Resetting Pace Boat with CSAFE_SETPOWER_CMD problem

[Chris Brett]

Hi there everyone. I'm working on an easy to use ActiveX Control based on the Concept2 CSAFE SDK. The control is passing virtually all of its test functions apart from one. It would be great if I could nail this one point so that it is working when the software is made available.

I may be losing the plot a little here but has anyone ever had problems setting the paceboat with the CSAFE_SETPOWER_CMD for a series of workouts.

Usually when I use the CSAFE_SETPOWER_CMD for the first time when the PM is first switched on it works fine but then, often, later on when I want to configure another workout everything works apart from CSAFE_SETPOWER_CMD and the session is configured correctly apart from the pace boat being set to 0 Watts. There doesn't seem to be much of a pattern that I can tie down.

One thing peculiar to my resetting loop is that due to my laziness I am usually configuring the workouts and then sending an &H86& GoFinished command without doing any rowing. I know its lazy but believe me I've probably done over 10,000 mini pieces over the last year throughout my testing protocol.

I have occasionally had my App configuring & resetting several workouts in a row successfully but then somehow something seems to get corrupted and I get stuck in the 0 Watt pace boat scenario again.

Here are some details:
I am using the Concept2 PM3 API V 1.2.1 to test this and it produces the same problem.
From the API output & my App I get the following initialisation data:
FW Version: 8200-000022-097.000
HW Version: 7200-000056-431
Serial No.: 200047985
DLL Version: Major Version:1 Minor Version:7

I am using the API with the following tkcmdsetCSAFE_command data:

After each session is configured I am calling the following tkcmdsetCSAFE_command sequence:

i) 86, Go Finished
ii) 87, Go Ready

then
iii) 21, 03, 02, 00, 21, 1A, 07, 05, 05, 80, F4, 01, 00, 00, 34, 03, 2C, 03, 58, 24, 02, 00, 00

(This is the example from Page 23 of the Concept2 PM3 Communication Interface Definition) i.e.
21, 03, 02, 00, 21 Set Horizontal Dist. = 2 Km
1A, 07, 05, 05, 80, F4, 01, 00, 00 Split Duration = 500m
34, 03, 2C, 01, 58 Set Power = 300 Watts
24, 02, 00, 00 Set Programmed Workout

then
iv) 82 Go Idle
v) 85 GoInUse

So here is the seemingly simple challenge - Can anyone give me a sequence of PM3 API tkcmdsetCSAFE_commands that works regularly to reset and reconfigure workouts with new Pace Boat settings using the CSAFE_SETPOWER_CMD?

Cheers Chris

[Chris Brett]

WHAT THE ????????

I don't believe it, just when I was going to give up completely after about 3 days of trying to nail it.

It seems that if the display is set on pace boat and the units are Watts then the error is re produced every time. If I change the units to Pace/500m before I terminate the session with Go Finished etc. then the CSAFE_SETPOWER_CMD seems to work everytime. I will carry out some more testing and post the results here.

Cheers Chris. (Pleased and infuriated with myself at the same time)

[Chris Brett]

Ok then. I'm not sure if this has been discovered before but I shall proceed ahead anyway.

When I tested a PM3 the display mode seemed to have no effect (which makes sense) but consistently if the Units are set to Watts or Cal/Hr then the CSAFE_SETPROGRAM_CMD fails to set the pace boat.

I tested the same thing on a PM4 and it produced the same error.

So folks my advice is that any CSAFE SDK driven application driven by the current CSAFE SDK should include some documentation that states to make sure that the units are not set to Watts or Cal/Hour when PC to PM configuring is taking place.

If this is all old hat then my apologies. Anyway back to work. I hope to have some interesting developments fairly soon.

Cheers Chris