Author Topic: HP3500_v1.7.2-1299 firmware update problems  (Read 485 times)

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Offline tedroche

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HP3500_v1.7.2-1299 firmware update problems
« on: January 14, 2023, 03:09:13 PM »
I attempted to update the firmware of my Ecowitt HP3501BU console and ran into a few problems. Downloaded the https://osswww.ecowitt.net/uploads/20230105/HP3500_v1.7.2-1229.zip firmware file from
https://www.ecowitt.com/api/quickstart/product?id=174, unzipped it and copied the firmware.bin and picture.bin to a 32 Gb SD card. Unplugged the console, inserted the SD card and plugged it back in and saw the "Updating Picture" and "Update Firmware" progress bars. Once completed, the progress bar sat there, for half-an-hour or so until I power cycled it again. The screen flashed white briefly and then black.

Tried a couple of times, tried some of the older firmware downloads (1.7.0, 1.6.7-release). Finally, re-read the installation files and tried an older, smaller 2Gb SD card and the firmware seemed to take!

The machine finished updating, beeped, and restarted with correct display of time, date and sensor readings. However, the graphics that show the wind compass, battery status, the titles when pressing buttons, or the graph lines no longer appear. I realized that the update process did not show "Updating picture" so I'm concerned the picture.bin file was corrupted at some point and isn't getting overwritten. I have repeated the process of trying the update with firmwares 1.67, 1.7.0 and 1.7.2 on the better card to no avail.

I'd welcome suggestions on other things I might try.
Ecowitt GW1100, HP3501 WH32B WN32BS WH31 WH41 WH40B WS68BN
WeeWx Seasons on Raspian Buster Web site
WU: KNHHOPKI09 CWOP: GW0103 and WOW
CoCoRaHS: NH-MR-68 PWSWeather

Offline olicat

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Re: HP3500_v1.7.2-1299 firmware update problems
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2023, 03:33:44 AM »
Hi!

See here - I had no problems updating from v1.6.9 to v1.7.2.

Oliver

Offline tedroche

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Re: HP3500_v1.7.2-1299 firmware update problems
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2023, 02:11:09 PM »
I repeated the process today, using a freshly-partitioned 2Gb SD card formatted with FAT32. Downgraded to 1.6.7 and upgraded to 1.7.2. In neither case did I see the "Updating picture" display on update, but "Upgrade Firmware" progress bar completed and console displayed results. Sensors do display, but wind direction compass, battery indicators, SD card icon, and the navigation prompts do not appear. I've contacted support at ecowitt to ask for suggestions, though they may be enjoying their New Year break.
Ecowitt GW1100, HP3501 WH32B WN32BS WH31 WH41 WH40B WS68BN
WeeWx Seasons on Raspian Buster Web site
WU: KNHHOPKI09 CWOP: GW0103 and WOW
CoCoRaHS: NH-MR-68 PWSWeather

Offline olicat

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Re: HP3500_v1.7.2-1299 firmware update problems
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2023, 02:18:07 PM »
Hi!

Have you tried the v1.6.9? I sent you a PM regarding this yesterday.

Oliver

Offline tedroche

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Re: HP3500_v1.7.2-1299 firmware update problems
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2023, 03:19:14 PM »
Oliver:

Thank you for the link. I downloaded and installed the 1.6.9 firmware as with the others, and unfortunately got the same results.
Ecowitt GW1100, HP3501 WH32B WN32BS WH31 WH41 WH40B WS68BN
WeeWx Seasons on Raspian Buster Web site
WU: KNHHOPKI09 CWOP: GW0103 and WOW
CoCoRaHS: NH-MR-68 PWSWeather

Offline olicat

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Re: HP3500_v1.7.2-1299 firmware update problems
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2023, 03:31:38 PM »
Hi!

I am curious to hear what Ecowitt has to say about this. Please share!

Oliver

Offline kheller2

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Re: HP3500_v1.7.2-1299 firmware update problems
« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2023, 08:49:38 PM »
Try flashing it again but perhaps update the picture.bin time stamp to a more recent date.  I don't know if your dates are updating when you copy the image to the SD card or even if it uses the date of the file vs some header info.
Ambient Consoles: WS-2000, WS-1900, WS-1200, WS-2902C, WS-3000-X3, WS-0900-IP(observerIP), WS-1001-WIFI
Ambient Arrays: WH65B
Ambient Sensors: WH31E(3), WH31B(2), WH32B, WH31SM(2), WH31PGW, AQIN, WH31LA(3)
Ambient Spares: WH24B(2), WH25B.
Ecowitt: HP2551BU, GW1000B(dead), GW1100B(2), GW2000B
Ecowitt Sensors: WH51, WN34BL, WN34(2), WH31, WH41, WH40

Offline tedroche

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Re: HP3500_v1.7.2-1299 firmware update problems: SOLVED
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2023, 01:58:19 PM »
Try flashing it again but perhaps update the picture.bin time stamp to a more recent date.  I don't know if your dates are updating when you copy the image to the SD card or even if it uses the date of the file vs some header info.
That's worth a try. I'll let you know how that works out. Since it seems you can up- and down-grade just by putting files on the SD card, I don't think that should be a blocker, but I'm game to give it a try.

No luck. Still the same behavior.

I noted that the update 1.7.2 came with a file named filename.txt, that listed (in Chinese, thanks, Google Translate!):

Target file: D:\HP3500\HP3500_picture\binHEBING\Raw\picture.bin Size: 0x00017510 The parts are sized as follows:
Index File Name Size Offset Force Insert
1 D:\HP3500\HP3500_picture\binHEBING\Raw\1LR.raw 0x00000780 0x00000000 No
2 D:\HP3500\HP3500_picture\binHEBING\Raw\2R.raw 0x00000780 0x00000780 No
3 D:\HP3500\HP3500_picture\binHEBING\Raw\3L.raw 0x00000780 0x00000F00 No

So, file offset starts with zero as if there was no header, or the code accounts for the header, and the last entry:

55 D:\HP3500\HP3500_picture\binHEBING\Raw\60dot.raw 0x00000080 0x00017490 No

Starts at 0x017490 with a size of 0x80, which adds up to the size of 0x017510 referenced in the header. That's 95489 decimal. The file is 95,505 bytes, so there's 16 bytes unaccounted for, if I did my hex math correctly. It might just be padding, but it could be a checksum or version tag. A hex editor doesn't show anything I'be been able to work out.

My latest emails from ecowitt support -- they get a bravo for quick response! -- suggested trying another SD card or reformatting the existing one. Most of my cards are new Class 10 and I thought perhaps too fast for the SD reader firmware (this might be what started the problem). So, I reformatted the same 2Gb card and had the same results. Afterwards, I checked the filesystem on Linux and it complained about bad checksums on the long file names for Firmware.bin and picture.bin. That may have nothing to do with the problem, however, as lots of software mis-use FAT32 LFNs, especially if they stick with 8.3 filenames.

They also suggested trying a card with just picture.bin installed. I did that, both on the 1.6.9 firmware Olicat had pointed me towards, and also the latest 1.7.2.-1229 firmware but, alas, no change in the symptoms. There is no display of "Updating Picture" but it does show "Update Firmware" and then restarts, blinks a white screen twice, and re-displays, but without graphics. The sensors are getting picked up, the datetime is resetting properly, but there are no bitmaps for SD card, battery levels, etc. The "About" screen does confirm the firmware "took."

Finally, after nine tries with a combination of all of the above, I got yet another new 32 Gb Class 10 SD Card, re-partitioned it, reformatted it FAT32 with full erase, copied Firmware.bin and picture.bin to it. I updated the datetime on the picture.bin to today's date and time, plugged it in the HP3501, powered-down and -up and... "Updating picture..." appeared and "Updating Firmware" and the machine restarted and is working exactly right. Which did it? I'm inclined to think the new card, as I had tried fiddling with the file date before.

Thanks to all for your interest and suggestions!
Ecowitt GW1100, HP3501 WH32B WN32BS WH31 WH41 WH40B WS68BN
WeeWx Seasons on Raspian Buster Web site
WU: KNHHOPKI09 CWOP: GW0103 and WOW
CoCoRaHS: NH-MR-68 PWSWeather

Offline kheller2

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Re: HP3500_v1.7.2-1299 firmware update problems
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2023, 03:17:38 PM »
That sounded painful, but kudos for the due diligence on trying various combinations while troubleshooting.

Ambient Consoles: WS-2000, WS-1900, WS-1200, WS-2902C, WS-3000-X3, WS-0900-IP(observerIP), WS-1001-WIFI
Ambient Arrays: WH65B
Ambient Sensors: WH31E(3), WH31B(2), WH32B, WH31SM(2), WH31PGW, AQIN, WH31LA(3)
Ambient Spares: WH24B(2), WH25B.
Ecowitt: HP2551BU, GW1000B(dead), GW1100B(2), GW2000B
Ecowitt Sensors: WH51, WN34BL, WN34(2), WH31, WH41, WH40

Offline tedroche

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Re: HP3500_v1.7.2-1299 firmware update problems: SOLVED
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2023, 05:15:21 PM »
Robert Fulgham, author of "Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" observed:

Sometimes two contradictory things can both be true, as in:

"Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is a form of insanity."

- and -

"If at first you'd don't succeed, try, try again."

In this case, the second beat out the first, but it was a horse race!
 :lol:
Ecowitt GW1100, HP3501 WH32B WN32BS WH31 WH41 WH40B WS68BN
WeeWx Seasons on Raspian Buster Web site
WU: KNHHOPKI09 CWOP: GW0103 and WOW
CoCoRaHS: NH-MR-68 PWSWeather

 

anything