2x Rosetta both with same issues

[TLRippon]

I have an early Rosetta which after a few months stopped working reliably, wifi drop out, gps drop out etc. I replaced it recently with a new unit. Now the new one has exactly the same issues.
I'm using an Anker cigarette lighter adapter as specified and both units are using up to date firmware, another new Anker unit was put in place last week. 
The symptoms usually occur about 5 minutes after startup, wifi is lost and can't re-establish or GPS signal drops out and won't re-establish.
I've ordered two new power cables for the units but advice is needed please.
Using with Skydemon on Iphone/Ipad

[Ian Melville]

Since a new Rosetta has the same issue, you can eliminate the units themselves.
I think you are saying that 2 different 12V Cigarette adaptors have been used? if so then they are not the issue. Personally I am not keen on this method of getting power, but is sometimes the only method.
The Rosetta will have been supplied with a new power cable? if you are using another cable, ensure that it is less than 1m long and better than 20AWG
Cigarette sockets are often poor in making a 12V connection, especially if they have been used in the role for which they were designed. Try using a power pack battery that can supply 5V at 2A, just as a test.
If you reboot the PAW unit, is service restored?

[exfirepro]

Hi TLR,

Long time no see (hear) - welcome back!

I echo Iain’s comments, but there is definitely something weird going on here if two separate Rosettas are showing the same or similar problems. On the face of it that points to something in the aircraft as the common denominator, though that might not of course be the case.

Are you running anything else off the same Anker Adaptor?

Can you power up the units (separately) then check the PAW Home Screens (via 192.168.1.1) and take/post screenshots after the unit’s have been running for a while - on the ground will do, but try to ensure the unit’s are getting a clear view of the sky and getting a GPS fix (if you can). In particular, let us know if either of the units are showing any voltage or throttling issues or GPS issues on the Home Screen.

Once we have the screenshots/replies to the above questions we will have a better idea as to what is going on.

Regards

Peter

[steveu]

GPS lock can easily be lost due to low level radiation from other devices.

Sometimes just poor EMC from a tablet or similar close by can shut it down. I had an e-ink tablet and a FLARM beacon causing satellite reception problems for a Bluetooth GPS...

Where is the Rosetta located? Any sheet metal between the Rosetta and SD running tablet? Nothing else trying to run a Wifi network that has a working connection to the Internet that your phone or table prefers?

[TLRippon]

OK, so following the advice from Peter, the newer unit is not providing a wifi signal at all. The LED on the left side of the unit is not lit as it would usually be. I think,  to use the technical term, "Had it".  Perhaps you could advise.

The original rosetta unit was out of licence, so I renewed that and after a loooooooong time up popped a wireless signal along with the LED on the left side. Logged in activated the licence and yes, the voltage is showing a fault and Throttling is taking place. I've tried it on everything from an ipad charger to a usb on my PC to a battery bank which is capable of starting my aircraft and can't make that go away. I am hoping that whenever the new power leads arrive from you that may be the issue, the connector looks a little worn.

[exfirepro]

Hi TLR,

OK, first point - by far the majority of issues we get with PilotAware are due to inadequate power supply. The supply must be able to maintain a minimum of 5 volts - even if the unit decides to draw up to 2.1 Amps. Laptop USB sockets and most USB ’chargers’ just aren’t designed to do that. The hint is in the name - they are designed to charge phones or tablets at a varying rate, NOT to provide a constant current and constant voltage supply. The same applies to your aircraft jump start pack - it is designed to supply high current at about 14+ volts for jump starting a vehicle, but probably only to provide low current at 5 volts via the USB port for ‘charging’ or topping-up electronic devices. We do not recommend running a second device from the same Anker USB adapter for the same reason - if the second device (such as a ‘flat’ tablet) suddenly tries to draw lots of power this pulls down the voltage level and bye-bye PilotAware! (Which is why I asked that question specifically - which I note you haven’t answered).

The other associated issue we regularly come across is that the carefully specified supplied power lead has been replaced because ‘it wasn’t long enough’, ‘got mislaid’ or ‘the microUSB connector got loose’. The problem here is that the supplied cable length and wire gauge were chosen to ensure that any voltage drop in the cable would not cause voltage supply issues. Other random cables unfortunately aren’t likely to meet the tight specification required. This is stressed in the paperwork and elsewhere on the site. We also recommend NOT connecting and disconnecting at the microUSB end to minimise the risk of damage to the Rosetta socket, which can easily be caused by rough handling.

That said, there can be other reasons for voltage issues which are extremely difficult to determine remotely, hence why I asked for the screenshots.

The fact that you aren’t seeing any WiFi signal appear on the newer unit would imply that the unit simply isn’t getting to that stage. Firstly as indicated above, you need to have a suitable power supply available (such as one of the recommended Anker Battery Packs or Anker power socket adapter), plus the supplied power lead or an equivalent replacement. Next, when you power up, you should be able to see a solid red POWER LED on the main (lower) board underneath the P3i antenna socket - visible through the ventilation slots at the side. If this red light isn’t present or isn’t solid, there is a power issue. You can test the integrity of the microUSB socket by gently ‘wiggling’ the power cable. Any sign of dropout of the Red Power LED means the socket has become damaged, which usually means a new board is required. As the boot continues, there should also be a Green ‘Disc Access’ LED visible through the same ventilation slots, going on and off (though NOT ‘flashing’) as the unit boots up, after which it is not normally visible. This is the stage at which the Bridge LEDs near the rear top LHSide of the unit start to appear.

If you can, try to connect the unit to a monitor or TV using an HDMI cable (the one already connecting your DVD player to your TV is good) before powering up the unit. This will allow you to see progress as the unit boots up. While the content won’t necessarily mean anything to you, you should see a rainbow coloured ‘Splash Screen’ a few seconds after power is applied, then a load of scrolling text for several minutes, terminating in a ‘Login Prompt’. You don’t actually log in at this stage, but getting to this point means the boot has been successful and the WiFi hotspot should now appear. If the unit either doesn’t start at all, or freezes completely part way through the boot, this indicates either a significant power issue or a problem with the microSD card holding the software (though give it time - there are a couple of stages where it pauses deliberately while loading certain processes).

Give this a try and let us know what happens.

Regards
Peter

[TLRippon]

Hi Peter

Ok so flew with the original Rosetta yesterday for a couple of hours, all is now working as expected. Which validates my in aircraft power supply and cables, all PAW originals. Although I’ve ordered another 2 cables from the PAW parts department. This is using the Anker cigarette lighter adapter in the aircraft.
To turn to the newer unit, I use this one in training aircraft, I’m an FI. It also has the same Anker power adapter and original power lead and has been working perfectly since I received it a few months ago. The red led under the antenna socket is on when powered, the other unit has what appears to be a green led about half way down the left side of the unit which is not illuminated on this one. I tried it in my own aircraft using the same power supply and lead as the one I’d just successfully flown with and I could not get a WiFi signal.

[exfirepro]

Hi TLR,

Thanks for the prompt feedback. I was aware that you are an FI from your posts on the FF, BTW.

All good on your original unit, that seems to be OK now, though it would be worth checking that you are using the latest software version (lots of significant improvements and more to come shortly). The latest public ally available Software Version is 20201101. If yours is running version 20190621 or later you should be able to update via the PilotAware Firmware Updater App (available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store). The Green LED along the left side of the upper (‘Bridge’) Board indicates that all is well with the ‘Bridge’, though a screenshot of the PAW Home Screen would help confirm that there are no residual issues.

WRT the newer unit, power is obviously getting to the board as the power LED is on, but it sounds like the unit isn’t booting properly. This could just be that the microSD card has become dislodged in its slot, or it may have fallen out while in transit between planes, or the software may have become corrupted. Check first that the microSD card is present and correctly inserted in its slot (cutout in the end under the antennas). You can slide it out with your nail and carefully reinsert it. It goes in ‘contacts side up’ and should slide in fairly easily but be careful not to miss the housing - if you miss it, the card can slip inside the case (which used to happen fairly often with the Classic, though much less likely with the Rosetta). If the card is present and correctly seated and the unit still doesn’t boot properly, the card may have become corrupted. In this case, it’s definitely worth taking the unit home or into your ‘office’ and attaching it to a monitor or TV before booting, so you can see (and report) what (if anything) is happening and we can address the problem from there.

Best Regards
Peter