Author Topic: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs  (Read 9407 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline metaentityTopic starter

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 6
  • Country: it
Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« on: January 07, 2021, 04:49:39 pm »
Hello EEVblog forum!

I've recently heard that the Brymen BM869s backlighting time has been extended to 240s. Is it true?

Moreover, is there a reliable source to get the changelogs for the firmware updates of Brymen DMMs?

Finally, how to check which firmware version is installed on a given DMM?

Thank you very much for your expertise.
 

Offline metaentityTopic starter

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 6
  • Country: it
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2021, 11:54:18 pm »
Just received some info from Marco of Welectron. Yes, the backlighting time of the BM869s has been extended to 256s (a change that many users were waiting for).

Alas, there is no publicly available revision history for Brymen firmwares.
 

Offline SMB784

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 421
  • Country: us
    • Tequity Surplus
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2021, 02:58:05 am »
Just received some info from Marco of Welectron. Yes, the backlighting time of the BM869s has been extended to 256s (a change that many users were waiting for).

Alas, there is no publicly available revision history for Brymen firmwares.

How does one go about updating the firmware? Judging by what I have read, the microcontroller appears to be one-time programmable, so it doesn't look like it can be updated without a new chip.  I wonder if this issue has been fixed for the 867s as well? I would really like a longer backlight timer.
« Last Edit: January 27, 2021, 03:05:45 am by SMB784 »
 

Offline radiolistener

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 4135
  • Country: 00
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2021, 01:25:48 am »
yes, the backlight turns off very early, this is very annoying  :rant:
 

Offline metaentityTopic starter

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 6
  • Country: it
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2021, 12:07:34 pm »
There might be a way, but it's not publicly available and it might throw off the calibration. Joe Smith, during his video reviews of the new Brymen BM786, found a bug in the meter and then Brymen gave him a new updated firmware to update his existing model.

https://youtu.be/Vgmf4mgDyHE

But I think it was an exception because the meter was under testing. I would be in favor of updating my meter at my own risk if Brymen released firmware updates. But I also understand the hassle it would be for Brymen to ship the firmware, explain how to use it, help people who mess up their meter, etc.
 

Offline joeqsmith

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 12277
  • Country: us
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2021, 12:16:34 pm »
Yes, it was changed some time ago.  Someone posted the other day they had contacted Brymen about the BM867s sensitivity to line noise when measuring resistance and that they are making a change for this as well. 
 



Offline hammy

  • Supporter
  • ****
  • Posts: 465
  • Country: 00
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2021, 01:10:14 pm »
Finally, how to check which firmware version is installed on a given DMM?

Push and keep the "Relative Zero" button (looks like a triangle, first row third button) during powerup. The display shows for some seconds the model and version number.
In my case it is "869-P9" wich means model=869, firmware version="P9"

My 869s is from 2014.

Cheers
hammy
 
The following users thanked this post: Electro Fan

Offline dougg

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 73
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2021, 03:52:46 pm »
Finally, how to check which firmware version is installed on a given DMM?

Push and keep the "Relative Zero" button (looks like a triangle, first row third button) during powerup. The display shows for some seconds the model and version number.
In my case it is "869-P9" wich means model=869, firmware version="P9"

My 869s is from 2014.

Cheers
hammy

Same trick works on the 786. Mine says: 78605. Holding Select during powerup: dSAPO; Range: EnbEP; Hold: <shows everything on LCD display>; EF: C-F; Crest: C; others: <same as Hold>.

786 question: what is the difference between Max selected under the REC button and Max selected under the Crest button? The manual takes more space telling you what is _not_ in the 786 than explaining the common functions  :-\
 

Offline joeqsmith

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 12277
  • Country: us
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2021, 07:45:40 pm »
...
786 question: what is the difference between Max selected under the REC button and Max selected under the Crest button? The manual takes more space telling you what is _not_ in the 786 than explaining the common functions  :-\

Odd, I thought it was pretty clear that it has to do with pulse detection time. 

Offline dougg

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 73
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2021, 02:58:08 pm »
...
786 question: what is the difference between Max selected under the REC button and Max selected under the Crest button? The manual takes more space telling you what is _not_ in the 786 than explaining the common functions  :-\

Odd, I thought it was pretty clear that it has to do with pulse detection time.

Thanks for the clarification. However I disagree with your characterization of "pretty clear". What was shown on the left of that image is on page 18 and what is shown on the right is on page 30 in my pdf. Only the top level sections are numbered (1 through 5) and sub-sections are unnumbered plus there are very few cross references, including on page 18 where I was left wondering "what's the difference". The "General Specification" is under the "5) Maintenance" section? All that said, it's much better than nothing  :)
 

Offline SMB784

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 421
  • Country: us
    • Tequity Surplus
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #10 on: February 03, 2021, 05:51:57 pm »
I reached out to TME to see if they could contact Brymen about sending me a chip with the upgraded firmware for my BM867s that I bought from them back in August of 2018; Brymen told them no, that they could not send a replacement chip, nor could they provide any service that would allow for the chip to be exchanged for one with more up-to-date firmware.  Maybe someone will have better luck with Welectron like Joe Smith did, but my guess is that Brymen has no interest in providing upgrades to firmware on existing multimeters to the average customer.

As an aside, using the technique mentioned above, the old firmware with the short backlight on the BM867s is also 869-P9, so this meter (naturally) shares the same firmware with the 869s.  Does anyone have the firmware version number for the new firmware with the longer backlight?
« Last Edit: February 03, 2021, 05:55:13 pm by SMB784 »
 

Offline joeqsmith

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 12277
  • Country: us
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #11 on: February 03, 2021, 06:16:53 pm »
I reached out to TME to see if they could contact Brymen about sending me a chip with the upgraded firmware for my BM867s that I bought from them back in August of 2018; Brymen told them no, that they could not send a replacement chip, nor could they provide any service that would allow for the chip to be exchanged for one with more up-to-date firmware.  Maybe someone will have better luck with Welectron like Joe Smith did, but my guess is that Brymen has no interest in providing upgrades to firmware on existing multimeters to the average customer.

As an aside, using the technique mentioned above, the old firmware with the short backlight on the BM867s is also 869-P9, so this meter (naturally) shares the same firmware with the 869s.  Does anyone have the firmware version number for the new firmware with the longer backlight?

Pretty much what I said during the video.
https://youtu.be/bDIx4ik0vvA?t=502 
Then there's the realignment which I mentioned earlier. 

PA is the version that I demonstrated.

Offline SMB784

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 421
  • Country: us
    • Tequity Surplus
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #12 on: February 03, 2021, 08:55:55 pm »
Pretty much what I said during the video.
https://youtu.be/bDIx4ik0vvA?t=502 
Then there's the realignment which I mentioned earlier. 

PA is the version that I demonstrated.

I watched the video, but I didn't see where you held down the triangle button on start to get the firmware version; perhaps I missed it, can you tell me where abouts in the video you mentioned this? I would like to get the firmware version so that when I upgrade my BM867s I know which version to ask for.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2021, 09:43:36 pm by SMB784 »
 

Offline joeqsmith

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 12277
  • Country: us
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #13 on: February 03, 2021, 11:10:34 pm »
Pretty much what I said during the video.
https://youtu.be/bDIx4ik0vvA?t=502 
Then there's the realignment which I mentioned earlier. 

PA is the version that I demonstrated.

I watched the video, but I didn't see where you held down the triangle button on start to get the firmware version; perhaps I missed it, can you tell me where abouts in the video you mentioned this? I would like to get the firmware version so that when I upgrade my BM867s I know which version to ask for.

If you followed the link, I stated
Quote
Now they've told me outright that basically that's a special deal and they're not going to make those controllers available to previous owners of this meter.
   Having watched it, I find it odd you would have still asked and expect to get one.   

I did not show how to get into the version menu during the video.  My previous comment  "PA is the version that I demonstrated. " was in response to your question  "Does anyone have the firmware version number for the new firmware with the longer backlight?"    Maybe you didn't understand that "PA" is the version.    :-//


   

Offline joeqsmith

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 12277
  • Country: us
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #14 on: February 03, 2021, 11:21:51 pm »
...
786 question: what is the difference between Max selected under the REC button and Max selected under the Crest button? The manual takes more space telling you what is _not_ in the 786 than explaining the common functions  :-\

Odd, I thought it was pretty clear that it has to do with pulse detection time.

Thanks for the clarification. However I disagree with your characterization of "pretty clear". What was shown on the left of that image is on page 18 and what is shown on the right is on page 30 in my pdf. Only the top level sections are numbered (1 through 5) and sub-sections are unnumbered plus there are very few cross references, including on page 18 where I was left wondering "what's the difference". The "General Specification" is under the "5) Maintenance" section? All that said, it's much better than nothing  :)

It's a whopping 31 pages, nothing like War and Peace or a typical engineering text book.   :-DD  With it being electronic and searchable, for me it I can normally find what I am looking for fairly fast.   

Offline SMB784

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 421
  • Country: us
    • Tequity Surplus
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #15 on: February 04, 2021, 12:28:58 am »
Pretty much what I said during the video.
https://youtu.be/bDIx4ik0vvA?t=502 
Then there's the realignment which I mentioned earlier. 

PA is the version that I demonstrated.

I watched the video, but I didn't see where you held down the triangle button on start to get the firmware version; perhaps I missed it, can you tell me where abouts in the video you mentioned this? I would like to get the firmware version so that when I upgrade my BM867s I know which version to ask for.

If you followed the link, I stated
Quote
Now they've told me outright that basically that's a special deal and they're not going to make those controllers available to previous owners of this meter.
   Having watched it, I find it odd you would have still asked and expect to get one.   

I did not show how to get into the version menu during the video.  My previous comment  "PA is the version that I demonstrated. " was in response to your question  "Does anyone have the firmware version number for the new firmware with the longer backlight?"    Maybe you didn't understand that "PA" is the version.    :-//

There has been a misunderstanding; what I said was "I would like to get the firmware version so that when I upgrade my BM867s I know which version to ask for;" what I meant was "when I upgrade (buy a new meter), I want to know what firmware revision to ask for so that I know I am getting the unit with the extended backlight."  Sorry for the confusion.

No, I did not understand that PA was the firmware version number.  At first pass I thought that the firmware number was in P# format where # was a decimal number, but I now see from your post that it's actually in P# format where # is a hexadecimal character, in this case A (or 10 in decimal format, which makes sense since the previous version was P9).
« Last Edit: February 04, 2021, 12:36:27 am by SMB784 »
 

Offline dougg

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • Posts: 73
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #16 on: February 04, 2021, 03:58:06 am »
...
786 question: what is the difference between Max selected under the REC button and Max selected under the Crest button? The manual takes more space telling you what is _not_ in the 786 than explaining the common functions  :-\

Odd, I thought it was pretty clear that it has to do with pulse detection time.

Thanks for the clarification. However I disagree with your characterization of "pretty clear". What was shown on the left of that image is on page 18 and what is shown on the right is on page 30 in my pdf. Only the top level sections are numbered (1 through 5) and sub-sections are unnumbered plus there are very few cross references, including on page 18 where I was left wondering "what's the difference". The "General Specification" is under the "5) Maintenance" section? All that said, it's much better than nothing  :)

It's a whopping 31 pages, nothing like War and Peace or a typical engineering text book.   :-DD  With it being electronic and searchable, for me it I can normally find what I am looking for fairly fast.

A little experimentation gave me a more satisfying answer. When the REC button is pressed it is max(Vrms), min(Vrms) and average(Vrms) running totals been displayed. All three values are >= 0. With the Crest button it is max(V) and min(V) running values being shown (i.e. as close to the _instantaneous_ voltage that the meter can record). There is no point in having a Crest value average since for AC that would be zero. For North American mains voltage I see roughly: 121, 119, 120, 171, -171 Volts respectively in the Vac range.
 
The following users thanked this post: hmscott

Offline metaentityTopic starter

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 6
  • Country: it
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #17 on: February 05, 2021, 10:16:43 pm »
No, I think Brymen has little interest in releasing firmware updates. But maybe publishing firmware changelogs could be an incentive for user to upgrade their multimeter.

Many people have complained about the backlighting duration of the BM869s, it should be advertised more that the latest firmware has longer backlighting time.
 

Offline metaentityTopic starter

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 6
  • Country: it
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #18 on: February 05, 2021, 10:20:27 pm »
Since I have the chance, I want to thank you for your videos.

Does the noise issue affect other DMMs? The BM869s?
 

Offline psysc0rpi0n

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 330
  • Country: ar
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #19 on: February 06, 2021, 12:22:36 pm »
...
786 question: what is the difference between Max selected under the REC button and Max selected under the Crest button? The manual takes more space telling you what is _not_ in the 786 than explaining the common functions  :-\

Odd, I thought it was pretty clear that it has to do with pulse detection time.

Thanks for the clarification. However I disagree with your characterization of "pretty clear". What was shown on the left of that image is on page 18 and what is shown on the right is on page 30 in my pdf. Only the top level sections are numbered (1 through 5) and sub-sections are unnumbered plus there are very few cross references, including on page 18 where I was left wondering "what's the difference". The "General Specification" is under the "5) Maintenance" section? All that said, it's much better than nothing  :)

It's a whopping 31 pages, nothing like War and Peace or a typical engineering text book.   :-DD  With it being electronic and searchable, for me it I can normally find what I am looking for fairly fast.

A little experimentation gave me a more satisfying answer. When the REC button is pressed it is max(Vrms), min(Vrms) and average(Vrms) running totals been displayed. All three values are >= 0. With the Crest button it is max(V) and min(V) running values being shown (i.e. as close to the _instantaneous_ voltage that the meter can record). There is no point in having a Crest value average since for AC that would be zero. For North American mains voltage I see roughly: 121, 119, 120, 171, -171 Volts respectively in the Vac range.

I have a Brymen 869s (firmware 869-P9). If I press and hold REC button during boot, I see all the chars in the display. Not any specific values. How you get those values?
 

Offline schwaggins

  • Contributor
  • Posts: 14
  • Country: au
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #20 on: February 06, 2021, 12:27:03 pm »
Very glad to hear they increased the backlight timer!
 

Offline Kartika

  • Regular Contributor
  • *
  • !
  • Posts: 52
  • Country: hr
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #21 on: August 12, 2021, 03:24:59 pm »
challenge to make firmware update on BM786 DM
 

Offline skander36

  • Frequent Contributor
  • **
  • Posts: 897
  • Country: ro
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #22 on: August 13, 2021, 07:56:29 am »
Brymen 869 bought this year - Fw - 869-PA
 

Offline BillyO

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 1847
  • Country: ca
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #23 on: December 16, 2021, 08:28:45 pm »
It is truly ridiculous that Brymen do not provide a means to update firmware.  Are Fluke users smarter than Brymen users?  Seriously though, you pay $200+ for a meter only to find out it has a serious bug and you're basically knackered.  Bad show Brymen .. I will never buy another.  I should have spent the money and bought the equivalent Fluke and got a supported product.
Bill  (Currently a Siglent fanboy)
--------------------------------------------------
 

Online 2N3055

  • Super Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 7462
  • Country: hr
Re: Brymen firmware updates and changelogs
« Reply #24 on: December 16, 2021, 08:50:50 pm »
It is truly ridiculous that Brymen do not provide a means to update firmware.  Are Fluke users smarter than Brymen users?  Seriously though, you pay $200+ for a meter only to find out it has a serious bug and you're basically knackered.  Bad show Brymen .. I will never buy another.  I should have spent the money and bought the equivalent Fluke and got a supported product.


Which Fluke multimeters have user upgradeable firmware, besides 287/289 (for which you need IR connector that alone cost the same as as whole Brymen meter) ??
"Just hard work is not enough - it must be applied sensibly."
Dr. Richard W. Hamming
 


Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf