Brownout fix, could be the anwser?

[stew007]

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=817759

Upgrade for Spektrum rx's

Stew

[Finless]

Well it's not a "fix" per say but if you have a power loss it will recover faster and possibly save you a crash. This is good but if your having shut downs you need to fix that reason for that! With this new firmware at least if you do have one it might save you a crash.

I sure wish Spektrum would come out with a USB tool or something and allow users to upgrade their RXs rather than ship the dang things in! I mean come'on this is the freakin 21st century!

Bob

[huskynox]

My newer AR7000's act in the same manner (instantly reboot if power to the receiver is switched off, then back on).

Interesting add-on: I bought a brand new AR7000 that wasn't working properly. It constantly needed to be re-bound ( I never even flew the receiver). I sent it back to Horizon, who in turn sent me a new one saying "The AR7000 received would not accept new Firmware. Replaced with new receiver free of charge".

So, they must have a newer Firmware for the AR7000 too......?

I 2nd that they should release a USB cable so we can update our receivers with the latest Firmware. But, I know this is Horizon we're talking about :(

On a bright note, the turn around for my bad receiver was only about 1 week.

[CoronaL]

Well it's not a "fix" per say but if you have a power loss it will recover faster and possibly save you a crash. This is good but if your having shut downs you need to fix that reason for that! With this new firmware at least if you do have one it might save you a crash.

I sure wish Spektrum would come out with a USB tool or something and allow users to upgrade their RXs rather than ship the dang things in! I mean come'on this is the freakin 21st century!

Bob
I agree with you Bob, but that's basically a bios flash and alot of people would probably ruin the recievers with improper flashing. You'd have to make a whole line of videos just for that lol! Horizon is probably wanting to keep the flashing to a select few so losses from improper flashing is limited to their muckups.

[Finless]

Many products today allow users to flash! Look at the Spartan gyro for an RC example.
If implemented correctly bad flashs should be able to be recovered from (e.g. a boot loader that is in ROM).

Bob

[CoronaL]

Many products today allow users to flash! Look at the Spartan gyro for an RC example.
If implemented correctly bad flashs should be able to be recovered from (e.g. a boot loader that is in ROM).

Bob
I agree, just trying to possibly explain why horizon doesn't want others doing it.

[Finless]

Hmmm makes me think that you could make your own flasher if the chip is off the shelf. I have not had a RX apart to see whats inside but if you can read out the code you could then flash other RX's IF it is an off the shelf chip.

Hey Kevin or Heliburns... wanna take a crack at it? I don't have time but I bet a 3rd party flasher would be a neat product ;)

Bob

[CoronaL]

Hmmm makes me think that you could make your own flasher if the chip is off the shelf. I have not had a RX apart to see whats inside but if you can read out the code you could then flash other RX's IF it is an off the shelf chip.

Hey Kevin or Heliburns... wanna take a crack at it? I don't have time but I bet a 3rd party flasher would be a neat product ;)

Bob
interesting. Unless the cmos chip is soldered onto the PCB in which case I think your limited to flashing through a port cable, probably hooked up via one of the servo ports. I know nothing about firmware in these recievers and basing this only on my knowledge from computers and bios chips etc... So if I'm wrong, just ignore me lol!

[cbdane]

Hmmm makes me think that you could make your own flasher if the chip is off the shelf. I have not had a RX apart to see whats inside but if you can read out the code you could then flash other RX's IF it is an off the shelf chip.

The code in the microcontroller will be protected against downloads or tampering. This is a pretty solid system, although there are exotic ways around it. There are houses on the Pacific Rim that, for a price, can carefully saw off the top of the IC case and scan the actual IC with an electron microscope, probing the state of each bit in the EEPROM. Expensive but it just goes to prove that if someone wants to steal something bad enough (embedded firmware) they usually can.

[rdlohr]

The code in the microcontroller will be protected against downloads or tampering. This is a pretty solid system, although there are exotic ways around it. There are houses on the Pacific Rim that, for a price, can carefully saw off the top of the IC case and scan the actual IC with an electron microscope, probing the state of each bit in the EEPROM. Expensive but it just goes to prove that if someone wants to steal something bad enough (embedded firmware) they usually can.
Are you serious? Naaaah!

Rick

[Finless]

Not always does a manufacturer turn on the protection. Depending on what they used if it is a fuse-able link and they blow that usually you also can flash them. Other times they are not worried about someone copying the code out.... Only way to know is to find out :)

Bob

[fireup]

Hmmm makes me think that you could make your own flasher if the chip is off the shelf. I have not had a RX apart to see whats inside but if you can read out the code you could then flash other RX's IF it is an off the shelf chip.

Hey Kevin or Heliburns... wanna take a crack at it? I don't have time but I bet a 3rd party flasher would be a neat product ;)

Bob

Yes the chips are off-the-self. They are made by Cypress Microsystems

Here is a picture of the inside of an AR7000. Notice the re-programming pins are not brought out to the servo connectors so the enclosure has to be openned up for re-programming.
http://www.helifreak.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=38606&d=1203026392

The chip on the main AR7000 board is CY8C27443 and datasheet here:
http://download.cypress.com.edgesuite.net/design_resources/datasheets/contents/cy8c27443_8.pdf

The chip on the sattilite and reciever section is modal CY8C21434 and datasheet here:
http://download.cypress.com.edgesuite.net/design_resources/datasheets/contents/cy8c21434_8.pdf


Yes the firmware is protected from people reverse engineering the code, but it can be re-programmed if you have the HEX file or sourse code.

And even if the firmware was not protected, you can only make duplicate of the same version, changing it at machine code level is just not worth it (Assembly language makes my head hurt :bomb:).

You could even buy or make you own programmer if you want to change it. But because you don't have the orginal source and I don't think Spektrum will publish the HEX file for end-users to reprogram it themself.
http://media.digikey.com/photos/Cypress%20Semi%20Photos/CY3210-MINIPROG1.jpg

[Finless]

Kevin do you have a programmer? If so can you read the code? That chip has an option to protect it or not I think no? Maybe the protection is not on? So one of us goes and buys a new AR7000 with the new code and you read it and then we flash all our other RX's ?

Bob

[chichiuno]

Why would you waste your time trying to hack a USB Bluetooth device?
Only 100 foot range used as a wireless cell phone headset under ideal conditions.
No wonder all these Trex 500 are dropping like flies.

[Finless]

Whos talking about hacking? We just want to be able to flash the new code without having to send them in!

Bob

[fireup]

The programmer/emulator I have is out dated. I don't think it's compatiable with the current chips. I'm pretty sure that code protected was put on the chips. It's not hard to do, just set a flag and it's enabled.

http://www.helifreak.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=38614&d=1203033437


Why would you waste your time trying to hack a USB Bluetooth device?
Only 100 foot range used as a wireless cell phone headset under ideal conditions.
No wonder all these Trex 500 are dropping like flies.
I don't think Bluetooth was ever brought up? Spectrum does not work off bluetooth technology, it has a range in the miles.

[chichiuno]

The Cats out of the bag.
So now you know.:cheers

[sbmon]

What's really cool about the 1.6 update is that if you experience a very very quick/short loss of power and didn't notice it atleast the rx light will be flashing to verify that yes you just had a brown out.

[Socal500]

The Cats out of the bag.
So now you know.:cheers
What exactly are you referring to?

What's really cool about the 1.6 update is that if you experience a very very quick/short loss of power and didn't notice it atleast the rx light will be flashing to verify that yes you just had a brown out.

Is this present on the 7000 rx's? I have seen a couple of posts about either the SAT or Main RX flashing when the packs are first plugged in. Has anyone verified with Spektrum what this means exactly... assuming its not the feature mentioned for the 1.6 firmware?

[warpspeed]

What's really uncool about the update is now I've got to strip 20 rx's from various r/c's and then wait 46 years while Horizon gets thru the backlog.
PHFFFFFTTT!:tongue

[fireup]

What's really cool about the 1.6 update is that if you experience a very very quick/short loss of power and didn't notice it atleast the rx light will be flashing to verify that yes you just had a brown out.

Hopefully it's at a different rate so you won't get it confused with re-binding mode.

What's really uncool about the update is now I've got to strip 20 rx's from various r/c's and then wait 46 years while Horizon gets thru the backlog.
PHFFFFFTTT!:tongue

You can wait for 2.0.:nanabobo

[HeliBurns]

Here's a lockout.....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lwqI3nb2FA4

[rcboosted]

So this will bandaid up the brown out issue, how does it fair with the ESD issue?

Anyone know a shop that have the 6100E v1.6 available?

[HeliBurns]

Bob, I'll take a "crack" at it......after examing the PCB in question......I am amazed at the lack of quality..... there will no problem as to the quality of the systems that I make.....and the next time I have to open up a RX, I hope I will see the technical enthusiasim that I feel is necessary to provide US with the quality that we expect...

Bob, you bet I'll take a "crack" at that.......I will show them how to make an RF PCB....:)

[rdlohr]

Bob, I'll take a "crack" at it......after examing the PCB in question......I am amazed at the lack of quality..... there will no problem as to the quality of the systems that I make.....and the next time I have to open up a RX, I hope I will see the technical enthusiasim that I feel is necessary to provide US with the quality that we expect...

Bob, you bet I'll take a "crack" at that.......I will show them how to make an RF PCB....:)

This is good. I thought Bob was asking you to figure a way to reflash the firmware. Are you saying you will lay out a new PWB?

Rick