Updating the firmware in Instek GDS-1000A series scope

[dmmartindale]

Has anyone successfully updated the firmware in an Instek GDS-1062A, or any GDS-1000A series oscilloscope?  I've been trying, but just cannot get the scope to go into the "firmware upgrade mode".

Note that this model is from the GDS-1000A series, with 1 Gsample/sec sample rate and a SD card slot on the front panel.  It's not from the earlier GDS-1000 series which is limited to 250 Msample/sec, nor is it from the later GDS-1000A-U series which switched to a USB "A" jack on the front panel.

Background:
I bought the 1062A a few years ago.  It is running firmware 1.11.  It seems to work fine.  However, when I visit the Instek support page for this model at http://www.gwinstek.com/en/product/productdetail.aspx?pid=3&mid=7&id=42 and check the "download" tab, I see that the current firmware is version 1.14, from 2012.  So I downloaded the firmware file, plus the document described as "How to Upgrade the Firmware".  Should be straightforward, right?

The upgrade document says it is for the GDS-1000/1000A, so it's supposed to cover both SD-card equipped scopes.  The document says that the new firmware is in the form of 3 files named "dso1kh.rom", "dso1ks.rom", and "dso1kmon.rom".  But the zip file of new firmware for the 1000A series contains files named "dso1kah.rom", "dso1kam.rom", and "dso1kas.rom".  I figure that the names in the document were probably for the 1000 series, and got renamed for the 1000A series (note the "1k" in the names became "1ka") without updating the document to say that.  So probably not a real problem.

The document says to put the three files into the root directory of a SD card, and insert it in the scope.  Then power up the scope while pressing the F1 key (the top menu key just to the right of the screen) several times.  The scope is supposed to boot into the firmware upgrade mode.  But I've tried following the instructions at least a dozen times and the scope always goes directly into normal operation.

More details:
- I've tried 16 and 256 MB SD cards, freshly formatted as either FAT or FAT32, with nothing else on the card
- The scope detects that the card is inserted, and the scope's File Utilities mode sees the 3 files on the card
- I've tried holding pressing F1 before turning power on and then holding it.  I've tried pressing F1 many times during boot.

But the scope never goes into firmware upgrade mode.

I can imagine all sort of possible things that might have gone wrong:
- The jump from 1.11 to 1.14 is too large; it requires something in some version after 1.11 to even recognize 1.14
- The upgrade document is wrong, and there is some other method needed to do firmware upgrades on the 1000A series
- Upgrading firmware requires something else (e.g. a jumper setting on the circuit board) that I don't know about.

But these are just guesses.  What I really need is to find someone who has done a successful upgrade, knows how it can be done, and who can see what's wrong in the procedure described in the Instek document (or to point out where my reading comprehension has failed).  If you have ever upgraded the firmware in a GDS-1000A series scope, please tell me what worked.

Thanks,
    Dave

[korlatos]

Hi Dave,

I have a GDS-1102A with FW rev. 1.11 and tried to upgrade it to 1.14 after reading your post. I have the same issue here - no luck entering the bootloader mode.

[wraper]

I made a firmware update on GDS-1152A a few years ago. It was a real PITA to get it into update mode, IIRC about 1 successful attempt out of ten, and worked only with 16MB MMC card, all SD cards (64+ MB) failed to work.

[wraper]

Tried to enter update mode now, still pita to do, but works if tried hard  . Memory card is not required to enter update mode. It is just luck to press F1 button at the right moment. Update: Actually it succesfully enters update mode every time, if you manage to press button 4-5 times per second  . Update 2: Actually not so easy as it seemed. After many successful tries in the row had the problem to enter again. As it turned out, one shall press button at particular rate, slower and faster do not work   

[dmmartindale]

Eureka!  I got it to do the firmware upgrade.

The key piece of information (courtesy of "wraper") is that you have to press F1 very rapidly, many times a second, which is faster than I had tried before.  My first attempt still failed, but the second try worked.  Once I got into the upgrade monitor, everything else happened according to the Instek instructions: press F4, wait for the upgrade to complete, then power the scope off and back on.  The System Info menu now confirms that the scope is at version 1.14.

Additional notes:

- Ignore the ROM file names in the upgrade PDF.  Those must be for the older GDS-1000 series.  The 3 files supplied in the 1.14 update package are named
      dso1kah.rom
      dso1kam.rom
      dso1kas.rom
  and those are the files that the scope accepted.

- I used a 16 MB SD card for the update, freshly formatted with nothing on it other than the 3 ROM images.  So an SD card will work, it doesn't need to be a MMC card.  (But it's possible that the upgrade monitor doesn't understand SDHC or later variants, or cards above some upper limit in size).

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread.

Now, does anyone know what changed between 1.11 and 1.14?  Any new features, or just bug fixes?

- Dave

[wraper]

Don't know anything about 1.14, but IIRC 1.12 gave some noticeable additional features nope, that was 1.10, don't remember what exactly though, probably something cursor measurement related. This scope basically collects dust since I bought Rigol DS2072.

[korlatos]

Thank you, wraper! I was also able to upgrade to 1.14 firmware based on your instructions.

[BillW50]

Well I am not having any luck updating my firmware on my Instek GDS-1062A from 1.11 to 1.14. First my file names are different than the rest of yours:

dso1kAUh.rom   289kB
dso1kAUm.rom   188kB
dso1kAUs.rom   746kB

And when I get into the firmware upgrade mode (if you see the splash screen then it is too late) and press F4, I get:

SD_FOPEN_ERROR!!

I got my files from:

http://www.gwinstek.com.tw/en/product/productdetail.aspx?pid=3&mid=7&id=1298

[wraper]

Well I am not having any luck updating my firmware on my Instek GDS-1062A from 1.11 to 1.14. First my file names are different than the rest of yours:

dso1kAUh.rom   289kB
dso1kAUm.rom   188kB
dso1kAUs.rom   746kB

And when I get into the firmware upgrade mode (if you see the splash screen then it is too late) and press F4, I get:

SD_FOPEN_ERROR!!

I got my files from:

http://www.gwinstek.com.tw/en/product/productdetail.aspx?pid=3&mid=7&id=1298

Because you try to use the wrong firmware. That page is for 1000A-U series.

[wraper]

Download from here:
http://www.gwinstek.com.tw/en/product/productdetail.aspx?pid=3&mid=7&id=42

[BillW50]

Ah thanks wraper! That works well.

[flacoclau]

Hello, this is my first post here. A few years ago i bought a GDS-1102A with a firmware version V1.06, which has never been updated. I want to improve it to a newer version, but after an exhaustive search I have not found where to download. In the manufacturer's website are only for versions B, AU and U, even i sent a mail to the address on old messages of his twitter account (jlin@instek.com), but accuses me that email account no longer exists, someone has a new version to share me? or a link from which to download?
I apologize for my writing, and I am not English-speaking and my secretary (G. translator) is not very smart.
Thank you very much for your help!

[korlatos]

PM sent.

[flacoclau]

I have sent you my address thank you very much!

[oscarandresvelez]

I wondering if you please cand send me the firwmare files for the GDS-1102A. I have not found where to download. In the manufacturer's website are only for versions B, AU and U.   My scope is giving a error. "uncompress error" when I turn it on.  I think if i update firmware maybe works fine again.

Thanks in advance.   

[wraper]

I wondering if you please cand send me the firwmare files for the GDS-1102A. I have not found where to download. In the manufacturer's website are only for versions B, AU and U.   My scope is giving a error. "uncompress error" when I turn it on.  I think if i update firmware maybe works fine again.

Thanks in advance.   

IIRC Instek will send the firmware if you write them an email. Also some of their firmwares will appear for download only if you register and login while others are available without that.

[wraper]

BTW GDS-1000A series had a lifetime warranty, although you probably had to register the purchase on their website for this.

[korlatos]

I wondering if you please cand send me the firwmare files for the GDS-1102A. I have not found where to download. In the manufacturer's website are only for versions B, AU and U.   My scope is giving a error. "uncompress error" when I turn it on.  I think if i update firmware maybe works fine again.

Thanks in advance.   

PM sent.

[mcheelab3]

Hello Wrapper,

I am having similar problems to those mentioned above. I am getting the SD_FOPEN_ERROR message when I try to upgrade using the following files from the Gw Instek webpage.

  dso1kh.rom
• dso1ks.rom
• dso1kmon.rom

GDS-1062 is the model number of our oscilloscope. We would appreciate any help! Thanks in advance for time and efforts.

Alex