Why am I having multiple iButtons die, in series ...?

Semiconductor
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1

Hello, all. I’ve been using iButton microclimate sensors for 20 years (DS1923-F5# for also measuring RH, but here I’m referring to DS1925 (high-capacity temperature sensor) and DS1923 (it appears that they’re no longer called this, but I’ve used DS1923G and DS1923L, in the past) sensors. I use the sensors in high-elevation rockslides, at remote locations across dozens of mountain ranges across physiographically complex portions of western USA. Because the sensors are sensitive to moisture and being hit directly by sunlight, I encapsulate each sensor in a 1”-diameter PVC cap and plug assembly, wherein I waterproof the threaded connection with Teflon tape. That assembly is suspended in the rock interstices, in a micro-location that is never hit by direct sunlight, at any time of day and day of the year. After successfully downloading data from several dozen sensors recently, I came to a situation that has happened to me once, previously. Specifically, each and every sensor that I put on the DS1990 BlueDot receptor dies, before the data on it are downloaded. From one previous experience I had of this, it appears that the receptor or the OneWireViewer program is causing all the successive sensor failures, rather than every single sensor being dead before being placed on the BlueDot receptor. To date, I’ve tried multiple times each to close and re-launch the downloading software (OneWireViewer.jar), Restart my Dell laptop, and Shut Down and Restart my laptop … but none of these have solved the issue. I just continue to have only sensors that I can’t download the 4 years of data from … all those data are now lost to the ether (CRC16 error message).

Suggestions of anything else I should try … ? I’m trying to install the program on another laptop (does anyone know EXACTLY which version of Java, or the URL I should pursue, to have OneWireViewer work on a new machine?), and to try another BlueDot receptor (in case the DS1990 is somehow bad).

Thank you!

Erik B.

2

Greetings,

This document appears to speak to a variety of conditions pertaining to the use of the software and also references several other documents that may be pertinent.

It’s unclear what specific device you’re using as a “receptor” for querying the iButton devices; a DS1990 is mentioned however this would appear to be a device unto itself rather than a reader/PC interface apparatus. Clarification on the point may be helpful.

That said, I’ve no specific experience with the product line and can’t claim familiarity with such. The manufacturer’s forum at https://ez.analog.com/ may be another resource worth consulting.