Android WiFi connection not stable

Q&A for the RaceCapture Plug & Play - general hardware related usage and operation; for app related questions please post in the RaceCapture app section.

also see the <a href="https://wiki.autosportlabs.com/RaceCapture_Quickstart">RaceCapture quick start guide</a>
brentp
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Post by brentp »

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fstlane
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Post by fstlane »

brentp wrote:Actually, there's one more thing to try that will help narrow it down:

* over USB, enable OBDII with *no* channels defined. Just OBDII enabled with an empty channel list. As before, ensure you write the configuration.

What do you observe?
All of the tests I ran using the HTC 10 device had no OBDII channels defined. In fact, I even cleared the cache, uninstalled and then reinstalled the app to be certain it was a clean install of the latest version. Hopefully we can narrow down the issue and correct it with a firmware update. Thanks again!

slammed200
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Re: Android WiFi connection not stable

Post by slammed200 »

fstlane wrote:
slammed200 wrote:It's on my end, but both my Galaxy S6 and Samsung Tab 3 will connect to the RC unit but then disconnect once they do not see an internet connection. Any tips? Would I be correct in assuming these are WiFi only and do not have a bluetooth module?

Thanks!
I'm experiencing the same behavior with both my HTC 10 phone and Nexus 7 tablet. With the RC unit plugged into the OBD2 port, Wi-Fi will briefly obtain IP address, connect and then immediately disconnect. It won't connect long enough to even complete the configuration. During this process the indicator light on the RC unit will blink yellow.

However, if I disconnect the OBD2 cable and supply power with the USB cord, the RC unit with maintain the Wi-Fi connection and the light will flash blue with an occasional green blink. I was able to complete the setup process with this connection. However, if I again plug in the OBD2 cable the Wi-Fi connection will immediately drop and continue the same behavior of briefly connecting and then disconnecting.

Any ideas? Thank you!
This is the same behavior I am experiencing on my 2012 Mazda3. I didn't make the separation between having it powered through USB vs the OBD port until now but that's the same.

My Android devices are NOT configured for "Smart Network Switch" which would use the mobile network if a WiFi internet connect is not strong enough so that wasn't the issue. This could be a good thing to check for others however.

Boostedtaco
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Post by Boostedtaco »

Hi!

I just got my RC and noticed the same issue as OP. I tried it on a 09' Honda Fit, 00'/03' s2000 with a Samsung galaxy s5, HTC one max and a Nexus 7.

brentp
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Post by brentp »

For those of you seeing a firmware crash once plugged into OBDII (dropped WiFi connection, white / yellow light for RaceCapture LED) we have a potential fix, attached.

You will need to upgrade firmware over USB using OSX or windows app. Instructions for updating firmware (same as RaceCapture /Pro ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAFb-EeiXy8

After upgrading the RaceCapture version number will report as 2.10.1-dirty.

The scenarios to test:

OBDII turned 'on' with at least one channel defined (e.g. RPM)
OBDII turned 'on' with no channels enabled
OBDII turned 'off' regardless of channels enabled.

Remember, every time you make a settings change you will need to write it back to RaceCapture, using the 'Write' button.

Please test at your earliest convenience - if this fixes the problem we'd like to get 2.10.2 out the door. Thanks!
Attachments
RaceCapture_2.10.1_obdii_test_fix.zip
(150.37 KiB) Downloaded 181 times

slammed200
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Post by slammed200 »

I'm having difficulty getting the RaceCapture to connect to anything other than USB (PC) now. WiFi Module is enabled and Client Mode and Access Point Mode are both disabled (Tried enabled too to no avail). What is the default that we should be setting to? Everytime I try to make changes, it's all reset to blank fields and everything is turned back on when I plug back into my PC.

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Post by brentp »

slammed200,

Interpreting what you wrote - are you saying it works with your PC over USB - you can read / write config, but when plugged into OBDII it stops working?

Did you try the test firmware I posted in the message just previous to your post?
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Def
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Post by Def »

slammed200 wrote:I'm having difficulty getting the RaceCapture to connect to anything other than USB (PC) now. WiFi Module is enabled and Client Mode and Access Point Mode are both disabled (Tried enabled too to no avail). What is the default that we should be setting to? Everytime I try to make changes, it's all reset to blank fields and everything is turned back on when I plug back into my PC.
If you want a wifi network your tablet can connect to, you need to enable Access Point mode, then write that to the RaceCapture of course.

I too had no luck changing any wifi settings over USB or wifi.

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Post by brentp »

When you say 'you had no luck' - what did you observe exactly?

Over USB, are you able to change a WiFi setting, then write it to the unit, then read it back to see your changes persisted?

Note, when setting an access point password, it must be a minimum of 8 characters.
https://wiki.autosportlabs.com/RaceCapt ... Point_Mode

We have it on the list to make a warning in the app for this.
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brentp
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Post by brentp »

Also, note that the RaceCapture ships with the AccessPoint enabled, with no password set. It sets up an open network that you should be able to connect to right away.
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Def
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Post by Def »

brentp wrote:When you say 'you had no luck' - what did you observe exactly?

Over USB, are you able to change a WiFi setting, then write it to the unit, then read it back to see your changes persisted?

Note, when setting an access point password, it must be a minimum of 8 characters.
https://wiki.autosportlabs.com/RaceCapt ... Point_Mode

We have it on the list to make a warning in the app for this.
I can write and read the changes back no problem, but the SSID being broadcast and the encryption settings don't change at all even though the written values have changed. I'll try it again with some different character combinations to make sure it's not just something I did.

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Post by brentp »

Thanks. Make sure you specify at least 8 characters for the password. You can also look at the log messages in the setup pane, too to see any behind-the-scenes activity as RaceCapture configures WiFi.
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slammed200
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Post by slammed200 »

Well it seems that my situation has worsened, I am now back to running 2.10.1 and cannot get a wireless connection to the app. I can connect my device to the Race Capture's WiFi signal but the app doesn't see it. Very strange, I can connect easily to my PC over the USB cable. I've spent hours messing with this now. I uninstalled and reinstalled the mobile app on both devices and get stuck looking for the RaceCapture's WiFi network even though I am already connected to it.

brentp
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Post by brentp »

Ok - there are quite a few more things to check.

* Under app preferences on android, do you have 'Bluetooth' or 'WiFi' selected?
* What colors are flashing on RaceCapture?
* When connected over USB, what does the WiFi status show?
Image

* Can you configure the client to connect to your home's WiFi network? RaceCapture will be able to connect via a common access point:

Tablet ---> AccessPoint <---- RaceCapture[/img]


* What do you see under Setup -> Logs? Here's what I see with my WiFi setup with an access point and a client configuration:

Image

Boostedtaco
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Post by Boostedtaco »

I have a minor updated.

Updated the firmware and was able to stay connected to the RC with obd2 turned on and 1 channel (rpm). I drove around the block with satellite and speed (gps) displaying and updating. odb2 channel didn't work, but i'm sure its config issue.

This was with 09' Honda Fit and a HTC one max. I'll try it with my s5 and nexus 7 tomorrow .

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