From: MAIN@ESPMC-Eight.groups.io <MAIN@ESPMC-Eight.groups.io> on behalf of Jerry Hubbell - Explore Scientific VP Engineering <jrh@...>
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2021 9:38:26 AM
To: MAIN@ESPMC-Eight.groups.io <MAIN@ESPMC-Eight.groups.io>
Subject: [Special] [ESPMC-Eight] Bug Found in Version 1.04 BETA Configuration Tool Blocking Firmware Updates #ConfigManager #FIRMWARE #ExploreScientific

Hi Everyone!

I hope most of you are having success with installing the new firmware and using the new ASCOM Driver and the new Universal Firmware Configuration Tool (UFCT).
I have discovered a new bug with the beta version 1.04 of the Configuration Manager (CM) written by Chris Moses. This morning I updated the zip file on our website to 
include the new 20A01.eeprom file when using the CM to download and install it. I also updated the read.me file that explains the latest changes.

I discovered a couple of things when using the 1.04 Beta version of the CM. First, to display the 20A01 version of the firmware you must select the iEXOS 100 mount because
the program filters the files to show you all the files that are applicable to that specific mount. The 20A01 is applicable to all the mounts now, but will only display when selecting
the iEXOS 100 mount.  Also on the 1.04 Beta version, the major bug is that when you select any file to flash the EEPROM in the PMC-Eight, it actually only loads the firmware
into RAM, and not the EEPROM. This is a major bug because it basically stops you from updating the firmware on your PMC-Eight as it MUST be loaded into the EEPROM.

The version 1.03 of the CM works fine to update the firmware.
Regardless of which mount you select it will display the complete list of firmware and you must know which mount you have to select the correct
one prior to version 20A01. If you are updating to the 20A01 Universal Firmware, then everyone can select that file regardless of the mount system.

So bottom line is that I would not recommend using the Configuration Manager (CM) version 1.04 Beta at all to download and update the firmware on your PMC-Eight system. I appears
to work fine for all the other functions but not that one. I will probably update the firmware update document to state that fact.
--
Jerry Hubbell
Vice President of Engineering
Explore Scientific, LLC.
jrh at explorescientific.com
www.explorescientificusa.com
1010 S. 48th Street
Springdale, AR 72762
1-866-252-3811

Author: Scientific Astrophotography: How Amateurs Can Generate and Use Professional Imaging Data
             Remote Observatories for Amateur Astronomers: Using High-Powered Telescopes From Home


Mark Slade Remote Observatory (MSRO) IAU MPC W54 Equipment
Wilderness, VA
Mounts: ES PMC-Eight G11 + Telescope Drive Master (TDM)
Scopes: ES 165 FPL-53 ED APO CF, ES 102 FCD100 ED APO CF
Cameras:  QHY174M-GPS + FW, QHY163C
Misc: 3-inch 0.7x Focal Reducer Field Flattener, Filters: Luminance,
Red, V-band Photometric, Diffuser, 200 lpmm Spectral Grating
Software: MaxIm DL 6, Cartes du Ciel, Astrometrica, AstroImageJ, AutoStakkert!