[Elecraft] LP Bridge crashes with K3

Sat Dec 3 14:06:46 EST 2016

George,

To follow up our personal email.

1) I'm using WIN7 on a quad core 2.8 GHz 32 bit machine.  Using a real 
serial port to the K3.

What PC are you using?

2) The ERROR 13 failure I experienced several times recently was after 
pressing the ATU tune button on a K3.  It was 100% reproducible.  That 
was a month or two ago.  Now it doesn't.  Go figure that.

3) I previously used a dual core 2.6 GHz XP machine.  It would 
experience some random error 13 failures.  I could see no rhyme nor 
reason to them.  The frequency of those errors may have been higher.

I assume you had WINDOWs erase LBPRIDGE and the virtual port programs 
and then re-installed them.  There was a recent update in the virtual 
serial port creation program but that may have been addressing WIN10.

Have you done a virus scan?  The presence of a virus could slow up your 
PC to the point that the timing issues show up.

If I had to hazard a guess, it would be a timing issue trashing the 
LPBRIDGE/K3 interface.  I know that doesn't help you.

Is there some other program/s you can run on your one serial port to 
confirm it's OK?

What you are experiencing is not normal!   Have you tried contacting the 
LPBRIDGE author?  He has a wealth of experience and is quite helpful.

73 de Brian/K3KO

On 12/3/2016 18:05 PM, George Kidder wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Lots of good thoughts there.  I should have mentioned a number of
> things:  The connection is via a RS-232 cable, not by USB converter.
> There is only one "real" com port on this computer (COM 1) so I cannot
> check this by substitution unless I were to use a USB to RS-232
> converter.  The failure occurs with no RF output, and with any mode I
> have tried.  The LPB version is 1.1.0; I only tried LPB2 as a way of
> using a slower baud rate, since LPB is fixed at 38K.  LPB2 crashes as
> well!  Re-starting LPB does not re-establish connections if other
> programs are used on the virtual ports; killing these other programs
> does restore connections.  I have not carefully investigated a total
> power cycle.
>
> As I noted before, the failure occurs without any other programs
> connected to the virtual COM ports, and indeed even when these COM ports
> have not been created.
>
> Wiping the computer and reloading the OS seems a rather drastic cure for
> a small ill, especially when there is no guarantee that it will work.  I
> do have another computer running XP, and have used LPB on it in the
> past.  It's problem is that it is slow enough that when all the programs
> I want to run are on it, there are precious few CPU cycles left.  This
> was why I got the Win 7 machine!
>
> VA2FSQ's solution is possibly one way out.  I will have to consider it
> and other similar options.
>
> Thanks for all the good and very prompt feedback.  BTW, in the time
> between my sending my first question and the present, the computer was
> left running with LPB on it alone, and it crashed, reading IS Q500!
>
> George, W3HBM
>
>
> On 12/3/2016 11:47 AM, Mike Flowers wrote:
>> Hi George,
>>
>> Just some thoughts:
>>
>> - how is your K3 attached to the PC?  A real RS-232 COM port or a
>> USB/Serial converter?
>>
>> - if by an RS-232 COM port, could you try a different one?
>>
>> - if by a USB/Serial converter, what kind?  Can you try another one?
>>
>> - Are you transmitting at all between failures?  If so, RFI may be
>> playing a role.  Try just leaving the rig on but no TX.
>>
>> - if you have a dummy load, try TX into it if the above test indicates
>> RF may be the issue.
>>
>> - How close are your antennas?  Are the rotatable?
>>
>> - How are the rig, PC, coax shields, etc. bonded in a 'ground'
>> system?   RF can induce voltage on cables if various units are not at
>> a common 'ground'.
>>
>> - Do you have really good quality cable connecting your rig and PC?
>>
>> - Have you tried any ferrites on the cables?
>>
>> Just some thoughts.
>>
>> -- Mike Flowers, K6MKF, NCDXC - "It's about DX!"
>>
>>> On Dec 3, 2016, at 6:33 AM, George Kidder <gkidder at ilstu.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>> OK, gang!  I've tried everything I can think of, and am now looking
>>> for some additional thoughts.
>>>
>>> Equipment: K3 (unmodified) with firmware 5.53, computer (2.99 GHz
>>> dual core, 4 GB memory) running Win 7, LP-Bridge (LPB) set for 200 mS
>>> delay.  The computer is not connected to the internet, and all
>>> programs are brought in from another computer using a flash drive.
>>>
>>> Problem:  At random but long intervals (hours) LP-Bridge crashes,
>>> displaying error 13 (type mismatch).  Clearing this window causes
>>> program to close.  This behavior is seen with no external programs
>>> connected to LPB, and with LPB set to any polling rate from 200 mS
>>> (default) to as much as 1000 mS.  It is seen when LPB2 is used and
>>> the baud rate is reduced to 4800.  When the crash occurs, the error
>>> seems to be in a response from the K3 - for instance, the "Rig
>>> Received Text" window shows "IS 0|00;" while it should show "IS
>>> 0600;".  In this case the K3 was set to CW mode.  In LSB mode, the
>>> same window shows "CW 6+;" where I presume it should have been "CW
>>> 60;".  This damaged text shows up in all windows (Rig received, K3
>>> Com port, Power SCR-IF Aux CAT port, etc.)
>>>
>>> Attempted resolution includes reloading the K3 firmware and reloading
>>> LPB from the website after clearing out all remnants of the old
>>> program.  Nothing helps - LPB still crashes when allowed to run for
>>> several hours.  Other programs not affected.  Computer is on a UPS,
>>> so momentary power outage would not be a cause (even if there should
>>> be one every night!)
>>>
>>> Clearly, there is a communication failure between the K3 and LPB,
>>> since it occurs with nothing else connected.  Is the problem with the
>>> K3, LBP or the Win 7 operating system which sits between them?  And
>>> what more can I try to fix it?
>>>
>>> Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated.
>>>
>>> George, W3HBM
>>>
>>>
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