Another Cambridge 302 logger bug

Darryl,

2.63 is the latest firmware. FAT = File Allocation Table. I seem to
remember this being discussed in the news group 2 or 3 years ago.

As I remember 302's don't use FAT for file management, but Microsoft
products do. I am guessing your iPAQ or storage card is out of memory.

302's have a ton of memory, enough to store a year or more worth of
flights before it starts over writing old files. I have not lost a
file yet, even after updating the firmware

Just guessing your iPAQ is out of memory or you need to put a new copy
of the utility down on your iPAQ. I bet Paul Remde ( Cambridge Rep )
can help you solve your problem.

Sincerely,
David Walsh

wrote:
Sorry if this is already well known, but it had me stumped for a week
or so and I may have lost one flight log. I've looked around and I
believe this is different than noted in this newsgroup previously,
since this occurs with the latest Cambridge 302 firmware (2.6.3).

Apparently there is a bug in all Cambridge 302 units (maybe also 302A
units, I don't know) that can stop log file being downloaded once the
logger memory gets full of flights, there is a workaround to clear all
of the logger memory (losing any undownloaded flights). My frustration
with Cambridge is that they admitted to having known about this problem
"for quite a while" but apparently don't consider their
customer's important enough to let everybody know about the
workaround before this problem bites them. (boy you can tell I'm grumpy
and have not had my caffine this morning...)

I've been having problems downloading log files from my 302. The iPAQ
PDA running the latest Cambridge download utility reports "Cannot get
FAT" (or was that "Cannot allocate FAT"?) in a dialogue box, when
you dismiss the dialogue box the flight log list is blank. It's been
possible to mess around resetting the PDA and power cycling the
Cambridge in the past to get it to download log files, but the last two
flights I cannot download at all. In my case Cambridge supplied a
terminal emulator utility for the iPAQ so I could go into the 302
command line mode and do a "clear log" command.

Cambrige have a software guy working on this but no expectation of when
they will have fix. You can reach Cambridge through the support form on
their website www.cambridge-aero.com or telephone them, both Gary
Kammerer in support and Arthur Chapman are well aware of this problem.
I will credit Cambridge that they do respond fast when you contact
them.


Darryl Ramm
DG-303 Acro 6DX

David

Thanks for your suggestions. My understanding rom talkign to Cambridge
is what I'm describing is not related to space on the PDA. I have a two
large PDAs (iPAQ hx4700) with almost 1GB free on the SD cards, most of
the iPAQ flash store and most of RAM free and the problem occurs with
both PDAs.

How much the 302 stores before wrapping depends on the sample rate and
how many hours you fly. In my case I'm very lucky to be flying enough
that the Cambridge (or any other logger) won't store "a years worth of
flights" before wrapping (and even if it does wrap the problem I am
describing does not affect all 302s).

Thanks


Darryl Ramm