fix: ignore garbled measurement-state reads (phantom STOPPED/STARTED)

A buffer desync on the shared persistent connection (commonly right after
a DRD/DOD test) can make a Measure? read return a stray value. The state
classifier treated anything not in {"Start","Measure"} as "not measuring",
so a garbled read logged a phantom STOPPED, the next clean read logged
STARTED, and that reset measurement_start_time — producing constant
STOPPED/STARTED device-log pairs and a drifting elapsed timer.

Now only recognized states drive transitions: {"Start","Measure"} =
measuring, {"Stop"} = stopped, anything else = no change. Garbled reads
are also not persisted as the cached state, so they can't poison the next
transition check. Builds on the earlier Start<->Measure normalization.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

.gitignore

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /manuals/
 /data/
+/data-dev/
 /SLM-stress-test/stress_test_logs/
 /SLM-stress-test/tcpdump-runs/
 

SLM-stress-test/NL43_RX55_TCP_Wedge_Investigation_2026-02-18.md

@@ -0,0 +1,403 @@
+# NL-43 + RX55 TCP “Wedge” Investigation (2255 Refusal) — Full Log & Next Steps
+**Last updated:** 2026-02-18  
+**Owner:** Brian / serversdown  
+**Context:** Terra-View / SLMM / field-deployed Rion NL-43 behind Sierra Wireless RX55
+
+---
+
+## 0) What this document is
+This is a **comprehensive, chronological** record of the debugging we did to isolate a failure where the **NL-43’s TCP control port (2255) eventually stops accepting connections** (“wedges”), while other services (notably FTP/21) remain reachable.
+
+This is written to be fed back into future troubleshooting, so it intentionally includes the **full reasoning chain, experiments, commands, packet evidence, and conclusions**.
+
+---
+
+## 1) Architecture (as tested)
+### Network path
+- **Server (SLMM host):** `10.0.0.40`
+- **RX55 WAN IP:** `63.45.161.30`
+- **RX55 LAN subnet:** `192.168.1.0/24`
+- **RX55 LAN gateway:** `192.168.1.1`
+- **NL-43 LAN IP:** `192.168.1.10` (confirmed via ARP OUI + ping; see LAN validation)
+
+### RX55 details
+- **Sierra Wireless RX55**
+- **OS:** 5.2
+- **Firmware:** `01.14.24.00`
+- **Carrier:** Verizon LTE (Band 66)
+
+### Port forwarding rules (RX55)
+- **WAN:2255 → NL-43:2255**  (NL-43 TCP control)
+- **WAN:21   → NL-43:21**    (NL-43 FTP control)
+
+You also experimented with additional forwards:
+- **WAN:2253 → NL-43:2255** (test)
+- **WAN:2253 → NL-43:2253** (test)
+- **WAN:4450 → NL-43:4450** (test)
+
+**Important:** Rule “Input zone / interface” was set to **WAN-NAT**, and Source IP left as **Any IPv4**. This is correct for inbound port-forward behavior on Sierra OS 5.x.
+
+---
+
+## 2) Original problem statement (the “wedge”)
+After running for hours, the NL-43 becomes unreachable over TCP control.
+
+### Symptom signature (WAN-side)
+- Client attempts to connect to `63.45.161.30:2255`
+- Instead of timing out, the client gets **connection refused** quickly.
+- Packet-level: SYN from client → **RST,ACK** back (meaning active refusal vs silent drop)
+
+### Critical operational behavior
+- **Power cycling the NL-43 fixes it.**
+- **Power cycling the RX55 does NOT fix it.**
+- FTP sometimes remains available even while TCP control (2255) is dead.
+
+This combination is what forced us to determine whether:
+- The RX55 is rejecting connections, OR
+- The NL-43 is no longer listening on 2255, OR
+- Something about the RX55 path triggers the NL-43’s control listener to die.
+
+---
+
+## 3) Event timeline evidence (SLMM logs)
+A concrete wedge window was observed on **2026-02-18**:
+
+- 10:55:46 AM — Poll success (Start)
+- 11:00:28 AM — Measurement STOPPED (scheduled stop/download cycle succeeded)
+- 11:55:50 AM — Poll success (Stop)
+- 12:55:55 PM — Poll success (Stop)
+- **1:55:58 PM — Poll failed (attempt 1/3): Errno 111 (connection refused)**
+- 2:56:02 PM — Poll failed (attempt 2/3): Errno 111 (connection refused)
+
+Key interpretation:
+- The wedge occurred sometime between **12:55 and 1:55**.
+- The failure type is **refused**, not timeout.
+
+---
+
+## 4) Early hypotheses (before proof)
+We considered two main buckets:
+
+### A) NL-43-side failure (most suspicious)
+- NL-43 TCP control service crashes / exits / unbinds from 2255
+- socket leak / accept backlog exhaustion
+- “single control session allowed” and it gets stuck thinking a session is active
+- mode/service manager bug (service restart fails after other activities)
+- firmware bug in TCP daemon
+
+### B) RX55-side failure (possible trigger / less likely once FTP works)
+- NAT/forwarding table corruption
+- firewall behavior
+- helper/ALG interference
+- MSS/MTU weirdness causing edge-case behavior
+- session churn behavior causing downstream issues
+
+---
+
+## 5) Key experiments and what they proved
+
+### 5.1) LAN-only stability test (No RX55 path)
+**Test:** NL-43 tested directly on LAN (no modem path involved).
+- Ran **24+ hours**
+- Scheduler start/stop cycles worked
+- Stress test: **500 commands @ 1/sec** → no failure
+- Response time trend decreased (not degrading)
+
+**Result:** The NL-43 appears stable in a “pure LAN” environment.
+
+**Interpretation:** The trigger is likely related to the RX55/WAN environment, connection patterns, or service switching patterns—not just simple uptime.
+
+---
+
+### 5.2) Port-forward behavior: timeout vs refused (RX55 behavior characterization)
+You observed:
+
+- **If a WAN port is NOT forwarded (no rule):** connecting to that port **times out** (silent drop)
+- **If a WAN port IS forwarded to NL-43 but nothing listens:** it **actively refuses** (RST)
+
+Concrete example:
+- Port **4450** with no rule → timeout
+- Port **4450 → NL-43:4450** rule created → connection refused
+
+**Interpretation:** This confirms the RX55 is actually forwarding packets to the NL-43 when a rule exists. “Refused” is consistent with the NL-43 (or RX55 relay behavior) responding quickly because the packet reached the target.
+
+Important nuance:
+- A “refused” on forwarded ports does **not** automatically prove the NL-43 is the one generating RST, because NAT hides the inside host and the RX55 could reject on behalf of an unreachable target. We needed a LAN-side proof test to close the loop.
+
+---
+
+### 5.3) UDP test confusion (and resolution)
+You ran:
+
+```bash
+nc -vzu 63.45.161.30 2255
+nc -vz  63.45.161.30 2255
+```
+
+Observed:
+- UDP: “succeeded”
+- TCP: “connection refused”
+
+Resolution:
+- UDP has **no handshake**. netcat prints “succeeded” if it doesn’t immediately receive an ICMP unreachable. It does **not** mean a UDP service exists.
+- TCP refused is meaningful: a RST implies “no listener” or “actively rejected.”
+
+**Net effect:** UDP test did not change the diagnosis.
+
+---
+
+### 5.4) Packet capture proof (WAN-side)
+You captured a Wireshark/tcpdump summary with these key patterns:
+
+#### Port 2255 (TCP control)
+Example:
+- `10.0.0.40 → 63.45.161.30:2255` SYN
+- `63.45.161.30 → 10.0.0.40` **RST, ACK** within ~50ms
+
+This happened repeatedly.
+
+#### Port 2253 (test port)
+Multiple SYN attempts to 2253 showed **retransmissions and no response**, i.e., **silent drop** (consistent with no rule or not forwarded at that moment).
+
+#### Port 21 (FTP)
+Clean 3-way handshake:
+- SYN → SYN/ACK → ACK
+Then:
+- FTP server banner: `220 Connection Ready`
+Then:
+- `530 Not logged in` (because SLMM was sending non-FTP “requests” as an experiment)
+Session closes cleanly.
+
+**Key takeaway from capture:**
+- TCP transport to NL-43 via RX55 is definitely working (port 21 proves it).
+- Port 2255 is being actively refused.
+
+This strongly suggested “2255 listener is gone,” but still didn’t fully prove whether the refusal was generated internally by NL-43 or by RX55 on behalf of NL-43.
+
+---
+
+## 6) The decisive experiment: LAN-side test while wedged (final proof)
+Because the RX55 does not offer SSH, the plan was to test from **inside the LAN behind the RX55**.
+
+### 6.1) Physical LAN tap setup
+Constraint:
+- NL-43 has only one Ethernet port.
+
+Solution:
+- Insert an unmanaged switch:
+  - RX55 LAN → switch
+  - NL-43 → switch
+  - Windows 10 laptop → switch
+
+This creates a shared L2 segment where the laptop can test NL-43 directly.
+
+### 6.2) Windows LAN validation
+On the Windows laptop:
+
+- `ipconfig` showed:
+  - IP: `192.168.1.100`
+  - Gateway: `192.168.1.1` (RX55)
+- Initial `arp -a` only showed RX55, not NL-43.
+
+You then:
+- pinged likely host addresses and discovered NL-43 responds on **192.168.1.10**
+- `arp -a` then showed:
+  - `192.168.1.10 → 00-10-50-14-0a-d8`
+  - OUI `00-10-50` recognized as **Rion** (matches NL-43)
+
+So LAN identities were confirmed:
+- RX55: `192.168.1.1`
+- NL-43: `192.168.1.10`
+
+### 6.3) The LAN port tests (the smoking gun)
+From Windows:
+
+```powershell
+Test-NetConnection -ComputerName 192.168.1.10 -Port 2255
+Test-NetConnection -ComputerName 192.168.1.10 -Port 21
+```
+
+Results (while the unit was “wedged” from the WAN perspective):
+- **2255:** `TcpTestSucceeded : False`
+- **21:**   `TcpTestSucceeded : True`
+
+**Conclusion (PROVEN):**
+- The NL-43 is reachable on the LAN
+- FTP port 21 is alive
+- **The NL-43 is NOT listening on TCP port 2255**
+- Therefore the RX55 is not the root cause of the refusal. The WAN refusal is consistent with the NL-43 having no listener on 2255.
+
+This is now settled.
+
+---
+
+## 7) What we learned (final conclusions)
+### 7.1) RX55 innocence (for this failure mode)
+The RX55 is not “randomly rejecting” or “breaking TCP” in the way originally feared.
+
+It successfully forwards and supports TCP to the NL-43 on port 21, and the LAN-side test proves the 2255 failure exists *even without NAT/WAN involvement*.
+
+### 7.2) NL-43 control listener failure
+The NL-43’s TCP control service (port 2255) stops listening while:
+- the device remains alive
+- the LAN stack remains alive (ping)
+- FTP remains alive (port 21)
+
+This looks like one of:
+- control daemon crash/exit
+- service unbind
+- stuck service state (e.g., “busy” / “session active forever”)
+- resource leak (sockets/file descriptors) specific to the control service
+- firmware service manager bug (start/stop of services fails after certain sequences)
+
+---
+
+## 8) Additional constraint discovered: “Web App mode” conflicts
+You noted an important operational constraint:
+
+> Turning on the web app disables other interfaces like TCP and FTP.
+
+Meaning the NL-43 appears to have mutually exclusive service/mode behavior (or at least serious conflicts). That matters because:
+- If any workflow toggles modes (explicitly or implicitly), it could destabilize the service lifecycle.
+- It reduces the possibility of using “web UI toggle” as an easy remote recovery mechanism **if** it disables the services needed.
+
+We have not yet run a controlled long test to determine whether:
+- mode switching contributes directly to the 2255 listener dying, OR
+- it happens even in a pure TCP-only mode with no switching.
+
+---
+
+## 9) Immediate operational decision (field tomorrow)
+Because the device is needed in the field immediately, you chose:
+- **Old-school manual deployment**
+- **Manual SD card downloads**
+- Avoid reliance on 2255/TCP control and remote workflows for now.
+
+**Important operational note:**
+The 2255 listener dying does not necessarily stop the NL-43 from measuring; it primarily breaks remote control/polling. Manual SD workflow sidesteps the entire remote control dependency.
+
+---
+
+## 10) What’s next (future work — when the unit is back)
+Because long tests can’t be run before tomorrow, the plan is to resume in a few weeks with controlled experiments designed to isolate the trigger and develop an operational mitigation.
+
+### 10.1) Controlled experiment matrix (recommended)
+Run each test for 24–72 hours, or until wedge occurs, and record:
+- number of TCP connects
+- whether connections are persistent
+- whether FTP is used
+- whether any mode toggling is performed
+- time-to-wedge
+
+#### Test A — TCP-only (ideal baseline)
+- TCP control only (2255)
+- **True persistent connection** (open once, keep forever)
+- No FTP
+- No web mode toggling
+
+Outcome interpretation:
+- If stable: connection churn and/or FTP/mode switching is the trigger.
+- If wedges anyway: pure 2255 daemon leak/bug.
+
+#### Test B — TCP with connection churn
+- Same as A but intentionally reconnect on a schedule (current SLMM behavior)
+- No FTP
+
+Outcome:
+- If this wedges but A doesn’t: churn is the trigger.
+
+#### Test C — FTP activity + TCP
+- Introduce scheduled FTP sessions (downloads) while using TCP control
+- Observe whether wedge correlates with FTP use or with post-download periods.
+
+Outcome:
+- If wedge correlates with FTP, suspect internal service lifecycle conflict.
+
+#### Test D — Web mode interaction (only if safe/possible)
+- Evaluate what toggling web mode does to TCP/FTP services.
+- Determine if any remote-safe “soft reset” exists.
+
+---
+
+## 11) Mitigation options (ranked)
+### Option 1 — Make SLMM truly persistent (highest probability of success)
+If the NL-43 wedges due to session churn or leaked socket states, the best mitigation is:
+- Open one TCP socket per device
+- Keep it open indefinitely
+- Use OS keepalive
+- Do **not** rotate connections on timers
+- Reconnect only when the socket actually dies
+
+This reduces:
+- connect/close cycles
+- NAT edge-case exposure
+- resource churn inside NL-43
+
+### Option 2 — Service “soft reset” (if possible without disabling required services)
+If there exists any way to restart the 2255 service without power cycling:
+- LAN TCP toggle (if it doesn’t require web mode)
+- any “restart comms” command (unknown)
+- any maintenance menu sequence
+then SLMM could:
+- detect wedge
+- trigger soft reset
+- recover automatically
+
+Current constraint: web app mode appears to disable other services, so this may not be viable.
+
+### Option 3 — Hardware watchdog power cycle (industrial but reliable)
+If this is a firmware bug with no clean workaround:
+- Add a remotely controlled relay/power switch
+- On wedge detection, power-cycle NL-43 automatically
+- Optionally schedule a nightly power cycle to prevent leak accumulation
+
+This is “field reality” and often the only long-term move with embedded devices.
+
+### Option 4 — Vendor escalation (Rion)
+You now have excellent evidence:
+- LAN-side proof: 2255 dead while 21 alive
+- WAN packet evidence
+- clear isolation of RX55 innocence
+
+This is strong enough to send to Rion support as a firmware defect report.
+
+---
+
+## 12) Repro “wedge bundle” checklist (for future captures)
+When the wedge happens again, capture these before power cycling:
+
+1) From server:
+- `nc -vz 63.45.161.30 2255` (expect refused)
+- `nc -vz 63.45.161.30 21`   (expect success if FTP alive)
+
+2) From LAN side (via switch/laptop):
+- `Test-NetConnection 192.168.1.10 -Port 2255`
+- `Test-NetConnection 192.168.1.10 -Port 21`
+
+3) Optional: packet capture around the refused attempt.
+
+4) Record:
+- last successful poll timestamp
+- last FTP session timestamp
+- any scheduled start/stop/download cycles near wedge time
+- SLMM connection reuse/rotation settings in effect
+
+---
+
+## 13) Final, current-state summary (as of 2026-02-18)
+- The issue is **NOT** the RX55 rejecting inbound connections.
+- The NL-43 is **alive**, reachable on LAN, and FTP works.
+- The NL-43’s **TCP control listener on 2255 stops listening** while the device remains otherwise healthy.
+- The wedge can occur hours after successful operations.
+- The unit is needed in the field immediately, so investigation pauses.
+- Next phase: controlled tests to isolate trigger + implement mitigation (persistent socket or watchdog reset).
+
+---
+
+## 14) Notes / misc observations
+- The Wireshark trace showed repeated FTP sessions were opened and closed cleanly, but SLMM’s “FTP requests” were not valid FTP (causing `530 Not logged in`). That was part of experimentation, not a normal workflow.
+- UDP “success” via netcat is not meaningful because UDP has no handshake; it simply indicates no ICMP unreachable was returned.
+
+---
+
+**End of document.**

app/background_poller.py

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ for fast API access without querying devices on every request.
 
 import asyncio
 import logging
+import os
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from typing import Optional
 
@@ -20,6 +21,11 @@ from app.device_logger import log_device_event, cleanup_old_logs
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+# Global polling default. Set SLMM_POLLING_ENABLED=false to start an instance in
+# standby (running but not polling and not holding device connections) — e.g. a
+# dev box that must not latch onto a device that a prod instance owns.
+POLLING_ENABLED_DEFAULT = os.getenv("SLMM_POLLING_ENABLED", "true").lower() == "true"
+
 
 class BackgroundPoller:
     """
@@ -38,6 +44,8 @@ class BackgroundPoller:
         self._running = False
         self._logger = logger
         self._last_cleanup = None  # Track last log cleanup time
+        self._last_pool_log = None  # Track last connection pool heartbeat log
+        self._active = POLLING_ENABLED_DEFAULT  # Global polling on/off (standby toggle)
 
     async def start(self):
         """Start the background polling task."""
@@ -70,15 +78,48 @@ class BackgroundPoller:
 
         self._logger.info("Background poller stopped")
 
+    def is_active(self) -> bool:
+        """Whether background polling is currently active (vs standby)."""
+        return self._active
+
+    async def set_active(self, active: bool):
+        """Globally enable/disable polling at runtime.
+
+        When deactivated, the loop stays alive but polls nothing and releases all
+        device connections, so this SLMM instance stops occupying the devices'
+        single connection slots (e.g. so a prod instance can take over). Runtime
+        state only — on restart the instance returns to SLMM_POLLING_ENABLED.
+        """
+        self._active = active
+        if active:
+            self._logger.info("[SYSTEM] Background polling ACTIVATED")
+        else:
+            self._logger.info("[SYSTEM] Background polling DEACTIVATED (standby) — releasing connections")
+            await self._release_all_connections()
+
+    async def _release_all_connections(self):
+        """Gracefully close every pooled device connection (no-op if none)."""
+        from app.services import _connection_pool
+        for device_key in list(_connection_pool.get_stats().get("connections", {})):
+            await _connection_pool.discard(device_key)
+
     async def _poll_loop(self):
         """Main polling loop that runs continuously."""
         self._logger.info("Background polling loop started")
 
         while self._running:
-            try:
+            if self._active:
-                await self._poll_all_devices()
+                try:
-            except Exception as e:
+                    await self._poll_all_devices()
-                self._logger.error(f"Error in poll loop: {e}", exc_info=True)
+                except Exception as e:
+                    self._logger.error(f"Error in poll loop: {e}", exc_info=True)
+            else:
+                # Standby: poll nothing, and keep holding no device connection slots
+                # so another SLMM instance (e.g. prod) can talk to the devices.
+                try:
+                    await self._release_all_connections()
+                except Exception as e:
+                    self._logger.warning(f"Standby connection release failed: {e}")
 
             # Run log cleanup once per hour
             try:
@@ -89,6 +130,24 @@ class BackgroundPoller:
             except Exception as e:
                 self._logger.warning(f"Log cleanup failed: {e}")
 
+            # Log connection pool status every 15 minutes
+            try:
+                now = datetime.utcnow()
+                if self._last_pool_log is None or (now - self._last_pool_log).total_seconds() > 900:
+                    from app.services import _connection_pool
+                    stats = _connection_pool.get_stats()
+                    conns = stats.get("connections", {})
+                    if conns:
+                        for key, c in conns.items():
+                            self._logger.info(
+                                f"[POOL] {key} — age={c['age_seconds']}s idle={c['idle_seconds']}s alive={c['alive']}"
+                            )
+                    else:
+                        self._logger.info("[POOL] No active connections in pool")
+                    self._last_pool_log = now
+            except Exception as e:
+                self._logger.warning(f"Pool status log failed: {e}")
+
             # Calculate dynamic sleep interval
             sleep_time = self._calculate_sleep_interval()
             self._logger.debug(f"Sleeping for {sleep_time} seconds until next poll cycle")

app/main.py

@@ -76,12 +76,12 @@ app.include_router(routers.router)
 
 @app.get("/", response_class=HTMLResponse)
 def index(request: Request):
-    return templates.TemplateResponse("index.html", {"request": request})
+    return templates.TemplateResponse(request, "index.html")
 
 
 @app.get("/roster", response_class=HTMLResponse)
 def roster(request: Request):
-    return templates.TemplateResponse("roster.html", {"request": request})
+    return templates.TemplateResponse(request, "roster.html")
 
 
 @app.get("/health")

app/models.py

@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ class NL43Status(Base):
     lmax = Column(String, nullable=True)  # Maximum level
     lmin = Column(String, nullable=True)  # Minimum level
     lpeak = Column(String, nullable=True)  # Peak level
+    ln1 = Column(String, nullable=True)  # Percentile slot LN1 (configurable; device default L5, contract L1)
+    ln2 = Column(String, nullable=True)  # Percentile slot LN2 (configurable; device default L10)
     battery_level = Column(String, nullable=True)
     power_source = Column(String, nullable=True)
     sd_remaining_mb = Column(String, nullable=True)

app/routers.py

@@ -121,6 +121,131 @@ async def flush_connection_pool():
     return {"status": "ok", "message": "All cached connections closed"}
 
 
+@router.post("/{unit_id}/disconnect")
+async def disconnect_device(unit_id: str, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    """Cleanly close SLMM's persistent TCP connection to a single device.
+
+    Gracefully closes (TCP FIN + wait_closed) the pooled connection for this
+    device and removes it from the pool, freeing the NL43's single connection
+    slot. Idempotent — a no-op if no connection is currently cached.
+
+    Note: this releases the *idle* pooled connection. It does not interrupt an
+    in-progress DRD stream or an in-flight command (those have the socket
+    checked out of the pool) — close the stream WebSocket to end a live stream.
+    """
+    cfg = db.query(NL43Config).filter_by(unit_id=unit_id).first()
+    if not cfg:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="NL43 config not found")
+
+    from app.services import _connection_pool
+
+    device_key = f"{cfg.host}:{cfg.tcp_port}"
+    had_conn = device_key in _connection_pool.get_stats().get("connections", {})
+
+    await _connection_pool.discard(device_key)
+
+    return {
+        "status": "ok",
+        "unit_id": unit_id,
+        "device_key": device_key,
+        "disconnected": had_conn,
+        "message": "Connection closed" if had_conn else "No cached connection to close",
+    }
+
+
+@router.post("/{unit_id}/deactivate")
+async def deactivate_device(unit_id: str, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    """Make a single unit dormant: stop background polling for it AND drop its
+    connection, freeing the device's connection slot. poll_enabled=False is
+    persisted, so the unit stays dormant across restarts until /activate.
+    """
+    cfg = db.query(NL43Config).filter_by(unit_id=unit_id).first()
+    if not cfg:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="NL43 config not found")
+
+    cfg.poll_enabled = False
+    db.commit()
+
+    from app.services import _connection_pool, _get_device_lock
+
+    device_key = f"{cfg.host}:{cfg.tcp_port}"
+
+    # Wait briefly for any in-flight poll/command to finish (so its connection is
+    # back in the pool), then drop it. If a long-lived stream holds the lock we
+    # don't block forever — discard the pooled connection regardless.
+    lock = await _get_device_lock(device_key)
+    acquired = False
+    try:
+        await asyncio.wait_for(lock.acquire(), timeout=10.0)
+        acquired = True
+    except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+        acquired = False
+    try:
+        await _connection_pool.discard(device_key)
+    finally:
+        if acquired:
+            lock.release()
+
+    return {
+        "status": "ok",
+        "unit_id": unit_id,
+        "poll_enabled": False,
+        "message": "Polling disabled and connection closed for this unit",
+    }
+
+
+@router.post("/{unit_id}/activate")
+async def activate_device(unit_id: str, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    """Resume background polling for a unit previously deactivated."""
+    cfg = db.query(NL43Config).filter_by(unit_id=unit_id).first()
+    if not cfg:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="NL43 config not found")
+
+    cfg.poll_enabled = True
+    db.commit()
+
+    return {
+        "status": "ok",
+        "unit_id": unit_id,
+        "poll_enabled": True,
+        "message": "Polling enabled for this unit",
+    }
+
+
+@router.get("/_system/status")
+async def system_status():
+    """Report whether this SLMM instance is actively polling or in standby."""
+    from app.background_poller import poller
+    from app.services import _connection_pool
+    return {
+        "status": "ok",
+        "mode": "active" if poller.is_active() else "standby",
+        "polling_active": poller.is_active(),
+        "active_connections": _connection_pool.get_stats().get("active_connections", 0),
+    }
+
+
+@router.post("/_system/standby")
+async def system_standby():
+    """Put this SLMM instance into standby: stop polling ALL devices and release
+    every connection, so it stops occupying device slots (e.g. so a prod instance
+    can take over). Runtime-only — on restart the instance returns to its
+    SLMM_POLLING_ENABLED default.
+    """
+    from app.background_poller import poller
+    await poller.set_active(False)
+    return {"status": "ok", "mode": "standby",
+            "message": "Polling stopped and all device connections released"}
+
+
+@router.post("/_system/resume")
+async def system_resume():
+    """Resume polling after standby (global)."""
+    from app.background_poller import poller
+    await poller.set_active(True)
+    return {"status": "ok", "mode": "active", "message": "Polling resumed"}
+
+
 # ============================================================================
 # GLOBAL POLLING STATUS ENDPOINT (must be before /{unit_id} routes)
 # ============================================================================
@@ -450,6 +575,8 @@ def get_status(unit_id: str, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
             "lmax": status.lmax,
             "lmin": status.lmin,
             "lpeak": status.lpeak,
+            "ln1": status.ln1,
+            "ln2": status.ln2,
             "battery_level": status.battery_level,
             "power_source": status.power_source,
             "sd_remaining_mb": status.sd_remaining_mb,
@@ -472,6 +599,8 @@ class StatusPayload(BaseModel):
     lmax: str | None = None
     lmin: str | None = None
     lpeak: str | None = None
+    ln1: str | None = None
+    ln2: str | None = None
     battery_level: str | None = None
     power_source: str | None = None
     sd_remaining_mb: str | None = None
@@ -504,6 +633,8 @@ def upsert_status(unit_id: str, payload: StatusPayload, db: Session = Depends(ge
             "lmax": status.lmax,
             "lmin": status.lmin,
             "lpeak": status.lpeak,
+            "ln1": status.ln1,
+            "ln2": status.ln2,
             "battery_level": status.battery_level,
             "power_source": status.power_source,
             "sd_remaining_mb": status.sd_remaining_mb,
@@ -1205,6 +1336,8 @@ async def stream_live(websocket: WebSocket, unit_id: str):
                     "lmax": snap.lmax,  # Maximum level
                     "lmin": snap.lmin,  # Minimum level
                     "lpeak": snap.lpeak,  # Peak level
+                    "ln1": snap.ln1,    # LN1 percentile (L1/L10 contract); null on DRD stream
+                    "ln2": snap.ln2,    # LN2 percentile; null on DRD stream
                     "raw_payload": snap.raw_payload,
                 })
             except Exception as e:
@@ -1876,6 +2009,8 @@ async def run_diagnostics(unit_id: str, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
             "lmax": status.lmax,
             "lmin": status.lmin,
             "lpeak": status.lpeak,
+            "ln1": status.ln1,
+            "ln2": status.ln2,
             "battery_level": status.battery_level,
             "power_source": status.power_source,
             "sd_remaining_mb": status.sd_remaining_mb,

app/services.py

@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ class NL43Snapshot:
     lmax: Optional[str] = None  # Maximum level
     lmin: Optional[str] = None  # Minimum level
     lpeak: Optional[str] = None  # Peak level
+    ln1: Optional[str] = None  # Percentile slot LN1 (configurable; device default L5, contract L1)
+    ln2: Optional[str] = None  # Percentile slot LN2 (configurable; device default L10)
     battery_level: Optional[str] = None
     power_source: Optional[str] = None
     sd_remaining_mb: Optional[str] = None
@@ -69,10 +71,27 @@ def persist_snapshot(s: NL43Snapshot, db: Session):
 
         logger.info(f"State transition check for {s.unit_id}: '{previous_state}' -> '{new_state}'")
 
-        # Device returns "Start" when measuring, "Stop" when stopped
+        # The device reports "Start" while measuring; the DOD path uses that string,
-        # Normalize to previous behavior for backward compatibility
+        # but the DRD stream path tags snapshots "Measure" (and the DOD fallback also
-        is_measuring = new_state == "Start"
+        # uses "Measure"). Treat ALL of these as "measuring" — otherwise opening and
-        was_measuring = previous_state == "Start"
+        # closing the live stream flips state "Start"->"Measure"->"Start", which the
+        # old equality check misread as stop-then-start and reset measurement_start_time.
+        #
+        # Also: only act on RECOGNIZED states. A buffer desync on the shared connection
+        # (e.g. right after a DRD/DOD test) can make a Measure? read return a stray,
+        # garbled value; treating that as "not measuring" produced constant phantom
+        # "STOPPED -> STARTED" log pairs and reset the timer. Ignore unknown reads.
+        MEASURING_STATES = {"Start", "Measure"}
+        STOPPED_STATES = {"Stop"}
+        was_measuring = previous_state in MEASURING_STATES
+
+        if new_state in MEASURING_STATES:
+            is_measuring = True
+        elif new_state in STOPPED_STATES:
+            is_measuring = False
+        else:
+            logger.warning(f"Ignoring unrecognized measurement state for {s.unit_id}: {new_state!r}")
+            is_measuring = was_measuring  # garbled/unknown read — no transition
 
         if not was_measuring and is_measuring:
             # Measurement just started - record the start time
@@ -95,13 +114,18 @@ def persist_snapshot(s: NL43Snapshot, db: Session):
             except Exception:
                 pass
 
-        row.measurement_state = new_state
+        # Only persist a recognized state so one garbled read can't poison the next
+        # transition check (which would manufacture the phantom STOPPED/STARTED pair).
+        if new_state in MEASURING_STATES or new_state in STOPPED_STATES:
+            row.measurement_state = new_state
         row.counter = s.counter
         row.lp = s.lp
         row.leq = s.leq
         row.lmax = s.lmax
         row.lmin = s.lmin
         row.lpeak = s.lpeak
+        row.ln1 = s.ln1
+        row.ln2 = s.ln2
         row.battery_level = s.battery_level
         row.power_source = s.power_source
         row.sd_remaining_mb = s.sd_remaining_mb
@@ -338,14 +362,14 @@ class ConnectionPool:
                 if self._is_alive(conn):
                     self._drain_buffer(conn.reader)
                     conn.last_used_at = time.time()
-                    logger.debug(f"Pool hit for {device_key} (age={time.time() - conn.created_at:.0f}s)")
+                    logger.info(f"Pool hit for {device_key} (age={time.time() - conn.created_at:.0f}s)")
                     return conn.reader, conn.writer, True
                 else:
                     await self._close_connection(conn, reason="stale")
 
         # Open fresh connection
         reader, writer = await self._open_connection(host, port, timeout)
-        logger.debug(f"New connection opened for {device_key}")
+        logger.info(f"New connection opened for {device_key}")
         return reader, writer, False
 
     async def release(self, device_key: str, reader: asyncio.StreamReader, writer: asyncio.StreamWriter, host: str, port: int):
@@ -454,11 +478,11 @@ class ConnectionPool:
         """Check whether a cached connection is still usable."""
         now = time.time()
 
-        # Age / idle checks
+        # Age / idle checks (value of -1 disables the check)
-        if now - conn.last_used_at > self._idle_ttl:
+        if self._idle_ttl >= 0 and now - conn.last_used_at > self._idle_ttl:
             logger.debug(f"Connection {conn.device_key} idle too long ({now - conn.last_used_at:.0f}s > {self._idle_ttl}s)")
             return False
-        if now - conn.created_at > self._max_age:
+        if self._max_age >= 0 and now - conn.created_at > self._max_age:
             logger.debug(f"Connection {conn.device_key} too old ({now - conn.created_at:.0f}s > {self._max_age}s)")
             return False
 
@@ -691,22 +715,29 @@ class NL43Client:
 
         snap = NL43Snapshot(unit_id="", raw_payload=resp, measurement_state=measurement_state)
 
-        # Parse known positions (based on NL43 communication guide - DRD format)
+        # Parse DOD positional fields. DOD's layout is DIFFERENT from DRD: it has NO
-        # DRD format: d0=counter, d1=Lp, d2=Leq, d3=Lmax, d4=Lmin, d5=Lpeak, d6=LIeq, ...
+        # leading counter and it includes LE plus LN1–LN5. The device returns 4 channels
+        # of 16 fields each — [Lp, Leq, LE, Lmax, Lmin, LN1, LN2, LN3, LN4, LN5, Lpeak,
+        # LIeq, Leq_mov, Ltm5, over, under] — and channel 1 (parts[0:16]) is the main
+        # display. The previous code reused the DRD map (treating parts[0] as a counter),
+        # which shifted everything: Lp was reported as the counter, Leq as Lp, LE as Leq,
+        # and LN1 as Lpeak (you could spot it because "Lpeak" came out < Lmax).
         try:
-            # Capture d0 (counter) for timer synchronization
             if len(parts) >= 1:
-                snap.counter = parts[0]  # d0: Measurement interval counter (1-600)
+                snap.lp = parts[0]      # Lp: instantaneous sound pressure level
             if len(parts) >= 2:
-                snap.lp = parts[1]     # d1: Instantaneous sound pressure level
+                snap.leq = parts[1]     # Leq: equivalent continuous level
-            if len(parts) >= 3:
+            # parts[2] = LE (sound exposure level) — not currently surfaced
-                snap.leq = parts[2]    # d2: Equivalent continuous sound level
             if len(parts) >= 4:
-                snap.lmax = parts[3]   # d3: Maximum level
+                snap.lmax = parts[3]    # Lmax
             if len(parts) >= 5:
-                snap.lmin = parts[4]   # d4: Minimum level
+                snap.lmin = parts[4]    # Lmin
+            if len(parts) >= 11:
+                snap.lpeak = parts[10]  # Lpeak  (parts[5] is LN1, NOT Lpeak)
             if len(parts) >= 6:
-                snap.lpeak = parts[5]  # d5: Peak level
+                snap.ln1 = parts[5]     # LN1 percentile slot (device default L5; contract L1)
+            if len(parts) >= 7:
+                snap.ln2 = parts[6]     # LN2 percentile slot (device default L10)
         except (IndexError, ValueError) as e:
             logger.warning(f"Error parsing DOD data points: {e}")
 
@@ -896,15 +927,20 @@ class NL43Client:
         # Acquire per-device lock - held for entire streaming session
         device_lock = await _get_device_lock(self.device_key)
         async with device_lock:
-            # Evict any cached connection — streaming needs its own dedicated socket
-            await _connection_pool.discard(self.device_key)
             await self._enforce_rate_limit()
 
             logger.info(f"Starting DRD stream for {self.device_key}")
 
+            # Reuse the pooled connection instead of discard()+reopen. The NL43
+            # allows only ONE TCP connection at a time, and on a cellular link the
+            # device does not free its single slot fast enough for an immediate
+            # reconnect — so a fresh connect times out (the DRD stream failure).
+            # The per-device lock is held for the whole session, so it already
+            # blocks the poller; reusing the warm socket keeps us at exactly one
+            # connection and lets the stream start on the slot commands already use.
             try:
-                reader, writer = await _connection_pool._open_connection(
+                reader, writer, from_cache = await _connection_pool.acquire(
-                    self.host, self.port, self.timeout
+                    self.device_key, self.host, self.port, self.timeout
                 )
             except ConnectionError:
                 logger.error(f"DRD stream connection failed to {self.device_key}")
@@ -981,16 +1017,20 @@ class NL43Client:
                         break
 
             finally:
-                # Send SUB character to stop streaming
+                # Stop streaming on the device (SUB = 0x1A), then return the warm
+                # connection to the pool so subsequent commands reuse this single
+                # socket instead of opening a second one. release() returns healthy
+                # sockets to the pool and closes dead ones; the next acquire()
+                # drains any residual stop output before reuse.
                 try:
                     writer.write(b"\x1A")
                     await writer.drain()
                 except Exception:
                     pass
 
-                writer.close()
+                await _connection_pool.release(
-                with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+                    self.device_key, reader, writer, self.host, self.port
-                    await writer.wait_closed()
+                )
 
                 logger.info(f"DRD stream ended for {self.device_key}")
 

migrate_add_ln_percentiles.py

@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Migration script to add ln1 and ln2 percentile columns to the nl43_status table.
+
+The NL-43 DOD response carries percentile slots LN1-LN5; the live SLM display
+(Terra-View) shows two of them (default L1/L10). This adds storage for the two
+surfaced slots. Run once per database to update existing schema.
+"""
+
+import sqlite3
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+DB_PATH = Path(__file__).parent / "data" / "slmm.db"
+
+
+def migrate():
+    """Add ln1 and ln2 columns to the nl43_status table."""
+
+    if not DB_PATH.exists():
+        print(f"Database not found at {DB_PATH}")
+        print("No migration needed - database will be created with new schema")
+        return
+
+    conn = sqlite3.connect(DB_PATH)
+    cursor = conn.cursor()
+
+    try:
+        cursor.execute("PRAGMA table_info(nl43_status)")
+        columns = [row[1] for row in cursor.fetchall()]
+
+        if "ln1" in columns and "ln2" in columns:
+            print("✓ ln1/ln2 columns already exist, no migration needed")
+            return
+
+        if "ln1" not in columns:
+            print("Adding ln1 column...")
+            cursor.execute("ALTER TABLE nl43_status ADD COLUMN ln1 TEXT")
+            print("✓ Added ln1 column")
+
+        if "ln2" not in columns:
+            print("Adding ln2 column...")
+            cursor.execute("ALTER TABLE nl43_status ADD COLUMN ln2 TEXT")
+            print("✓ Added ln2 column")
+
+        conn.commit()
+        print("\n✓ Migration completed successfully!")
+
+    except Exception as e:
+        conn.rollback()
+        print(f"✗ Migration failed: {e}", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+    finally:
+        conn.close()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    migrate()