SeismoGraf Problems and Solutions

• SeismoGraf beeps three times when starting up.
  1. SeismoGraf is not finding the A-to-D board.
  2. Is the A-to-D board installed, and is it installed correctly? See the Installing the A-to-D Board section.
  3. Check to see that the A-to-D board PCI slot number and the slot number entered in SeismoGraf software "instramentParams" are the same. See "Customizing the SeismoGraf Application" section.
      
• SeismoGraf display window only shows the "protoSeis" logo, does not switch to disply seimograms after 2 minutes.
  1. SeismoGraf is not finding the A-to-D board.
  2. Is the A-to-D board installed, and is it installed correctly? See the Installing the A-to-D Board section.
  3. Check to see that the A-to-D board PCI slot number and the slot number entered in SeismoGraf software "instramentParams" are the same. See "Customizing the SeismoGraf Application" section.
      
• The seismogram is a flat horizontal line at the highest gain setting.
  1. Is the seismometer plugged in?
  2. Check all the seismometer's hardware connections. Make sure all wiring is correct. See Installing the Connector Block and Seismometer Set-up and Connections.
  3. Check to see that the A-to-D board PCI slot number and the slot number entered in SeismoGraf software "instramentParams" are the same. See "Customizing the SeismoGraf Application" section.
      
• GPSgraf "crashes" when SeismoGraf starts up.
  1. Check the Macintosh Clock. If time is off by a second or more reset the Mac clock manually. See the "Setting the Mac Clock" secton.
  2. Increase the memory allocation of the SeismoGraf and GPSgraf software. See "Installing the SeismoGraf System Software" section.
  3. The Ohio Seismic Network has found that starting GPSgraf before Seismograf avoids some crashes. After GPSgraf has locked onto satellites and displays them in SkyPlot wait 5 minutes or so allowing GPSgraf to correct and stabilize the Mac clock before running Seismograf. If the Mac clock is not precisely synchronized with the GPS clock, starting Seismograf will crash the software. GPSgraf makes time corrections in small increments, so, if the time differential is on the "large" side adjusting the Mac clock will take awhile.
      
• SeismoGraf and GPSgraf consistently loses time lock.
  1. The Ohio Seismic Network has experienced problems with the clocks on Macintosh G4 computers. The time on these clocks tend to drift severely with a drift rate that is greater than GPSgraf can correct for it. Thus, keeping time lock is near impossible. One solution that has worked is having the Mac clock connected to a Network Time Server. If the computer, however, is behind a "firewall" this solution will not work. To use a Network Time Server do the following:
     1. Go to the "Date & Time" control panel.
     2. Check the "Use a Network Time Server."
     3. Click "Server Options."
     4. Choose a time server from the drop down list.
     5. Select, under "Update the Time", "automatically, when the system clock is different from the time server."
     6. Click "Set Time Now."
     7. Click "OK."
  2. The GPS antenna may have an obstructed view of the sky. Sometimes the GPS receiver will lose the satellite constellation because of nearby obstructions or the satellites are low on the horizon (there should be a flashing message on the GPS receiver display screen indicating the receiver has lost the satellites). Follow the "INITIALIZING THE RECEIVER" procedure outlined in the owners manual.