Why is my SoundTrap 640 being read as a SoundTrap 600 in the host software?

Question

When prepping some SoundTrap 640s for deployment, I noticed in the ST host software that a couple 640s were being read as SoundTrap 600s. In the 'Status' window on the right of the software, it no longer displays the header as 'ST640' but instead shows '1534'. The Audio Hardware ID has also changed.

In the deploy tab, it gives options for turning on/off the High Pass Filter and setting the PreAmp Gain - both relevant to the SoundTrap 600 but aren't options for the SoundTrap 640. The Sample Rates have also changed - 288 kHz is the max sample rate, yet the 640s are able to sample at a rate of 384 kHz.

I've tried basic troubleshooting like rebooting and updating firmware, but can't get it to read as a 640.

Has anyone else experienced this? Will this impact my recordings?

Answer 1

This is a software bug Ocean Instruments is working on. My team has also recently noticed some ST640s not being recognized properly, and once deployed, the recorder did not turn on at the pre-programmed time.

The current workaround is to remove the ST640 batteries, let it sit and reset. Reconnect to the computer with no batteries before adding batteries back in, and the correct model should be recognized.

John Atkins confirmed this is a it is a timing issue when the batteries are inserted - if one circuit happens to powers up a few milliseconds before another the recorder goes into the 'don't know what model I am' state. They are working on a resolution to include in a future software update.