Bug: Sync is unreliable on the latest release 0.6.6 (and iOS latest)

[heyflorin]

Device

Xteink X3

Flowe build

Build: fw-v0.6.6-2 version 0.7.0

Was the device locked when you got it?

None

What happened

I'm getting lots of dropouts and very slow transfers. I tried removing all the Wi-Fi networks, I've tried with personal hotspot from my iPhone, my home network with a 2.4 wifi connection. They all drop off. Fairly quickly, the only thing that seems to work is the hotspot from the X3 itself. But I have to quit the iOS app and hard reset the X3 to actually get it to transfer. Then when it does transfer, it can take forever and if I leave the app on my phone, the transfer dies. I've been trying to transfer Moby Dick for the last hour and a half. The only way it seems to be maintaining the connection is if I put my phone in guided access so it stays on.

Serial log (optional, but it usually solves it outright)

[heyflorin]

So it finally finished the transfer of Moby Dick. But then it still says 2 books need to be updated. So I pressed sync again and now it says it cannot communicate over Bluetooth. I tried recycling the device and the app, but still the Bluetooth issue. Then I turned Bluetooth off on my iPhone and turned it back on, restarted the app, and then I could see the Bluetooth connection was made. However, now it's just not able to join the device's hotspot again.

It seems like I have to manually connect to the hotspot. by going to the device itself, then to the Wi-Fi setting, then I select show the hotspot code. Then I have to go into my iPhone Wi-Fi settings and select the X3 device.

And now Moby Dick is back at 14. I'll let this go through one more time. But it's got some major issues. Bummer!

[heyflorin]

Is Bluetooth not sufficient enough to send books through? That seems to be a lot more reliable and needs less supervision. Also, it would probably be a better experience if the application clearly stated when and why it uses Bluetooth versus Wi-Fi.

[EZas123]

I had the same issue last night with a transfer. It took about an hour of turning off WiFi, Bluetooth, forgetting the saved network, reconnecting to WiFi and then to flowe hotspot, then finally it transferred but slowly.

[andrewjiang]

Working on it — aiming to fix this in the next minor release this week.

[andrewjiang]

0.7.3 includes a substantial set of fixes for the problems reported here:

• The iPhone keeps looking for the reader while its home Wi-Fi connection starts. Hotspot fallback also handles networks whose name the phone cannot provide.
• The reader frees more working memory during sync and cleans up network connections. The apps avoid repeat transfers of unchanged content.
• Book uploads can resume from saved progress after an interruption.
• iPhone book transfers use a background transfer service. Cancel and the return to Bluetooth have also been repaired.

Home Wi-Fi, direct hotspot transfers, and transfers after pressing the iPhone Home button passed bench tests. The final Cancel change and a complete transfer with the iPhone locked still need device confirmation, so this remains a release candidate.

Bluetooth handles control and status; Wi-Fi carries the book files.

Update order: install firmware 0.7.3 RC1 first, then update the iPhone app to 0.7.3 (234) when TestFlight offers it. Build 234 has been assigned to the external tester group and is waiting for Apple’s beta review; it is not yet available to external testers.

Please retry once both updates are installed. If it fails, use Settings → Help → Send diagnostics and include the app build, reader version, connection type, and the step that failed. Keeping this open until the remaining failures are confirmed fixed.

[andrewjiang]

Availability update: firmware 0.7.3 is now the stable release, and iPhone 0.7.3 (234) is available in TestFlight. Flowe 0.7.3 has the links and update order. RC1 and stable 0.7.3 use the same firmware image.

Keeping this open. #53 now has a further report of sync failure and submitted TestFlight diagnostics. The 0.7.3 improvements do not establish that every connection failure is fixed.

[andrewjiang]

Availability update: firmware 0.7.4 is the stable release at https://github.com/andrewjiang/flowe-os/releases/tag/fw-v0.7.4, and iPhone 0.7.4 (238) is in TestFlight. Internal testers have it now; the public group gets it when Apple's review clears.

What it fixes: after a sync failed, the iPhone app started a new sync on every Bluetooth reconnect, and every sync ends with a reader restart, so the reader kept asking for the hotspot. The app now waits ten minutes between automatic syncs and stops after three failed tries. The reader also keeps your priorities across that restart, so the sleep screen no longer shows an old list.

This does not claim to fix every connection failure. Keeping this open.