This note applies only to the Progressive Web App (PWA) version, accessed via URL, of Graphical Analysis running on a Chromebook. It does not apply to the Chrome Packaged App version installed from the Chrome Web Store.
Problem: Some older Chromebooks cannot communicate with Go! devices when using the PWA form of Graphical Analysis.
Chromebooks use a version of a Linux operating system kernel that manages connections to external devices such as sensor. One older version of the kernel requires that Graphical Analysis make special accommodation to function; Graphical Analysis can do that when it is installed as a Chrome Web App. However, when run as a PWA, this special accommodation is not possible, so USB communication to Go! devices will fail.
Determine the version of the linux kernel on your Chromebook by browsing to chrome://system. Search for uname. If the version is 3.X then Go! devices will not work in the PWA. If it is 4.0 or newer, then Graphical Analysis will be able to work with these sensors.
Workarounds:
Use a different Chromebook with an up-to-date kernel.
Update the Chromebook kernel.
If no update is available, there is no workaround for that particular Chromebook. Chromebooks with the version 3 kernel will be past or close to the end of their support period as of 2022.
Note that Chromebooks have a design-limited life span in that updates to Chrome OS cease after a predetermined time relative to that model’s introduction date, not the purchase date. That duration can range from 5 to 8 years for Chromebooks generally available for purchase. If you purchase a model of Chromebook that was first introduced years ago, the duration will be shorter than 5 to 8 years. Google documentation refers to this date as the “Auto Update Expiration (AUE)”. Knowing the AUE of a Chromebook is a key purchase consideration, since a Chromebook with an AUE only a few years away will be quickly obsolete.
Should I use the Progressive Web App or native version of Graphical Analysis and other apps?
Original SpectroVis does not work with Chromebooks with kernel older than 4.4.