ANOTHER failure to flash issue

[rtfm]

Gentlemen,
While I acknowledge your dedication and skill, and thank you for it, to me as an end user, not being able to perform a key advertised task on my new radio is not great for customer satisfaction. I'm not apologising (as others have done) for bringing this issue up again - because it is obviously a weak point in the programming or the design of the software, and needs to be sorted.

I have a new Taranis (X9D019175B01) and have spent many hours learning how to navigate the Companion. GREAT software, by the way... However, I am now ready to power up the X9D itself, and download all my hard work to the TX itself.

The steps are as follows:

1. Run Companion, and get my EEPROM on the screen
2. Turn on the TX
3. Plug in the USB lead
4. Laptop acknowledges the USB device
5. In Companion, I select Read/Write, Write models and settings to radio
6. Dialogue "Write Backup from Duncans Models.eepe to Radio" appears
7. I click "Write to TX"
8. A dialogue called "Dialog" appears briefly (3 - 4 seconds), with a green progress line. Followed by another dialogue entitled "Companion", which says "Copy finished correctly"
9. I click "OK"
10. Back at the TX, I unplug the USB cable
11. Immediately the TX shows: "EEPROM WARNING Bad eeprom data. Press any key"
12. I do so (Press "Enter" key)
13. After a few seconds the TX shows "Formatting eeprom", followed by "THROTTLE WARNING Throttle not idle" (It is, and has been calibrated. "Press any key to skip"
14. "SWITCH WARNING Press any key to skip"
15. Back to the Calibration screen

And that's it.

The calibration is overwritten, but no models are imported.

Regards,
Duncan

[dinamich]

You have a mismatch in version between radio firmware and Companion. They both have to be the same version (at least first two numbers, ie 2.0.x). If you have a new Taranis with stock firmware, that one is not compatible with Companion! FrSky version of opentx firmware is a standalone product!

Read this http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost ... count=3167

[Kilrah]

For more detail, read this:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost ... count=3167

and this:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost ... count=3191

[rtfm]

Thanks. So, in order to have Companion talk to the TX without issues, I have to downgrade Companion to v1.52?

Regards,
Duncan

[rtfm]

Sigh...
I have downgraded to Companion 1.5. Don't you guys talk to each other? For someone like me who is just an end-user, this is most frustrating. The Taranis is supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread, but don't forget that it is only sliced if you buy it in the special wrapper, and get it only from the stores which are part of the deal. Oh, and don't forget to only use the older brands of butter, or the bread will go all soggy.

C'mon guys... We are just consumers. You are the brains behind the outfit. Pick up the phone. Speak to the Companion guys. We want to be able to buy a package which works. Plain and simple.

Duncan

[rtfm]

THIS is the problem with open source stuff. It is cheap, but is plagued by random issues. I've tried v1.52 of Companion, but it doesn't support some of the entries I have programmed in the 2.0.8 version. So I accepted the invitation to upgrade to v2.0 That at least sees my 2.0.8 model configs, but it doesn't even see the TX. My laptop quite happily sees the TX and opens its file system to show me the Taranis.BIN file, but the Companion doesn't see the TX.

C'mon guys... This isn't consumer-friendly...

What am I supposed to do now?

Duncan

[jhsa]

Acting like that (being aggressive), you're not encouraging people to help you. Try to calm down a bit. Did ever cross your mind that you might be doing something wrong? Most of the people are able to do what you're trying to do.. Please just be a bit patient and you will get help. The guys that can help you might be at work at the moment..

João

[rtfm]

I'm just frustrated. I shouldn't take it out on you guys. I don't mean to be aggressive - if you were here I'd just be mouthing off a bit and mumbling into my mustache like we all do when things go wrong. Putting it into text just makes it all so permanent.

I'll back off... And sorry if I came across harshly.

Duncan

[Helle]

Hy rtfm,

main problem is we have opentx and companion for 8 languages
but not da good dokumention in details for the normal endusers

A kind of step by step for updating, programming
and first steps with lots of examples

The german manual for opentxV2.08, companionV2.08, for Taranis has now 285 pages
with lots of examples, step by steps, updates, driver installations and so on.
viewtopic.php?f=92&t=3563&p=83846&hilit ... ual#p83846

Helle

[kalle123]

So Duncan, how is your German?

[dvogonen]

Gentlemen,
While I acknowledge your dedication and skill, and thank you for it, to me as an end user, not being able to perform a key advertised task on my new radio is not great for customer satisfaction. I'm not apologising (as others have done) for bringing this issue up again - because it is obviously a weak point in the programming or the design of the software, and needs to be sorted.

This is a misconception. The use of Companion is not an advertised feature of the Taranis. FrSky do not recommend or encourage you to use it for anything. You have to replace the transmitter software first with non-FrSky software to be able to use Companion.

FrSky is the producer of the Taranis and supplies it with a tested and certified version of the OpenTX firmware. They are responsible for the quality of that version and supplying you with updates and bugfixes if the need arises.

FrSky does however not supply or support a compatible version of the Companion PC software for their OpenTX version. The older companion9x 1.52 MIGHT work but neither FrSky or the open source people who made it guarantees that this works.

In short : if you use official FrSky software there is no PC software available with any level of support at all.

[jhsa]

Ok, that it is explained, now what about someone explain Duncan what he has to do to be able to save his models to and from the computer??

João

[dvogonen]

Anyone who wants to use PC software like Companion he has to start by replacing the FrSky firmware in the transmitter with an open source firmware version.

The currently available and supported alternatives is to either use Companion to download and install OpenTX 2.0.8 or to use eepesky to install ersky9x. In the case of OpenTX there is good help to be found at the otx university web site ( http://open-txu.org)

[mnementh]

Okay, I'm confused here.

On my Taranis, I just installled the latest Companion on my Win7/64 box (I think it was 2.0.7) and plugged in via USB. It installled the drivers, then Companion saw the TX.

It took a few tries but I finally figured out my dumb mistakes like not noticing that it defaulted to 9x as the radio type, and that I kept selecting the 9x firmware it automatically downloaded instead of the correct Taranis firmware; once I selected the correct firmware it happily nuked and paved my baby and all was golden.

Does this mean my Taranis (it was a late production model dated 7/7/2014) already had the bootloader version firmware installed from FRSky? Or is that something that Aloft does as a service to its customers?

I'm just curious, trying to understand here...


mnem
Things that make you go "Hmmmm..."

[rdeanchurch]

If you used OpenTxCompanion to install V2.0.7 using the old method of Tx Off and using OpTxComp and the DFU drivers,
It also wrote the bootloader to the firmware.

So it has it.

If you were able to do the trims in while powering on to upgrade to V2.0.7, then FrSky installed the bootloader.

[MikeB]

In the middle of May I did send all the info and code for the bootloader to FrSky, so they may have installed it.

Mike.

[rtfm]

HI,
OK - here's what I've got:

1. I've backed up the EEPROM on the radio and stored it on my laptop
2. STM32 Bootloader is showing up in Zadig_2.1.0
   
   
   This shows up in my device manager also, however, as "STM device in DFU mode" - is this OK?
3. I'm running v2.0.8 of the OpenTX Companion dated Jul 24 2014
4. The radio is off, and the USB cable correctly plugged in both to it and to the PC. The PC recognises the TX with a friendly little beep. However, I am not offered the choice of writing any firmware to the radio. When I invoke the Read/Write menu and select "Write Firmware to Radio" I get the following dialogue box:
   

That's how far I've got.

What do I do now?

Regards,
Duncan

[rtfm]

Mmmm no images showing in the post. OK. The first one shows the STM Bootloader appearing in the top dropdown box of Zadig

The second image is of the dialogue box asking me to identify the location of the file to write to the radio. "Browse for file" button is looking for a Flash file (*.bin *.hex) but I have no idea which file it requires.

Duncan

[rtfm]

Sorry to pepper this thread with comments and updates, but since the STM Bootlogger seems to be registered on my laptop, I have just tried to download my models. It didn't work (same error when I pull the USB cable out). However, when I run Zadig the STM Bootlogger line item has disappeared, and it no longer shows up in my device manager either.

Confused...

Duncan

[rtfm]

OK - it appears that the laptop only "sees" the STM32 bootloader when the TX is plugged into it. Sounds a bit weird, but that what seems to be the case.

So my TX is switched off, and connected to the laptop with the USB cable. The OpenTX University says: "You use OpenTX Companion to select exactly which options you want to have enabled in your radio. A firmware file with these options is prepared for you by our build server and downloaded to your PC. OpenTX Companion is then used to load the firmware to your radio."

This would appear to be my next step, but I have no idea how to invoke this. It certainly isn't happening on its own...

Duncan

[rtfm]

Update:
I've found the Opentx-taranis-en.bin file and pointed the "Write firmware to Radio" dialog at it. It says the version is 2.0.8, variant 216 dated 2014-07-25. I selected the default "Use profile start screen"

However, when I press the "Write to TX" button a very brief flash of something appears on the screen, and the process terminates immediately, without transferring anything. The TX is off, and connected to the Laptop. The STM device on DFU Mode line item appears in the USB controllers section of device manager.

Duncan

[rtfm]

I ran a screen capture utility (Snagit) to record what happens, and a single frame shows the flitting dialogue which pops up. Nothing dramatic. It just says "DFU util - write firmware to radio". But there is no progress bar.

I'm off to try this on my wife's computer - maybe that will help.

Another thought - I have the Orange Rx DSM2/DSMX Transmitter Module plugged into the back. Might this be making a difference? I'll try it without anyway...

Duncan

[rtfm]

Tried both. Removing the Orange RX module makes no difference. Neither does downloading OpenTX Companion onto wife's PC (also running Zadig, to get STM32 bootloader installed.

So I'm back to square 1.

What confuses me is that I have the STM32 bootloader installed, I'm running the latest (v2.0.8) version of OpenTX Companion, and I'm trying to flash the latest (v2.0.8) version of the TX firmware. Just goes nowhere.

So I sat down this afternoon and started the rather tedious process of tapping the TX buttons like some '70's mobile phone teenager...

Bugger...

[mnementh]

In the middle of May I did send all the info and code for the bootloader to FrSky, so they may have installed it.

Mike.

I have no idea; but I've attached the OEM .bin which I saved before I flashed the TX, and which I reflashed to it several times as troubleshooting. Like you don't have enough to do, right?


mnem
Does anybody have the Cliff's Notes for this class?

[rtfm]

Hi guys,
Well, I have now tried everything - including copying my OpenTX Companion model file directly to the SD card on the TX. It won't copy, because it is 78Kb on the laptop, but needs to be only 32kb on the TX. I guess there is some fancy crunching which goes on when the model image is transferred to the TX. So I uploaded the TX EEPROM to my laptop, opened it and changed the model name. Saved it and tried to copy it back. It did so without complaining (after I'd deleted the model on the TX). On rebooting the TX however, no changes had taken effect. Back to square 1 again.

I'm beginning to think that the OpenTX Companion is good only for prototyping new models. Then once verified in the simulator, painstakingly copying the settings to the TX by hand. I guess this is one step better than Spektrum. At least I have a PC based prototyper...

Duncan

[jhsa]

No, you should be able to copy your eeprom from and to the tx/companion. I would like to be of more assistance but I don't have a Taranis
Question, did you check if your radio has the bootloader installed? What happens if you turn the radio on while pressing both horizontal trims towards the center?

João

[davx]

Hi,

What confuses me is that I have the STM32 bootloader installed, I'm running the latest (v2.0.8) version of OpenTX Companion, and I'm trying to flash the latest (v2.0.8) version of the TX firmware. Just goes nowhere.

It's clearly a driver problem, could you please follow the advices in this discussion viewtopic.php?f=94&t=5663#p81711.

I'm beginning to think that the OpenTX Companion is good only for prototyping new models. Then once verified in the simulator, painstakingly copying the settings to the TX by hand. I guess this is one step better than Spektrum. At least I have a PC based prototyper...

That's your experience, it doesn't mean it doesn't work for others, in fact, I'm sure it works pretty well for a majority of us. I've never had a single problem of communication between Companion and the Taranis.

You should manage to put your photos online so we could better understand what you're not doing correctly.

Below the text zone:

Browse to your photo, click "add the file",

Upload_Image_02.jpg (34.51 KiB) Viewed 16238 times

then click "Place inline"

Good luck

[dvogonen]

To repeat what was said previously: You have to first replace the firmware of the radio before you can use Companion for anything. Without doing so, Companion is of no use whatsoever to you. You can not even use it for model simulation, since the model configuration is quite different to the configuration in your radio.

The issue you are having almost certainly depends on the stm32 driver in your PC not working. This is the USB driver that is used to transfer firmware from the PC to the radio. Your radio MUST be turned off to do this. It is sometimes extremely difficult to get the STM32 driver to work. If you have access to an old computer that is still running XP you should try that one first since Win7 and especially Win8 are much more difficult to get to work.

Once the firmware has been replaced a new method to update firmware is added that does not rely on STM32-drivers. This means that with new firmware it is possible to run Companion and connect on any Windows PC, without any driver installation. This feature alone makes the upgrade worthwhile.

The fact that you are able to see and access the SD card with the radio turned on is due to the fact that the radio acts as a standard USB mass storage device in this case. As you have discovered, it is not possible to manually manipulate the models or firmware in this mode.

[rtfm]

Question, did you check if your radio has the bootloader installed? What happens if you turn the radio on while pressing both horizontal trims towards the center?
João

Nothing different from when I turn it on as normal. It doesn't enter any special bootloader mode or anything like that...
Duncan

[rtfm]

To repeat what was said previously: You have to first replace the firmware of the radio before you can use Companion for anything. Without doing so, Companion is of no use whatsoever to you. You can not even use it for model simulation, since the model configuration is quite different to the configuration in your radio.

I have tried running up a WinXP VM, but that has issues of its own...

I will try to find an old WinXP machine and use that to connect the TX to. Maybe that will work.

Once I AM able to flash new firmware onto the TX, will it then communicate nicely with my Win8 laptop?

Duncan