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 2.GQ Geiger Muller Counter
 Problems with new GMC-500+ (wifi module error)
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tuxbox78

Germany
13 Posts

Posted - 09/08/2021 :  03:25:37  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi,

i got a new GMC-500+ via Amazon.de which immediately reports wifi module error (also after reseting it/factory reset and battery take out for more than 30 seconds)..

It hast firmware version 2.28. Is there a newer one already? Anything i could try, please?

Thanks,
Frank
Reply #1

EmfDev

2132 Posts

Posted - 09/08/2021 :  15:35:08  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi tuxbox78, there might be problem with the WiFi module. If you are able to, you can try to resolder the WiFi module to see if it can be fixed. If not, you can return the unit to Amazon and get a replacement.
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Reply #2

tuxbox78

Germany
13 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2021 :  03:38:49  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by EmfDev

Hi tuxbox78, there might be problem with the WiFi module. If you are able to, you can try to resolder the WiFi module to see if it can be fixed. If not, you can return the unit to Amazon and get a replacement.



Hi, i meanwhile ordered a new unit directly in your shop. But the new unit also behaves strange/does not really connect to any wifi network. i tried against three different access points a working very good with other devices.
Sometimes i get a connected message and a wifi symbol in the status display, but even then it does not work and when trying to show signal or ip address i always get a try again. Tried wifi module reset which first showed a try again and on second try a "done". But even with this and many restarts of the unit i am not able to get a working wifi connection. Eventhough it kind of shows "better" then the first one (always just reporting wifi module error).. is this unit also broken?

Please, can anybody help? It was kind of a fight get this new unit from usa to me.. please, can someone help?

Thanks,
Frank
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Reply #3

tuxbox78

Germany
13 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2021 :  03:55:35  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
in the meantime the unit also just only reports "wifi module error" no matter what i try or to what wifi network i try to connect to or also on wifi module reset function. :(

Please, what could i do? cannot afford to buy endless units or even send this one back so easily to usa.. i am so desperate in the meantime with this device.
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Reply #4

ullix

Germany
1107 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2021 :  06:06:02  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
My suggestion is to use wireshark to see what activity, if any, you have on your wifi.

If you are lucky enough to be using a FritzBox, then you can just tell Fritzbox to register and save activity in a wireshark compatible format, download, and analyze with wireshark. If not, you need to run wireshark on a computer, which is also logged into the same wifi network as the counter is (or wanted to be).

Also, see my recent post on how to use AT commands on the counter to get some more info on the WiFi: http://www.gqelectronicsllc.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9616 Reply#25.

These AT commands actually talk to the ESP8266 microcomputer inside the counter, which is providing the wifi capability to the counter. More on AT directly from the horse's mouth: https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-at/en/release-v2.2.0.0_esp8266/Get_Started/index.html

Warning: the counter uses rather old AT code; not all AT commands mentioned at Espressif will work!
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Reply #5

tuxbox78

Germany
13 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2021 :  07:44:28  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Couldn't set up wireshshark until now and have no Fritzbox,
But on my DHCP server I saw many dhcpdiscover and also
sent dhcpoffer messages from a device which seems to be
the unit (client id esp_somehexcode and timely very narrow
to when I tried to activate WiFi again).
But there is no dhcpack message and again the unit
Itself reports module error and resetting the module also just reports
Module error.

So there seems to be some WiFi communication even already beyond wpa
WiFi authentication when it seems to try get an IP. Don't know why it
Doesn't accept the ip offer. Never had any problems in this regards with any
Device (and I got quite some other esp powered devices in my WiFi).
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Reply #6

EmfDev

2132 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2021 :  10:34:19  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi tuxbox, from the terminal, can you please try to send AT commands to connect? Try <AT>> first it should send back:

AT

OK
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Reply #7

tuxbox78

Germany
13 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2021 :  11:35:02  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by EmfDev

Hi tuxbox, from the terminal, can you please try to send AT commands to connect? Try <AT>> first it should send back:

AT

OK




Ok, will try that next...


Just a note on ullix . i meanwhile setup Wireshark, but i all i could see - if i could again make the unit to really at least try to get ip ... it not always does - i can see the DHCP transaction i also see on my DHCP server in the logs. Nothing more..

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Reply #8

tuxbox78

Germany
13 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2021 :  12:04:57  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by EmfDev

Hi tuxbox, from the terminal, can you please try to send AT commands to connect? Try <AT>> first it should send back:

AT

OK




Hi, when i connect the terminal i just get countless <FF> messages, but no reaction to
<AT>>
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Reply #9

tuxbox78

Germany
13 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2021 :  12:07:20  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by tuxbox78

quote:
Originally posted by EmfDev

Hi tuxbox, from the terminal, can you please try to send AT commands to connect? Try <AT>> first it should send back:

AT

OK




Hi, when i connect the terminal i just get countless <FF> messages, but no reaction to
<AT>>



When disabling other/thirdpartyoutput the <FF> stops, but no reaction to <AT>>
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Reply #10

EmfDev

2132 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2021 :  14:44:53  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Try to restart your device and check if anything has changed. Because at first the WiFi was able to connect.
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Reply #11

tuxbox78

Germany
13 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2021 :  15:54:50  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by EmfDev

Try to restart your device and check if anything has changed. Because at first the WiFi was able to connect.


Believe me I restarted, reseted to factory, pulled out battery... Nothing helped a bit.
Made it even worse.. as kind of RTC now runs away. Have to reset time even after
Powering off sometimes.
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Reply #12

ullix

Germany
1107 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2021 :  00:15:26  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
It looks more and more like a genuine defect in the hardware!

Since the AT command does not give an answer, this is a strong indication for a defect. Try that again. If <AT>> is successful, try <AT+CIFSR>> for IP info and <AT+GMR>> for software versions.

Wireshark is really powerful, but it is a beast of complexity. Upon starting I choose the interface "any", and in the green area where you have "eth.addr ==" I have simply "http". This helped me to understand what was going on with my GMC-500+.
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Reply #13

tuxbox78

Germany
13 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2021 :  03:12:04  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ullix

It looks more and more like a genuine defect in the hardware!

Since the AT command does not give an answer, this is a strong indication for a defect. Try that again. If <AT>> is successful, try <AT+CIFSR>> for IP info and <AT+GMR>> for software versions.

Wireshark is really powerful, but it is a beast of complexity. Upon starting I choose the interface "any", and in the green area where you have "eth.addr ==" I have simply "http". This helped me to understand what was going on with my GMC-500+.




Thanks for all your assistance so far. I managed to get a windows machine for a while today
and will try to get access there with original software and Terminal software there.

But from tomorrow on i will be offline at least a few days for my cancer treatment in hospital again. So please don't get it wrong when i cannot answer from there. As desperate i am with
buying (again .. as this is already a much more expensive replacement unit as the first one i had with more or less the same problem) i am happy with the help here given. Thanks to you all.

Yours,
Frank
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Reply #14

tuxbox78

Germany
13 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2021 :  03:49:33  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ullix

It looks more and more like a genuine defect in the hardware!

Since the AT command does not give an answer, this is a strong indication for a defect. Try that again. If <AT>> is successful, try <AT+CIFSR>> for IP info and <AT+GMR>> for software versions.

Wireshark is really powerful, but it is a beast of complexity. Upon starting I choose the interface "any", and in the green area where you have "eth.addr ==" I have simply "http". This helped me to understand what was going on with my GMC-500+.




Ok, the results are somewhat strange to me when connecting to a windows machine
with the current gmcpro and data viewer installed:

The unit seems to send data (of radiation its config etc.) like expected to both programs, but when i open the terminal in the data viewer software i can execute the pre-given commands like GETVER and get correct answers, but it does not act on sending any AT command.
On "AT" (which seems automatically trannslated to "<AT>>" according to hex output) i only get a hex 0A answer, no "OK" or anything else. Same on any other AT+ command.

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Reply #15

ullix

Germany
1107 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2021 :  05:23:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
The "AT+XYZ" are the commands, the ESP8266 wants to hear. The "<...>>" brackets are GQ's encapsulation of the AT commands to make the handling compatible with the other commands.

Getting back only a LineFeed (hex 0x10) character suggests that of the data you were supposed to get back:
b'AT\r\r\n\r\nOK\r\nWIFI GOT IP\r\n\n'
you are getting only the very last '\n', which I think is not part of the AT commands, but the result of GQ's handling of the AT commands.

Or, in short, the thing is broken!
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Reply #16

tuxbox78

Germany
13 Posts

Posted - 09/26/2021 :  03:17:35  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ullix

...

Or, in short, the thing is broken!




Hi, and thanks for your help. Just back for about three weeks until next treatment in hospital.
It really sadly seems the unit is quite broken in regards of wifi and AT communication.
But i've been offered a forthcoming return approach in the meantime.
Perhaps hopefully all good things come by three and my third unit will be the final one.

Best regards, Frank
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