Products > Test Equipment
FLUKE 192/ 196 / 199 FW Upgrade
Maxis:
Dear forum members,
I have FLUKE 196 FW 1.24 (OLD). This FW has a very basic functionality, where there is neither X/Y display nor the trace mathematics present. It's totally silly since even FLUKE 97 model is fully loaded with all these functions. Since FLUKE 196 has isolated channels and I work on the advanced motor control, I badly need the X/Y display functionality.
Recently I have discovered, that the last FW version (version 4.0) released by FLUKE in year 2000 does indeed include A vs B display (X/Y display) and also the trace mathematics:
http://web.archive.org/web/20050209043312/http://www.fluke.com/scopemeter/firmware.asp?AGID=29&SID=210
In order to use the aforementioned SW package I need to already have the version 3.0. But I do have 1.24.
How to upgrade to version 3.0?
1. I found in the service manual schematics, that there is the FW/HW version identification resistor:
And this resistor must be changed from 0 Ohm to 17.8K in order to correctly validate the HW if FW version 3.0 and greater is installed.
2. Also at the same time the signal path compensation must be updated (RC network connected connected to the PIN19 of the both channel C-ASICs).
Now here is THE QUESTION:
Can anyone please share with me the upgrade software package to move from the FW version 1.xx to the version 3.0?
I know the odds and the dangers of turning my FLUKE 196 into a brick (pumpkin) >:D by running the upgrade.
Thank you!
Maxis:
More info:
by looking inside FlashTool_V408.exe there are different files.
- FlashTool.exe is the programmer
- data.bin is the actual FW image
- *.lng are the message files
- FlashTool.ini has several encryption keys (the exact functionality to be understood)
Since FlashTool refuses to flash my Fluke 196 due to the FW version mismatch there is a possibility to patch a bit the thing to let it skip this test.
However, here is the potential risk:
- The content of the data.bin file suggests that the actual flash image is fragmented.
For example:
by looking at the headers there are some different record types:
LOADFILE VERSION
SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION
EXTENSION DATA <starting address in HEX>, <length in HEX>, <length in DEC> data0, data1, ...., data N
DATA BLOCK <,# 6 bytes starting address in HEX>, <,# 4 bytes length in HEX>, <length in DEC + 1> data0, data1, ...., data N
EXTENSION COMMAND TABLE
- CF:GO00401780
- EO:GO0040170C
- FC:GO00401652
- FP:GO004006CA
- PF:GO00400C72
- QF:GO00400AB2
- TI:GO00400A7C
Now, it seems that even the command language/syntax between the test tool and the programmer.exe can be re-defined. Actually this is very smart since there were many ROM mask versions of the boot loaders.
The real risk is that when flashing 1.24 FW with 4.08 FW maybe some common modules coming from 3.0 FW are completely missing and wouldn't be updated.
Have anyone already tried to dive inside this?
Greetings..
Black Phoenix:
I've been looking online and no reference of a firmware lower than the 4.08V that you currently have. Yes currently on the Fluke Page they ask you to contact support:
https://www.fluke.com/en/support/software-downloads/fluke-190-series-non-b-c-models
It was lucky that the Wayback Machine catch a screenshot of the page plus some links as the downloadable installer. Although the installer is still present know on the Fluke servers on this link:
http://assets.fluke.com/download/scopemeter/FlashTool_V408.exe
My thought is since it was an upgrade that needed to have some components swapped on the PCB plus a calibration, there aren't any file to be downloaded since it was never provided to the end user. I even tried to search on xDevs.com, a website from a member here called TiN but I can't access the Docs part of the website, it always return a nginx error.
With other kinds of equipment normally the latest firmware contains the previous code released in older firmwares, say for example you have a equipment that have a 1.1V firmware, a 1.5V and a 2.1V. Normally you don't need to go 1.1V then 1.5V and 2.1V. You can update directly to the 2.1V and both 1.1V and 1.5V code are present in. In this case since they explicitly say that you can't update directly is because or the code is not present, or is related with the PCB component changes needed and the calibration. I can't tell you for sure, It's up to you if you want to take the risk, change the components and try to flash it, and or you get a functional up to date equipment (needing calibration, mind it) or a door stopper.
Maxis:
Hello,
Right, I had the same thoughts about the integrity of 4.08 upgrade. I've opened up the FlashTool_408.exe, extracted data.bin and checked the continuity of the image. There are chunks of data 4096 bytes each. But there are also some chunks which are shorter than 4096 bytes but still starting at the 0x1000 boundary, suggesting that the FW image isn't continuous, but rather fragmented.
I've also checked the WEB to see if someone already dumped the FLASH of the scopemeter, but found NOP.
It's possible to link the partitions together and run the check on the code. BTW, extracted one code section, thrown into the cross platform disassm and just discovered, that the code is Motorola 68K instruction set :o
How interesting.... So, the FLUKE D-ASIC has Motorola 68K inside, not ColdFire core but real 68000. Also I remember, that Philips co-developed their Magnavox CD-I chipset together with Motorola, around mid 90s. So, that was also a 68000 with some fast DMA, LCD controller etc built in.
It would be awesome if someone could help me in getting the FLASH DUMP for version 3.0 and greater. This way it's possible to check the integrity of the upgrade image (see if all the parts are present).
One more thing coming from the DATA.BIN scan - unfortunately there is no exception table or anything like that in the provided image suggesting that the vital part of it is sitting in the D-ASIC on-chip mask ROM. Likely mask ROM has all the initialization and exception processing table which after some tests is relocated to the SRAM.
One more option would be to unsolder the FLASH, back it up and only then start fiddling with the FLASHTOOL loader. There are no other IC apart from FLASH ROM
where the information can be stored.
BTW, does anyone have a FLASH dump of their 192/196 or 199 without a letter?
Thank you
Maxis:
More information:
The built in CPU is indeed the bare bone 68000! No instruction set extensions common for 010-060 are identified.
The flash ROM starts at the physical address 0x680000 >:D in the D-ASIC address space.
The first 512K are empty (at least in rev 4.00 and 4.08). The actual code content starts at 0x700000
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