This is weird. Been using Commander with my TS-890S for a couple of years and never observed this behavior.

I double clicked on 9X5RU in Spot Collector. He is operating split on 20 meters, and Commander configured itself accordingly.
I made my call to 9X5RU, and got a 5/9 response.
I called back with 5/9, but got told by some station that 9X5RU is operating split, which may indicate that I transmitted on their transmit frequency.
The Split radio button check mark is blinking on and off.
The TF-SET button was also blinking on/off. I went to Commander config and unchecked the "provide a TF-SET button". XFC button does not blink, but otherwise no change.
Sometimes the Mode radio button switches from USB to LSB and back again.
When the Split button check mark blinks on/off, the receive freq does not seem to change on the transceiver, based on what I am hearing.

I have closed and restarted Commander. Same behavior.
I closed all DX Labs apps, and rebooted. Same behavior.

Not sure what to try next to resolve this odd behavior.

--
Jim McPhee
Placitas, NM
W5ABA

+ AA6YQ comments below

The Split radio button check mark is blinking on and off.

+ When the Split checkbox on Commander's Main window is blinking on and off,

1. on the Configuration window's General tab, check the "Log debugging info" box
2. wait through 2 or 3 cycles of the Split box blinking
3. on the Configuration window's General tab, uncheck the "Log debugging info" box
4. attach the errorlog.txt file from your Commander folder to an email message, and send the message to me via

aa6yq (at) ambersoft.com

       73,

             Dave, AA6YQ

Thanks Dave. Email with errorlog file has been sent.
--
Jim McPhee
Placitas, NM
W5ABA

+ AA6YQ comments below

Thanks Dave. Email with errorlog file has been sent

+ Thanks. Your errorlog contains many instances of this entry:

CIVComm.CommError: thePort = 0, theError: Overrun

+ It means that a new character has been received from COM0 before the previous character has been retrieved by Commander.

+ The simplest explanation is that your system is not fast enough to keep up the baud rate that your TS890 and Commander are using to communicate; you could try cutting this baud rate in half, to see if it makes a difference. I didn't ask you to start Commander with "log debugging enable", so the errorlog does not reveal the baud rate currently being used.

+ More likely, a software or hardware change made just before you noticed the onset of Commander's flashing Split checkbox is responsible. Check the Window Event Log around that time to see if any component reported problems.

      73,

            Dave, AA6YQ

Hi Dave,

I have not made any hardware changes, and don't think I have made any software changes. I operated during the CQ-WPX-SSB contest over two days, making 200 contacts with 75 entities. Mostly brought them up from Commander's Bandspread, but sometimes from Spotcollector. No issues then. I will check the event log as you suggested.

--
Jim McPhee
Placitas, NM
W5ABA

Hi Dave,

I reviewed the event log, but did not find anything that appeared related to this issue. Having said that, I am not experienced in searching the event log for indications of problems.

I did drop the com port baud rate from 115200 to 57600 and the problem stopped. I'll just leave it there for now. I still would like to determine what changed that caused this issue.
--
Jim McPhee
Placitas, NM
W5ABA

+ AA6YQ comments below

I did drop the com port baud rate from 115200 to 57600 and the problem stopped. I'll just leave it there for now. I still would like to determine what changed that caused this issue.

+ Then you have found the cause of the problem: your system is unable to keep up with a baud rate of 115,200.

+ To determine why that's the case, use the Windows Task Manager:

1. sort by decreasing order of CPU consumption; are one or more applications consuming significant chunks?

2. sort by decreasing order of Memory (Private Working Set); are one or more applications consuming significant chunks?

     73,

         Dave, AA6YQ

 

This is not a new system, but it is fairly robust:
Optiplex7060
Processor    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8500 CPU @ 3.00GHz  
Installed RAM    8.00 GB (7.80 GB usable)
System type    64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Edition    Windows 11 Pro

With all DX Labs apps except WW running, and Firefox and Kenwood's ARCP 890 (connected via ethernet strictly for the waterfall display) running, CPU usage is about 15% (7% with the waterfall display turned off) and memory usage is about 63%. No app stands out as using significant chunks of CPU or memory. Although Firefox is consuming the most memory, at about 740 MB.

I'll continue to delve into this. I'd like to determine what changed, and whether it was something I did.
 
--
Jim McPhee
Placitas, NM
W5ABA

On 3/30/2023 2:38 PM, Jim McPhee wrote:

Although Firefox is consuming the most memory, at about 740 MB.

I've noticed that Firefox and Thunderbird (e-mail) are exceptional
memory hogs. I just have not had time (or an inclination) to find
alternatives.

73,

... Joe, W4TV


On 3/30/2023 2:38 PM, Jim McPhee wrote:

This is not a new system, but it is fairly robust:
Optiplex7060
Processor    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8500 CPU @ 3.00GHz
Installed RAM    8.00 GB (7.80 GB usable)
System type    64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Edition    Windows 11 Pro
With all DX Labs apps except WW running, and Firefox and Kenwood's ARCP 890 (connected via ethernet strictly for the waterfall display) running, CPU usage is about 15% (7% with the waterfall display turned off) and memory usage is about 63%. No app stands out as using significant chunks of CPU or memory. Although Firefox is consuming the most memory, at about 740 MB.
I'll continue to delve into this. I'd like to determine what changed, and whether it was something I did.
--
Jim McPhee
Placitas, NM
W5ABA

Maybe Edge

Not on *your* computer <G>.

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 3/30/2023 4:03 PM, Gilbert Baron W0MN wrote:

Maybe Edge and Outlook ? 😊 ???
Outlook LT Gil W0MN
Hierro Candente Batir de Repente
44.08226 N 92.51265 W EN34rb
-----Original Message-----
From: DXLab@groups.io <DXLab@groups.io> On Behalf Of Joe Subich, W4TV
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2023 2:02 PM
To: DXLab@groups.io
Subject: Re: [DXLab] Commander's Split "Radio Button" check mark blinking on and off
On 3/30/2023 2:38 PM, Jim McPhee wrote:

Although Firefox is consuming the most memory, at about 740 MB.

I've noticed that Firefox and Thunderbird (e-mail) are exceptional memory hogs. I just have not had time (or an inclination) to find alternatives.
73,
... Joe, W4TV
On 3/30/2023 2:38 PM, Jim McPhee wrote:

This is not a new system, but it is fairly robust:

Optiplex7060

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8500 CPU @ 3.00GHz Installed RAM

8.00 GB (7.80 GB usable) System type 64-bit operating system,

x64-based processor Edition Windows 11 Pro

With all DX Labs apps except WW running, and Firefox and Kenwood's ARCP 890 (connected via ethernet strictly for the waterfall display) running, CPU usage is about 15% (7% with the waterfall display turned off) and memory usage is about 63%. No app stands out as using significant chunks of CPU or memory. Although Firefox is consuming the most memory, at about 740 MB.

I'll continue to delve into this. I'd like to determine what changed, and whether it was something I did.

--

Jim McPhee

Placitas, NM

W5ABA

I use Opera for a browser, less system load, no problems with most sites I visit.
Gordon - N1MGO

Dave, W6DE,

Thanks for your constructive comments. My C: drive is solid state, although a few years old. I'm sure there are more efficient ones out there now. Interesting that you mention increasing the RAM. I currently have two 4 GB sticks in there now. Yesterday I ordered one Crucial DDR4 16 GB stick from Amazon for $35. It was cheaper to go that route than 2 8 GB sticks. The two 4 GB sticks have to come out, but still doubling the RAM. I will be very interested to see if I observe any performance improvement. Still, going back to the original issue, I'd sure like to find out what changed that is causing it. I did not mention this before, and should have. This blinking Split check box and TF-S button, and USB/LSB switching back and forth, occurs even when Commander is the only app running in the foreground, if the comm port baud rate is set at 115200, which is where it has been set ever since I installed the DXLab suite on this computer. For the time being, to make troubleshooting easier, I have left the baud rate at 115200, but turned off Interrogation. That prevents the issue from occurring, and doesn't seem to affect the tuning speed/efficiency.

73,
--
Jim McPhee
Placitas, NM
W5ABA

On 3/31/2023 12:11 PM, Jim McPhee wrote:

For the time being, to make troubleshooting easier, I have left the baud rate at 115200, but turned off Interrogation.

Something (some other program) turned on "Auto-Information" in your
rig. That autoinformation is confusing Commander (which expects to
interrogate the rig *and* be the only application requesting data
from the rig).

Send the rig the CAT Command "AI0;" to turn off "Auto information".
You may also want to send "AI2;" and cycle power so the default
becomes AI OFF.

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 3/31/2023 12:11 PM, Jim McPhee wrote:

Dave, W6DE,
Thanks for your constructive comments. My C: drive is solid state, although a few years old. I'm sure there are more efficient ones out there now. Interesting that you mention increasing the RAM. I currently have two 4 GB sticks in there now. Yesterday I ordered one Crucial DDR4 16 GB stick from Amazon for $35. It was cheaper to go that route than 2 8 GB sticks. The two 4 GB sticks have to come out, but still doubling the RAM. I will be very interested to see if I observe any performance improvement. Still, going back to the original issue, I'd sure like to find out what changed that is causing it. I did not mention this before, and should have. This blinking Split check box and TF-S button, and USB/LSB switching back and forth, occurs even when Commander is the only app running in the foreground, if the comm port baud rate is set at 115200, which is where it has been set ever since I installed the DXLab suite on this computer. For the time being, to make troubleshooting easier, I have left the baud rate at 115200, but turned off Interrogation. That prevents the issue from occurring, and doesn't seem to affect the tuning speed/efficiency.
73,
--
Jim McPhee
Placitas, NM
W5ABA

On Fri, Mar 31, 2023 at 10:54 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:

Something (some other program) turned on "Auto-Information" in your
rig. That autoinformation is confusing Commander (which expects to
interrogate the rig *and* be the only application requesting data
from the rig).

Send the rig the CAT Command "AI0;" to turn off "Auto information".
You may also want to send "AI2;" and cycle power so the default
becomes AI OFF.

Joe,

I sent those commands via the "Commander Messages" Execute CAT Command" utility, and cycled the power. No change. The issue continues. Was that the correct way to send those commands?



 
--
Jim McPhee
Placitas, NM
W5ABA

Was that the correct way to send those commands?

That would be the logical way. Did you confirm that they were
sent correctly, received by the rig and acted upon?

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 3/31/2023 1:17 PM, Jim McPhee wrote:

On Fri, Mar 31, 2023 at 10:54 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:

Something (some other program) turned on "Auto-Information" in your
rig. That autoinformation is confusing Commander (which expects to
interrogate the rig *and* be the only application requesting data
from the rig).

Send the rig the CAT Command "AI0;" to turn off "Auto information".
You may also want to send "AI2;" and cycle power so the default
becomes AI OFF.

Joe,
I sent those commands via the "Commander Messages" Execute CAT Command" utility, and cycled the power. No change. The issue continues. Was that the correct way to send those commands?
--
Jim McPhee
Placitas, NM
W5ABA

+ AA6YQ comments below

Thanks for your constructive comments. My C: drive is solid state, although a few years old. I'm sure there are more efficient ones out there now. Interesting that you mention increasing the RAM. I currently have two 4 GB sticks in there now. Yesterday I ordered one Crucial DDR4 16 GB stick from Amazon for $35. It was cheaper to go that route than 2 8 GB sticks. The two 4 GB sticks have to come out, but still doubling the RAM. I will be very interested to see if I observe any performance improvement. Still, going back to the original issue, I'd sure like to find out what changed that is causing it. I did not mention this before, and should have. This blinking Split check box and TF-S button, and USB/LSB switching back and forth, occurs even when Commander is the only app running in the foreground, if the comm port baud rate is set at 115200, which is where it has been set ever since I installed the DXLab suite on this computer. For the time being, to make troubleshooting easier, I have left the baud rate at 115200, but turned off Interrogation. That prevents the issue from occurring, and doesn't seem to affect the tuning speed/efficiency.

+ With Interrogation disabled, Commander will not correctly control your transceiver. For example, it will not display S-meter readings. The ability to disable Interrogation is only provided for diagnostic purposes.

+ Note: at startup or when a TS-890 is newly selected as the primary transceiver, Commander sends its an AI0; command if Interrogation is enabled, and sends it an AI2; command if Interrogation is not enabled. Disabling Interrogation after the TS-890 has already been selected clears the S-meter display, but does not send CAT commands to the radio.

+ The fact that reducing the baud rate eliminates the reported overruns and their various symptoms is proof that your system's performance is insufficient to handle a baud rate of 115,200. With 8 data bits, 1 start bit, and 1 stop bit, 115,200 baud means that new data is arriving every 87 microseconds. There are many factors that could impede your system's ability to keep up with that rate. As Dave W6DE suggested, insufficient RAM is one of them, so adding more is a good first step -- especially at current prices.

73,

Dave, AA6YQ

Thanks Dave,

I understand what you are saying: "The fact that reducing the baud rate eliminates the reported overruns and their various symptoms is proof that your system's performance is insufficient to handle a baud rate of 115,200." What I don't understand, is after using this computer for many years with a TS-590S, and the past two years with this TS-890S, why did this issue just suddenly appear?  Bruce, N7XGR, contacted me via email with some suggestions, similar to the ones that Joe Subich suggested. One thing that I found that might help, is this: in Commander Messages, when I deselect Continuous Interrogation, the messages do not stop, they scroll by even faster. I just Reset and restored my radio, thinking it might be causing this. There was no change.

An edit to this message: Checking the Commander error log, which I will send to you, I don't see those same error messages that appeared in the error log I sent to you two days ago.

--
Jim McPhee
Placitas, NM
W5ABA