SMIQ03B[old version] Firmware VAR3 (without B50) file 5.50IQ wanted

[charlyd]

Hello i have a CPU board SM-B50 (1084.8804.10) from a friend of mine. something went wrong in his flash procedure (RS232) after that gets this message. (see picture)
He wanted to update it to version 5.93HX but didn t manage. I offered him to help because i have a Win98SE Config with GPIB installed so that could be of a help maybe.

After i tried to reflash. I realised, i couldn t fix it either in this state. 
So real investigation was needed. I started of and right away some questions raised on my side.

He told me he never saw the small extension board(see red arrow) in his SMIQ03B and told me his unit worked before like a charm.
I looked for pictures online but never saw a picture of a SM-B50 CPU board without the extension board. i quess it has something todo with the memory extension. for newer fw version which are to big for the standard board only.

What happend when i started flashing it again. The message was on the SMIQ Display was "starting upload..." and immediately stop with a "firmware update failed".

- is there a procedure to recover from this error?
- is the error pointing to missing parts or broken parts?
- is there a FTP link from R&S or can anybody help me out with a older /working firmware file. he has version 1.26HX and VAR 3 from what i saw it first need to go to a somewhat higher level to work with GPIB. Where the online available FW needs minimum VAR 8. maybe that is where it all went wrong in his firmware update project.

I have a working SMIQ06ATE with a cpu board 1084.8804.12 (with extension board 1084.8833.02 ) so he only sended me his 1084.8804.10 board. and a spare empty AM27C1024 chip.
i don t think it is a good move to swap my extension board as a test on his cpu board. I dont want to brick board or corrupt my firmware.

any advise or help wanted
(btw:  i asked R&S they only told me after seeing the error the hardware has an error, no further assistance)

[charlyd]

I found out the in the early days. the unit was equipt without the extension board.

My question: Who can help me out with a copy of the old (var3) firmware. The chip is in a socket and i want to pay for the cost

The chip is located in the frontboard.

the firmware i am looking for is: 

The last known firmware for the SMIQ03B (without B50) was 5.50IQ (from November 2000) maybe somebody has this file still on his server

And is there a way to export firmware over GPIB or RS232 port by any tool or manual commands? anyone ?

[Antonio Borda]

Good evening,
have you found the firmware to start your smiq, I find myself with the same situation after buying a smiq03b
Boot eorom version 1.26 hx
Cpu board var 8 rev 2
ram 2048k
WIS D 115200.8, e, 1
I restart with winflashpro 1.2.27 with 5.93 it displays error in the middle of the loading it is stopped. I see quit there are other users with the same type of failure, as you have found the solution. Thanks for your help

[Ick]

Hi charlyd,
I can unfortunately not help out with firmware. I myself would be interested in the latest versions for pre VAR8 boards..

To hopefully not let you make wrong conclusions, I am pretty sure your CPU board is a VER 10 (and not a VER3).
There is a bug in the boot ROM that does not show VER 10 but only a colon ":" instead. See also 5.93 release notes and readme file:

This firmware ist especially for the front module option SM-B50,
   (fast CPU, BOARD VAR 8 or higher; "VAR 10" could be displayed as "VAR :"
   due to a small bug in the boot eprom)

So given your information and the picture, the firmware should actually be the right one. From my (probably limited) experience, R+S error messages are pretty reliable: "FLASH EPROM missing".
-> I would focus to find out why the unit thinks the EPROM is missing. Wiggle the extender board, clean the contacts from possible oxidation, check if the flash chips are alive, consider soldering in replacement flash chips in case they turn out bad..

Not sure I understand the point about the AM27C1024 your friend has given to you. If I am not mistaken AM27C1024 are CMOS EPROMs - the PLCC version is one-time programmable. It should contain the bootloader and cannot be upgraded/reprogrammed... No accidental overrwriting can take place here.

Given the above, and considering the bootloader, residing on a ROM, is giving the right error code, I would bet there is contact issues with board connectors and/or the 2M Flash memory are corrupt and need to be changed.

Let us know if this helps. BR ick

[RobbiTobi]

Did anyone succeed in using the RS232 for firmware upload? I am struggling with it ...
How did you set the serial communication port?
I have entered the Flash interface by pushing button 5 and switching on the generator and can find the SIO setting information as follows: D 115200,8,e,1
I use USB adpater (full handshake) on COM1 with the settings as indicated in the Flash interface + HW-handshake. I guess the Parity is EVEN here ...
But when starting the process with the Loader (WINFLashPro) nothing happens - no uploading.

Could anyonehelp me on that?

Many thanks!