Sensus Ultra by REEFNET and Windows 8/10

[fmerkel]

Are folks still using this logging only computer? I tried to get mine going again after sitting in a drawer for awhile. It would not work on Win 10. I got this error message: [This device cannot start. (Code 10)
{Not Enough Quota}
Not enough virtual memory or paging file quota is available to complete the specified operation.]

An email to REEFNET so far has gotten no response. Took me awhile but I DID find a fix that seems to work, in a car forum of all places. Problem is the Serial>USB driver supplied by Win8/10 does not work. Once an older driver was loaded it downloads to both the REEFNET and Subsurface dive logs.

 

[fmerkel]

Doesn't seem to be a lot of interest, but here are the details: Prolific USB-to-Serial Fix (Official Solution to 'Code 10 error')

Go to this site: Prolific USB-to-Serial Fix (Official Solution to 'Code 10 error') | Car OBD Diagnostics, ECU Chip Tuning & Auto Repair Support

Follow the instruction to permanently replace the 'official' Prolific USB>Serial driver with the 'fake' one, the one a bunch of manufacturers put in their devices, Reefnet included.
The instructions from Reefnet WILL NOT WORK. You DO need the Sensus PROGAM, but NOT the USB driver. You've probably spent a bunch of time trying to follow their instructions. Don't bother > useless.

The driver you get from Win10 WILL NOT WORK. Only this old driver will work. Once installed, it works fine.

USB 3.0 will not work. You need a USB 2.0 plug.

 

[reefnet]

OP has just emailed us privately regarding this issue and mentioned that he posted here as well. Let me be clear about a couple of things:

- We did respond to OP's email from July, although it was around the beginning of Aug.
- Complete instructions on how to resolve OP's problem were given in that response.
- OP's problem is a known issue affecting a small pool of users from a few years ago who have problematic USB cables.

- Current customers will not experience any of these problems, it's been resolved long ago.

In order to be absolutely clear about this issue, I am including most of my latest response to OP here to explain the nature of the problem, and the solution for anyone who is affected. I hope this clears things up for everyone involved.

Kris Wilk
ReefNet Inc.

*****

The executive summary, or "what you need to know":

- The driver on our web site IS the correct/safest version for our cables.
- All of our cables have always been compatible with both USB 2.0 and 3.0
- Only a small number of customers from a few years ago are affected by the USB driver issue you've had.

The complete details:

- We buy our USB-Serial cables from a third-party manufacturer (SABRENT, INC.).
- Most cables we've sold contained the very common "Prolific PL2303" chip.
- PL2303 is well-supported by Windows 98 all the way up to Windows 10. Usually plug-and play.
- For a short time a few years ago, counterfeit PL2303 chips made it into many suppliers' stock from questionable distributors who wanted to make extra $$. No one knew until.....
- ...Prolific issued a driver update which recognized the fake chips and prevented them from working (presenting a cryptic "Code 10" error to users).
- Shortly after discovering the problem, our supplier (SABRENT) flushed all the bad stock it had and replenished supply from a different distributor, with certified genuine PL2303 product.

The trouble here is that a small pool of our customers (we have no way of knowing exactly how many) ended up with cables that do NOT work with the latest USB drivers. The cables DO function correctly, but only with a driver version 3.3.2.102 or earlier (before Prolific crippled the knock-offs).

The driver version on our web site is (and has remained) 3.3.2.102 to ensure compatibility with ALL cables out there. But some users may need to manually tell Windows to use it instead of the newest version offered by Windows Update. Instructions are provided below.

INSTRUCTIONS TO FORCE USB-SERIAL DRIVER VERSION 3.3.2.102
(for affected users only...other users may use the latest drivers!)

- open the Windows Device Manager
- navigate to "Ports"
- right-click the "Prolific USB-Serial" item and choose "Properties"
- go to the "driver" tab
- click "update driver"
- choose to browse manually
- choose to "pick from a list"
- look for driver 3.3.2.102 and choose that one

After doing this, you need to UNPLUG the cable and reinsert it. Then device manager should update and possibly give you a new COM number. The properties should then indicate proper functionality (NO CODE 10).

 

[fmerkel]

I apparently did not get the email response from last summer....which surprised me as they have been a very responsive company and support their products well.
One of those email glitches...
I obviously had the old unit with counterfeit chip. It needed the old driver. This is right up there with Microsoft deciding to drop infrared support on the Win10 roll out, when the beta version had it and worked find. Much confusion.....lots of gnashing of keyboards. Hard to figure out WHAT went wrong.

Hopefully this gives reefnet the opportunity to address this issue in a public forum. If you do a search in SB on this problem you mostly run into this problem, at least that was my experience. OTOH, people not having the problem aren't likely to go looking for it.

 

[Steve_C]

I had an ultra. It died and I lost a lot of data. No way to recover data. Never got another one.

 

[fmerkel]

Yeah, a sealed unit like that has positives and negatives. We did download, and of course it ultimately did die so we didn't lose much data. . Can't recall for sure but think they gave us a favorable break on a new unit. It was a long time ago, so I can't be certain. That seems to be the case for other dive computers that have died (a lonesome, horrible, pathetic....death). You might get some kind of replacement break from the manufacturer. Often people are a bit bitter and try another brand.

What the Sensus did seem to offer was a computer that would not flood, die, or do other unexpected failures, which seemed all too common with other dive computers. I had a bunch of those. Yeah, it had a battery. Yeah, once it died, it was dead....completely. No way getting around that. Pick your poison I guess.

 

[Steve_C]

It requires the battery to keep the memory functioning. That is what happened with me. For some reason the battery got too low and all data was lost. Now I just dive 2 computers.