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Rigol DS1000Z series firmware downgrade is possible(early bootloader revs)
Posted by TheSteve on 14 Feb, 2016 05:31 -
Was playing around with key sequences during power up with my Rigol DS1074Z-S (converted to a DS1104Z of course) and discovered how to force a firmware downgrade. So far I have gone back and forth between a few versions, the oldest being to 4.00.00.00. No side effects of any kind were noted so far. I am sure this work for the entire DS1000Z line including the ever popular DS1054Z.
If you follow my instructions you do so at your own risk, if your scope bricks or steals your TV remote I am not responsible!
*edit* - this appears to work only with very old boot loader versions such as 0.0.0.11 and 0.0.0.13
To downgrade do the following:
-Copy the .GEL file with the firmware version you want to a USB stick that you know is compatible with the DS1000Z series.
-With the scope powered OFF plug the USB stick into the scope.
-Power the scope on.
-When the splash screen with "Rigol" appears you should hear a quick beep which indicates it sees a USB device.
-As soon as you hear the beep press the "Help" button 3 times quickly.
-In a few seconds you should see the channel 1 LED blinking - this indicates it is flashing the firmware.
-Once done flashing the scope will boot as normal and tell you it found a firmware update with the same version it just flashed, you can press cancel.
-You can then verify the new detailed version info by pressing "menu menu force menu" quickly, then pressing "utility","system", "system info".
-I'd reboot at this point before using the scope just for good measure.
Being able to downgrade the DS1000Z series of scopes doesn't seem critically important at this point but there does seem to be a laggy version people may want to downgrade from.
For me the bigger picture is pondering what other devices this method might possibly work for - my mind instantly goes to the DSA815 spectrum analyzer. There is a slim chance those with the newest bootloader version could use this method to downgrade firmware so that Riglol works again, install all of the licensed options and then upgrade as normal to current firmware while retaining the options. I don't have a DSA815 anymore to try it, if someone does attempt I expect they will have sweaty palms.
Attached are before and after system info screen shots from my scope.
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Good work, and thanks!
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Was playing around with key sequences during power up
how is that you dont remove the usb stick while the led is blinking, and brick your scope during the "playing around"? i smell jason chonko of north america is giving you a hint. anyway good info i've put the steps in my readme.txt of my rigol driver folder
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Was playing around with key sequences during power up
how is that you dont remove the usb stick while the led is blinking, and brick your scope during the "playing around"? i smell jason chonko of north america is giving you a hint. anyway good info i've put the steps in my readme.txt of my rigol driver folder
Well your nose is busted and to be honest I resent your statement, I received no hints from anyone. The only info I had to go on was how the DG1022 is updated, from there it was experiment with button combos to see what happens.
btw - anytime you're messing around with trying to flash a firmware update the last thing you'd want to experiment with is pulling out the flash drive. I've also bricked many a device in the past experimenting in similar fashion(thankfully recovered nearly all just fine). -
00.04.03.02.03 (4.03SP2) here.
It almost worked! It blinks the CH1 led for a few seconds, but then it gives up and starts flashing all the leds at ~2Hz . The first time I waited a few minutes, but I also tried seconds and it's safe to just restart at this point.
I guess the latest version adds even more unwanted "features". Maybe. I've tried several versions but only one stick. It works fine with the scope for anything else, but I'll try others when they decide to come out of hiding.
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00.04.03.02.03 (4.03SP2) here.
It almost worked! It blinks the CH1 led for a few seconds, but then it gives up and starts flashing all the leds at ~.5Hz . The first time I waited a few minutes, but I also tried seconds and it's safe to just restart at this point.
I guess the latest version adds even more unwanted "features". Maybe. I've tried several versions but only one stick. It works fine with the scope for anything else, but I'll try others when they decide to come out of hiding.
What version did you try to downgrade to, perhaps it makes a difference. It may also matter what boot version you have, mine is quite old. -
What version did you try to downgrade to, perhaps it makes a difference. It may also matter what boot version you have, mine is quite old.
4.3.0.1, 4.2.4.7 and 4.0.0.0 .
Boot 0.0.1.2
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What version did you try to downgrade to, perhaps it makes a difference. It may also matter what boot version you have, mine is quite old.
4.3.0.1, 4.2.4.7 and 4.0.0.0 .
Boot 0.0.1.2
That is a shame. I used this file specifically - http://gotroot.ca/rigol/DS1000Z-04_00_00_00.7z
There are technically two updates in there, one supposedly for the bootloader and one for the firmware. I have done downgrades to both without an issue.
As a test put your current firmware on the flash drive and see if it will flash, if it does then I am thinking your boot version prevents downgrades, if it doesn't then it probably doesn't like your flash drive. -
That is a shame. I used this file specifically - http://gotroot.ca/rigol/DS1000Z-04_00_00_00.7z
I tried the two .GEL files in there as well. Nope.As a test put your current firmware on the flash drive and see if it will flash, if it does then I am thinking your boot version prevents downgrades, if it doesn't then it probably doesn't like your flash drive.
It worked (both your method and the regular one). They do prevent downgrades. Now.
Perhaps the SA doesn't have this "feature" yet, though.
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Well... this is interesting.
So it did work with a genuine 1074z unlocked to 1104z, with Boot Version 0.0.0.11 ... but it did NOT work with a 1054z with Boot Version 0.0.1.2? Is that right?
So has anyone gotten it to work with an actual 1054z, with any boot version? -
That is a shame. I used this file specifically - http://gotroot.ca/rigol/DS1000Z-04_00_00_00.7z
There are technically two updates in there, one supposedly for the bootloader and one for the firmware. I have done downgrades to both without an issue.
Which older FW version do you suggest for best balance between bugfix & UI responsivity ?
I'm spotting to many knob miss here & there whith later versions and i wish to downgrade too. -
Well... this is interesting.
So it did work with a genuine 1074z unlocked to 1104z, with Boot Version 0.0.0.11 ... but it did NOT work with a 1054z with Boot Version 0.0.1.2? Is that right?
So has anyone gotten it to work with an actual 1054z, with any boot version?
Hang on -- the difference might be due to the scope model or due to the bootloader version, as you suggest. But I understand that TheSteve and nrxnrx have also been downgrading from different firmware versions: According to the screenshot in the initial post, 4.3.1.05 seems to be the highest version TheSteve tried (successfully), while nrxnrx has not been able to downgrade from 4.3.2.03.
Hence, the "no downgrade" policy might also be caused by the later firmware. I'd rather not try, because I still have an earlier, more responsive firmare version on y hacked DS1054Z, and do not want to be stuck with the most recent, sluggish one. -
Hence, the "no downgrade" policy might also be caused by the later firmware. I'd rather not try, because I still have an earlier, more responsive firmare version on y hacked DS1054Z, and do not want to be stuck with the most recent, sluggish one.
Could you please specify which version and maybe suggest where it's possible to download ? -
Could you please specify which version and maybe suggest where it's possible to download ?
https://hamsterpower.org/f/rigolfw/4_03SP1.zip . Not sure atm about the exact version, but it's the second to last public one.
I'm not aware of an official link.
Edit: The .GEL file contains 00.04.03.01.05, so I guess that's the full version number.
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Could you please specify which version and maybe suggest where it's possible to download ?
https://hamsterpower.org/f/rigolfw/4_03SP1.zip . Not sure atm about the exact version, but it's the second to last public one.
I'm not aware of an official link.
Edit: The .GEL file contains 00.04.03.01.05, so I guess that's the full version number.
Thanks a lot.
I just gave a try on mine DS1074Z but the procedure does not work, operating the help button after the beep results in stucked scope with all keys blinking, i had to recycle the power after a while fearing to have bricked the thing
Luckily the scope still works, previous firmware anyway.
My booloader is 0.0.1.1, SW 00.04.03.02.03 -
So it did work with a genuine 1074z unlocked to 1104z, with Boot Version 0.0.0.11 ... but it did NOT work with a 1054z with Boot Version 0.0.1.2? Is that right?
Yes. It worked with the 1074z, but it did not with the 1054z (mine).
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Could you please specify which version and maybe suggest where it's possible to download ?
https://hamsterpower.org/f/rigolfw/4_03SP1.zip . Not sure atm about the exact version, but it's the second to last public one.
I'm not aware of an official link.
Edit: The .GEL file contains 00.04.03.01.05, so I guess that's the full version number.
Thanks nrxnrx, you beat me to the reply. Yes, that's the version I am also using. Does not have the "extended" FFT and pulse counting features yet, but according to various posts on the forum here is more responsive than the most recent published version. (I did not notice, or found any posts about, differences in responsiveness between the earlier versions; only the most recent one is more sluggish apparently.) -
It did not work on my DS1054Z either with boot version 0.0.1.2. I tried going from SP2 to SP1; I don't have any other versions easily to hand.
Thanks for trying to find a solution. -
Was playing around with key sequences during power up with my Rigol DS1074Z-S (converted to a DS1104Z of course) and discovered how to force a firmware downgrade.
...
-As soon as you hear the beep press the "Help" button 3 times quickly.
And you just happened to notice that ... how?
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I just gave a try on mine DS1074Z but the procedure does not work, operating the help button after the beep results in stucked scope with all keys blinking, i had to recycle the power after a while fearing to have bricked the thing
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My booloader is 0.0.1.1, SW 00.04.03.02.03
So the fact that it does not allow the downgrade seems to be correlated with the 00.04.03.02.03 firmware, right? TheSteve's initial post mentioned success with the same scope model and bootloader version, but downgrading from an earlier firmware.
That's rather annoying, since the most recent firmware is probably the one which most people would like to downgrade from.
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@TheSteve
Board version was downgraded too from 4.1.1. to 0.1.1. ?
Or maybe your scope is suffering for "random" board version syndrome as my(ex) 1054Z suffered with Boot Version 0.0.1.2
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@TheSteve
Board version was downgraded too from 4.1.1. to 0.1.1. ?
Or maybe your scope is suffering for "random" board version syndrome as my(ex) 1054Z suffered with Boot Version 0.0.1.2
I suspect the 4 at the beginning indicates the "Source" module is present and wasn't displayed in earlier firmware versions but I don't really know.
I am sticking with version 4.3.1.05 as that seems to be a good balance of bugs/performance.
At this point it looks like the bootloader is responsible for preventing downgrades when in this mode, mine has got to be one of the earliest revs out there. I can't do a downgrade from the GUI but can from the help button mode.
I also tried doing to the bootloader update that is included with version 04.00.00.00 and while it says it was successful and updates the regular firmware I've never seen a change in my bootloader version. -
At this point it looks like the bootloader is responsible for preventing downgrades when in this mode, mine has got to be one of the earliest revs out there. I can't do a downgrade from the GUI but can from the help button mode.
I don't think so. See reply #14 by markone: He also used bootloader 0.0.1.1, but did not succeed in downgrading (from firmware version 00.04.03.02.03.)
TheSteve -- have you tried upgrading to firmware 00.04.03.02.03, and were you able to go back to an earlier version afterwards? Otherwise I would assume that it's this latest firmware which prevents the downgrade. (I don't mean to be obstinate about this, but think that it's important to find out, since quite a few people have been disappointed by the latest firmware release and might like to downgrade.) -
At this point it looks like the bootloader is responsible for preventing downgrades when in this mode, mine has got to be one of the earliest revs out there. I can't do a downgrade from the GUI but can from the help button mode.
I don't think so. See reply #14 by markone: He also used bootloader 0.0.1.1, but did not succeed in downgrading (from firmware version 00.04.03.02.03.)
TheSteve -- have you tried upgrading to firmware 00.04.03.02.03, and were you able to go back to an earlier version afterwards? Otherwise I would assume that it's this latest firmware which prevents the downgrade. (I don't mean to be obstinate about this, but think that it's important to find out, since quite a few people have been disappointed by the latest firmware release and might like to downgrade.)
His bootloader is a higher rev then mine. I have 0.0.0.11 which is earlier then 0.0.1.1. I haven't yet tried the newest version of firmware as I've read nothing positive about it. I might just for fun though later tonight.
edit:
OK, loaded the newest firmware, then downgraded to the previous version without any problem. So the newest firmware changes nothing. I am sure it is all related to the bootloader version and sadly it probably only works for version 0.0.0.11 which is the earliest I have seen in the DS1000Z series. My startup counter also got reset with one of the updates.
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His bootloader is a higher rev then mine. I have 0.0.0.11 which is earlier then 0.0.1.1. I haven't yet tried the newest version of firmware as I've read nothing positive about it. I might just for fun though later tonight.
Ah, right -- I didn't pay attention to the decimal points. Never realized there was a 0.0.0.11 bootloader, in addition to 0.0.1.1... So the bootloader is indeed the most likely factor in deciding whether downgrades are supported or not. Nevertheless, think carefully whether you want to try the latest firmware; you don't want to be stuck with it