MS3 pre-1.5 alpha 2 and 3 released

[muythaibxr]

Firmware loading will fail.

The firmware is now larger than the size that the early version monitor/boot-loader supports.

Authorised agents such Peter Florance, Jean Belanger and I are able to load an updated monitor that will take the firmware. If this size change impacts a large number of customers, it may be possible to write a "bootstrap loader" like MS2 to support these chips with the older monitor.

James

Is there somewhere I can look to determine if I am effected?

I was a beta tester for MS3/MS3X so I'm pretty sure I may be effected although I cannot remember what year I updated to MS3. Is this a design decision that all new firmware will now be too large to be loaded by the old monitor?

I would really prefer not to need to pull my controller from my car and ship the board off somewhere to have the monitor updated.

Thanks

It's not a "design decision" to make the firmware too big. We've just added a large number of features which consume space, and found that the old monitor isn't erasing everything it needs to.

The firmware isn't going to get significantly smaller for sure because we aren't removing features.

[elaw]

Firmware loading will fail.

The firmware is now larger than the size that the early version monitor/boot-loader supports.

Authorised agents such Peter Florance, Jean Belanger and I are able to load an updated monitor that will take the firmware. If this size change impacts a large number of customers, it may be possible to write a "bootstrap loader" like MS2 to support these chips with the older monitor.

James

I would think this would affect quite a few people... myself included (I bought my MS3 card in 2010).

The "bootstrap loader" approach... would that still require accessing the hardware to reflash, like a boot jumper or something? My MS box is located in a pretty inaccessible location in the car and if I'm going to have to open the box every time I load new firmware, I'd probably just send it to have the updated monitor installed.

[racingmini_mtl]

The "bootstrap loader" approach... would that still require accessing the hardware to reflash, like a boot jumper or something?

No. That's what is done on the MS2 to workaround limitations of the monitor present in flash. It's just additional code and it doesn't affect how the user loads the firmware.

Jean

[Alfagta]

Please let us know which can bus data the ms3 need to wirk with the dbw controller?

[jsmcortina]

Firmware loading will fail.

I would think this would affect quite a few people... myself included (I bought my MS3 card in 2010).

I've been working on a solution today.

James

[jsmcortina]

I re-wrote the loader to include an external eraser firmware to hopefully resolve this issue. I added a new link in the first post.

James

[elaw]

Fantastic... thanks!

[jsmcortina]

Please let us know which can bus data the ms3 need to wirk with the dbw controller?

I updated the CAN Broadcasting PDF with this information. See the Manuals link.

James

[Alfagta]

Please let us know which can bus data the ms3 need to wirk with the dbw controller?

I updated the CAN Broadcasting PDF with this information. See the Manuals link.

James

Many thanks

[prof315]

First impressions of having the engine states active..... NICE!!!! It helps to have the idle well tuned and very stable or you have to get a little aggressive with the slow accel/decel settings but less than 10 minutes of tweaking got things working pretty darn well. Its much harder to stall the engine on decel now. I had been using VSS for closed loop idle activation since it got written into the code ( I asked for the feature lol) but engine states works even better.

Indicators for the various engine states would be nice.

[jsmcortina]

The code loaded ok then?

James

[muythaibxr]

First impressions of having the engine states active..... NICE!!!! It helps to have the idle well tuned and very stable or you have to get a little aggressive with the slow accel/decel settings but less than 10 minutes of tweaking got things working pretty darn well. Its much harder to stall the engine on decel now. I had been using VSS for closed loop idle activation since it got written into the code ( I asked for the feature lol) but engine states works even better.

Indicators for the various engine states would be nice.

There are already indicators defined for all of the engine states. You just have to add them to your dash. Otherwise I'm glad you're having good luck with the feature.

At some point in the near future I'll make VSS part of engine states too, and remove it from the individual features.

Ken

[prof315]

The code loaded ok then?

James

It loaded fine on my (beta unit) 3-Pro...

[prof315]

There are already indicators defined for all of the engine states. You just have to add them to your dash. Otherwise I'm glad you're having good luck with the feature.

At some point in the near future I'll make VSS part of engine states too, and remove it from the individual features.

Ken

I didn't see them but I will look harder

[prof315]

I guess it helps to update the dash to the current firmware

How does one update a custom dash to new firmware when there have been changes it the data channels?

[muythaibxr]

Not sure I had to do anything special aside from editing the dash and adding the new indicators to my custom dash.

[nuvolarossa]

Firmware loading will fail.

I would think this would affect quite a few people... myself included (I bought my MS3 card in 2010).

I've been working on a solution today.

James

I re-wrote the loader to include an external eraser firmware to hopefully resolve this issue. I added a new link in the first post.

James

I also have a 2010 ms3/ms3x. The car is garaged for winter.

Don't really need 1.5alpha, but I admit to be curious about engine statuses, because that's what oems do since decades.

- Am I understanding correctly that alpha 3 should load normally?
- Elaw already tested?

Just curious for the future, don't want to hurry up anyone.

[muythaibxr]

Anyone else trying out the code? I'd like to get more feedback on engine states...

[suberimakuri]

One car on stands awaiting front struts to come back. Hopefully driving next week.
Other car has no events and not street legal.
Will load this code on first car next drive. Thank you, looks awesome

[shauer]

Back on the road in hopefully a few weeks. As soon as the salt is off the roads.