New unit - Exception, Software watchdog

Hello all,

I am a new IoTaWatt owner and I received my unit (Model W14 v5.1) a few days ago.

I have installed the IoTaWatt with just the PSU and VT so that I can check that it is working and also check my connections between IoTaWatt and my local emoncms server.

The PSU is a Raspberry Pi 5.1V 2.5A (Jaycar MP-3536) and the VT is the recommended MP-3027.

I powered this up about 12 hours ago and I was checking the logs to verify WiFi connectivity and I found a few restarts in the log already. The IoTaWatt is transferring the AC Voltage (ie. the VT reading) to emoncms every 30 seconds.

Is this behaviour normal, does anyone have any ideas as to the cause?

Thanks,
Tim

Log from the poweron yesterday afternoon:

** Restart **

SD initialized.
3/22/23 06:23:20z Real Time Clock is running. Unix time 1679466200
3/22/23 06:23:20z Reset Reason: Power-fail restart.
3/22/23 06:23:20z ESP8266 ID: 14632688, RTC PCF8523 (68)
3/22/23 06:23:20z IoTaWatt 5.0, Firmware version 02_08_02
3/22/23 06:23:20z SPIFFS mounted.
3/22/23 17:23:20 Local time zone: +10:00, using DST/BST when in effect.
3/22/23 17:23:20 device name: Iota1504
3/22/23 17:23:23 HTTP server started
3/22/23 17:23:23 emoncms: Starting, interval:30, url:<>
3/22/23 17:23:23 WiFi connected. SSID=TP-Link_3BCA, IP=192.168.106.5, channel=10, RSSI -73db
3/22/23 17:23:23 timeSync: service started.
3/22/23 17:23:23 statService: started.
3/22/23 17:23:23 Updater: service started. Auto-update class is MINOR
3/22/23 17:23:23 dataLog: service started.
3/22/23 17:23:23 dataLog: Last log entry 03/22/23 17:05:05
3/22/23 17:23:23 historyLog: service started.
3/22/23 17:23:23 historyLog: Last log entry 03/22/23 17:05:00
3/22/23 17:23:23 emoncms: Start posting at 03/22/23 17:05:00
3/22/23 17:23:25 Updater: Auto-update is current for class MINOR.

** Restart **

SD initialized.
3/22/23 14:28:14z Real Time Clock is running. Unix time 1679495294
3/22/23 14:28:14z Reset reason: Software Watchdog
3/22/23 14:28:14z Trace: 1:6[4], 21:0, 21:1, 21:10, 21:20, 21:21, 21:30, 21:99, 1:6[6], 1:3, 1:3, 1:6[1], 1:6[3], 1:5[31], 1:6[4], 31:0, 31:1, 31:2[7], 31:1, 1:6[6], 1:3, 1:3, 1:6[1], 1:6[3], 1:5[31], 1:6[4], 31:0, 31:1, 31:2[3], 3:60, 3:60, 3:61
3/22/23 14:28:14z ESP8266 ID: 14632688, RTC PCF8523 (68)
3/22/23 14:28:14z IoTaWatt 5.0, Firmware version 02_08_02
3/22/23 14:28:14z SPIFFS mounted.
3/23/23 01:28:14 Local time zone: +10:00, using DST/BST when in effect.
3/23/23 01:28:14 device name: Iota1504
3/23/23 01:28:14 HTTP server started
3/23/23 01:28:14 emoncms: Starting, interval:30, url:<>
3/23/23 01:28:14 timeSync: service started.
3/23/23 01:28:14 statService: started.
3/23/23 01:28:14 dataLog: service started.
3/23/23 01:28:14 dataLog: Last log entry 03/23/23 01:28:10
3/23/23 01:28:14 historyLog: service started.
3/23/23 01:28:14 historyLog: Last log entry 03/23/23 01:28:00
3/23/23 01:28:18 WiFi connected. SSID=TP-Link_3BCA, IP=192.168.106.5, channel=10, RSSI -72db
3/23/23 01:28:18 Updater: service started. Auto-update class is MINOR
3/23/23 01:28:18 emoncms: Start posting at 03/23/23 01:27:30
3/23/23 01:28:20 Updater: Auto-update is current for class MINOR.

** Restart **

SD initialized.
3/22/23 18:06:01z Real Time Clock is running. Unix time 1679508361
3/22/23 18:06:01z Reset reason: Exception
3/22/23 18:06:01z Trace: 18:2, 18:3, 18:2, 18:3, 18:2, 18:3, 18:2, 18:3, 18:2, 18:3, 18:2, 18:3, 18:4, 18:5, 1:6[6], 1:3, 1:3, 1:6[1], 1:6[3], 1:5[31], 1:6[4], 31:0, 31:1, 31:2[3], 3:60, 3:60, 3:61, 3:60, 3:62, 3:62, 3:64, 3:65
3/22/23 18:06:01z ESP8266 ID: 14632688, RTC PCF8523 (68)
3/22/23 18:06:01z IoTaWatt 5.0, Firmware version 02_08_02
3/22/23 18:06:01z SPIFFS mounted.
3/23/23 05:06:01 Local time zone: +10:00, using DST/BST when in effect.
3/23/23 05:06:01 device name: Iota1504
3/23/23 05:06:01 HTTP server started
3/23/23 05:06:01 emoncms: Starting, interval:30, url:<>
3/23/23 05:06:01 timeSync: service started.
3/23/23 05:06:01 statService: started.
3/23/23 05:06:01 dataLog: service started.
3/23/23 05:06:01 IotaLog: file damaged /iotawatt/iotalog.log

3/23/23 05:06:01 IotaLog: Creating diagnostic file.
3/23/23 05:06:09 IotaLog: Deleting /iotawatt/iotalog.log and restarting.

** Restart **

SD initialized.
3/22/23 18:06:10z Real Time Clock is running. Unix time 1679508370
3/22/23 18:06:10z Reset reason: Software/System restart
3/22/23 18:06:10z Trace: 1:6[3], 1:5[18], 1:6[4], 18:0, 18:1, 1:6[6], 1:1, 1:2, 9:0, 9:0, 8:4, 8:6, 8:8, 1:3, 1:3, 1:6[1], 1:6[2], 1:6[2], 1:6[2], 1:6[3], 1:5[5], 1:6[4], 5:0, 1:6[6], 1:3, 1:3, 1:6[1], 1:6[2], 1:6[2], 1:6[3], 1:5[19], 1:6[4]
3/22/23 18:06:10z ESP8266 ID: 14632688, RTC PCF8523 (68)
3/22/23 18:06:10z IoTaWatt 5.0, Firmware version 02_08_02
3/22/23 18:06:10z SPIFFS mounted.
3/23/23 05:06:10 Local time zone: +10:00, using DST/BST when in effect.
3/23/23 05:06:10 device name: Iota1504
3/23/23 05:06:10 HTTP server started
3/23/23 05:06:10 emoncms: Starting, interval:30, url:<>
3/23/23 05:06:10 timeSync: service started.
3/23/23 05:06:10 statService: started.
3/23/23 05:06:10 dataLog: service started.
3/23/23 05:06:10 dataLog: New current log created.
3/23/23 05:06:10 dataLog: Last history entry: 03/23/23 05:06:00
3/23/23 05:06:14 WiFi connected. SSID=TP-Link_3BCA, IP=192.168.106.5, channel=10, RSSI -72db
3/23/23 05:06:14 Updater: service started. Auto-update class is MINOR
3/23/23 05:06:14 emoncms: Start posting at 03/23/23 05:06:30
3/23/23 05:06:16 Updater: Auto-update is current for class MINOR.
3/23/23 05:07:05 historyLog: service started.
3/23/23 05:07:05 historyLog: Last log entry 03/23/23 05:06:00

** Restart **

SD initialized.
3/22/23 18:28:34z Real Time Clock is running. Unix time 1679509714
3/22/23 18:28:34z Reset reason: Software Watchdog
3/22/23 18:28:34z Trace: 31:0, 31:1, 31:2[3], 3:60, 3:60, 3:61, 3:60, 3:62, 3:62, 3:64, 3:65, 31:1, 1:6[6], 1:1, 1:2, 9:0, 9:0, 8:4, 8:6, 8:8, 1:3, 1:3, 1:6[1], 1:6[3], 1:5[31], 1:6[4], 31:0, 31:1, 31:2[3], 3:60, 3:60, 3:60
3/22/23 18:28:34z ESP8266 ID: 14632688, RTC PCF8523 (68)
3/22/23 18:28:34z IoTaWatt 5.0, Firmware version 02_08_02
3/22/23 18:28:34z SPIFFS mounted.
3/23/23 05:28:34 Local time zone: +10:00, using DST/BST when in effect.
3/23/23 05:28:34 device name: Iota1504
3/23/23 05:28:34 HTTP server started
3/23/23 05:28:34 emoncms: Starting, interval:30, url:<>
3/23/23 05:28:34 timeSync: service started.
3/23/23 05:28:34 statService: started.
3/23/23 05:28:34 dataLog: service started.
3/23/23 05:28:34 IotaLog: file damaged /iotawatt/iotalog.log

3/23/23 05:28:34 IotaLog: Creating diagnostic file.
3/23/23 05:28:35 IotaLog: Deleting /iotawatt/iotalog.log and restarting.

** Restart **

SD initialized.
3/22/23 18:28:36z Real Time Clock is running. Unix time 1679509716
3/22/23 18:28:36z Reset reason: Software/System restart
3/22/23 18:28:36z Trace: 1:6[3], 1:5[18], 1:6[4], 18:0, 18:1, 1:6[6], 1:1, 1:2, 9:0, 9:0, 8:4, 8:6, 8:8, 1:3, 1:3, 1:6[1], 1:6[2], 1:6[2], 1:6[2], 1:6[3], 1:5[5], 1:6[4], 5:0, 1:6[6], 1:3, 1:3, 1:6[1], 1:6[2], 1:6[2], 1:6[3], 1:5[19], 1:6[4]
3/22/23 18:28:36z ESP8266 ID: 14632688, RTC PCF8523 (68)
3/22/23 18:28:36z IoTaWatt 5.0, Firmware version 02_08_02
3/22/23 18:28:36z SPIFFS mounted.
3/23/23 05:28:36 Local time zone: +10:00, using DST/BST when in effect.
3/23/23 05:28:36 device name: Iota1504
3/23/23 05:28:36 HTTP server started
3/23/23 05:28:36 emoncms: Starting, interval:30, url:<>
3/23/23 05:28:36 timeSync: service started.
3/23/23 05:28:36 statService: started.
3/23/23 05:28:36 dataLog: service started.
3/23/23 05:28:36 dataLog: New current log created.
3/23/23 05:28:36 dataLog: Last history entry: 03/23/23 05:28:00
3/23/23 05:28:40 WiFi connected. SSID=TP-Link_3BCA, IP=192.168.106.5, channel=10, RSSI -72db
3/23/23 05:28:40 Updater: service started. Auto-update class is MINOR
3/23/23 05:28:40 emoncms: Start posting at 03/23/23 05:28:30
3/23/23 05:28:42 Updater: Auto-update is current for class MINOR.
3/23/23 05:29:06 historyLog: service started.
3/23/23 05:29:06 historyLog: Last log entry 03/23/23 05:28:00

No, that’s not normal. It looks like a flaky SDcard. First thing to try is deleting both datalogs simultaneously. Enter the following URL into your browser:

http://iota1504.local/command?deletelog=both

The IoTaWatt has deleted the current log twice, but it uses the history log while building a new one, and that may be damaged as well. This will wipe both simultaneously and restart.

Keep an eye out and if it continues to fail, repost and we’ll figure out how to deal with it from halfway around the world.

Thanks for the excellent information. I can report as follows:

  1. When I went to access the IoTaWatt log files they now contain binary junk - oh what a few hours does!

  2. I thought I may as well see what happened if I cleared the logs. So I issued the command and got an ‘ok’ screen back.

  3. The IoTaWatt ‘disappeared’ - so I got up and went to have a look - the LED was now showing G-R-R.

  4. I opened up the unit and popped out the SD card. Both Windows and Linux both thought that the card fast unformatted with no partition table.

  5. I only have 32GB microSD cards handy so I built a new card as per the “Building a new SDcard” process. Note: There is a typo on the Windows ‘this link’, the URL has a ‘%’ where it should be a ‘/’ as part of the ‘//’ sequence.

  6. I put everything back together and powered it up - the WiFi came back correctly.

  7. I used the procedure to recover the config.txt file.

  8. Everything looks fine.

I will let it all run for a while and we will see how we go.
I have uploaded images of the faulty SD card - just in case it is of any interest.

Thanks again,
Tim


What was your order number. I haven’t shipped a unit with those SDcards for months. There were some issues with that batch.

I guess I should have said that I received my slightly old unit a few days ago! :slight_smile:

I purchased locally in Australia from “Smart Guys Australia Pty Ltd” - I assume that they are purchasing from you and reselling. I can only assume that my unit must have been on the shelf for a while.

Otherwise, my IoTaWatt has been running overnight and has been stable. So hopefully that is the only problem I am going to encounter.

Pretty sure that was it, you should be all set.

When I uncovered this SDcard problem, I tried to contact them to arrange card replacement for their inventory, but they did not respond.