Log not being recorded

[Simon]

Hi Chris,

Is there anything in particular I should or should not be doing in order to ensure a log is recorded?
I've been 'bracketing' with the Firestarter profile, trying progressively lower settings (and lower fan speeds to avoid beans blown into the chaff collector). But so far after each roast I get the message 'no log recorded' when cycling through the info.

My PC shows log files created but they're empty.

My flash drive seems to be working otherwise as the profiles load successfully. Sometimes logs are recorded.

Cheers

Simon

[kaffelogic]

This seems to be a persistent problem yet occurring randomly. I have had one other report of a zero-length log file being created, although that was pretty much a one-off situation it is most likely the same issue. I have been unable to replicate the problem and we get reliable logging on all of our in-house test roasts.

The short term solution is to try another flash drive, preferably a new one. You can verify that logs are being saved by running a test roast (one with no beans in the chamber). This saves the risk of doing a roast and then not having a log. Once you start adjusting profiles as you are doing, you will need reliable logging.

The longer term solution is for me to issue a firmware update that has improved error reporting. This will enable me to get some diagnostic data and this will lead to finding a definitive solution. An update is in the pipeline and is hopefully only a couple of weeks away.

With regard to beans in the chaff: I suggest you work out the roast level you are after first. Then, with the roasted beans still in the roast chamber (after picking any out of the chaff and adding them back into the roast chamber) remove the lid, put the machine into timer mode (profile and info buttons pressed together) and crank up the fan (with the + button). Adjust the fan speed until the beans are flying as high as you can get them without going over the top of the chimney. This will give you the correct fan speed to use for cooldown hi speed, hopefully without the need for multiple test roasts.

[Simon]

Thanks Chris. I'll look out for a new flash drive.
I think I've figured out a fan speed too. The cooling time was up quite a bit so I increased the low fan speed slightly and it's now back to about two minutes.

[kaffelogic]

Let me know how it goes with a new flash drive. Also would be interested in what fan settings you finally decide on.

[Simon]

I've tried two more flash drives; one didn't log and the other did. That's one out of one roast, not statistically valid, so stay tuned. Admittedly these weren't brand name flash drives, they were given to me with supplier catalogues on them and I reformatted them. So if I'm still having logging issues I'll buy a brand-name flash drive.

Next time I'm roasting (maybe tonight?) I'll check the fan speeds.

[Sceptic]

I've got one out of sixty roast logs that's a zero size file. I also have a couple that are a little over 2kb in file size where most are between 60kb and 80kb. The zero size file has a date of 1980 where all the others have 2001.

[kaffelogic]

I would appreciate if you could post the log file that was unusually big. Good to know that the date on the zero length file was 1980 - this potentially provides a way for the firmware to detect the problem and correct on the fly.

[Sceptic]

My largest logs were both around 80kb from when I did a couple of roasts of soft brew with a level of 3; the two small logs were from around the same timeframe when I was apparently switching roast profiles, so most likely they were immediately aborted roasts. So probably nothing useful or interesting there. In other news I'm now up to over 15 motor hours and 13 heater hours.

[Simon]

Hi Chris,
Tried a new Toshiba flash drive today, formatted FAT32 (I didn't reformat it). As with the others, it loaded profiles but didn't record a log. This not recording seems to be random as I've had roughly every second roast create a log, no matter which flash drive I use.
cheers, Simon

[PQRS]

Hi Chris,
I have the same problem have tried 4 different usb drives including one brand new one and all the logs produced have zero kb.
Paul