SmartSDR CAT v2.2.8 slice re-assignment problem

John, G3WKL

The logging program (Logger32 v3.50.356) that I use is linked to SmartSDR through COM4 port. Since using the latest versions of SmartSDR and Logger32, this COM port link crashes when trying to re-assign the slice that is associated with the COM port.  Logger32 closes the COM port and SmartSDR CAT gives the following error message:

"SmartSDR CAT (v2.2.8.190): An unhandled error has occurred: A Task's exception(s) were not observed either by Waiting on the Task or accessing its Exception property.  As a result, the unobserver exception was rethrown by the finalizer thread.  

Inner Exception: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

[details of the exception]"

Whilst Logger32 closes the COM port I don't know whether or not that is because of it being removed by the slice re-assignment process failing in SmartSDR CAT.  In other words which application is driving the fault condition.

I've been using SmartSDR/CAT/DAX/Logger32/Flex 6700 together for about 2 years without this issue occurring. The PC's running on Win 10 v1803.  Any ideas as to whether this is a CAT or Logger32 issue, or just down to me doing something wrong!

73 John, G3WKL

Mike-VA3MW

Hi John

Is there any chance you have 2 Com 4 ports or a Ghosted one?

Mike

John, G3WKL

Mike,

Thanks for your suggestion.  COM port assignments look OK to me.   Used KJ3P's batch script to check, see



However ......

The problem seems to have gone away.  Maybe I should have re-booted Win 10 to check if that cleared the problem, as I can re-assign COM4, which links SSDR with L32.

Re-boot, re-boot and re-boot - maybe I will remember next time!

73 John, G3WKL

Ian Snow

I had similar issue trying to interface a 6600 and Winlink Express and default Com4 port. Solution was to go into the CAT menu and crea t a new port and dedicate it solely to the WE app. My summer's advice was to do this with all apps, give each its own port. Ian VA3QT

John, G3WKL

I have not had this issue recently, as when I have operated I have used the Flex/Maestro combination away from the PC, so not had any COM port integration with Logger32 (L32).  However, I have been doing some general admin in the shack this morning so had SSDR and L32 running in the background on the PC and noticed that the COM port issue, reported in my initial post, is still occuring.  Re-booting the PC does seem to clear it for a few changes of slice, but as the error seems to occur randomly this may be unrelated. 

I have tried Ian's suggestion of setting up a dedicated COM port for L32 - I chose COM8 - but straight away the same thing occurred.  L32 dropped COM8 and showed the error message below right, followed by SSDR posting the error message below left.



I don't know if it is related to  SmartSDR CAT v2.2.8 but my setup only started to show this problem since the most recent upgrade

73 John, G3WKL

EA2CW

I think it could be a new version of soft and new windows 10 driver signature policy. Here the same problem. No way to fix the DAX setup. (Win10, SmartSDR ver 2.2.8 and Flex 6300)73, Mikel EA2CW

John, G3WKL

Mikel,

Thanks for your comment.  As it turns out the problem is not recurring today (following a PC re-boot as it's been switched off overnight).  

What I have noticed, which is different from yesterday (when the issue occurred), is that the edit window for COM8 (which is used by Logger32) shows COM8 as the 'Client COM'. Yesterday, 'Client COM' initially showed as COM8 but within a second or so went blank.  I don't know if this is SmartCAT dropping COM8, or SmartCAT showing that it has been dropped by Logger32.   

73 John, G3WKL

John, G3WKL

Update

Installed SSDR v2.3.7 today and opened N1MM Logger + to try out the "spots" feature (which works great!).  I then found that the same thing happens with N1MM that occured with Logger32, discussed above.  To summarise: when I edit the COM port, which communicates the frequency of the selected slice to N1MM, the 'Client COM' is dropped and an error message appears from the N1MM application.

So with N1MM Logger + and Logger32 both behaving in the same way when trying to change slice on the COM port is there something that I have not got set correctly with SmartSDR CAT (which is not on v2.3.7).

73 John, G3WKL

Tim - W4TME

What you have done is ungracefully ripped the spots comport out from under the running application.  This is why you are getting an error message from N1MM.

You have to shut down the spot communication socket in the application before changing the port number.

John, G3WKL

I don't understand, Tim. I wasn't trying to change the port number but the slice character associated with COM9.

Tim - W4TME

Sorry,  I misread your first paragraph since you said you edited the Com port (Actually it is a network UDP port) and didn't include that you were changing the slice designation, I assumed you were changing the UPD port number.

I have entered this into our bug tracker as issue #6447.  Thanks for the bug report.

Eric-KE5DTO

If there's any way that we can get the detail of the rest of the exception, that would be extremely helpful to us in tracking this down.  Thanks for reporting this to us and sorry you into it.

John, G3WKL

Eric Sure will do what I can on Monday. It's very repeatable. My feeling is that the VSP got corrupted during the Win 10 1803 update, as the issue post-dates that update. But will document the exception before doing anything as drastic as uninstalling and reinstalling the software. BTW there is a typo in my 'update' posting 4 hours ago. The final phrase should have read 'which is now on v2.3.7' I'll get back to you next week with some further info 73 John, G3WKL

John, G3WKL

Eric and Tim,

Here's some detail of the exception for #6447.  This was done yesterday and today, although the issue with Logger32 occured with the previous version of SmartSDR (N1MM+ was untested on that version)

PC – Intel Core i7-4790 CPU @3.6GHz, RAM 16GB DDR3

OS - Win10 v1803 from 1st May 2018, with recent updates up-to-date

SmartSDR v2.3.7 along with Flex 6700

Select View|Show hidden devices

Issue as related to N1MM Logger +

CAT9 assigned to N1MM+ (v1.0.7208.0)

Double clicked on it to change slice association from slice A to B

A second or so after opening the ‘Client COM’ drop down went blank

Editing the ‘VFO A Slice’ to B

and clicking Save one gets the following error message from N1MM+

Moments later an error message from Flex

Issue as related to Logger32

COM8 assigned to Logger32 (v30.50.357)

Double clicked on COM8 to change slice association from slice A to B - it worked (this time!)

The ‘Client COM assignment didn’t disappear, and I was able to change slice to B

and save it.  Logger32 of course then shows the frequency associated with Slice B. 

I would say that the issue occurs with Logger32 roughly 80% of the time.  The consistent way to avoid the issue is to close the port (in Logger32), re-assign the COM port and then open the port.  

Below is an example of SSDR/Logger32 COM port dropping out during edit:

First the ‘Client COM’ is dropped


Then the error messages from Logger32

and from SSDR


73 John, G3WKL

Eric-KE5DTO

Thanks for the detail John.  That's really helpful.  I'll see what we can do to address this.

John, G3WKL

Latest uograde v2.4.9 went smoothly, thanks guys for great effort on DAX and other improvements/fixes. I appreciate that Issue #6447 wasn't addressed but thought it useful to report that it's still a problem. 73 John, G3WKL