KTLCD3 password changed itself?!

[Klauts]

Hey everyone... I was just riding home from work turned off the bike for a couple minutes and when I turned it back on my password doesn't work... I've got a spare controller but I'm pretty sure the password is stored in the LCD... SOS!!

 

[amberwolf]

Most likely it would have reset to the factory default, or a single bit flipped (cosmic ray, etc).

If it's a bit flip, it could be any single bit in the variable used for the password. If you know how many characters, you can write out the possible variations that are created by flipping one bit in any of the positions in the variable, as converted to binary.

So if you have a four digit password, only numeric allowed 0-9 in each digit, it is probably stored as a hexadecimal value (which is 0-15 for each digit). each hex digiti si four bits, so 16 bits for a four digit value. So 16 possible passwords it could be now, if one bit flipped. too tired to type out the examples beyond this...hopefully it's enough to point you in the diretion.

 

[Klauts]

Cosmic ray thing could make sense... The Aurora was putting on a show on the way I never would have thought about that possibility... Do I need to put a faraday cage around my LCD and Controller

 

[Klauts]

It was indeed a cosmic bit flip... After much trial and error I discovered one of the 3's in my password is now a 0

 

[Comrade]

What are the odds of that cosmic ray hitting your password (a few bits) and not anywhere else in the code on the flash chip that occupies millions of bits. :lol:

 

[amberwolf]

Maybe it did....

(and effects aren't seen yet, or it changed something not presently in use, etc)

Could also just be bad location in the flash (or more than one), or even a bug in the code (though I expect a bug would trash the whole password)

 

[Klauts]

Maybe it did....

(and effects aren't seen yet, or it changed something not presently in use, etc)

Could also just be bad location in the flash (or more than one), or even a bug in the code (though I expect a bug would trash the whole password)

You guys got me all nervous now

Should I get a replacement LCD? How the heck do I protect against cosmic rays

 

[amberwolf]

I wouldn't worry about it. Even if it was a cosmic ray event, and cosmic-ray-induced ionizing particle radiation is relatively "common", an effect on any specific device at any specific time is pretty low.

Here's a randomly-found article with links to other articles about the topic.
https://bigthink.com/hard-science/cosmic-rays-computer-crash/

If you really had to protect against radiation, you'd have to disassemble the devices and shield the MCU and/or flash chip(s), perhaps with foil of some type (aluminum, copper, lead, etc--denser materials stop more particles). You can't just wrap from the outside because you have to see the screen. But even with the amount of computerized devices I have and use, the number of unexplainable crashes or problems is pretty low--most of them are repeatable, which means a software bug or interaction problem, or a hardware problem, not a CRE.

It could just be buggy software, or other issues. Not much you can do about most of these things.


If the LCD (or any other part) is critical to your system, and your system is critical to your daily routine, I recommend having spare parts or a whole backup system (or complete bike), or building in sufficient redundancy to the system that you can work around any on-road problem with little effort / inconvenience.

It's unlikely you'll ever need the backups or redundancy...but if it's mission-critical, and something does fail, and can't be worked around....

At least in your case it's likely you can still pedal even if the system totally failed...for me, I'm no longer capable of pedalling even a regular bike very far, much less the cargo bikes/trikes I actually have to use for my routines. Without the motor(s), I'd be nearly stuck (would take me all day to get anywhere and I'd be wiped out when I got there).

 

[Klauts]

Thanks again Amberwolf! I've got backups up every part except my wiring harness, LCD, pedals and seat post I should probably get backups of those too, they just seemed like parts I'd rarely have to worry about but you are correct In that I rely on the bike heavily for my daily routine.

I am blessed to be able to pedal it without the motor still but I can't make it very far the thing is a beast, folding cargo bike basically. With my smaller batteries loaded I'm looking at 67# once I figure out how to mount my third monster battery it's gonna be obnoxiously heavy lol

Only two batteries will power the motor... I'm going to use the 48V battery to power a 12v DC/DC step-down and from there headlights, a motorcycle alarm/gps, front and rear dashcam, bargrip warmers and a 60w QC 4.0 USB hookup.

Possibly going to construct a small 12v 300w heater I can hook to it and run intermittently in my emergency 1.5 person tent in the event I ever get stranded in a chilly night.

 

[amberwolf]

Thanks again Amberwolf! I've got backups up every part except my wiring harness, LCD, pedals and seat post I should probably get backups of those too, they just seemed like parts I'd rarely have to worry about but you are correct In that I rely on the bike heavily for my daily routine.

I'd say that displays are damaged more often by water intrusion or crash damage (or idiots messing with stuff when you're not there) than other parts of the bike, based on posts here on ES; wiring harnesses from crash damage or the aforementioned idiots....

I am blessed to be able to pedal it without the motor still but I can't make it very far the thing is a beast, folding cargo bike basically. With my smaller batteries loaded I'm looking at 67# once I figure out how to mount my third monster battery it's gonna be obnoxiously heavy lol

You could carry the battery (and nearly anything else) easily if you had one of these:

some info recently condensed from the main SB Cruiser thread for someone else
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=50954&p=1749050#p1749050

But unless you're riding on the flats, it's so heavy that you'd have to gear for very low speeds (like I have it now, 1-5mph) to pedal without the assist. :lol:

Only two batteries will power the motor... I'm going to use the 48V battery to power a 12v DC/DC step-down and from there headlights, a motorcycle alarm/gps, front and rear dashcam, bargrip warmers and a 60w QC 4.0 USB hookup.

I recommend making sure that every battery is capable of running every function you need a battery for--this way they are all redundancies for each other. So all the same voltage, at least, and at minimum capable of worst-case current load on the bike.

Make sure your 12V is really 13.6-14v, as that is what automotive stuff actually runs on, so will run better than on flat 12v.

Possibly going to construct a small 12v 300w heater I can hook to it and run intermittently in my emergency 1.5 person tent in the event I ever get stranded in a chilly night.

I highly recommend heating your clothes instead, just outside the innermost layer of clothing (so elements are not at your skin). It is MUCH more efficient, as most of the heat will go into you and not into the air passing by the tent.

You can buy elements for the purpose, or you can get premade heated MC clothing, or you can take apart a low-voltage electric blanket (many of the modern ones with electronic controls that actually control temperature, not just a "level", may use lower-resistance elements that will work with lower voltages better than higher-resistance elements will. You can't solder to the element wire, so you'll need to crimp them to the supply wires or connectors.

I also recommend heating your gloves instead of the grips, or using handlebar enclosures (Lightcycle here on ES made some from a welcome mat or carpet, IIRC; there's a post some years back around here about it, probably in Winterizing or a similar thread) or at least "brush guards" (like I use on SB Cruiser) to deflect air off your hands.

 

[Klauts]

That ride is incredible!!! I've been trying to find a way to take my pup on adventures with me, she's about the size of yours too if that's your photo

You suddenly have me wanting to buy a trike I feel so gosh dang bad going on long scenic adventures without my little girl

The heated blanket repurposing and heating my.clothing instead of air is also fantastic advice.

I've got heated boots and gloves already also neoprene bar mitts but when commuting in -30 the heated bargrips really really help I've been using them hooked to a power bank already so the increase in voltage will make them incredible.

Wouldn't have thought about making sure they step-down was rated for 14v you are a veritable fountain of knowledge

 

[amberwolf]

That ride is incredible!!! I've been trying to find a way to take my pup on adventures with me, she's about the size of yours too if that's your photo

Yes, that's Kirin (unfortunately i lost her almost two years ago, and Yogi (the mostly-black headed one in the other thread) shortly after), so now it's just JellyBean the Perfectly Normal Schmoo (But a Very Strange Dog)....

You suddenly have me wanting to buy a trike I feel so gosh dang bad going on long scenic adventures without my little girl

I built the SB Cruiser mostly from scratch; designed partly with intent and partly with by guess and by gosh and experiments over the years. It's not too hard to make one suited specifically to you and your purposes if you can weld steel and do some very basic woodwork.

Before I built the wooden cargo area, I used a dog crate strapped into the frame like this:

You can follow the adventure here:
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=67833

and the trailer I built to use with it for big stuff
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=76539

and this was the cargo bike preceding it
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12500
and the trailer I built to carry a dog with me since they didn't fit on the bike itself
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=63781

Wouldn't have thought about making sure they step-down was rated for 14v you are a veritable fountain of knowledge

Sometimes it doesn't turn off and the drain clogs up and there's a flood....

I know a little bit about a lot of things....mostly stuff I have had to fix or deal with personally one way or another.... But only a very few things I know much about in any detail, and even that isn't the same kind of knowledge most people would have about the same subjects (because I don't think like other people do).

13.5-6v is the most common "automotive" DC-DC voltage, but most real automotive stuff can take from 10-15v, since alternators don't always regulate perfectly and batteries don't always stay charged up.

Just make sure what you're using isn't a true 12.0V device. Most of those will also work a couple volts higher, too, but not all. (The original LED strips on SB Cruiser were meant for just 12v, but they work fine (a bit brighter) on up to 16.4v (the fully charged votlage of my lighting pack)