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PyPilot Wind Sensor Stops after SSB TX
#1
Hi,

I had some initial trouble with my Arduino and Davis wind instrument, but it was all resolved by firmware updates to the Arduino and updates to the Rpi USB driver. The system has been working 24/7 for about a year.

Recently I have started using my SSB for weather reports; I had not transmitted before.
Often after a session on the SSB the Wind Sensor Arduino stops working.
Usually it has a solid LED light, and I can just reset it to get it working again.
But, once it stopped with a slow blinking LED and the only thing that would revive it was reloading the firmware that I had previously received.

I think this is a stray RF problem from the SSB. But, no other electronics aboard have any problems.

Any suggestions ?

Cheers,
JM.
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#2
This is strange for it to get corrupted. Maybe the brown out detector isn't working? Is there any way to scope transient voltage spikes? It is also very strange a ssb would do this because the weather sensors are usb powered.

Is it possible to run the weather sensors through a separate battery or laptop that is floating from the ssb and see the result.

Alternately try the ssb with the weather sensors not plugged in and see if it breaks. This will indicate transients along the sensor line. It would be good to add some suppression here.
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#3
Rf will be picked up by any wires.
As long as the rf voltage is not too high and/or it gets rectified by a diode, transistor  etc it probably will not cause harm.
In this case you have a long wires going to your wind senders so odds are you will have lots of rf voltage.
Need to reduce the voltage.

If you want to test will need an rf probe or an oscilloscope that works at the ssb frequency.

The first thing I would try is to run the wires to the wind sender through a toroid close to the controller.
I'd do a least a couple turns.
Need a toroid rated for the ssb frequencies  with a hole big enough. You can ignore power rating,

As an alternative could run each wire through a small toroid or "bead".
Still do a couple turns. do all wires even common and grounds.

If that doesn't do it put .oo1 uf capacitors from each wire to ground or common on the controller.
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#4
I will also consider resistors and diodes on the weather sensors to clamp the voltage spike and hopefully avoid data corruption. Any way to route the wind sensor wires away from the ssb antenna? Or can you use shielded cat5 wire for them?
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#5
(2020-06-06, 01:03 PM)seandepagnier Wrote: I will also consider resistors and diodes on the weather sensors to clamp the voltage spike and hopefully avoid data corruption.   Any way to route the wind sensor wires away from the ssb antenna?   Or can you use shielded cat5 wire for them?

All good ideas.
Diodes may mess up readings if the rf level is too high but  protection is more important.
May want to experiment  where you ground the shield. Probably close to to the controller but not to the controller.

It definitely can be fixed.
In my days as a broadcast engineer. Built a 8051 based controllers to control antenna switching and tower lights for a directional am station. It was all unshielded. There was so much rf that you would get an rf burn if you touched it. Was using 25 pair phone cable. Also was getting frequent direct lightening hits. Worked at least 10 years without any repairs.
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