January 20, 2017

(Release note revision 2)

Centaur - Release Notes

Firmware Versions Release
(for all Centaur models) Date

3.3.3 2016-11-08

3.3.1 ​(​w​i​t​h​d​r​a​w​n​) 2016-07-25

3.2.8 ​(​w​i​t​h​d​r​a​w​n​) 2016-06-20

3.1.3 ​(​w​i​t​h​d​r​a​w​n​) 2016-04-20

3.1.1 ​(​w​i​t​h​d​r​a​w​n​) 2016-02-23

Software Summary

Firmware version 3.3.3 fixes a critical SD archive recording bug where continuous data
archiving to the removable SD card may stop unexpectedly until the operator reboots the unit.
This bug was present in firmware versions 3.x.x prior to version 3.3.3. This release also fixes an
issue where, on very rare instances, an unexpected reboot (such as a reboot due to a power
outage) could hang the unit until the power was cycled again. This release also significantly
improves the write lifetime of SD cards, and fixes a rare issue where the unit boots up with a
persistent timing offset of up to 1 second. It is highly recommended that you upgrade to this
release.

Fixes and changes addressed in this release include:

● Critical: ​Fixed issue where continuous data archiving on removable SD media stops
unexpectedly (present in all firmware versions 3.x.x prior to version 3.3.3)
● Critical: ​Fixed a very rarely occurring issue where Centaur could hang indefinitely after
an unexpected system reboot until power is cycled
● Fixed a rare timing offset error introduced at system boot or restart
● ‘Last Archive Write’ field on Summary page updated for clarity
● Improved wear rate on removable SD media

Fixes and Changes

Fixed issue where continuous data archiving on removable SD media stops
unexpectedly
Firmware versions 3.x.x prior to 3.3.3 have a bug where continuous data archiving to the
removable SD media would sometimes stop unexpectedly until the operator rebooted the unit.

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Data would continue to be recorded to the internal Store ringbuffer. If the Centaur was also
configured for streaming, data would continue to stream properly, however no further data
would be recorded on the removable SD card until the instrument was rebooted. Firmware
version 3.3.3 fixes this issue.

With this release the continuous data archive on the removable SD card is updated a minimum
of every five to six minutes, for aggregate sample rates of 100 Hz or less. For higher aggregate
sample rates, the SD card is updated more frequently. For example, if the configured aggregate
sample rate is 1000 Hz, the SD card is updated approximately once per minute.

Fixed issue where Centaur may hang indefinitely after an unexpected system
reboot
In extremely rare cases, an unexpected system reboot (for example, a system reboot caused by
a temporary power loss or recovery from a system error), may hang indefinitely until power to
the Centaur is removed and reapplied. Until the power is cycled, the Centaur is not responsive
to external commands or button presses and does not digitize or stream data. Firmware version
3.3.3 fixes this issue.

Fixed occasional timing errors after system reboot

On rare occasions, the Centaur could exhibit a persistent timing offset error of up to one second
causing data to be timestamped incorrectly by a constant offset. This timestamping error would
continue until a reboot of the instrument. Firmware version 3.3.3 fixes this issue.

‘Last Archive Write’ field on Summary page updated for clarity

To clarify the intent of this status field, the Last Archive Write field on the ​Summary ​page of the
Web Interface has been renamed to ​Archive last written​. This field displays the time that has
elapsed since the previous time that the archive was written to the removable SD card.
Depending on the amount of time that has elapsed, the time is displayed in days, hours,
minutes, seconds, or milliseconds. The field will be coloured red if the A ​ rchive last written​ time
is more than 6 minutes, indicating that either a removable SD card is not properly installed, or
there is a problem with the SD card. The field will show ‘Disabled’ if continuous data archiving is
not enabled.

Improved wear rate on removable SD media

Firmware version 3.3.3 significantly improves the wear rate on removable SD media, extending
the useable card life. For a 16 GB SD card, archiving data at an aggregate 200 Hz, the
continuous write lifetime of the SD media will exceed 20 years with firmware version 3.3.3. This
is increased from 20 months in previous firmware releases. This maximum card lifetime is
affected by aggregate sample rate and SD card size.

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Known Issues, Limitations and Workarounds

​In rare cases, configuration changes may not be successfully applied
In rare cases, a configuration change made through the Configuration menu may not be applied
successfully if the change is committed while the Apply function is in progress. The instrument
will retain the previous configuration until the system catches up. When this issue occurs, no
error message will be displayed indicating a problem. Fixed in firmware version 3.4.

Workaround: ​To ensure that all desired configuration changes have taken effect:
● After clicking the A ​ pply​ button, wait 2 minutes before clicking the C
​ ommit
button.
● Observe the instrument behaviour. For example, view the W ​ aveform​ page to
ensure that a the newly configured sample rate is in use.
If this does not resolve the error, reboot the instrument.

Configuration menu may not update on some browsers

The configuration menu for the instrument may not display correctly in the following instances:
● after a firmware update. Updates to the configuration menu due to the firmware update
may not display.
● reuse of an IP address. If the IP address was previously used by another Nanometrics
Helios product, the configuration menu of the earlier instrument may be displayed.
Fixed in firmware version 3.4.

Workaround: ​To ensure the correct menu is displayed:

● Clear the web browser cache for the browser you currently use, OR
● use a different web browser, OR
● change the mode for the browser that you currently use. For example, use
Firefox in private browsing mode or use Chrome in incognito mode.

A blank static default gateway cannot be selected once a non-blank gateway has
been configured
In the Ethernet settings, in the Configuration > Communications menu, if the Static Default
Gateway setting has been configured, or entered but not applied, to a non-blank value, this field
cannot be cleared to remove the Static Default Gateway setting. When this is attempted, a
warning appears indicating that the blank value is invalid, and the new setting cannot be
applied. This could prevent configuring the Centaur to dynamic IP mode. Fixed in firmware
version 3.4.

Workaround: ​Ensure a valid IP address exists in the Static Default Gateway setting
before configuring the instrument for dynamic IP mode. The instrument will ignore the IP
address in the Static Default Gateway setting if it is a valid IP address.

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Operating without a GPS signal for a prolonged period could result in an erroneous
time change
If a Centaur has been operating for more than a week since a power-cycle, reboot or
configuration change without the GPS receiver ever locking, the instrument time could jump to
the year 1999. The instrument will revert to the correct time once it locks to a valid GPS signal.
Fixed in firmware version 3.4.

Response files for Titan sensors cannot be downloaded for sensitivities less
than 1 ​g
​ ,
When attempting to download response files for a Titan sensor with range set to less than ±1 g
an error will be displayed indicating that the response cannot be found. This issue will be
addressed in an upcoming firmware release.

Timestamp errors in SOH Data

Occasionally, a packet of time series SOH data will be incorrectly timestamped with a time one
sample period in the future. The store summary will show a data gap, but no data will actually
be missing as displayed by the continuous packet sequence numbers. Fixed in firmware
version 3.4.

Some pages of alternate languages unavailable in default Firefox configuration

Newer versions of Firefox cannot display all of the Web Interface pages for all languages, and
​ ummary ​page. This limitation will
navigating to these unavailable pages returns the user to the S
be addressed in a future firmware release.

Workaround: ​This issue is exclusive to newer versions of Firefox. Using an alternate

browser (Chrome, Safari) will avoid this issue. Using an older version of Firefox (version
40.0 or previous) is also a viable workaround. To address the issue in versions of Firefox
that are newer than version 40.0, enter a​ bout:config​ in the Firefox address bar and
set ​dom.url.getters_decode_hash​ to true​.

Incomplete information on the Web Interface Sensor page for custom sensor
configurations
When configuring a sensor using the custom sensor configuration form in the Sensor Library,
the Web Interface ​Sensor​ page needs to be manually refreshed to display the following
information:
● for custom sensors connected to port B of a 6-channel Centaur, the C ​ ontrol B​ panel is
not displayed
● for custom sensors connected to port A of a Centaur (both 3- and 6- channel), the
Sensor​ page is completely blank
​ ensor​ page will not update automatically.
● After a configuration change, the S

Fixed in firmware version 3.4.

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Ethernet mode changes erroneously report that a re-commit is required after

instrument reboot
After committing a change to the Ethernet configuration, on subsequent reboots the instrument
will wrongly indicate that an outstanding configuration change has not been committed, whereas
the changes were actually successfully applied and committed. The operation of the instrument
is not affected other than this wrong indication of an uncommitted configuration change. This
warning indication is cleared by committing a second time. Fixed in firmware version 3.4.

This incorrect warning will be indicated as follows:

● the status LED on the instrument will flash red,
● the Web Interface banner will display a ‘Status error’ message with a red exclamation
mark, and
● a ‘not committed’ message will be displayed in red text on the S ​ ummary​ page in the
Configuration status​ field and on the H ​ ealth​ page in the C
​ onfiguration​ field.

To recommit the configuration and remove these erroneous messages:

1. On the Web Interface menu select the C ​ onfiguration​ icon.
2. Select ​Configuration f​ rom the dropdown, the Configuration dialogue will display.
3. Click the ​Commit ​button​.

Continuous archiving stops if day-long archive files at 5000 Hz are used

Archive files are limited to 1 million miniSEED records, because some third-party tools have
difficulty opening a single file with this large number of records. This issue only occurs if the
instrument is configured to 5000 Hz using day-long archive files. Fixed in firmware version 3.4.

Workaround: ​If using sample rates of 5000 Hz, configure the archive file length to be 12
hrs or less

Maximum of two simultaneous users can display waveform page in web interface
Centaur allows a maximum of two web interfaces to display waveforms simultaneously. If more
than 2 web interfaces attempt to display the ​Waveform​ or ​Summary ​pages at the same time,
an error indicating that there is a problem with receiving waveform data will be displayed.

SOH reporting interval must be 60 s or greater

Currently, configuring an SOH report interval of less than 60 s may lead to gaps in the SOH
data, as well as cause general system instability. Do NOT configure an I​ nternal or External SOH
report interval that is less than 60 seconds. Firmware version 3.4 enforces this 60 s minimum.

External SOH Timestamp Accuracy

The timestamp for external SOH samples may be inaccurate by as much as the sampling
interval. For example, timestamps may be inaccurate by as much as 60 s if the sampling interval
is 60 s, or by one hour if the sampling interval is set to 3600 s.

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Sensor LED and Status Only Indicates Mass Positions In-range

The Centaur’s Sensor LED and associated sensor status on the H ​ ealth​ page of the Web
Interface currently indicate a fault condition only when the mass position voltages of an attached
seismometer are outside the acceptable range as defined in the sensor library entry associated
with the configured instrument. No other fault condition is detected at the present. For example,
the sensor LED will blink “green” even if no sensor is connected because no out-of-range mass
position is detected. Note that because mass positions of a seismometer adjust very slowly, a
seismometer that is suddenly shifted from level may have mass positions that appear
acceptable for many minutes before going out of range.

Workaround​: In addition to verifying mass positions, before leaving an installation it is

necessary to check that the waveforms display correct seismic data, and that the various
control functions of the seismometer such as auto-levelling or mass centering have been
tested.

Upgrade Considerations and Dependencies

Apollo Server and Apollo Project Version Dependency
If you are using Apollo Server and Apollo Project with the Centaur, be sure to use Apollo Server
version 2.5.9 or higher and Apollo Project version 2.4.1 or higher. This is to support the default
NP streaming format used in Centaur firmware 3.1.x or later. Alternatively, the ‘Libra
Compatibility Streaming’ option available in the Configuration menu can allow the Centaur to
work with older versions of Apollo Server and Apollo Project.

Firmware upgrade will cause the Linux root password to revert to the factory
default password
If upgrading the firmware from version 3.1.3 or earlier to version 3.2.8 or later, the passwords for
logging in to the Linux root or the calibration file upload accounts will revert to factory default
passwords. The passwords to log on to the Web user interface are preserved.

Workaround​: If you have previously changed the Linux passwords, you must use the
factory default password to login and manually update them to the desired passwords.
Search for “Calibration Password” in the on-line help or in the PDF User Guide.

Users upgrading from a firmware version that is between 1.1.15 and 1.1.24
Most users can use the standard firmware upgrade process detailed in the Centaur on-line help
or user guide. For users who have pre-release firmware versions between 1.1.15 and 1.1.24,
follow the instructions below.

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Firmware versions 1.1.15 through 1.1.24 are susceptible to a potential memory corruption issue
that can result in unstable behaviour. This issue was resolved in firmware version 1.1.32.
Centaur-6 instruments are more susceptible than Centaur-3 instruments.

When upgrading from a firmware version between 1.1.15 and 1.1.24, follow these instructions:

1. Log in to the instrument via SSH.

2. Issue the following command: appman --wait stop quiver
3. Issue the following command: appman unmonitor apollo
4. Upload the new firmware release via the M​ aintenance p​ age of the Web Interface.
5. Apply the new firmware release via the ​Maintenance p​ age of the Web Interface.
6. Commit the new firmware release via the M ​ aintenance p​ age of the Web Interface after
the instrument has restarted with the newly upgraded firmware.

Cannot login to Linux root after downgrading from firmware version 3.x.x to
version 1.x.x/2.x.x
If you downgrade an instrument from firmware version 3.x.x or later back to versions 1.x.x/2.x.x,
the Linux root password will no longer work. To login to the Linux root account, you must
upgrade again to a 3.x.x version. The normal web UI user and admin logins are not affected.
Most users never need to use the Linux root account.

Do not downgrade or revert to an earlier firmware version when the configured

sample rate is 125 Hz
Downgrading the firmware to a version earlier than firmware version 3.2.8 when the configured
sample rate is 125 Hz will cause the instrument to repeatedly reboot. Committing the old
release with the previously unsupported sample rate will cause a continuous reboot cycle.

Workaround​: Before initiating the firmware downgrade, it is necessary to change the

committed sample rate to a value that is allowed by the older firmware (e.g. 10 Hz). If
your Centaur is continually rebooting because the firmware was downgraded and
committed with the sample rate still configured to 125 Hz, contact
techsupport@nanometrics.ca​ for a recovery procedure.

Other Considerations
Maximum Archiving and Streaming Rates
The Centaur supports a maximum “aggregate sample rate” of 5010 Hz. This aggregate rate is
the sum of the sample rates of the primary and secondary channels from all sensors, and can
involve a combination of streaming and SD archiving. Examples:
● a 3-channel Centaur with a sample rate of 5000 Hz archiving the primary channels and
10 Hz streaming the secondary channels has an aggregate rate of 5010 and is
supported.

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● a 3-channel Centaur with a primary rate of 100 sps that is being archived and also
streamed simultaneously to two destinations has an aggregate rate of 300 and is
supported.
● a 6-channel Centaur with both sensor A and B are sampled at 5000 Hz has an
aggregate rate of 10,000 and is not supported.
● a 6-channel Centaur with Sensor A and B each having a primary sample rate of 1000 Hz
being archived and a secondary rate of 100 Hz being streamed has an aggregate rate of
2200 and is supported.
Note that at higher sample rates, a larger frames per packet setting may be required. The web
interface will indicate if the frames per packet setting is too low for a particular sample rate.

Minimum swap time for gap-free archives when exchanging SD removable media
The Centaur buffers data to be written to the SD card archive when the SD media is being
exchanged to preserve a contiguous archive record between the old and new cards. However,
the time interval permitted for gap-free media exchange can be quite short, depending on the
sample rates and frames-per-packet selections. The following formula can be used to determine
the time (​T) within which the SD media can be exchanged and preserve a contiguous archive:
S S
T = 2850 / ( F1 + F2 + ...) ,
1 2

where S​1​,S​2​ are the primary and secondary sample rates of sensor A and/or B, and F​1​,F​2​ are
the corresponding frames-per-packet settings.

For example, a 6-channel Centaur with primary channels configured with 100 Hz, 7 fpp for
sensor A and 500 Hz, 42 fpp for sensor B, both with secondary channels configured for 10 Hz, 1
fpp would allow one minute to swap SD cards and still have a contiguous archive:
T = 2850 / (100
7 + 42 + 1 + 1 ) = 61s
500 10 10

Likewise, a 3-channel Centaur with a single 100 Hz channel at 7 fpp would allow more than 3
minutes to swap cards, but the card exchange for a single 5000 Hz channel at 42 fpp would
have to be done within 24 s to ensure a contiguous record. This does not affect the internal
Store which will always have a continuous record.

Sudden power cuts may result in unexpected data in an archive file

In the event of an unexpected power cut, an archive file being written at the time may contain a
small amount of garbage data (approximately 32 kB). The garbage data may be a series of ‘0’s,
or if the SD archive media has been used previously, the data may have random values. This
irrelevant data may affect the readability of the resulting file by some software tools.

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System Shutdown during Store Recreation can cause corruption

Initiating a system shutdown while the Store is being recreated can result in Store corruption.
The instrument does not currently prevent the initiation of a shutdown while the recreation is
taking place.

Workaround​: If the newly recreated store has been corrupted, deleting the Store and
restarting the instrument will allow normal operation. Contact
techsupport@nanometrics.ca​ for a procedure to delete the Store.

MiniSEED Data Retrieval Consideration

When retrieving long duration data via the M ​ aintenance p​ age of the Web Interface to a single
MiniSEED file, consideration must be given to the fact that MiniSEED records within the file are
sequenced with a 6-digit number. The duration of data that can be retrieved before this 1 million
record limitation occurs is a function of the number of seismic channels requested, the
corresponding sample rate(s) and the compression achieved. For example, a retrieval of three
100 Hz sample rate channels of uncompressed data is limited to under 4 days. A warning is
produced on the Web Interface when the instrument determines that a data retrieval request
can possibly exceed one million records. If the retrieval request is allowed to proceed, the
instrument software will allow the MiniSEED sequence numbers to roll over to zero after every
millionth MiniSEED record has been written to the requested file.

No waveforms displayed on Summary page for Centaur with greater than 6 active
channels (Centaur-6 only)
Waveforms may not display on the S ​ ummary ​page on 6-channel Centaur instruments that are
configured to have more than 6 active channels (primary and secondary channels combined).
​ aveform​ page as expected.
All active waveforms will display on the W

Workaround​: On the ​Waveform ​page, select the channel(s) of interest and observe
​ ummary
them being rendered. Close the browser tab and re-open it, or navigate to the S
page and force a browser reload. The channels that were selected on the W​ aveform
​ ummary​ page.
page will now be displayed on the S

Waveforms may not display correctly on the Web Interface for older versions of
web browsers
The Web Interface requires websocket support to display waveforms correctly. Current versions
of all major web browsers support websockets, however older versions of web browsers may
not support this feature. If you encounter display difficulties, ensure that you have installed the
minimum required version for your web browser.

Workaround​: If you encounter display difficulties, ensure that your web browser meets
the version requirements below, and upgrade your browser software if required. Note
that Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge are not supported at this time.

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Web browser Minimum Required Version

Firefox 11

Chrome 16

Safari 7

Excessive precision in SOH Floating Point Values

Note that floating point SOH values, such as Sensor SOH Voltage, External SOH Voltage,
Supply Voltage and Total Current are recorded with more digits of precision than necessary,
and do not reflect the actual precision of the measurement.

High-gain option not reflected in the Web Interface

The Centaur Version 2 models introduce a “high-gain” digitizer option for one or both 3-channel
digitizer banks. The high-gain channel sets on models CTR2-3H-8, CTR2-6S/H-8, and
CTR2-6H-8 provide a sensitivity that is 4 times higher than standard-gain channels and have
high-impedance inputs (1.8 M​Ω​) that are suitable for passive sensors. See the s​ ensitivity table
below for details.

Note​: The firmware supports the operation of the high-gain digitizer option, however the Web
Interface and configuration settings do not yet display the correct high gain ranges and
sensitivities. See the ​workaround ​below for details.

Sensitivity table for the Standard and High-Gain digitizer options

Standard-Gain digitizer option High-Gain digitizer option

Gain Input Range Sensitivity Gain Input Range Sensitivity

(Vpp) (counts/​μ​V) (Vpp) (counts/​μ​V)

1 40 0.4 4 10 1.6

2 20 0.8 8 5 3.2

4 10 1.6 16 2.5 6.4

10 4 4 40 1 16

20 2 8 80 0.5 32

40 1 16 160 0.25 64

The Sensor B inputs on Centaur model CTR2-6S/H-8, and all sensor inputs on Centaur models
CTR2-3H-8 and CTR2-6H-8 are high-gain digitizers that have 4 times the gain of the standard

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channels. The Web Interface does not yet reflect this. Therefore, the displayed sensitivity for
those channels on the ​Health ​page is one-quarter of the actual value, and the selected I​ nput
range [V] is 4 times greater than the actual value. For example, if the selected Input range is 40
Vpp, the actual input range will be 10 Vpp. See the S​ ensitivity table​ above.

Workaround:​ Select an input range that is 4 times greater than the actual range that
you want. For example, if you want to use gain of 80 (0.5 Vpp range), choose the 2 Vpp
​ ealth ​page by 4. Note that response files
range. Divide the sensitivity displayed on the H
provided by Nanometrics for these gains have the correct sensitivities. It is simply that at
this time, the Centaur Web Interface and response files downloaded from the Web
Interface have not been updated to reflect the new gains.

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