrade to 4.1.2

Post by W4BPP »

I understand what steps you performed, but you haven't provided any actual evidence that something in the upgrading process actually broke your systems.
this is an odd splitting of hairs. i agree, sudo pistar-upgrade didnt break the hotspot. but something in the process absolutely did. i think its probably in handling the old configuration data. something is not getting adjusted in that config (possibly with the display being assigned to the wrong port and not being update by the gui?) which is blocking the port the modem uses. just a guess but it feels about right.

i do appreciate your help, i was mostly pointing out that you come across as a bit cross... i understand you are a volunteer, and i often do the same in other forums etc.
DJ5UW
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:39 pm

Re: 2 hotspots failed after upgrade to 4.1.2

Post by DJ5UW »

@KE7FNS
to answer your question: I´m running 7 hotspots on RPI3 and dualhead MMDVMs here, all have an external Nextion Display attached to the USB port.
ALL ran perfectly fine, after the last update and after a reboot, on all of them, the Nextions Display stopped working.
I seems that the display itself starts up but does not get Data from the MMDVM Head anymore. soemthing seems to block the communication between MMDVM and the Display.
DJ5UW
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:39 pm

Re: 2 hotspots failed after upgrade to 4.1.2

Post by DJ5UW »

Somehow the updates do not work anymore. even after a full reboot.
All of my hotspots show now show this odd behaviour:
*******************************************
"Stopping services" takes about 2-3 minutes then this error message comes up on the screen

Starting update, please wait...
Stopping Services...
Done
Updating DV Binaries...
No updates for /usr/local/bin available
Done
Updating Pi-Star Binaries...
fatal: Unable to create '/usr/local/sbin/.git/index.lock': Read-only file system
No updates for /usr/local/sbin available
Done
Updating Hostfiles...
Done
Updating Dashboard...
No updates for /var/www/dashboard available
Done
Updating PiStar-Firewall...
Done
sed: couldn't open temporary file /etc/sed7erk9n: Read-only file system
sed: couldn't open temporary file /etc/sedOj561l: Read-only file system
Starting Services...
Done
Updates complete, sleeping for a few seconds before making the disk Read-Only
Finished
Post Reply