Lost log file

[FeetDry]

I tried to grab a log during a 10hour road trip, but ran into some BBL issues.

A minor one is the function (hot) keys don't respond in the PID selection menu. I need to use the arrow keys to move the highlight selection up/down. I'm guessing EFI knows this.
It would be good if the arrow keys did a roll-over. If I'm at the top of the list and hit the UP arrow, the selection would roll-over to the end of the list. Something line a page-down or end-of-list.

The major issue was a lost log file. The V2 was using internal mem, the SD slot was empty. I selected an almost full PID list, (21 of 24 possible channels). Less than an hour into the trip the V2 beeped. At the time, I wasn't sure why. A few hours later I noticed it wasn't scanning data. I tried to record data a couple times, with no success. It would create the log file, but it would remain empty. A few hours later when I tried to move the file (EfiExplorer), I wasn't able to move the first log off the V2. It would start to Xfer data, then I'd get a pop-up window with a message. Unfortunatly I can't tell you what the err msg said. (I didn't have time to mess w/ it.) I deleted that log file, and the other 2 empty logs. (The V2 FLASH was basically empty, as it was a few hours earlier.) I selected the same PID list and hit record and I was able to grab much more than an hours worth of data. No sign of the earlier error.

1. I don't believe the first log ran out of memory.
2. I'm not sure if starting log# 2 & 3, corrupted log# 1, or wether it was already bad.
i.e. If the V2 was out of memory, why did it succeed in creating the files# 2 & 3.
Or by doing so, did log#1 get corrupted?

When done logging or downloading, I just unplug the V2. I don't bother to power off the unit. (The unit is idle, no LEDs, no ongoing comm.)

How good is the FLASH file system? I'm wondering if this nonPwr-Off behavior might have caused a FLASH problem? Have you seen this before?

[joecar]

When done logging, do you press the Cancel key to terminate logging (i.e. close the log file)...?

[Blacky]

The beep occurs if/when FlashScan detects the internal memory is full. Because it is writing to a FAT12 file system, there is no guarantee that the file can be successfully closed. The internal memory uses a 128K RAM buffer that may not be able to be flushed to disk if/when the file system reports memory full - if it can't be flushed then the file system may get corrupted, causing subsequent files to be corrupt also. I recommend using an SD card for any lengthy BBLogging. The inernal memory BBLogging is really just for short logs if/when you don't have access to an SD Card.

Just for interest, usually when a FAT file system (like a floppy disk on a PC) reports "file system full", the file being written is deleted and no attempt is made to preserve any of the data in the file being copied/saved. What we try to do is to flush the file to disk. In some cases it may be successful. In others (as you discovered) it does not work.

Regards
Paul

[FeetDry]

When done logging, do you press the Cancel key to terminate logging (i.e. close the log file)...?

Yes, I always hit the cancel to stop logging. (That is the only way I know how to stop it.) When I unplug the V2, it is always idle.
I never thought of hitting the pwr button. I didn't realize it had a pwr button.


Blacky, thanks for the explaination. I wish I had more info for you to work with. The V2 seems to have run out of mem too soon. Like the log was bigger than it should have been. (The later log worked fine on the same mem space.)
I just wanted to pass the info along.

[FeetDry]

I tried the pwr button (the "0" key), the V2 did NOT turn off. It went right to log mode. i.e. It created a log file and started logging data. I was logging before I hit the cancel button a few times to get back to the main menu. i.e. I can't say if it went back to "resume" (repeat last operation) logging, or if the key press caused it to just started logging.

[Blacky]

There is no power button. The "0" key is just a short cut to start logging immediately, without going through the menu selections.
Regards
Paul