New computer - v4.4 and 4.6 hangs on connection of USB port

[maohls]

Hi.
I am a happy OpenCPN user since several years.
After last season I had to buy a new computer (hard drive crash on the old Win 10 machine), so I'm now installing OpenCPN on the new one (Win10) and experience an odd problem.

OpenCPN starts up alright with no connections configured.
When I configure the USB port connected to the NMEA multiplexer (Shipmodul) everything is OK at first. I see a good NMEA stream from all instruments (AIS/GPS, wind, compass, log).

However...
If I close OpenCPN and restarts it without doing anything else OpenCPN just hangs and stops responding.
If I pull out the USB OpenCPN can start again, but as soon as I reconnect the USB the program hangs again.
The only way to get it to work is to delete the connection with the USB pulled out and then reconfigure the connection, a procedure that has to be repeated for each program start!
I have tried both 4.4 and 4.6.1 with the same result...

If I use the USB port on the AIS/GPS directly it works fine (though I miss the information from the other instruments then)

On the old computer I ran 4.4 without problems...

Any suggestions what I can try?

Best Regards
Magnus Ohlsson

[Rock-Head]

Brand new computer: check for bios, chipset and/or usb driver update/download from the manufacturers support site.

[maohls]

Thanks for the tips.
I have checked with ASUS - no machine related updates available.
Shipmodul - I have the latest driver for the multiplexer.

On interesting thing though:
I just tested to install the old SeaClear2 program:
No problems with the NMEA data from the multiplexer!!

Regards
Magnus Ohlsson

[petter5]

Try to download xinutop, install on usb stick and boot (you may have to disable uefi in bios first) if opencpn works under xinutop, your problem is not hardware related but windows 10 related - just my 10 cents.

Originally Posted by maohls

Thanks for the tips.
I have checked with ASUS - no machine related updates available.
Shipmodul - I have the latest driver for the multiplexer.

On interesting thing though:
I just tested to install the old SeaClear2 program:
No problems with the NMEA data from the multiplexer!!

Regards
Magnus Ohlsson

[Rock-Head]

Sorry for your luck w Asus. Their post-purchase driver support is poor.

One other suggestion, try running opencpn "as administrator". Win10 application security is a different animal.

[maohls]

Ok, thanks! I'll try that.
Will be some days now until I'm back in the boat through...
I find the intermittent behavior and that other programs work encouraging in a way.
The NMEA stream IS tranferred to the virtual port...
Regards
Magnus Ohlsson

[maohls]

I've found one other thing to try - reduce the latency time and packet size under the advanced tab for the com port.
Hope it will work, testing on Friday....
/Magnus

[maohls]

SOLVED!
It was the NMEA Converter Plugin that somehow had got corrupt. I removed the old conversions and re-entered them from a backup text file from last year. And now it's ok again!
(Found out about this by disabling the plugin and saw the OpenCpn functioned as normal again)
Best regards
Magnus Ohlsson