[Elecraft] Fwd: K3 Failed DSP Firmware Download

[Craig - AE6RR]

Bob,

I had the same experience with my first K3 firmware upgrade.  I had the
radio connected to the microKEYER II in the normal operating configuration
and was trying out the utility, checking filter settings etc. and decided to
do a firmware upgrade.  I had forgotten about micrcoHAM's warning and
proceeded to click the upgrade button, there was no "Are You Sure?" warning
as Microsoft has trained us to expect, it just proceeded to turn the radio
into a brick.

After the thoughts of a road trip to Aptos went through my mind, I
remembered the warning, poked around in the manual and found the recovery
procedure.  I switched to a physical serial port on the PC and after a
couple of attempts managed to turn the brick back into a radio.

The radio queries can be disabled in the microHAM USB Device Router if you
go to the ports tab and click the SET button for the CAT port you will get a
new screen the has a check box for "Disable router queries".  If you are
brave, you could try this.  I am not sure if I am that brave.

It would be nice if the upgrade installation software was a bit more robust
and didn't just give up if it gets a bad record (the records do have
checksums or some other validity check, I hope).  If it would try again
after a bad record, it could probably recover.

73,
- Craig, AE6RR

K3 SN #4877

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bob Lanning
Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2011 10:58 AM
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Fwd: K3 Failed DSP Firmware Download

My first time FW upgrade failed too.  The problem?  I use Router a
virtual port defining piece of software microHAM uses for their
product's interfaces to such things as the microKEYER II.
 
In their manual is a warning in Yellow to not perform FW upgrades via
the microKEYER II interface which uses a port in their Router.  Indeed -
don't do it.  microHAM support told me the problem is the Router is
continually polling the radio and interferes with the download.  While
all other features and functions of Elecraft's Utility and Memory Editor
works fine, the FW download does not.
 
I have a desktop PC with no serial ports only lots of USB.  Elecraft
sells a very nice serial RS-232 to USB adapter cable with FTDI chip.
Using the FTDI driver to define a separate USB port as a COM port works
well.  I have also used Prolific drivers for converter cables using
Prolific protocol without any attention.  Both work really well.
 
It will/would be nice to have Elecraft provide a USB port in the radio
like some other manufacturers.  ICOM for instance - absolutely trouble
free and simple.  Copy a file to a thumb drive and stick it in the
radio's USB jack and press Upload.  Also in the case of ICOM's 7800 and
7700, you can plug a USB keyboard in and run RTTY or PSK - from the
keyboard.  No paddle needed.
 
Anyway - microHAM has excellent software and hardware but as they say,
do not attempt to download FW into any radio using an interface with
something like microKEYER II.  So when I want to perform a FW update I
unplug the microKEYER II originating DB-9 from the K3 and plug in the
separate USB/RS232 cable and perform the update.
 
73,
 
Bob - W6OPO
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