Group Buy / EOI new generation DNS head units (RNS-510 alternative)

[swyner]

I have done some preliminary edits on the spreadsheet - for one I think we need to separate bugs and features, so I have added a missing features sheet within the document, but I've left the original sheet as it was. I still need to compare the sheet properly with my own notes that I've made over time. I also have not been able to answer everyone's messages / emails yet so I will continue that tomorrow.

For now the updated firmware can be found here:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/96960779/DNS_20131129.zip

To flash the firmware you need a blank micro SD card. Start by extracting ONLY the file named "UPD" to the blank card (ensuring this is the first file copied onto the SD card). Then you can extract the rest into the same directory. Make sure all files are in the root directory, and that there are no folders.

Make sure your unit is off. Insert the SD card into the GPS slot, then turn on the ignition and wait for the unit to turn on (or turn it on if it wasn't on before you pulled your keys out last time). Someone mentioned their unit was having trouble turning on - in that case unplug the radio fuse for a few seconds to fully reset the unit, then check that your unit can turn on, then do as above.

If you did everything right you will see a screen with colourful text appearing. Wait a minute or two and it will proceed to a white screen with text in the middle saying something about "updating MPU". In another minute this will turn to "MPU update success, please reboot". The unit will boot itself in a few seconds if you don't do anything. Regardless, just turn off the unit (don't start it yet) after you see that message.

Now, pull out the firmware SD from the GPS slot before starting the unit again. If you don't, it's not the end of the world, but the firmware flash process with the colourful text will start again from the beginning, and you have to wait for the full cycle to finish. If you start the unit without the firmware SD in the GPS slot, the unit will boot manually.

After the unit is fully booted into the radio interface, insert the firmware SD again, and it will ask you if you want to update the MCU. Choose yes and the unit will begin updating. In a minute or two the update will be complete and the unit simply shuts itself down. At that point the update process is complete, simply take the update SD out.

Sandy. A slight correction to the above. If you load all the files from your zip file on the SD card and run the process it will delete the MCU file after it runs the MPU update. You have to remove the SD card and delete all the files and add just the AS...mcu.hs file by itself and insert into the gps slot and reboot the unit. only then will it update the firmware. I know it worked only after this because my MCU file shows 1202_CAN
To summarize (and Sandy this is from an earlier firmware upgrade email you sent):
1) Extract the entire contents of the .zip file Sandy linked above.
2) copy ONLY the UPD file to a blank SD Card. Do not include any of the files...just copy the one over by itself
3) Go back and copy all the other files EXCEPT the A9_MCU_iap.hs file. This would include the logo.bmp, MPU.ms, NANDINFO, PQ.bin and xip.bin
4) Insert this into your DNS while its powered off. Turn on DNS. You will get the colorful screen described above and picture same as kwalsh (and yes, the NAND error thing I get too...hasn't given me a problem)
5) Let it go through the process and as Sandy said above it will eventually say MPU success and it will reboot automatically. Take out the SD card before it reboots.
6) You should go through a screen touch calibration then it will boot to the radio.
7) Take that SD Card and remove ALL the files on it and then copy over ONLY the A9_mcu_iap.hs.
Put the SD card back in....unit can be on or off and I have had it work both ways...a) it will automatically pop a window up asking to update firmware....and b) nothing will happen and I simply turn off and on the DNS (with SD Card still in GPS slot). Then this pop up will come up. Say yes (or ok)
9) Firmware will be updated.

[kwalsh24]

Hmmm I'll have to try this, my unit said it updated in the info screen, maybe it only did half the update

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[swyner]

Hmmm I'll have to try this, my unit said it updated in the info screen, maybe it only did half the update

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

It did half. Trust me. The MPU and probably BSP got updated but the firmware is that MCU file that will prompt a "firmware upgrade screen" different than the MPU "white" update screen. Hope this helps!! I haven't noticed anything different yet.

[kwalsh24]

Yep that did update something mmore, as I never got that screen prior. Will see if anything is different. So far all seems the same with no additional settings

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[kwalsh24]

Hmmm okay, bug found. Put my mfd to audio, and not it wont come off audio, even pulled the radio fuse and no go, likely will have to d/c the battery to maybe reset this.

It is nice that the toggle switch ffor the mfd will change stations or tracks, give a point for that

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[master phi]

Sandy can you make a list of which units and who is next on the list for the next batch? I was originally on the first batch list but then you changed it to the first come first served basis. If that is the case and my order hasn't come through since I am on the bottom of the heap now. I would like to withdraw my orders for both my units until the situation improves if that's alright with you.

[Goobz]

1) Extract the entire contents of the .zip file Sandy linked above.
2) copy ONLY the UPD file to a blank SD Card. Do not include any of the files...just copy the one over by itself
3) Go back and copy all the other files EXCEPT the A9_MCU_iap.hs file. This would include the logo.bmp, MPU.ms, NANDINFO, PQ.bin and xip.bin
4) Insert this into your DNS while its powered off. Turn on DNS. You will get the colorful screen described above and picture same as kwalsh (and yes, the NAND error thing I get too...hasn't given me a problem)
5) Let it go through the process and as Sandy said above it will eventually say MPU success and it will reboot automatically. Take out the SD card before it reboots.
6) You should go through a screen touch calibration then it will boot to the radio.

I dont get the colourful screen. I get a white screen with small black text that says MPU Updating(or something to that effect). The it says MPU updated with an elapsed time of xxx. Pls Reboot. Then it reboots. I also dont get the calibration screen. It just boots to the UI.

7) Take that SD Card and remove ALL the files on it and then copy over ONLY the A9_mcu_iap.hs.
Put the SD card back in....unit can be on or off and I have had it work both ways...a) it will automatically pop a window up asking to update firmware....and b) nothing will happen and I simply turn off and on the DNS (with SD Card still in GPS slot). Then this pop up will come up. Say yes (or ok)
9) Firmware will be updated.

I initially did it Sandy's way and all seemed to work fine. It did the MPU update then on the reboot it did the firmware flash. Could someone please list the correct revisions I should be seeing in the 'System Info' screen so we can know if it flash correctly or not.

[polski_ogurek]

I don't get the colourful writing but i got the MPU updating white screen, then that finished it re-booted and i did the second part of the update, no issues.


This is the info after the update:

[moda]

Updated mine pretty painlessly. Interestingly, polski, my unit has been updated to BSP MS9.D.

Overall the unit seems much faster now, switched canbus on, and that side of it works... no slowdowns as such, yet, but time will tell.

FLAC playback has been significantly speeded up, files load pretty instantaneously now, the gaps between songs is less than 1s now, and skipping through tracks seems much quicker (and now probably limited by card speed). Still no metadata though (it just lists the file name).

Lots of minor issues still remain, though (particularly the not charging iPod on playback thing, which is just seriously frustrating, it makes the iPod playback feature basically pointless, SD tracks still mute on reverse, MFD is still 1 line (but I suspect that will be the last thing to get fixed)..... but at least it seems like the CANBUS slow down issue has been (possibly) fixed?

[cpkk]

According to a photo I took of the system info (when I first got the unit), my BSP shows as MS9.C - therefore polsk it doesn't appear your unit has updated correctly.

[DkN]

Ok just to clarify, the instructions I posted do work, they update the software in this order: BSP (colour text screen), MPU (white screen with text in the middle), MCU (software menu after unit boots into radio).

For the BSP update to come up, it is essential that you:

• start with a blank SD card (format it to make sure)
• make sure the "UPD" file in the firmware zip is the first file copied to the blank SD card (this is why you must extract this file and this file only, by itself, into the blank SD card before you extract the rest)

If your unit does not boot into the colourful text screen with the firmware SD in the GPS slot, most cases it's because the UPD file is not the first file copied to the SD card.

After the BSP update the MPU update will run itself. After it tells you to reboot the unit, whether the unit reboots itself or not, SWITCH OFF the unit. And then, REMOVE the firmware SD from the GPS slot, and start the unit again. If you do not remove the firmware SD before you start it again, you will end up at the colourful text screen for the BSP update again, and you will have to repeat the process and wait for the MPU update.

If you removed the SD from the GPS slot and started the unit it will simply boot into radio. When you see the radio screen, insert the firmware SD into the GPS slot again. You will get an automated popup menu asking to update the MCU. Choose yes and wait, then the unit will turn itself off when the MCU update is complete. At that point your firmware update is complete, remove the card from the GPS slot (again, do this before you turn on the unit or you will end up at the BSP update screen again), and you can turn on your unit with BSP, MPU and MCU all updated.

For reference, the updated firmware numbers are:

BSP: MS9.D
MCU: DNS810.131202_CAN
MPU: DNS810.A9.20131129

I use the exact same process above to update my firmware every time, so if you don't end up with these versions, go back, read the instructions, and follow them to the letter.

[polski_ogurek]

According to a photo I took of the system info (when I first got the unit), my BSP shows as MS9.C - therefore polsk it doesn't appear your unit has updated correctly.

I thought thats the case, I'll give it a go again, see if i can get it to work.

cheers lads.

[DkN]

Interestingly no-one has made a fuss about this.

I'm in same mindset as you. Current RNS is resistive, capacitive screen was very tempting but if this is not the case, I won be dropping $700 for just software upgrade.

I'll wait for the next generation.

I need to talk to the manager about this if you are receiving units with resistive screens. I have spoken to him from as early as January and he said the DNS will have capacitive screens. When I received my sample unit, I noted that it was a significantly more responsive screen than the ANS series but it still was resistive. I spoke to him and he said the final version of the unit will have capacitive screens. I didn't think this was going to be an issue and assumed the initial batch would receive capacitive screens - if this has not been the case then it appears the DNS series is receiving resistive screens after all. Again I will have to speak to the manager but there seems to be an issue of him simply not informing me of changes to features until I find out the hard way.

I will say this though, capactive screen or not the DNS is and always has been much more than just a software update. All components with the exception of the BT module I believe, have been updated, including CPU, RAM, DSP, radio module, GPS receiver, CAN-Bus decoder etc.

[cpkk]

Sandy, regarding the firmware update, I followed the instructions exactly the way you posted but something odd happens.

After the MPU update is successful, the unit does a quick reboot of itself and goes into the radio. I turn the unit off completely and remove the SD card then boot back up. Thing is, my unit doesn't boot straight into the radio, but instead I'm faced with a white screen and a crosshair in the middle with chinese text at the top (appears to be a touch calibration since I basically need to press where the crosshair is and repeat - middle, top left, bottom left, bottom right, top right) and then goes into another screen which I then have the tap the screen again.

After all that, I'm booted into the radio and follow the process as described.

I've checked firmware numbers and they match up with yours above...but just wondering whether there was any issues with my update given the slight nuance in process.

[DkN]

Sandy, regarding the firmware update, I followed the instructions exactly the way you posted but something odd happens.

After the MPU update is successful, the unit does a quick reboot of itself and goes into the radio. I turn the unit off completely and remove the SD card then boot back up. Thing is, my unit doesn't boot straight into the radio, but instead I'm faced with a white screen and a crosshair in the middle with chinese text at the top (appears to be a touch calibration since I basically need to press where the crosshair is and repeat - middle, top left, bottom left, bottom right, top right) and then goes into another screen which I then have the tap the screen again.

After all that, I'm booted into the radio and follow the process as described.

I've checked firmware numbers and they match up with yours above...but just wondering whether there was any issues with my update given the slight nuance in process.

That's just the screen calibration process, and if your taps weren't accurate enough it just repeats itself until it is able to properly calibrate the touch screen. It's not an issue, just a procedure the unit goes through when the software is updated.

On a side note, as someone pointed out this calibration should only be required for resistive screens so if you're getting this menu then it does appear the screen is resistive...