Eggtimer Quasar and Eggfinder LCD Receiver Firmware Updates

[cerving]

We have just released two firmware updates on the Eggtimer Rocketry web site:

* Eggtimer Quasar Rev. 1.02R
* Eggfinder LCD Rev. 2.03Q

These updates offer a number of performance improvements, particularly with the Quasar-LCD interface, as well as fixing some annoying bugs (like the repeated "feet, feet, feet..." call-out by the Voice Module... some of you probably know what I'm talking about.) The LCD receiver firmware now has a Device parameter specifically for the Quasar, which now supports display/voice call-out of the AUX channel as well as the Drogue/Main channels. It also does a much better job with the TX/Mini transmitters of displaying & calling out the GPS' ASL altitude (although you are unlikely to get accurate GPS altitude data during the ascent phase of your flight... that's a GPS issue, not the LCD's.)

Products shipping out as of 10/23/23 will have those firmware versions pre-programmed. Updates and the instructions for flashing your Quasar/LCD can be found on the Support page of our web site, EggtimerRocketry.com/Support. Be sure to read the Release Notes for each product.

As usual, thanks for your continued support!

Cris Erving, Eggtimer Rocketry

 

[DarthMuffin]

Neato! Thanks.

 

[Handeman]

Is there any reason to upgrade the firmware if we don't have a Quasar or use the Voice Module? Other than keeping current?

 

[DerRedMax]

Following this thread. Interested if the firmware for the LCD needs to be updated if not using the Voice Module.

 

[cerving]

There are some improvements in the core GPS routines, primarily to fix issues with GPS altitude reporting. We did a lot of flight testing with TX/Mini's, and we can confirm that this function works much better than it did before. You don't HAVE to update the LCD if you don't care about that, and/or if you don't have the Voice Module, but it's always a good idea to keep the firmware current.

 

[DerRedMax]

Thx Chris!!

 

[Seatechnerd83]

would it be possible to add a dBm reporting feature down the road to the LCD RX updates roadmap? (probably not the right place to ask this but I didn't wanna make an entire new thread) I lost connection to my eggfinder mini all the way past apogee (mainly my fault because the antenna was suboptimal to the ground) so I was just wondering if it would be possible to have a 1hz or .5 hz reporting cycle of the dBm so that I could track the connection. Just wondering, and it would be an interesting feature, nowhere near paramount.

 

[cerving]

I tried using the RF module's RSSI function quite awhile ago, it wasn't very reliable. It may be something I revisit. Another thing that I may revisit is a LOS indicator... we can tell if you're getting SOME signal but not a fix, that was originally going to be a voice call-out but I had to take it out of the firmware when the Voice Module was released because it had some annoyance issues (i.e. giving you too many "L-O-S" and "SIGNAL O-K" messages).

 

[ecargmij]

We have just released two firmware updates on the Eggtimer Rocketry web site:

* Eggtimer Quasar Rev. 1.02R
* Eggfinder LCD Rev. 2.03Q

These updates offer a number of performance improvements, particularly with the Quasar-LCD interface, as well as fixing some annoying bugs (like the repeated "feet, feet, feet..." call-out by the Voice Module... some of you probably know what I'm talking about.) The LCD receiver firmware now has a Device parameter specifically for the Quasar, which now supports display/voice call-out of the AUX channel as well as the Drogue/Main channels. It also does a much better job with the TX/Mini transmitters of displaying & calling out the GPS' ASL altitude (although you are unlikely to get accurate GPS altitude data during the ascent phase of your flight... that's a GPS issue, not the LCD's.)

Products shipping out as of 10/23/23 will have those firmware versions pre-programmed. Updates and the instructions for flashing your Quasar/LCD can be found on the Support page of our web site, EggtimerRocketry.com/Support. Be sure to read the Release Notes for each product.

As usual, thanks for your continued support!

Cris Erving, Eggtimer Rocketry

Chris do you have any info on a free terminal software for updating? I was only able to get hyperterminal (free for 30 days) to show version status.. I have a free terminal for win11 but can't seem to find the right scripting online to get it to work like hyperterminal.. thanks

 

[cerving]

I use Putty, and we have a document on our web site that tells you how to use it.

https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html

 

[ecargmij]

I use Putty, and we have a document on our web site that tells you how to use it.

https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html

Thanks Chris, I missed the doc on your website. I Googled and was able to find your putty instructions..

 

[AnalogtoDigital]

I was banging my head against the wall getting the AVR dude communication error

avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00

While I cannot go back and verify with the Prolific TTL dongle as I purchased a CP2012 off Amazon.

If I hook it up like the flashing document shows, it always returns that error.

My wiring for the CP2012 is as follows, LEFT side is CP2012 board, right side LCD board

CP2012 ----- LCD
GND ------- GND
TX ------- RX
RX ------- TX

I hope this helps, I was up at 02:00 the other night trying everything

 

[cerving]

Keys to success updating the Atmel processors (Classic, TRS, LCD, EVM):

If you have the USB-Serial cable, don’t use the Prolific driver that comes with Windows, it does NOT work properly. Also, the latest Prolific driver from their web site won’t work with the cable either. Instead, download the one on our web site,

https://eggtimerrocketry.com/home/support/
(If you’re using the USB -Serial “dongle” for Windows 11, follow the driver/connection instructions that came with it, or see our Support page for directions).

Set your COM port to COM2 in Device Manager, we recommend COM2 unless you actually have something on it (which is extremely rare nowadays). If Windows complains, ignore the warning... it's just Windows being Windows.

Don't push the paperclip jumper across the RST pads in too far, it only needs to go in far enough to contact the pads. If you push it in "all the way", it may bounce when it comes out and reset the processor.

Pull out the paperclip IMMEDIATELY after launching the .bat file. This is time-sensitive... but ones you get the rhythm it gets easy.

 

[AnalogtoDigital]

I was using the driver from your website from when I had setup my Mini Transmitter.

Attached is a cropped screenshot from the flashing document where I believe the problem lies.

I never got it working like that, I think if the white goes to RX and the Green to TX I could have flashed with my prolific dongle.


C:\Eggtimer>203Q.bat

C:\Eggtimer>echo on

C:\Eggtimer>cd C:\WinAVR-20100110\bin

C:\WinAVR-20100110\bin>avrdude -Cavrdude.conf -v -v -pm328p -carduino -P\\.\COM4 -b115200 -D -Uflash:w:c:\eggtimer\eggfinder_lcd_2_03q.hex:i

avrdude: Version 5.10, compiled on Jan 19 2010 at 10:45:23
Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Joerg Wunsch

System wide configuration file is "avrdude.conf"

Using Port : \\.\COM4
Using Programmer : arduino
Overriding Baud Rate : 115200
AVR Part : ATMEGA328P
Chip Erase delay : 9000 us
PAGEL : PD7
BS2 : PC2
RESET disposition : dedicated
RETRY pulse : SCK
serial program mode : yes
parallel program mode : yes
Timeout : 200
StabDelay : 100
CmdexeDelay : 25
SyncLoops : 32
ByteDelay : 0
PollIndex : 3
PollValue : 0x53
Memory Detail :

Block Poll Page Polled
Memory Type Mode Delay Size Indx Paged Size Size #Pages MinW MaxW ReadBack
----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
eeprom 65 5 4 0 no 1024 4 0 3600 3600 0xff 0xff
flash 65 6 128 0 yes 32768 128 256 4500 4500 0xff 0xff
lfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
hfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
efuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
lock 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
calibration 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
signature 0 0 0 0 no 3 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00

Programmer Type : Arduino
Description : Arduino
Hardware Version: 3
Firmware Version: 4.4
Vtarget : 0.3 V
Varef : 0.3 V
Oscillator : 28.800 kHz
SCK period : 3.3 us

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.03s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e950f
avrdude: safemode: lfuse reads as 0
avrdude: safemode: hfuse reads as 0
avrdude: safemode: efuse reads as 0
avrdude: reading input file "c:\eggtimer\eggfinder_lcd_2_03q.hex"
avrdude: writing flash (31960 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 7.14s

avrdude: 31960 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against c:\eggtimer\eggfinder_lcd_2_03q.hex:
avrdude: load data flash data from input file c:\eggtimer\eggfinder_lcd_2_03q.hex:
avrdude: input file c:\eggtimer\eggfinder_lcd_2_03q.hex contains 31960 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip flash data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 4.62s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 31960 bytes of flash verified

avrdude: safemode: lfuse reads as 0
avrdude: safemode: hfuse reads as 0
avrdude: safemode: efuse reads as 0
avrdude: safemode: Fuses OK

avrdude done. Thank you.


C:\WinAVR-20100110\bin>cd \eggtimer
C:\Eggtimer>

 

[cerving]

Glad your flash update worked. Also, we recommend using COM2... it just works better. Don't ask me why... it's Windows, Jake.

Check the document for the dongle on the web site, it has the dongle-pin to cable-color mappings.