GPS based Odometer

[LennartG]

GrahamC,
first of all, there is no relation with the VDR playing a file unless there is a variable name colission on a global variable. I've used code inspired by the use in VDR load and save. Neither should the GPS connection be a problem in itself.

Good you found the file locations and can repeat the problem even if it is strange.

The log files are just containing the latest data in the format you showed. There is currently no logs summarizing trips although I'm working on that part.

I've added the date/times you indicated to my system and do not see a crash. There could however be a difference as I'm using Linux.

Just a quick test: What happens if you change the date/time to another value, still crashing?

So the real question is: Is this related to the dates/times or eventually a global variable messing with the VDR? Or is the VDR no longer involved?

For Dave: All these logs are separate files, there is currently no summarized log file. The files are normally also only read/written when the contained values change.

/LennartG

[LennartG]

GrahamC, one more thought:
Values are, when upgrading from an earlier version, existing in two locations. There are the 'old' values in the OpenCPN configuration directory plus the new location (C:\Users\yourusername\appdata\local\opencpn\plugi n s\gpsodometer_pi\data)
The date/time values in OpenCPN configuration file are read to have initial values and, after that, never used again as the plugin specific values takes priotity.
This could be the culprit as it works on new installations.

So my suggestion is to remove the two lines "DepartureTime" and "ArrivalTime" from the '[PlugIns/GPS-Odometer]' section in the OpenCPN configuration file.
I would appreciate if you could make that a try and see what happens. On linux it works either way but perhaps not on Windows.

/LennartG

[GrahamC]

It was not just VDR but any NMEA gps data arriving that triggered the crash.
in opencpn.ini under [PlugIns/GPS-Odometer]
we have .
FontTitle=1;10;-13;0;0;0;400;1;0;0;1;0;0;2;32;Arial
FontData=1;11;-15;0;0;0;400;0;0;0;1;0;0;2;32;Arial
FontLabel=1;11;-15;0;0;0;400;0;0;0;1;0;0;2;32;Arial
FontSmall=1;8;-11;0;0;0;400;0;0;0;1;0;0;2;32;Arial
TotalDistance=6.6
TripDistance=6.6
PowerOnDelaySecs=15
SatsRequired=4
HDOP=4
DepartureTime=2023-04-28 06:54
ArrivalTime=20
FilterSpeed=1
Protocol=0
SpeedometerMax=12
OnRouteSpeedLimit=2
UTCOffset=24
SpeedUnit=0
DistanceUnit=0
OdometerCount=1
Name=ODOMETER
Caption=Odometer
Persistence=1
ShowSpeedometer=1
ShowDepArrTimes=1
ShowTripLeg=1

-----
Opencpn will start with Arrival and Departure time deleted in the new data folder.

But on a subsequent will crash again - this time we have '---' in both Arrival and Departure time.

So I'm now going to delete those 2 entries in opencpn.ini...

Ok. So it crashed again without those 2 entries , so I deleted arrival and departure times in the data folder and of course it was ok.
Next restart and it crashed again. -- sorry!
arrtime.log = 2023-11-17 21:30
deptime.log = 2023-11-17 21:30

[LennartG]

GrahamC, thanks for your patience and understanding. This is getting really interesting so let me do a small(?) recap. Correct me if I'm wrong:

1/ There are two look-alike Win10 systems, one with upgraded GPS Odometer and one with a fresh install. The upgraded system crashes while the freshly installed is ok.
Q1: Are they both receiving the same information?
Q2: Have you tried the same actions on both systems?

2/ Your comment 'not just VDR but any NMEA gps data arriving that triggered the crash'. I read that as it is also when you playback a VDR file without a gps connected. Fact is I do not care about the VDR info at all. I only read the NMEA sentences 'RMC' and 'GGA' plus the corresponding NMEA2k signals. None of those are played back from the VDR. The only source, I know of, supplying this are GPS and GNSS units. So why does it care about VDR playback.
Q: I understand you also get the crash when omly GPS/GNSS units are supplying signals, correct?

3/ Regarding the OpenCPN [PlugIns/GPS-Odometer] config:
Q: Arrival time is shortened to just '20'. Is this from the GPS Odometer or your editing? Otherwise it looks ok apart from the departure date being a bit old.

Summary: The crash does not appear if Arrival and Departure times are deleted from the data folder, I assume you removed the complete files. This also seems to be the key point here as system crashes when those files are read. The triple dashes just indicate lack of information so that is detected.

Outstanding questions:
- Where and how do VDR data come into play? Nothing I read or should care about.
- Why does it, on the upgraded system only, crash when Arrival and Departure info is present in the data directory no matter if the correesponding info is present in the OpenCPN config file?
- Why only on the upgraded system, not a brand new installation. What is the difference.

/LennartG

[GrahamC]

HI - Yes it is taking up a lot of my time and I'm happy to help resolve this.

1) Both systems have been upgraded. One is my onboard (currently at home)
The other is a desktop on which I mirror most of what I can of opencpn.
I have a DSC VHF radio with GPS that is feeding the desktop running opencpn and an AIS receiver which picks up traffic in the Solent.

Both systems exhibit the same symptoms.

2) VDR data does include RMC and GLL data. I can share a file if you like.

3) The shortened arrival time is as I found it , maybe it failed to write out fully during a crash ?

Your summary is correct that by deleting those 2 files I get no crash.
In fact I notice today that my desktop opencpn crashes all the time even when there is NO NMEA feed active!


I said before both systems have been upgraded I don't have a clean install.
I could try on a VM but haven't got one set up, its been a long long time since I had use for one.

Graham

[LennartG]

GrahamC. really appreciate your help in tracking this down. As said before I'm using Linux but I will apparently need to add a Win10 machine, perhaps a VM. To the ponts:

1/ Apparently my misunderstanding, sorry for that.
2/ I'd appreciate the option with the VDR file, please add it as an attachment, zipped and with an additional .pdf extension.
3/ Your assumption may well be correct, dropping that for the moment.

So the crash could be related to reading/loading data from those two (Arrival and Departure) log files and likely also the resume file (even if you have not had any resumed trips yet).
It's also interesting that the desktop system behaves slightly different and I have a feeling that, as I'm opening/reading/closing more than one file in a very short succession, this could cause the error in Windows while Linux behaves better.
If so, then it is not related to any data feed at all, as you noticed on the desktop system.
A quick question: Does any of your systems have a SSD disk drive (equals quicker load sessions and speed)?

/LennartG

[GrahamC]

HI LennartG

The opencpi.ini keeps being updated with
DepartureTime=2023-11-18 17:50
ArrivalTime=20
on closing opencpn.

So once again I have deleted those 2 lines and the .log files in data.
and restarted opencpn - I now get the current date and time in the Odometer display.

However when I close opencpn the opencpn.ini file has been updated with
DepartureTime=2023-11-18 17:55
ArrivalTime=20

- I can PM you if you allow it on FB (RIMBO?)- and can share a much larger VDR file for you to play with that this forum allows. I can't seem to compress it small enough even zipped and deleting lots of it in a text editor.

G

[LennartG]

GrahamC, well you found me! Feel free to send the file over FB/Messenger, I'll take it on and see what happens.

The more I look into this, what you have reported as well as other relevant information, the more convinced I am that this is a file system capability problem. Win10 also has a history of file handling problems according to what I find on the net.

Fact is I've already started combining the current data files into one and then there will be a second file collecting log information (Departure, Arrival, Resume dates/times plus Trip distances). That will really reduce the file handling, especially when starting.

/LennartG

[GrahamC]

Hi Lennart.
You need to drop your shields temporarily in fb to allow me to message you.

[LennartG]

Graham, I took the shields down for a few hours today and got swamped by garbage. Had to raise them again. There must either be another way or we leave it for the moment and see what happens when the file handling has been updated.
/Lennart

[Rick Welin]

HI Lennart, Just a note to let you know that I'm having this or very similar crash as well. When I have Odometer activated I cannot start OpenCPN it crashes on startup: It displays the basic window but before the charts display there's a crashdump window that flashes too quickly to read and poof O shuts down. In safe mode I went through and disabled plugins one at a time and O started working as normal once Odometer was disabled.

Windows 10 just updated
OpenCPN 5.8.4
Odometer installed from the manager Dec 6th 2023

PS: Thanks for this plugin it's something I've wanted for a while

[LennartG]

Rick, thanks for the report.
This is the third report describing the same type of error that appears to be related to the file handling in Win10. Out of several hundreds of downloads there are only on Win 10 that this has been reported and only in three cases.
I'm working on a total rebuild of the file handling and will have a beta ready soon. That also includes an automatic trip restart and a logging facility but is a slow process due to matters out of my control.
Thanks for your patience!
/LennartG

[Rick Welin]

Hi Lennart, Thank you for your reply and work on this plugin. No hurry or pressure it's not exactly cruising weather here in the pacific northwest hahaha. I will be happy to test the new version when it arrives
Thanks again, Cheers Rick

[Rick Welin]

One other clue to add for you Lennart: When I installed Odometer, with openCPN active the plugin ran fine and did not crash. It wasn't until OpenCPN was shut down and restarted. Then OpenCPN crashed when loading. So the plugin appears to run ok just not load with the app

[LennartG]

Rick, thanks for the additional info. That all makes sense.
At start the GPS Odometer fetches information from five (or more) files in very short succession, something that Win10 sometimes cant handle especially if using SSD disks. In earlier versions there were fewer files and those additional files was added when upgrading to the latest release. So when restarting after upgrading, and this is my qualified guess, it simply became to much for some Win10 installations.
The file handling has now been redesigned into a single file for all information including the new trip log. Not an easy task, I can tell you. It appears to be working and I'm testing all testcases I can think of.
Next step is to incorporate the changes from the latest TP version.
/Lennart