Frequent Wind Data Updates??? **solved**

[stevem]

Hi,

I’m trying to get frequent wind data updates out of my MR3020 Meteobridge. I thought the http service which supports 5 second updates would do the trick but the values only change once each minute. The live data page supports this behaviour. You can see the age of the data creep up to 60 seconds and then refresh.

I was left wondering what the point of a 5 second update is if the internal data only refreshes once a minute.

My configuration is a VP2 => usb datalogger => usbhub => MR3020. The VP2 is running the latest Davis firmware.
If I fire up the Davis Weatherlink program and connect it though the Meteobridge’s port 22222 it works fine and interestingly even sitting behind the Meteobridge is able to receive “real time” updates to its weather bulletin page. The wind direction and strength gauges update every 3-4 seconds. I assumed this was possible because it was operating in some sort of pass through mode to the VP2 console/logger.

But then, by accident, I noticed that when Weatherlink is operating in this mode and only when, the wind data on the live data page of the Meteobridge updates in real time (every 3-4 seconds) and the http service I had set up pumps out a string of different data points every 5 seconds – rather than the same value for a minute.

So, it appears that if I leave weather link running through port 22222 and bring up the bulletin page I can get 3-4 second wind updates from the Meteobridge. Not elegant – but it works! And the Meteobridge is smarter than it might appear given it is obviously skimming the Weatherlink requested data as it goes by!!!

So the question is…

Is there a way to force the Meteobridge to request frequent wind data updates (as Weatherlink must be)?

And a second related question... If the Meteobridge outputs a data point at say 10 minute intervals is the direction it gives the latest point in time value or some sort of composite/average for the period? The reason I ask is that now I can log direction at 3-4 second intervals I can see this is very volatile data. My vane often swings through 40 degrees inside 60 seconds. A point in time value might be very misleading especially if the interval is long.

Any comments or thoughts appreciated.

Steve

[admin]

Meteobridge requests wind data every few seconds from the Vantage. When nothing changes in the data itself it is just reported once every minute to spare bandwidth by not sending duplicates.

When an alien program connects to Meteobridge via port 22222, Meteobridge is in slave mode and requesting data from the Davis equipment is up to the alien program. I do not recommend this mode, as it comes with various disadvantages.

[stevem]

Hi,

Thanks for that.

I can see and verify what is happening now. If an alien program is running on port 22222 this in effect drives the sampling period for the meteobridge. If Weatherlink is not sitting on port 22222 the http service outputs a stream of 5 second interval current data.

I have had Weatherlink sitting in the background on 22222 building up its WLK files as the ultimate backup of the weather data in my total control. Weatherlink must be checking for new data or status every 60 seconds and only when this happens is the MB internal data updated. That's why I observed the same values from a 5 second interval mb http service export for 60 seconds.

if I kill off Weatherlink I can see the mb starts pumping out 5 second values as expected.

Rgds
Steve