Calibration fails to Complete - Connection Error

post by TurfMan on Jun 21, 2021

Using IOS App 4.4.5, 4.4.6, and 4.4.7 (brand new) all result in failure to finish the Calibration and failure to update/load/show the new cal data on the App. I get the error “Oops we couldn’t connect to your flow meter”. This is not true as the Cal data is populating in the graph throughout the calibration - it just has a problem at the end (for me at least). I have tried multiple ways to initiate the Cal, and have an excellent connection strength (RSSI) to both my Flow Meter and my Controller. I have been working with your team (very helpful) for weeks and originally identified/helped the team troubleshoot the graphing error I found in version 4.4.5. The team then fixed the 4.4.5 graphing error in the n4.4.6 release (thanks) as it populates data correctly now, however, the Cal still fails at completion for 4.4.7. The only workaround for me has been to “Use Current Value”, which I’m told bypasses the Controller Cal data upload and instead uses the current graph data shown on the phone app to re-upload the Server.

I would really appreciate if the community would be willing to run some Cals using their own iPhone (4.4.7) or Mac (web) apps and see if the Cal completes successfully for you (without error screen) and updates the zone data with the new Cal GPM data. The team tells me I am unique and I must have a configuration problem with my network. This is odd for me because the cal used to complete (last year) and my network config has not change. Thanks all.

post by milehiguy on Jun 22, 2021

@laura.bauman I’m running v. 4.4.7 on my iPad and I’ll recalibrate one of my zones in the backyard within the next 20 minutes or so (20:00 MDT).

Edit: just finished calibration one of my larger rotor zones in the backyard. Though I had to wait 10-20 seconds before “Finished” appeared, it DID complete the calibration successfully and showed me the computed GPM value (12.4m third screenshot below), but during the 5-minute calibration, as with version 4.4.5, the numeric readout never changed (remained at 0.0 throughout) and the vertical blue lines on the white wave animation never appeared. I reported this as a problem two versions ago (4.4.5) and it was fixed within a day or two in a subsequent release (4.4.6). Here is that discussion thread. Now apparently the latest release (4.4.7) has reintroduced the problem. Below are 3 screenshots in sequence:

post by zachio on Jun 22, 2021

Hey guys! Happy to work some of this out with you guys as I may be able to provide some deeper insight. In v4.4.5 (maybe earlier) the app had an issue distinguishing new events we received from the server (the calibration readings). So we may have shown the first calibration reading but then none after that (or may not have shown the first reading).

That was fixed and I checked on v4.4.7 and the fix is still there. I think what you may have seen milehiguy was a case where the app’s event connection broke and didn’t reconnect to give you updated events. I reinstalled the current app from the App Store and recalibrated one of my zones and was able to see those new readings every 15 seconds or so.

The case that you’re seeing TurfMan is interesting though. Your events come in and are reported, so the connection is fine during the calibration. I believe you’re correct in that something towards the end of the calibration is going awry. I don’t know right now what that issue is, but the fact that the in-progress calibration readings are coming through is good!

It may be a workaround to use the “Use Current Value” but one of the reasons we added that was to save water. It’s more of a preferred way if you see your readings are staying pretty consistent as it allows the flow rate to be set earlier and not continue to use water if it’s not needed. That button does have the app send the value to the server and is then saved for use with high/low flow alerts. While the server may do some simple average correcting in some cases, the readings you’re seeing are actually the averaged values. So you are not losing any precision using the “Use Current Value”.

But, to look deeper into the issue you’re seeing and potential fixes. While you’ve been troubleshooting this, have you factory reset your controller yet? There are some instructions online for doing this, but some of the instructions also mention deleting the controller from your account. Do NOT do that, as data is lost when you delete a controller from an account.

post by milehiguy on Jun 23, 2021

Thanks @zachio I appreciate it! I’ll read your post again tomorrow when have fresh brain cells, but in the meantime …with version 4.4.8, that I just installed from the App Store, the GPM numerical value countdown and blue lines have returned, as you can see in the following two screenshots. Calibration completed just fine.

post by TurfMan on Jun 23, 2021

Hey Milehiguy, thanks for the Cal check (appreciated). It was very interesting that on your very 1st try you got a problem with the graphing on the Cal (with iPad 4.4.7). To clarify, you ran both tests on an iPad with the 1st test using iPad 4.4.7 and the 2nd test using iPad 4.4.8 right? Both tests competed Cal but he difference being that with iPad 4.4.7 you did not get a populated graph and in iPad 4.4.8 (which not available for iPhone) you got a successful Cal. Right? Have you tried on the iPhone or Web?

post by zachio on Jun 24, 2021

The 4.4.8 was unrelated, there was a config path that would incorrectly hide a button that was fixed in that version.

I don’t believe you ran into any eventing issues. You received the events mid-calibration and looking at the zone calibration results it seems the calibration did end in with an error. When a calibration results in success the result is “CALIBRATION_SUCCESS” but it seems you had “COMMNICATION_ERROR”. So it may be that a factory reset can clear any cached data or settings and would start your controller off fresh.

Factory Reset Info
To try a factory reset here’s the steps you can take. Do note that this clears all data (including any schedules) from your Rachio controller. Those will be re-downloaded once your controller is connected to WiFi again, but you will need to update WiFi before things will start running again. You won’t need to re-pair your flow meter.

Unplug the controller from power and wait about 5 seconds. Plug the controller back in and then immediately hold the up direction on the button (the stop button). You’ll see the light bar start to light up yellow. Keep holding until the light bar fills all the way and does a blue flash, then release.

The controller will start clearing its data. Keep the controller plugged in and wait for it to reboot (the lights on your controller may turn off, or may stay on during this time). I just did this with one of my controllers and it took about 3 minutes to fully reboot. You’ll know it’s finished the process when the second light quadrant is blinking yellow. If after 10 minutes it has not rebooted and is not blinking yellow, go ahead and unplug, then replug the controller in. It should then blink the second light yellow which means it’s ready to connect to WiFi.

Now in the app you’ll need to reconnect to WiFi. Open the app and go to the More tab, then Controller Settings, then Update Wi-Fi Network at the bottom. Your controller will already be ready to connect to WiFi with the second light blinking, so you won’t need to hold the WiFi reset button. Click the button to connect and you’ll get connected.

It may take some time for your flow meter to communicate with your Rachio again. After the flow meter first pairs (which you’ve already done), it goes into a battery saving state and doesn’t communicate with the controller at all times. You can force it to re-establish the connection quicker by taking the batteries out and putting them back in. After that everything should be fully cleared and reset. You can try calibrating again and see if that helped fix the issue.

post by TurfMan on Jun 24, 2021

zachio, thanks sooo much for the clarification on the Factory Reset (FR) procedures and the Flow Meter “battery saving” operation. I must have missed it, but I don’t recall any literature saying that it is expected that the FM will not connect immediately after a FR and/or Power Cycle. I did have to wait around 15min, but as you said, the FM did reconnect on its own without pulling batteries.

post by zachio on Jun 25, 2021

The “Oops” message may be kind of misleading as the application will show that when the calibration result comes back as “CalibrationCommunicationError”. So it’s not actually a communication error between server and app, but showing the result the server processed from the controller. I think if the FR didn’t fix it, we’d need to take a look at what the logs send back to identify where exactly the error is being encountered. For example, it could be a problem the controller has sending those results, or maybe there’s an error in processing the data on the server. Unfortunately I don’t have an answer to that now.

That said though, what I’m seeing with those in-progress calibrations being reported, if you use the “Use Current Value” button once your values settle out, I think your setup will work and be all set to give you accurate water readings and leak alerts.

post by TurfMan on Jun 25, 2021

zachio & milehiguy - GOOD NEWS: Today I physically removed all the existing (old) Rachio HW (both Controller and FM) and unboxed and replaced them with brand new controller and new FM. Cal completed! Now I had to figure out which HW item is failed? So I put in the old FM (only) back in the system but still using the new controller. Cal completed! (Points to the old controller right). So…put the old controller back in with the old FM (like I always had) - and Cal Completed! (WHAT??). I have ALL the same stuff that I started with - and now it works.

Here’s the only solutions I can offer:

1. In the troubleshooting, I was forced to REMOVE the FM (in the APP) from old controller (so as to be able to add it/associate to the new controller). Then at the end of troubleshooting, the FM was ADDED (in the APP) back to old controller. Could this App removal of the FM from account have cleared the issue? I would have thought the controller Factor Reset (FR) would have done the same thing; however, zachio said (previously) that “you will NOT need re-pair your FM” after the FR. Soo…that tells me that even though there was an FR, the FM will pair (remember) that controller connection irregardless. So “Remove FM” obviously does something (in software) with the APP and/or account such that its no longer associated/remembers the connection with that controller. Clearing that “remember” function via remove appears to have fixed it. If folks out there are having a similar FM communication problem (Cal failure) or maybe even just a FM disconnect problem - I would suggest users try to REMOVE THE FM (in the App) and then ADD IT BACK (in the App). Maybe a tip for Tech Support - as that was never suggested as possible solution.

2. The existing FM was physically moved around - but I kept my same lithium batteries in there the whole time. Maybe it needed this “kick of the tires”. Doubt it.

So…5 Cals in and all working and populating the zones with new data! All HW exactly as it was 5 weeks ago…but I started with 4.4.5 (not good) and now its 4.4.8 (good). Something got out of sync with the HW and SW over the last year or so.