HELP... 1098 upgrade install

[Hd4life]

After doing the update, my check sum was not as the instructions showed, "0x87e4" mine was "0x629f". It looks like everything is working except for no sound out of the coax. SACD works ok, just no sound from the coax on movie or cd.

Help..!!

[whmacs]

Hi Hd4life,
The checksum should definitely match. The checksum is a way for the RSP-1098 to ensure that it received all the data the PC transmitted to it. If the checksums are different, then some of the data has become corrupted during transmission. This would line up with the problems you are having.

The first thing to do is check hyper terminal to ensure that you have all the com port settings correct. Are you using a PC with a dedicated coms port or a USB -> com port adapter?
Next is to reconnect your PC to the RSP-1098 and reload the bin file via hyper terminal.

Hope this helps,
good luck,
Stephen




My Home Theatre

[Hd4life]

Thank you for the reply, I'll give you some more info on what took place. I first did the Eprom update using my laptop with the usb adapter, that seemd to work fine, the unit worked ok after that. I then tried to do the 1098 flash and the hypertremal got stuck somewhere around 7 dots... for 2 hours! Ok so I disconnected and tried again, same result. I then turned off the 1098 and unpluged the cable and turned on the 1098, and nothing.. it would not turn on. ok, so... I then drug my pc out to the Theater room and and hooked it all up and started over, this time i got the dots progressing along, slowly though. After about an hour it was done and I got the wrong prompt as I posted. I have since downloaded the newer version of HyperTermal (6.3) and I'll try the update again tomorrow. Do you think I should do the EProm again first..? and then re-do the 1098 update..?

thanks

[whmacs]

Hi Hd4life,
If you think the EPROM update went ok, I'd concentrate on the Hyper terminal transfer. The Hyper terminal file upload should take around 15 - 20 minutes using windows XP. Using windows 98 it should be a bit quicker. If it took 60 minutes in your case I'd say that you where getting transmission errors and hyper terminal was retrying.

Your plan sounds good to try again with a desktop PC with a true coms port. The whole USB -> COMS PORT adapter can be a bit dodgy. The good thing about the hyper terminal upload is that you can keep trying until you get it successfully uploaded, it shouldn't harm anything.

With your desktop PC, just ensure that you have all the com port settings correct. The fact that it took 60 minutes makes me think that there was some hand shaking issues between the PC and the RSP-1098 ie the incorrect parity, stop bits etc...

cheers,
Stephen




My Home Theatre

[Sithlord10]

This sounds like the same problem I had as well. I'm sure you have read my experiences regarding the upgrade. I don't remember checking numbers to see if they matched but my optical stopped working after the install. In the end I had to send it off to get repaired. I received a call today saying that they had to replace the entire digital board. I get it back tomorrow (Friday) with the new software already on it . They also tried flashing and installing the new software on their 1098 in their showroom, and they are having similar problems and they are techs. They have sent Rotel an e-mail regarding the Rom files as they believe they are incorrect or not compatible with some units. If I find out more I will let everyone know. Just can't wait to get mine back it's been too long. I hope you sort yours out but if you try more than 5 times then give it up. Good luck

[Hd4life]

sithlord10- are you saying that by you doing the update a board in the unit was fried..? OMG..!! I'm really sorry that you are going through that stuff... it's really sad that Rotel has this kind of situation going on. I have read most if not all the posts regarding the update and it seems that it's a 50/50 proposition.

I hope I haven't fried anything but who knows, it seems it can happen. If my unit is screwed, is it covered under warranty..? Can my dealer fix this thing or do I have to send it back east to Rotel..? dam, I had I known this wasn't a slam dunk, I would have taken the unit into the dealer to do it.

whmacs- I have read some of the posts where it has taken an hour to do depending on the set-up that person is using, and there update went ok, so I think (from what I read) using 6.3 hypertermal will help with that, will see.

thank you all for your input and help with this, I know you all feel the same as I do about our equiptment.

[Kevin D]

HD,

Reasing your first message, I see a potential issue. It may just be word play though.

You say your checksum was not as the instructions showed. It really doesn't need to be. When the download is complete it shows you what your checksum should be and then tells you what your checksum is, all from within Hyperterminal.

As long as those two match the download went ok (though it still may have problems). Trying to compare the checksum you got vs what is on the screenshot in the instructions isn't the best way to do it (the checksums could be different based on previous firmware version, unit serial number, etc). Now if I just read your message wrong and the two checksums 'within' hyperterminal don't match, then yes you have problems.

FWIW, I had a customer with two computers. He tried his new WinXP machine and got a communications error after it took 30 minutes. On his old Win98 machine it went fine, checksums matched, but wouldn't turn on, but took about 2 minutes. After he loaded the Personal Edition of Hyperterminal on his WinXP machine, it took about 5 minutes, checksums matched, and his unit worked great.

So lessons learned, checksums matching doesn't mean it will work and everyone should download the hyperterminal PE and try again.

Hope that helps,

Kevin D.

[whmacs]

Hi Hd4life,
Rereading my original post, it may be a bit unclear about the checksum value. As Kevin D says, the two check sums displayed at the end of the hyper terminal upload should match, not what is in the instructions. Each firmware file will have a different checksum. Bascially, when the Rotel guys create the firmware file they run the file through an alogrithm that calculates the checksum. This checksum is then embedded in the file. After Hyper terminal transfers this file, the RSP-1098 recalculates the checksum using the same algorithm. It then displays the calculated and the embedded checksum on the Hyper terminal screen. If they match then the data has been copied to the RSP-1098 intact.

cheers,
Stephen




My Home Theatre

[DrBoom]

I keep hearing people saying that it takes a long time to install the new firmware.
Well I updated mine last night, both EPROM and firmware update.
The EPROM update (3 files) took about 30 minutes (10 min per file), but the firmware update with hyperterminal was done in under 5 minutes using Windows 2000.
Worked like a charm the first time 'round.
So it's definitely not a problem with the files, they work fine.

[lcajiga]

hd4life,

as a computer programmer/analyst for 25+ years, I would recommend that after you have your computer uploaded with the new Hyper Terminal software, do the EPROM update again before uploading back the new software version. An EPROM is a memory and like in computers, a memory sector may fail. If that is the case, then nothing will work and you will need to send back the 1098 to your dealer for a replacement. I would rather believe that in the first time, your EPROM update also failed and some information was not written to it. In that case, some memory sectors may have wrong programming that may cause errors. The EPROM upgrade did not have a checsum check so there is no way to veify it wen OK. I assume the people that created the updater program did that internally but I'm not sure, so I may assume the same problem that happened with your software upgrade may happened with the EPROM upgrade. That is why I recommend you to do the EPROM before, then do the software upgrade and if everything goes smooth as it is supposed, then you may avoid sending it to the dealer. Just be sure to follow all the instructions and all connections are OK.




Regards,
Luis

http://www.luiscajiga.com/HT.htm

"It is not what you see and hear...it is how!"

[Hd4life]

Ok, this is what I did today, I installed the 6.3 HT program and then did the EPROM over, still took about 10 min per file and coughed a few times on the next buttons but managed to get through it I think. Did the 2.1.1 update again and this time it took about 4 min and went smooth. The checksum’s matched as they did the first time, I just wasn’t sure if they were to be the same number/letters as in the screen shot. Shut things down, returned the switches and powered it up and again, nothing coming out of the coax. Un-plugged the unit from the power cord for 5 minutes or so and then turned it on and still nothing out of the coax. Did the 2.1.1 update again, and still nothing. SACD works ok, and it seems that everything is there, just no coax. I’m going to try the optical and see if that works. I called my dealer and they are calling Rotel tomorrow and see what we should do about it. I must say, to spend this much money on something you would think more would be put into making something like an upgrade fool proof, at least tell us to use a certain version of HT or a certain operating system. It’s like they just had XP or something and used 6.3 HT and that worked and so they say ok, that’s all you need!

Lol, you have keep your sense of humor I think…. It will all work out, I hope
:cry:

[servo01]

Hi,

small question on the side.
Do you really disconnect all cables ( except Powercable ) when you guys doing the upgrade ?

Rotel germany recommends that before starting the upgrade procedure .

Cheers

servo

[Hd4life]

Update-

Had to send the 1098 to Rotel, maybe get it back in a few weeks, my dealer here in Orang County, CA couldn't help with anything, it's sad as hell when there is no tech support on the west coast..