Firmware 3.50 fails to upload to CTouch-2

Hi,

I've been trying to uplaod the latest firmware included with PICED 4.8.1, Firmware 3.50, but everytime I try I get an error saying failed to upload, and then the screen is dead.

I've reset the screen and uploaded the previous version using the recover option in PICED.

Anyone have any ideas how to fix this firmware upload or is there a problem with the firmware.

Many thanks

Chris

 

No Known issues.

Can you successfully connect to the screen from the Transfer -> Connect to Unit option? When it's up and working, can you successfully control the unit from the Transfer -> Control Unit menu items? (make it beep, etc).

 

If the unit keeps resetting, the problem may be the same one as is discussed in this thread.

If not, please provide a few more details so we can work out what is going on.

 

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the replies, heres some more detail.

Running PICED 4.8.1, on Windows XP.

Connect to unit, which is running firmware 3.43.
Click control unit, beep, all ok.

Click on transfer project to unit, include firmware 3.50
Starts to copy then fails with error 14614, transfer error.

Unit is non-responsive, screen totally blank, can't connect.

Press reset on unit, and in PICED select Recover CTouch
Starts to copy then fails with Error, flash write error.

Only way to then get the unit back is to use an older version of PICED and go back to firmware 3.43.

Many thanks for your help.

Chris

 

Can you please try another test:
- Download a blank project to the C-Touch2 using PICED 4.7.2 and the corresponding version of firmware, which should be 3.43.
- Update to PICED 4.8.1 and try to download a blank project again, updating the firmware to 3.50

Let us know how you go.

 

Hi,

Yes that thought occurred to me, I created a blank project and tried to download using 4.8.1 with 3.50 firmware, I got the same result.

Chris

 

Hi Guys,

I have tried again, using PICED 4.7 i uploaded a blank project, then tried to upgrade to firmware 3.50, this failed

Recover to firmware 3.43, no project, tried upgrade, this failed.

Attached is the log from the last attempt. Any help appreciated in solving this.

Many thanks

Chris

 

The log file shows that the Flash Memory write is failing. We will see if we can work out what is going on.

 

We suspect that there is a fault with the Flash memory in your C-Touch unit. If the transfer process fails at the same point each time, then we can be about 95% sure that this is the case.

A simple test you can do is to try to transfer firmware a few times with the log running. If the end of the log each time shows this:

C-Touch : Tx "80 01 01 0A 00 11 A9 00...
C-Touch : Rx "FF F4 00 06 FE 07 "
Info : Re-start unit

then it is failing in the same place each time and is most likely a hardware fault.

 

Hi,

Many thanks for this, I will try to upload a few times with the log running.

If this is the case, why does firmware 3.43 upload every time with no issues, surely its writing to the same flash memory location?

Regards

Chris

 

Probalby a bit error in flash

Hi Chrispay,

Yep, both 3.43.0 and 3.50.0 firmware use the address space where the flash write command is failing. During project load, the firmware writes the flash, then reads it back and compares it against what was written to verify the write was successful. The error you are seeing is due to this verify failing.

As it works for 3.43.0 and not for 3.50.0, chances are it is a single bit error in flash - the bit will be stuck as either a 1 or a 0. The contents of this memory range change with every build, so there is a 50% chance of each build working or failing - if the bit is stuck as a 1 and the firmware writes it as a 1, then its OK. But if it's stuck as 1 and the firmware tries to write it as 0, then you get the error.

Hope that explains it & sorry you've had to deal with it!

Cheers,
Mark.

 

Hi Mark,

Many thanks for that explanation, sounds like I need a new unit then.

Cheers Chris

 

Hi All,

It seems that I am having a similar problem.

I installed two ctc's, first set static ip's, then upgraded the firmware with Piced 4.8.0.

The first (master) ctc upgraded fine and is running happily. The second rebooted and gave an error saying that the mac address was missing. The static ip was missing and I could not set it. The ctc also refused to obtain a dynamic address.

I assumed that it was a hardware fault, as the first ctc worked, and made arrangments to return the screen. Fortunately I had a spare ctc to install, but unfortunately it showed exactly the same problem, when upgraded, that the ctc it replaced did.

I rebooted the ctc and went through the disaster recovery a few times, but eventually downgraded to Piced 4.7.2. This version of firmware worked with the ctc.

Michael

 

Sorted

Hi Nick,

That workaround has sorted out the problem.

Thanks for your help.

Michael