Install Problem

The place for discussion about the 4-channel WinterHill DATV Receiver
M0DTS
Posts: 653
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:03 pm

Install Problem

Post by M0DTS » Mon Mar 29, 2021 4:44 pm

I've just built up the Advanced Receiver today.
I setup the Pi4 with desktop gui as in the installation manual - fresh sd card build.
Then i ran the winterhill install script from github.

Since it re-booted after that the Pi4 has been outputting winter hill desktop screen in very low res on HDMI-1 port instead of HDMI-0 (which i set it up with)
Anyone seen this before?

Rob

G4EWJ
Posts: 1359
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:11 am

Re: Install Problem

Post by G4EWJ » Mon Mar 29, 2021 4:59 pm

I'm not sure why it's on HDMI-1.

Was the screen powered-up when you rebooted? I've seen it change to low-res when I switch the screen back on in the morning after the RPi has been running all night.

Try changing the HOTPLUG setting in /boot/config.txt. This was set to 1 so that the RPi still used a GUI for headless mode.

Try editing the lines in /boot/config.txt:

framebuffer_width=1920
framebuffer_height=1080

Brian

M0DTS
Posts: 653
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:03 pm

Re: Install Problem

Post by M0DTS » Mon Mar 29, 2021 5:11 pm

Yes the screen was still powered on and connected when i re-booted.

Removed the hotplug line in config.txt and now it's back to display 0 after reboot in full res.
No idea why as i usually have hdmi_force_hotplug=1 on all my pi's!
Could be something to do with the 4k tv as monitor...

I'll go play with 4 receivers now hopefully :-)

Rob

G4EWJ
Posts: 1359
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:11 am

Re: Install Problem

Post by G4EWJ » Mon Mar 29, 2021 5:20 pm

Very odd.

Bear in mind that without HOTPLUG=1, WinterHill won't work without a powered monitor connected, as it expects to see a GUI.

Brian

M0DTS
Posts: 653
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:03 pm

Re: Install Problem

Post by M0DTS » Mon Mar 29, 2021 5:40 pm

Ok thanks,

I'll probably be running without the gui and using my main pc so will check that.
Got all 4 receivers tuning, looks good :-)

Rob

G0LJF
Posts: 106
Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2019 5:28 pm

Re: Install Problem

Post by G0LJF » Fri Apr 02, 2021 3:56 pm

Hi Brian,

I am having trouble getting my WH working.
I built the board less the two LNB supplies.
I built the SD card according to the instructions - I did this twice over in case there was an install error.

My problem is when I first test it.

The PI boots and shows the four VLC screens fine.
The error log shows both PICs are programmed OK and no other errors.

The problem I get is with RX1 or RX3 on the QO Beacon.

Now I first thought this was noise as the PI screen shows a horizontal noise bar across its width, maybe 10% of the height.
And the mouse and keyboard stop responding at all.

So it appears that all is frozen.

However, I can still SSH in and reboot (thus freeing the error).

Pi processes appear to be running at this point:

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ ps -all
F S UID PID PPID C PRI NI ADDR SZ WCHAN TTY TIME CMD
4 S 1000 789 560 0 80 0 - 2124 poll_s tty1 00:00:00 bash
0 S 1000 877 861 0 80 0 - 1919 do_wai pts/0 00:00:00 winterhill-loc
0 S 1000 878 877 19 80 0 - 208908 do_sig pts/0 00:01:34 vlc
0 S 1000 879 877 0 80 0 - 152521 do_sig pts/0 00:00:01 vlc
0 S 1000 880 877 0 80 0 - 152392 do_sig pts/0 00:00:01 vlc
0 S 1000 881 877 0 80 0 - 152392 do_sig pts/0 00:00:01 vlc
4 S 0 1057 877 0 80 0 - 2487 - pts/0 00:00:00 sudo
4 S 0 1059 1057 0 80 0 - 18935 - pts/0 00:00:02 lxterminal
0 S 1000 9908 877 0 80 0 - 1614 hrtime pts/0 00:00:00 sleep
0 R 1000 9917 9812 0 80 0 - 2414 - pts/2 00:00:00 ps
pi@raspberrypi:~ $


I have determined that this is when either RX1 or RX3 locks onto the beacon.
I can simulate this by turning my external 25 MHz reference off, and then on after the WH is running fine.
The instant the VLC banner changes from "searching", it locks.

The instant either RX1 or RX3 locks on, the PI display shows a horizontal noise bar and locks.

My screen is a Panasonic TV connected to its HDMI by a cable with micro and standard HDMI on each end.

I am running on +13.8V out of the WH box for testing.

I tried supplying power to the LNB via the jumper on J6 but this did not help.

As a guess, I am suggesting that the decode feature or mass data transfer feature becomes enabled a soon a the WH locks onto the beacon and this is somehow the root?

Addendum: I tried using Quick Tune to select a 250 and 333 signals for RX1 (I modified the RX1 symbol rate so it would not auto lock) and these two signals both show as correctly locked decodes (not searching) with the right MER and details - but alas, no VLC video at all. This was all on the PI (local).

Any help would be appreciated.

I did, initially, try anyhub mode, and the RX1 VLC window DOES SHOW the beacon MER correctly but no video decode.
Almost like it is 'working' but there is no TS data.

73,

Mike

G4EWJ
Posts: 1359
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:11 am

Re: Install Problem

Post by G4EWJ » Fri Apr 02, 2021 4:22 pm

Hi Mike,

Could you post photos of the screen please.

After bootup:
Are the PIC LEDs flashing?
Do you have the 2 small windows behind the VLC windows?
Does the small winterhill-3v20 window show any beacon parameters and increasing packet count for RX1 and RX3?

I can't see the main application winterhill-3v20 in your ps list, but it must be running to get the VLC title bar changes.

>>I did, initially, try anyhub mode, and the RX1 VLC window DOES SHOW the beacon MER correctly but no video decode.

There shouldn't be any VLC windows on the RPi in hub modes. Were you viewing remotely?

Brian

G4EWJ
Posts: 1359
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:11 am

Re: Install Problem

Post by G4EWJ » Fri Apr 02, 2021 4:25 pm

. . . and do you get a 1 second burst of flashing on the PIC LEDs at power up and when WinterHill starts?

Brian

G0LJF
Posts: 106
Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2019 5:28 pm

Re: Install Problem

Post by G0LJF » Fri Apr 02, 2021 5:27 pm

I can try to take photos but the PI is frozen to all mouse and keyboard so I would have to rely on a phone camera?

Do you want this data after boot BUT no signals received? OR after an inevitable lock-up as soon as the beacon is located?

I have only two choices. Locked up, or with no signal input after a successful boot but appearing to "work".

This is with no input signal:

The PIC LEDS do flash for a second or two on boot then remain ON. I have, in the past, seen "info A" LED flash slowly during so called reception.

The VLC windows were shown on a remote PC when in any hub mode - I initially tried that and realised something was seriously wrong and so I reverted to local mode as this eliminated IP packets and my PC etc.

Do you have the 2 small windows behind the VLC windows? YES two terminal windows.

Does the small winterhill-3v20 window show any beacon parameters and increasing packet count for RX1 and RX3?
I need to check - but remember the PI locks up so I cant do anything manual input wise with it. I will bring them forward then check after the inevitable PI lock-up if you want?

I can't see the main application winterhill-3v20 in your ps list, but it must be running to get the VLC title bar changes.
The title bar changes were only seen in remote (anyhub) mode and with the two 250 k and 333 k signals (no vlc video).

ta, Mike

G4EWJ
Posts: 1359
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:11 am

Re: Install Problem

Post by G4EWJ » Fri Apr 02, 2021 5:34 pm

A photo of the noise bar please.

The info window on the PC viewer should give the same receiver info as the winterhill-3v20 window on the RPi, for packet counts etc.

Are things generally OK if you use the browser to do web things, after shutting down WH remotely?

Brian

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