Firmware for newer 6TDs and CD24s

This firmware is also applicable to 3ESPCDs with integrated CD24 digitisers.

The latest version of the CD24/6TD firmware is available below.

To find out what firmware version you are currently using, right-click on the digitiser’s icon ( - not the Local or the Comxx icons) in Scream!’s main window and select Configure from the pop-up menu. This will open the Configuration setup window. The version number is given in the Software revision box.

Download

the latest CD24 firmware, an 89k .zip file containing:

• system program v.328

Earlier versions

Earlier versions of the CD24 firmware, for testing or reference, may be downloaded from: the CD24 download directory.

Units that will not upgrade

Some units have an incompatible boot-loader that will not accept the new firmware. Attempting to flash the latest file will not damage your unit. However, the upgrade will not succeed and the firmware will revert to an earlier version.

Should this affect your unit, please email for further instructions and the compatible firmware release.

Upgrading units with Ethernet from before version 279

The Ethernet enable flag has moved in CMOS so when upgrading the firmware, Ethernet is inadvertently switched off. This is an issue if upgrading firmware on remote units over a network connection. To upgrade units from v.278 and earlier, this work around must be used. Open a terminal and enter:

Now load the new code as normal. When complete connect to the sensor again and open a terminal to enter:

After upgrading...

Upgrades from some early firmware versions can interfere with the setting of the high-pass filter. To check, right-click on the digitiser's icon (not the Local or the Comxx icons) in Scream!’s main window and select Configure from the context menu. This will open Scream's Configure dialogue: Select the Output Control tab. There should be a drop-down menu to configure the high-pass filter but, in some cases, the menu will be missing, as shown here:

If this is the case, open a terminal to the digitiser by right-clicking on its icon in the source tree and selecting Terminal from the context menu. In the resulting window, type the commands

The terminal window will close. If you now revisit the Output Control tab of the Configure dialogue, the menu should be restored, as shown below:

Upgrade instructions

1. In Scream!’s main window, right-click on the instrument’s icon and select Terminal… from the pop-up menu. (If this fails, connect the instrument directly to a serial port and right-click on the serial port instead.)

2. Check that there is two-way communication with the digitiser by pressing enter. The instrument should reply with ok on a new line.

3. Type ok-1 to enable advanced commands. The instrument will reply with a message describing the current firmware version.

   

4. If the firmware needs updating, type load and press enter. The instrument will display load C. The instrument will now wait 10 seconds for you to provide a firmware file.

5. Right-click on the terminal window and select Send file…:

   

   Navigate through the directories on your computer to find the firmware file, select it, and click Open.

6. If the file opens successfully, Scream! will show the progress of the upload:

   

   Depending on the speed of the link, it may take up to 20 minutes to transfer the firmware.

7. When the transfer completes, type re-boot to restart the 6TD.

   

8. At this point you may want to switch the 6TD off and then back on, to ensure that it restarts properly.

9. Allow 30 seconds for the instrument to restart, then open another terminal window. Type ok-1. The 6TD will reply with a message containing the new firmware version number. If this is correct, you have successfully updated the firmware. Close the terminal window to resume data transmission.

Change Log

v.328, 2017-07-24

This release addresses a number of disk-related bugs and performance issues.

• If the storage was filled in write-once mode, the CD24 became unresponsive and then performed repeated reboots without any serial output. It could not be reset without being opened for a hardware-jumper-reset or a re-flash. A temporary resolution could be effected by using the FILESAVE command to reset the memory pointers, but the problem would reoccur when the storage was next full. This is now resolved: the CD24 continues to be responsive after the storage is filled.
• The WRITE-ONCE transmission mode should change automatically to DIRECT when the storage becomes full, but this was not happening. This is now resolved: the digitiser behaves correctly when the memory is filled.
• The FLUSH command was too slow, taking 110 minutes to complete a 16 GB flush - approximately 2.3 MB/s. Firmware versions v.314 and earlier were faster, achieving ~7.6 MB/s. This is now resolved: A compromise allows the rate to be recovered to 5.5MB/s, (i.e 50 minutes for 16 GB), while still working with both older and newer disk types.
• A FLUSH operation when using new (SATA) disks, identified by the lack of an external heater socket, gave many write-queue error messages, displayed as "Qerr". These are emitted when the FireWire bus is reset and, cumulatively, added tens of minutes to a flush on top of the already decreased transfer rate. This is now resolved: The Qerr message will still occasionally be printed, but the frequency has been reduced as much as possible. For example, around two such errors may now occur during a 16 GB transfer, causing a delay of around ten seconds.

v.326c, 2015-12-04

This release adds support for uBlox v1.08 firmware

• Added support for 2dp or 3dp in the ZDA seconds field - needed for uBlox v1.08 firmware compatibility.

v.326, 2015-08-21

This release adds support for uBlox GPS receivers:

• Added support for uBlox NMEA sentence $PGSLS sentence to set the "leapsecond" variable.
• Parse latitude and longitude from five-decimal-place values (from uBlox) properly.

v.323, 2014-06-23

• Added support for 4GB memory modules
• Improvements to step and broadband noise calibration
• Default Baud rate now 115,200

v.321, 2013-10-15

• Adds support for newer memory modules (superseded by 323)

v.320, 2013-05-23

• Minor change to powering the FireWire disk

v.319, 2013-05-23

• Improves behaviour when automatically flushing data to disk through a FireWire hub.
• Supports 800 samples/second output.

v.317, 2013-04-15

• Adds support for newer FireWire drives.

v.316, 2012-11-27

• Fixes a bug which caused occasional extra characters in serial transmissions when RTstatus was enabled.

v.315, 2012-06-27

• Resets the GPS a few seconds after boot-up. This resolves a timing problem that only affected low-latency, rack-mounted CD24 digitisers with built-in EAMs.

v.314, 2012-05-04

• Resolved a problem where the unit would sometimes reboot while awaiting a firmware or InfoBlock upload. NB: please be sure to use “LOAD” for firmware and “LOAD-I” for info blocks.
• Resolved a problem where the configuration could become corrupted. This would often manifest as incorrect system or stream IDs.

v.310, 2012-01-05

• Added support for newer memory architectures.

v.309, 2011-06-01

• Added – Temperature reporting to status stream every 10 minutes, to match DM24 Mk3.

v.305, 2011-04-20

• Fixed – Stream names for triggered data were not compatible with DM24 equivalents.
• Fixed – A problem that could prevent the DOWNLOAD command from working when in certain transmission modes.
• Fixed – 5T can now be selected as a sensor type.
• Fixed – Erroneous reporting of tap speeds at boot when higher rates used.
• Added – 230,400 baud support.
• Added – Level triggering and high-pass filtering, compatible with the DM24.
• Added – A new, low-latency mode.

v.290, 2009-12-08

• Fixed – Triggered data was not always stored to FLASH when in DUPLICATE mode.
• Fixed – Triggered data was not always completely stored to FLASH when in dual mode – some post-trigger data could be lost.
• Fixed – Trigger messages caused status to be flushed. Flushing now only occurs at the end of the trigger, not after each message.
• Fixed – Disk power was not turned on by the RESET-DISC command.

v.289, 2009-11-06

• Added – Variable timeout for Ethernet watchdog
  

  Added commands ETHERTO and ETHERTO? to be used as follows:

  • 15 ETHERTO will set the timeout to 15 minutes
  • ETHERTO? will print out the timeout stored

v.287, 2009-06-17

• Fixed – Download command fails to function correctly resulting in little or no data. Work around is to use FireWire port for data extraction.

v.286, 2009-04-08

• Fixed – Terminal window closes when doing flush on 16G units. Timeout issue. Flush still completes.
• Fixed – Write once mode Show-Flash has negative value in free memory location. Display fault only.
• Fixed – Write-once mode when flash is full: a flush results in an endless loop.
• Fixed – Oldest data in show-flash is wrong: both ID and Date+Time are incorrect after the flash has been erased.

v.285, 2009-03-20

• Fixed – watchdog reset problem.

v.283, 2008-06-08

• Fixed: large flash chip erase.
• Fixed: time stamp of PWM status lines.

v.282, 2008-05-28

• Fixed: Showflash message doesn’t indicate how much flash is free. Also it should show times and not chip position. Also better indication of GPS status required rather than raw NMEA message.
• Fixed: GPS on power cycle exhibits unstable behaviour. Offset oscillates between GPS on times.
• Fixed: GPS power cycle message in status is incorrect (this is only a display issue and does not affect actual operation).
• Fixed: When using Lock/Unlock/Centre mass position continues to be output after ‘go’.
• Fixed: GPS status messages needs to be improved. Current messages are not human readable and should be interpreted and output to status stream.
• Fixed: Boot up system status should have config details. Details of the system should be included. Baud rate, Taps, Triggering etc.
• Fixed: Flash download fails with Qerr when there is more than 1 day of data.
• Added: support for flush button and status LED (hardware dependent).
• Added: time to autocentre status.
• Added: power control for FireWire power and auto-flush functionality (hardware dependent).
• Added: time stamp on status lines.

v.280, 2008-03-28

• Set-clock fixed.
• Buffer overrun fixed.

v.279, 2008-02-20

• FireWire arbitration.
• Flash status persistence.
• Added time sync packet output.
• Re-arranged enable flags for Ethernet enable + others to be compatible with DM24 layout

v.278, 2007-10-23

• .info command now included.
• %autocentre now controls the autocentre correctly, and will report the current configuration.

v.277, 2007-10-02

• ADS1216/17 chip detection on re-boot autodetect is unreliable. Solution is to manually select chip. Uses CMOS to keep configuration. It initialises to operate with a ADS1216. If a 1217 is fitted the command AD17 enable is used to switch operation to the ADS1217. .AD17 reports current setting (enabled/disabled). Fault can be identified as a doubling in gain of the mass position and calibration signal inputs.

For more information, first contact your local distributor or email .