This issue is resolved with a software or firmware update.

The Go Direct® Temperature Probe (GDX-TMP) can get into a state where it reports a constant value after a static discharge. The sensor will continue to report new readings with new time stamps and will not otherwise do anything odd, except that the readings will be constant. Note the static discharge doesn’t need to be strong enough to feel to cause this issue.

4338-gdxtmp.png

Once it is in this state you can reboot the sensor to recover by holding down the power button for 8 seconds, but rebooting will not prevent it from happening again.

There is a firmware update for this issue that prevents it from occurring. To install the firmware update, you need a Windows or Mac computer that has Graphical Analysis 4 installed to the default install location. You only need this computer for the purposes of installing the firmware update, after the units are updated you can go back to using them with Chromebooks/iPads/LabQuest/etc. If you don’t have Graphical Analysis App installed already, it is a free download, here:
https://www.vernier.com/product/graphical-analysis-4/

Once you have Graphical Analysis installed on the computer:
Launch Graphical Analysis
Plug in the Go Direct Temperature sensor via USB, (if it isn’t already.)
You’ll get a red dot on the sensor setup button (in the lower right corner of the application,) click that button.
Sensor setup will then have a button for “Update Firmware”, press that, and follow the instructions.

Notes:
1) The update takes about 2 minutes per sensor. You can have multiple sensors plugged in at once but the update will only do them one at a time.
2) If you pull the USB cable or lose power during the middle of an update, the sensor will most likely need to come in for repairs.
3) If you have a Virtual Machine on your computer, (for instance you are also running Windows on your Macintosh,) you may want to disable that while you are installing the update. As part of the update process the sensor reboots into a special mode, and the Virtual Machine can confuse that reboot with an unplug/replug event and ask you where you want to connect the sensor. If you don’t answer right away, the firmware updater will assume the reboot failed, and stop trying to update. This will not brick the sensor, (you can just run the updater again,) but it is easier to just pause the virtual machine while you do this.
4) There are other sensors that have the same bug that causes them to report a constant value, we have not written/tested/released a firmware fix for them yet, but it is on our todo list.

Go Direct Temperature Probe Troubleshooting and FAQs