Help with Spark Connection issue

NottingHill · December 16, 2019, 9:49pm

I have not used by BrewPi set for a while, but started again recently. As I was losing connection to the web-site and having to restart my RPi, I decided to update the RPi software. Reading somewhere I saw that removing and recreating the Docker container will update, I did just that. However, now I get the (dreaded?) “Error - Connection to BrewPi Spark interrupted” message :-(. While I have some IT knowledge, I have virtually no experience with Linux so have no idea how to troubleshoot. Can anuone help me please?
Also, I noticed that BrewPi seems to have become BrewBlox. Where can I find out more information about BrewBlox and whether I should update to this new version? I am interested as it seems to have Tilt hydrometer integration built in.
Finally, here is a more detailed error listing regarding my connection problem, from the BrewPi logs

Dec 09 2019 14:03:50 Controller debug message: INFO MESSAGE 12: Received new setting: beerSet = 36.0
Dec 09 2019 15:17:23 Notification: Script started for beer ‘NL 20191127’
Dec 09 2019 15:17:23 Connecting to controller…
Dec 09 2019 15:17:23 Background thread for serial started
Dec 09 2019 15:17:23 Serial (re)connected for Photon with WiFi [00000000050C] at port: ttyACM0
Dec 09 2019 15:17:25 Found BrewPi v0.4.4 build 0.4.4-0-g6d17ff1, running on a Particle Photon with a V2 shield
Dec 09 2019 15:17:25 Warning: minimum BrewPi version compatible with this script is 0.5.0 but version number received is 0.4.4
Dec 09 2019 15:17:25 Warning: version number of local copy of logMessages.h does not match log version number received from controller.controller version = 3, local copy version = 4
Dec 09 2019 15:17:26 Controller debug message: WARNING 1: Invalid command received by controller: r
Dec 09 2019 16:14:27 Setting profile ‘West%20Yorkshire%20yeast’ as active profile
Dec 09 2019 16:14:27 Notification: Profile mode enabled
Dec 09 2019 16:14:27 Controller debug message: INFO MESSAGE 12: Received new setting: mode = p
Dec 10 2019 00:00:00 Notification: New day, creating new JSON file.
Dec 11 2019 00:00:00 Notification: New day, creating new JSON file.
Dec 11 2019 10:59:20 Notification: Temperature control disabled
Dec 11 2019 10:59:21 Controller debug message: INFO MESSAGE 12: Received new setting: mode = o
Dec 11 2019 14:41:12 Notification: Restarted logging for beer ‘Switched%20off’.
Dec 11 2019 15:46:24 Notification: Script started for beer ‘Switched off’
Dec 11 2019 15:46:24 Connecting to controller…
Dec 11 2019 15:46:24 Background thread for serial started
Dec 11 2019 15:46:24 Serial (re)connected for Photon with WiFi [00000000050C] at port: ttyACM0
Dec 11 2019 15:46:26 Found BrewPi v0.4.4 build 0.4.4-0-g6d17ff1, running on a Particle Photon with a V2 shield
Dec 11 2019 15:46:26 Warning: minimum BrewPi version compatible with this script is 0.5.0 but version number received is 0.4.4
Dec 11 2019 15:46:26 Warning: version number of local copy of logMessages.h does not match log version number received from controller.controller version = 3, local copy version = 4
Dec 11 2019 15:46:26 Controller debug message: WARNING 1: Invalid command received by controller: r
Dec 11 2019 15:51:35 Notification: Script started for beer ‘Switched off’
Dec 11 2019 15:51:35 Connecting to controller…
Dec 11 2019 15:51:35 Background thread for serial started
Dec 11 2019 15:51:45 Warning: Cannot receive version number from controller. Check your port setting in the Maintenance Panel or in settings/config.cfg.
Dec 11 2019 15:52:26 Notification: Temperature control disabled
Dec 11 2019 15:52:39 Notification: Interval changed to 60 seconds
Dec 11 2019 15:52:47 Port setting changed to: auto
Dec 11 2019 15:52:47 Background thread for serial stopped
Dec 11 2019 15:52:47 Background thread for serial started
Dec 11 2019 15:53:57 stopScript message received on socket. Stopping script and writing dontrunfile to prevent automatic restart
Dec 11 2019 15:53:57 Background thread for serial stopped
Dec 11 2019 15:54:09 Notification: Script started for beer ‘Switched off’
Dec 11 2019 15:54:09 Connecting to controller…
Dec 11 2019 15:54:09 Background thread for serial started
Dec 11 2019 15:54:19 Warning: Cannot receive version number from controller. Check your port setting in the Maintenance Panel or in settings/config.cfg.
Dec 11 2019 15:54:23 stopScript message received on socket. Stopping script and writing dontrunfile to prevent automatic restart
Dec 11 2019 15:54:23 Background thread for serial stopped
Dec 11 2019 15:54:34 Notification: Script started for beer ‘Switched off’
Dec 11 2019 15:54:34 Connecting to controller…
Dec 11 2019 15:54:34 Background thread for serial started
Dec 11 2019 15:54:44 Warning: Cannot receive version number from controller. Check your port setting in the Maintenance Panel or in settings/config.cfg.
Dec 12 2019 00:00:00 Notification: New day, creating new JSON file.
Dec 13 2019 00:00:00 Notification: New day, creating new JSON file.
Dec 14 2019 00:00:00 Notification: New day, creating new JSON file.
Dec 14 2019 15:17:28 Notification: Script started for beer ‘Switched off’
Dec 14 2019 15:17:28 Connecting to controller…
Dec 14 2019 15:17:28 Background thread for serial started
Dec 14 2019 15:25:52 Warning: Cannot receive version number from controller. Check your port setting in the Maintenance Panel or in settings/config.cfg.
Dec 15 2019 00:00:00 Notification: New day, creating new JSON file.
Dec 16 2019 00:00:00 Notification: New day, creating new JSON file.
Dec 16 2019 14:45:02 Notification: Temperature control disabled
Dec 16 2019 14:45:56 Port setting changed to: auto
Dec 16 2019 14:45:56 Background thread for serial stopped
Dec 16 2019 14:45:56 Background thread for serial started
Dec 16 2019 14:46:01 Port setting changed to: auto
Dec 16 2019 14:46:01 Background thread for serial stopped

Bob_Steers · December 16, 2019, 9:52pm

BrewBlox fully replaced BrewPi. It still uses the same controllers, so we always recommend to upgrade.

You can find more information and install guides at brewblox.netlify.com

There indeed is an integration service for the Tilt. See BrewBlox Tilt Service for more info

NottingHill · December 16, 2019, 9:56pm

Thanks for this very quick reply, I will try that. Should this resolve my Spark connection issue or could it be a hardware or firmware issue. Do I need to update the Spark/Photon (?) firmware?

TIA
Stefan

Bob_Steers · December 16, 2019, 10:26pm

Connection issues with the Spark are almost always software issues. If they persist after updating your system, feel free to make a post and I’ll take a look.

The Brewblox install guide includes instructions on how to flash the Spark firmware. (It’s been reduced to a single command to be run on your Pi)

NottingHill · December 16, 2019, 11:02pm

Thanks, I will try the update in the next couple of days. Need it to work for an upcoming brew

NottingHill · January 2, 2020, 6:35pm

Thanks for your help, the re-install went quite smoothly and I am now running BrewBlox. Only one small issue, I am still getting a ‘Certificate’ issue from my browsers (Edge & Chrome). The instructions say to accept and it will be accepted in the future. That does not seem to work for me, I get the message every time I open the site. Any suggestions?

Another topic, feature request - can the Profile window show the name of the saved profile that is currently being used? The old BrewPi screen had that and it is convenient.

Bob_Steers · January 2, 2020, 6:57pm

By default, your browser will add an exception for a day or so.

If this really bothers you, you can add the cert to the root store on your computer, but this will be a security risk if somebody else gets the cert file stored on your Pi.

You can find the file on your pi in brewblox/traefik. You can use scp to copy the file, or you can copy/paste the contents in a new .crt file.

I’ll have a look at showing profile name in setpoint profile widget.

NottingHill · January 4, 2020, 9:42pm

Thanks, I will try the certificate add, I don’t even get a day exception, no exception at all. Chrome lets me view but has warning in front of the URL. Edge does not show anything except the warning. But I suspect that Edge has issues displaying the RPi website, even before these certificate problems.

Stefan

NottingHill · January 4, 2020, 9:43pm

Next step, wade through adding my Tilt. I see the thread; it looks long so I will wait a week or two before I start

Bob_Steers · January 4, 2020, 10:06pm

Edge has issues rendering the svg elements we use in builder. They’re replacing their rendering engine with chromium anyway, so we gave a very low priority to fixing that.

I have little experience with Edge and self-signed certs, but did find this: https://medium.com/@ali.dev/how-to-trust-any-self-signed-ssl-certificate-in-ie11-and-edge-fa7b416cac68

Tilt issues all use the same thread, leading to it being longer. Current status is that installation is pretty simple, and the service itself is stable, but that bluetooth is being bloody annoying.

Adding a Tilt service is easy. After that it’ll work, or it won’t.

NottingHill · January 4, 2020, 10:43pm

Thanks again, I look forward to trying the Tilt addition out and to reviewing the Edge certificate workaround.

NottingHill · January 6, 2020, 12:20am

Uh-oh, now I get this message “Block ‘Temp Profile’ not found in store” and some other details on the dashboard have disappeared with a similar message. Did I do something wrong?

Bob_Steers · January 6, 2020, 10:04am

The datastore sometimes has issues starting up. Try running

brewblox-ctl http wait https://localhost/datastore

When that’s done, refresh your UI.

If the command times out, please run brewblox-ctl log, and we’ll take a look.

NottingHill · January 6, 2020, 6:28pm

The brewblox-ctl wait ran OK - 1/60 Success! But refresh on my UI remained the same.

Should I PM you the termbin.com link?

NottingHill · January 6, 2020, 9:02pm

Or is it safe to publish here?

Bob_Steers · January 6, 2020, 9:04pm

Termbin links can be published here: they’re just the logs from your system. Feel free to read them before posting. I’d also be happy to answer any questions about their content.

If you go to the Spark service page in the UI, you’ll likely see the troubleshooter. What does it indicate as being the problem?

NottingHill · January 9, 2020, 2:27am

The termbin address is https://termbin.com/ziu6. I had a quick look but the content is way above my head, I really am a Linux noob. What did strike (and frighten me) is that One message says Discovery failed, in relation to the Spark. That corresponds with the following when I click on the Saprk Service in the BrewBlox dashboard:

I tried pinging the Spark from my desktop as well as the RPi below is the proof that is reachable from the RPi:

Does this help? Anything else I can send?
Stefan

NottingHill · January 9, 2020, 2:31am

I guess all the above also explains why the dashboard shows the screen capture below on Jan 8th, but the graph shows only Jan 5th

Love technology when it works, hate it when it doesn’t and I don’t know enough to troubleshoot
A few minutes later…
Well stupid me, I really was brain dead. Spark is not replying to BrewBlox but it did to pings, BB service must be messed up. So like the old Windows nut that I am I tried the Spark equivalent of alt-ctrl-del, pulled out the power, waited ten seconds and plugged it in again. Bingo, all my stores back and showing correct information. The only strange thing is that the Dashboard Graph only shows from the moment of the Spark reboot, all prior logging is lost. While that is not a disaster, is that correct or is there a way to view prio data points?

Bob_Steers · January 9, 2020, 8:00am

Happy to hear it works now.

Sounds like the issue was the communication handling on the Spark. That can hang on network changes, requiring a reset.
Squashing any and all bugs in the vicinity is the next item on the to-do list for firmware.

You can edit the period shown by the graph in either the menu (menu button in the widget toolbar), or by showing the Full mode (expansion button in the widget toolbar).

Right now it’s only showing from reboot because the start time for the period lies in the gap with no data. The graph will automatically zoom to fit the data.

NottingHill · January 9, 2020, 2:48pm

THANKS for all your help! Perfect display