XAP events causing computer to crash

[Steve Q]

Michael,

With all your vast experience with XAP, could you give me some suggestions on how I might trackdown this problem? My computer (os=XP pro) crashed a few weeks ago and I had to reinstall everything from scratch. I got it up and running but ever since the crash , the computer will randomly reset. It seems to reset more often during an XAP related activity. From the system log I have been able to find out that the reset is being caused by a device driver for a parallel port. The only parallel port I have is the motherboard printer port.

My system device manager indicates there is an Unusable - NetMos Parallel Port (LPT3) installed. When I removed it, the system would not boot.

Is there anything in XAP that would be calling a parallel port? If so, could I remove it?

Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.

Steve Q

[Michael McSharry]

The software to support xAP consists of use of sockets for the LAN interface, Timers for some filtering and the File System for data logging/debug. Specific xAP applications will use other system resources such as the COM serial port, but nothing that I have written uses a parallel port.

I have a computer that was my primary desktop that would blue screen or reset at random times. It is now been moved to a test computer because of this bad behavior. I ran with both W2K and XP on it. I found I could induce the reset by unzipping a large zip file so I concluded that the failure mode was hardware related.

I did benchmark mcsXap on HS1 vs HS2 and found that HS2 consumes significantly more CPU resources than HS1 when the LAN traffic is high. Some day I will make a .NET version of mcsXap.

I really do not have any suggestions to help you out. The reference to LPT3 may be more of an effect than a cause which could be the result of incompatible drivers/dlls. Intermittent operation is the hardest to isolate and the solution path for the end-user is usually a rebuild in a controlled manner that will isolate what step introduced the problem.

[Malarcy]

Michael,

With all your vast experience with XAP, could you give me some suggestions on how I might trackdown this problem? My computer (os=XP pro) crashed a few weeks ago and I had to reinstall everything from scratch. I got it up and running but ever since the crash , the computer will randomly reset. It seems to reset more often during an XAP related activity. From the system log I have been able to find out that the reset is being caused by a device driver for a parallel port. The only parallel port I have is the motherboard printer port.

My system device manager indicates there is an Unusable - NetMos Parallel Port (LPT3) installed. When I removed it, the system would not boot.

Is there anything in XAP that would be calling a parallel port? If so, could I remove it?

Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.

Steve Q

If you have a minidump file(s) created when the system recovers from the crash, then post them and I will take a look and see if I can see a suspect for the crash.

I spent a week or 2 chasing a similar crash on a newly rebuilt system - only to find it was a "badly written" trojan trying to run.

Malarcy

[Steve Q]

Thanks guys, I think I found the problem. I decided to reinstall the driver for my syba PCI to serial card model# NM9835CV. So I googled "syba NM9835CV". It turns out there are two different cards with this model number. One has 2 serial ports the other has 2 serial ports plus a parallel port. The manufacturer provides drivers for both cards as a single driver set. The cards share the same driver set. The driver set also included an uninstall program which allowed me to uninstall all the drivers for the card. (I was unable to do this from windows device manager) After thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that I had somehow installed the parallel port driver.

So I reinstalled the drivers for the serial ports only then I stopped even though I was prompted to continue and install the parallel port driver. Now device manager shows a "Multifunction" device without a driver.

Everything is working again. Time will tell, but I believe I have solved the problem.

Steve Q

[Steve Q]

If you have a minidump file(s) created when the system recovers from the crash, then post them and I will take a look and see if I can see a suspect for the crash.

I spent a week or 2 chasing a similar crash on a newly rebuilt system - only to find it was a "badly written" trojan trying to run.

Malarcy

Well I tried! but the problem is back. I went for 12 hours without a reset, but now the computer resets at random every 3-5 hours.

Malarcy, attached is the minidump file from the last crash. I hope you can find something. I have more minidump files if you need them.

Thanks,

Steve Q

[Steve Q]

After several days of trying different peripheral configurations, I have traced the cause of the random reset to either a USB to serial adapter or something related to the CheaperRFID receiver/plugin. By removing these two devices, I have eliminated the reset problem.

I suspect the problem is with the USB to serial cable because the system had been working OK in the past with the CheaperRFID receiver and plugin.

Steve Q

[Michael McSharry]

I use Lantronic EPS series IP/Serial adapters to provide PC-independent serial interfaces. It makes for an excellent way to expand the serial port capability of your PC. If you watch ebay you can get the EPS1 for around $20 which should include the 12VDC/1Amp power supply. For greater expansion look for the EPS4, 8, 12, or 16. I have got them for as low as $1 and up to what I recall was about $35. I have the 1, 4, 8, and 12 all in service. There is a document I posted titled Lanports.doc that describes how to set them up. My two RFID receivers are behind two of these units. The only direct connection I have is DS9097U since timing for this device is provided by the PC and will not work when decoupled with IP packets.

[Steve Q]

Thanks Michael, I will definately look into getting a Lantronic EPS setup. This sounds very interesting. I will look for the article you posted.

Steve Q

Michael, I have searched all your posts and I cannot find "lanports.doc" anywhere. I have found several posts where you mention that you have posted "lanports.doc" but I cannot find the actual file. Could you post it again? Thanks.

[Michael McSharry]

Attached LanPorts.doc

[Steve Q]

Computer overheating

As an update to the first message of this thread:

Throughout the month of May 2007, I was experiencing random resets of my Homeseer computer. The computer would reset (reboot) spontaneously at random times (every day- at least once). At first I thought this was related to XAP issues because I had been installing new devices and doing a lot of scripting. After a month of this behavior I realized the resets were not related to XAP or Homeseer. I reinstalled drivers etc. But the problem persisted.

The first week of June the weather turned hot and I noticed more frequent resets. I began to suspect that high temperature was somehow causing the reset. So I opened the case and switched the fan speed from low to medium ( I have an Antec "quiet" case with a multiple speed fan). Since I did this, the computer has not reset once in 10 days. I think the processor was getting too hot and was causing the computer to reboot.

Anyway, the problem has gone away and everything is working great!

Steve Q

[outbackrob]

Esp2

Attached LanPorts.doc

Michael,

I just stumbled across a MINT ESP2. It has one serial and one parallel port. I did not notice this model in your document (above) and was wondering if you have any experience with it or knew if it was viable for a remote serial connection.

If so, are there drivers for XP? (I will check with lantronix.com)

Rob

[Michael McSharry]

I dont know about an ESP2, but the EPS2 works just as all the other EPS series IP/Serial adapters. If you want to run a COM emulation then the Redirector download from Lantronix will work for it under XP. The EPS1 has one serial and one parallel. I think the EPS2 has two serial.

[outbackrob]

Hmmmm...

My mistake. It has two parallel ports and an RJ45 serial port.

I have been reading the Lantronix site info and think this might be doable. Now I just need to search the board for some of the parallel port projects!

Thanks!

Rob