VEMS Community Forum

VEMS => Software => Topic started by: antonch on August 08, 2007, 11:33:44 PM

Title: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: antonch on August 08, 2007, 11:33:44 PM
So I finally got all my connections hooked up. Started up Megatune, it connected and showed semi reasonable values for IAT, CLT, MAP, etc. So my serial->ECU connection is good and stable.

Then I downloaded all the factory config values using utility. And proceded with firmware upgrade (1.0.73final). After about 30secs and a bunch of dots on the screen it gave and error but said the word completion.

Now, ECU doesn't respond. Running upload-firmware.bat gives "no hello from AVR".

From Terminal, I can connect to ECU. If I send the command "Man". I get "îÃ,»" back.
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: [email protected] on August 09, 2007, 12:06:39 AM
Sounds nasty, but solvable.

Are you using a decent serial port?

take the serial plug out, and with the VEMS powered off, bridge pins2&3 on the VEMS serial plug (I use a steel paperclip).
Power up the VEMS, remove the wire then go to your installation directory and type:

tools\megaloader.exe firmware\upload.hex -wE 38400 -c com1

change com1 if necessary.

This will force an upload of the software and should put you back to where you were before you uploaded your configs

Good luck
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: antonch on August 09, 2007, 12:30:30 AM
Success!
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: smurfinator on August 16, 2007, 06:42:54 PM
I, too had this problem and the solution worked.

What is the root cause of this error?
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: [email protected] on August 16, 2007, 06:56:16 PM
Usually its a serial port problem.  Are you using a USB to serial adaptor?

Rob
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: antonch on August 17, 2007, 01:08:54 PM
Quote from: smurfinator on August 16, 2007, 06:42:54 PM
I, too had this problem and the solution worked.

What is the root cause of this error?

Don't touch the computer while its flashing. Literary, put the laptop down and go make a cup of tea/coffee. I flashed other equipment before and it responded fine to multitasking. The cheaper USB->Serial adapters probably don't like it though.
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: smurfinator on August 17, 2007, 05:06:09 PM
Quote from: [email protected] on August 16, 2007, 06:56:16 PM
Usually its a serial port problem.  Are you using a USB to serial adaptor?

Rob


Yes, I'm using a fairly new Belkin USB/serial adapter with latest drivers.  Laptop running on own battery (as opposed to car) so as not to create additional noise problems.
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: [email protected] on August 17, 2007, 06:09:06 PM
I only know and stick to the Easy Sync USB->serial adaptor.  I also use OFC 2-core microphone cable in short lengths for my serial cable to minimise noise.
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: dnb on August 23, 2007, 11:21:01 AM
I have 2 metres of unshielded serial cable and a cranky old laptop in an equally cranky TVR.  It seems to work quite well, but I don't know why!

One thing I did notice (and will be putting up a proper thread about it) is that the ADC based sensor readings go silly when the laptop is connected and I use my in-car laptop power supply.   I suspect a magnificent TVR ground loop, so I will be looking to have the ECU opto-isolated or use some form of wireless interface.
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: antonch on August 24, 2007, 12:54:52 AM
Quote from: dnb on August 23, 2007, 11:21:01 AM
I have 2 metres of unshielded serial cable and a cranky old laptop in an equally cranky TVR.  It seems to work quite well, but I don't know why!

One thing I did notice (and will be putting up a proper thread about it) is that the ADC based sensor readings go silly when the laptop is connected and I use my in-car laptop power supply.   I suspect a magnificent TVR ground loop, so I will be looking to have the ECU opto-isolated or use some form of wireless interface.

Is your laptop running off the car's power? I prefer to run the laptop off of its own battery.
They do sell shielded serial cable which is what I am using. Seems to work so far.
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: miniminor63 on November 11, 2007, 10:42:09 PM
I have got a serious problem here now.

I have previously uploaded firmware on my newly soldered box, and also done other checks, like testing the map sensor and such.

Tonight I wanted to upload the standard temp sensor files and used the tempsensor_2252_256_upload.bat file. The board behaved nicely before this.

I checked that the files needed for the batch file was there and they were. So I executed it, and got the first messages, then the hexpatch.exe crached. And I got the send or dont send error report (XP professional), clicked dont send, and after that I got, hit any key to continue, I did and the cmd window closed. now I can not get in contact with it at ALL.

I tried normal upload firmware, which did not worked. got no hello from AVR.

So I tried the technique written in the beginning of this post. and that succeded. So I tried to upload the firmware again, but still cant get in contact. I have checked that the com1 (which I use) is written in the bat file, and that its not used by anything else. There are no shorts in the serial and I an using a serial cable that is shielded, but it is spliced in the middle, as its my test harness.

Still had no problems with it before. what can this be?!

HEEELP, hope I have not broken anything?
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: [email protected] on November 11, 2007, 11:10:08 PM
What firmware version are you running?

Rob
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: Sprocket on November 11, 2007, 11:54:31 PM
He's running 1.0.73

I have been on MSN trying to help. Im miffed as well :-\

I will be honest and say i may not have helped, but things went bad when the software crashed, found it realy confusing to follow this procedure, for us non software orientated people :-[

The tempsensor_2252_256_upload.bat file is as follows and works perfectly fine for me

__________________________________________________________

@echo off
echo Will upload 1.0.73 firmware + your chosen temp factor files
echo usage: tempsensor_upload.bat air-ohm clt-ohm aref
echo WARNING: Overwrites your current firmware in your ECU
echo ctrl-c to abort
echo -----------------------------------------------------------------------
pause
if exist Tools\ntc_airX_cltfactor\airXfactor_2252_256.hex (
if exist Tools\ntc_airX_cltfactor\cltfactor_2252_256.hex (
if exist firmware\upload.hex del firmware\upload.hex
type Tools\ntc_airX_cltfactor\airXfactor_2252_256.hex > temppatch.hex
type Tools\ntc_airX_cltfactor\cltfactor_2252_256.hex >> temppatch.hex
Tools\ntc_airX_cltfactor\hexpatch.exe firmware\vems.hex < temppatch.hex > firmware\upload.hex
del temppatch.hex

)) else ( echo Missing files)

if exist firmware\upload.hex (
tools\megaloader.exe firmware\upload.hex -wtE 38400 -c com1
) else (
echo Patch Failed )
pause

Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: miniminor63 on November 12, 2007, 09:29:01 AM
fixed it! It turned out that after looking in the code that Colin pasted here, that this bath file will delete the content of the upload.hex file, and if it stops in the middle of an upload before it has made a new one the upload.hex file is left empty.

Then it wont help to "hard" reset it like you wrote in the second post in this topic rob. As it will still upload the empty upload.hex file. When I now downloaded the firmware again and got a upload.hex file with content, and did the "hard" reset, it all started working again:)

But why does hexpatch crash on me? thats the next question. I have all the temperature and resistance data on both my sensors, but that doesnt help alone I understood, and we still need to download some generic ones to the box, and then adjust them when tried.(why does it have to be this difficult?) But whats up with hexpatch?
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: [email protected] on November 12, 2007, 09:35:26 AM
Delete your upload.hex and temppatch.hex files before you start again

Also I'm not seeing a tempsensor_upload.bat that looks like that in my 1.0.73 I have here.  Normally you use it like this:
tempsensor_upload12x12 2252 2252 256 and off it runs.

Make sure that you're using the code from here:
http://media.vems.se/code/VemsMT1.0.73Final.zip

Always check this section of the forum for the VEMS firmware links.

Cheers

Rob
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: miniminor63 on November 12, 2007, 09:37:53 AM
thanks, pretty much what I thought out myself:) I will try to upload the temp stuff using the method you told me know. I am using that package for the firmware.

Thanks!
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: miniminor63 on November 12, 2007, 09:42:21 AM
BTW, when you run the tempsensor_upload12x12.bat thats given with the package you linked to in your last message, it starts with telling you :

"will upload 1.0.53 firmware + your chosen temp factor files"

I want 1.0.73, not 1.0.53...., its just a typo, but still not as it should be:)
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: [email protected] on November 12, 2007, 12:54:14 PM
I saw that, they should sack the bloke who does the firmware packages...
But then he wouldnt be here to run the forum! :P
;)
Rob

Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: miniminor63 on November 12, 2007, 12:58:23 PM
lol, I will rather edit that typo my self than make that guy suffer then  :P.

I am only glad my box is up and working again. and are actually pretty happy that I found the error myself:)

But why oh why must the temp sensor stuff be so complicated. I have loads of datapoints for my sensors (provided to me by bosch), and then I think it should be just to go into a list and find the correct one, and upload it. I am sure it is a reason why its not like that, but I dont get it:)

Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: Sprocket on November 12, 2007, 04:07:19 PM
Really glad you got it sorted buddy!!!!

That tempsensor_2252_256_upload.bat file is one of your earlier ones rob that i edited ;) I changed the firmware version at the top and gave the file that name, as I have several with different Xfactors written in it, it was easy to file it that way. I did this when i was trying to find the best Xfactors for my sensors, its still pants, i havent spent the time to sort out this winhex thing to get the easytherm data into the hex file format.

The bat file works oakley doakley for me, it is odd the hex patch file crashes though :-\

My fault :-\ I hold my hands up, now wheres that virtual pint thing gone ;)
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: Denmark on April 09, 2008, 02:24:35 PM
well,

This have just happend to me,as i was trying to upgrade to 1.0.73 from 1.0.38

but i cant even run this command, as it says file not found.


tools\megaloader.exe firmware\upload.hex -wE 38400 -c com1


So now i cant do anything.

I did get the 1.0.73 firmware in, but could again not find out ,to get the H2 tabel right, so i tryde lots of times, but suddenly it went wrong, and i now cant get communication,
Other then in the terminal program

Anyone got any info on how i get futher?

Thanks,
Skassa
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: Denmark on April 09, 2008, 05:38:48 PM
got it working again :)


So i will try it again
Title: Re: HELP: Firmware upgrade gone bad
Post by: billman on June 10, 2008, 07:51:10 PM
Hi,

i tried today to upgrade to 1.1.32alpha and got the OK from the V3 GUI. After that i started the MT and accidentally i go to the 16x14 (not supported now) iand tried to upload a 16x14 setup i made. Since then i can not connect to VEMS. I tried the 2+3 pin bridging of the Serial cable but megaloader couldnt find the upload.hex file. It is not in the package i am using nor teh 1.1.27Beta that i used till now.
I have also tryed to change the file from Upload.hex to Vems.hex and then i get the no Hallo message. Thsi hard reset doesnt work for me.

No Power to VEMS-Bridging-Power on -then connect the Serial2USB adaptor i got from VEMS that worked till now with no probs.


Any thoughts?

Thanks