Shut Laptop (sleep-ish mode) and now must re-install PowerSDR for EVERY reuse (Flex 1500)

Larry Loen WO7R

Shut laptop lid.  HP laptop acted in the end like random unplanned shutdown.  PowerSDR software in some mystery state vis a vis PC.  If I power off, Flex 1500 not recognized. Must uninstall and reinstall PowerSDR to recover.  Every time.  Oh, by the way, we're DXpeditioning 2m EME in the Bahamas and it is the heart of the operation (WO7R/C6AWO for AA7A/C6ANS).

Jim Veatch

Hi Larry,

I know how frustrating the laptop close can be. Try START>CONTROL PANEL>POWER OPTIONS then on the left side click on 'Choose what happens when I close the lid' then set it to 'do nothing' and you'll never have that particular problem again.

73,
Jim WA2EUJ

Tim - W4TME

What action associated with the laptop when the top is closed? PowerSDR is not designed to recover from a suspend or a hibernation state. I would reconfigure the PC so it does not go into either of these states when you close the top. Also, you need to make sure the Power Management mode is high performance and the USB ports are not under the control of power management. If they are, the USB port will power down and the connection to the 1500 will be shut down in a dirty way. This could be putting the driver is an unrecoverable state.

Larry Loen WO7R

I'll have C6ANS look into those settings.

However, the current problem is that the "database" or some other setting (in the registry I hope not??) is corrupt and doesn't really seem recoverable.  We seem to be doing the reinstall to overcome some sort of lingering corruption that returns EVEN IF we do not have the hibernation problem (or whatever the state was, I will ask).  In other words, the uninstall/reinstall is something like a workaround; after the reinstall, it appears that whatever went wrong in the internal state has been restored.

Something is still 'stuck' in the wrong position, because an ordinary power down, with PowerSDR properly exited before hand will "recreate" the problem, every time.

JB

It could also be that the USB ports are not configuring correctly after sleep/hibernate. The only way to ensure the ports come up clean is to do a complete shutdown and power up, not a restart as the is the hardware element of the USB controller. This might alleviate the need to uninstall and reinstall PowerSDR.

I always configure my laptops to "Do Nothing" when I close the lid even in battery operation to avoid these types of issues. Also agree with Tim on his settings suggestions. Good luck on the Expedition!

Larry Loen WO7R

Guys, the sleep mode part of the equation is long gone.  We didn't do that since the first failure.  What we're looking for is to clean up some kind of lingering effect that even a reinstall doesn't clear.  But, we aren't hibernating anymore.  At least, not that I know of.  I will double check.  Certainly no lid closing.

Larry _ NY8T

Try doing a system restore to a restore point right before the problem occurred.

Larry Loen WO7R

W8LLL  I will look into that one.

John

It could also be another device or software is trying to use the same port that the flex uses. Look at what other software is running at the same time and disable them one at a time to find the guilty culprit. Some software dont release the com ports properly once they are shut down.

Dan -- KC4GO

If you can connect the radio direct to the laptop no other network connection and start your efforts from there. Now only the radio and the laptop to be working with... Good luck & 73"s

JB

Dan..I believe this is a 1500 so only connection is via USB.

John

Could it also be a faulty usb port problem where the 5v supply is too low because another device is **** the voltage or perhaps a faulty usb port. try another port and disconnet other usb devices that are connected and then try another laptop. You could be going round in circles.

Tim - W4TME

The radio does not get any voltage from the USB port; it is unregulated and to dirty to use for RX and not enough amperage for TX.

Tim - W4TME

Larry - I have read through this thread.  If shutting down PowerSDR normally, powering off the radio, rebooting the PC, powering up the radio and starting PowerSDR is not working properly, resulting in a reinstall of the software to get it to work again, something is very wrong.

I would first move the 1500 to a different PC to see if the problem follows the radio.  I suspect it will not and that a different PC will exhibit proper behavior.  This will then tell you where the problem is situated.

Once you isolate the problem, then a different set of troubleshooting techniques will be warranted, otherwise, as we say in the South, you are just chucking eggs at a fan hoping that you get a chicken.