We have been using a PhidgetSBC4 (SBC3003) for approximately seven years to continuously log swelling-pressure data from a load cell connected through a Phidget Bridge.
Recently, the SBC has developed hardware issues. Some of the pins/connections associated with the Bridge/load-cell setup appear to be damaged, and the data-logging program is no longer running reliably. We therefore plan to replace the SBC3003 with a new unit.
The old SBC is still accessible through WinSCP, and I can see the application directory under /usr/userapps/, including the existing load-cell CSV data files.
Could you please advise on the recommended procedure to transfer the complete existing data-logging program from the old SBC to the new SBC? In particular, I would like to know:
Which program/configuration files and directories should be backed up and transferred?
How can I identify and transfer the settings that automatically start the program?
Will any device serial numbers, Bridge channels, ports, or other hardware-specific settings need to be changed on the new SBC?
Is there a recommended way to clone or migrate the existing SBC setup rather than configuring everything again from scratch?
Our priority is to preserve the existing data-logging program and settings as much as possible.
I would greatly appreciate any step-by-step guidance you can provide.
If you suspect that the hardware of your old SBC3003 is the cause of your problems, the easiest way to move everything over is to simply eject the microSD card and use it in the new SBC. This will carry the entire operating system and all files over to the new hardware. If the reliability issues are caused by an installed program or by some misconfiguration of the operating system, then the problem will still persist. At any rate, swapping the SD card over is the first thing you should try.
If that doesn't work and you want to start from a fresh OS, you can back up files through WinSCP and upload them to the same location on the new SBC. It's hard to say what you'll need to move over- if it's just a simple data logging program it's quite likely you'll only need to move the program over and then install/update any packages the program uses.
If the device serial number is hard-coded into any part of the program, then you'll need to replace it with the new serial number printed on the sticker on the front of the new SBC. Other channels and ports won't need to change if it's wired up the same way as before.
As for the best way to move over configurations- it's hard to say for sure without knowing what's been done on the old SBC. For packages, you can run the command "apt list --installed" to see what packages are installed and their versions.
In terms of backing up / restoring the SBC configuration - you can do that from the web interface -> System -> Backup and Restore. This covers everything configured via the web interface. If you have done any configuration yourself outside of the web interface, you would need to redo that.
In terms of backing up / restoring a project (/usr/userapps) - those files need to be moved over manually, as project contents are not part of a backup, but the project settings are backed up.
After 7 years of data logging, I suspect your real failure is the SD card itself - you may wish to just buy a new SD card (A1 or better), flash it with the latest SD card image, restore your settings and project files, and see if that fixes things.
