Firmware update fail 1.6a PIRA 32 anno 2006

[radiosiciliaexpress]

Good evening, something strange happened to me after trying to update the PIRA 32 firmware with the latest 1.6a. Both the Magic 3 and Magic 4 software no longer communicate....it says "Communication Error!" It has worked perfectly for over twenty years, it was better if I didn't update..... Thank you if Jan replies. THANKS FRANCESCO

[Jan]

I remember you. It is definitely correct to use the latest firmware version. Current control software may not work properly with 20-year-old firmware, many functions have been added since then.

Updating the firmware is a completely seamless process, even for a 20-year-old piece. If the update process is interrupted unintentionally, it is always possible to start it again. The procedure is described in the instructions. Simply put, first run the update and then turn on the device. The bootloader is stored in a memory that cannot be overwritten, so an update can never cause a complete loss of communication.

If the process is still not successful, look for the problem elsewhere, in the power supply or communication cable. You are using a serial device on a new computer. Be aware that the most common source of problems are cheap USB to RS232 converters or their drivers. In any case you need a laplink cable for your unit (wiring 2-3, 3-2, 5-5).

[radiosiciliaexpress]

Good morning JAN, always kind and quick in responding, I'll try as soon as I get to the office. I'll let you know - always THANK YOU

[radiosiciliaexpress]

Hi Jan, I ran the firmware update. The first time it gave me "failed at 47550 B-CRC error. Try again." I tried again and it updated with "Update OK." So far, so good...but Magic RDS isn't communicating. It keeps giving me a communication error!
I even did a RESET, but nothing works. I don't think it's a cable issue. I'll try again tonight. Any advice? Thanks, Francesco.

[Jan]

A CRC error during an update is not common in this case and indicates a communication problem that is not related to the firmware version, because only the bootloader is running at that time and it is fixed from the factory.
In most of these cases, the USB to RS232 adapter is to blame, there are often problems with the drivers, for example when migrating to a newer version of Windows.
I would recommend testing the device using a different power supply, a different PC and a different converter.
You don't mention whether the encoder is producing RDS data and whether the LEDs are working. This would help narrow down the possible causes.

For completeness, I will refer you to page 58 of the manual, where steps are generally described in case communication cannot be established (for example, if addressing or No-Header mode has been activated):
https://pira.cz/rds/manual.pdf

Of course, we can still test your board, or restore it to its original operating condition, but I believe that this will not be necessary.

[radiosiciliaexpress]

the update went OK and the LED remained on for the entire period of loading the firmware and when I reset it from the Magic RDS software the LED flashed as if it was receiving a signal... it does not work when I want to program and read and send if it was a problem with the cable (which I have been using for a long time also with your FM analyzer P175) it did not even update the firmware - THANKS

[Jan]

Check/try all these options in the Magic RDS 3 main menu:

Options – Preferences – General: Enable Autodetect port speed
RDS Encoder – Special – No Header mode – Switch off
RDS Encoder – Device Setup – Set Defaults - Store
RDS Encoder – Special – Initialize

Using these steps you override any possible configurations and set the PIRA32 board to the factory default state which corresponds to the latest firmware.

[radiosiciliaexpress]

Good evening Jan, I've done all the tests you described above but it doesn't work, I even changed the MAX232 chip, but it has the same problem. I also took the old notebook that I used 15 years ago which has the COM socket so using only the serial cable, it receives the commands you see the LED flashing, but it doesn't store them... it could be the 24LC256 or in the worst case the microcontroller. Best regards from FRANCESCO

[Jan]

We sold probably just the board itself, external influences are affecting it. The update itself will not cause this. As strange as it is to update a 20 year old board, we do such things and it still works fine.
It is not a problem for me to test the board, or possibly fix it, even if it is a 20 year old piece. It is much easier for me, I don't want you to spend your time anymore on this. I think you did everything you could. If you are interested in sending me the board, contact me on email.