Nanocom Evolution SD Card not reading

[one_iota]

Fellow users,

I bought a 2GB SanDisk SD card as recommended for the "Evo". (If I recollect correctly although I can't find the documentation now)

The "Evo" doesn't recognise that the card is present and tells me so. It is inserted correctly, not locked and the card works on my computer as tested via a card reader. The card is formatted as FAT.

Am I missing something here?

[pohm66]

Mahn,

Yep... read the same doco... up to 2Gb, FAT formatted but NOT a HD SD card if memory serves me right.

I have a standard SD 2 Gb FAT format card and it works....

[one_iota]

Mine is a plain old SD not an HD SD but still no go :(

[d@rk51d3]

Have you tried all the FAT formats? There are about 3 different FATs from memory.

[one_iota]

Have you tried all the FAT formats? There are about 3 different FATs from memory.

Yep all formats tried.

[IceFyre]

I think the evo only likes some types of SD Cards. I used a working Transcend 128MB card and the Nanocom would not write to it. I put it back in the PC and it was unrecoginsable to Windows. I could not even reformat it. Lucky it was just an old card I had lying around. I also had a 2GB microSD card which works fine in an adapter.

[MTB]

I have now tried 5 different SD cards, all meeting the spec, and all reading fine with various card readers.
The Nanocom has not recognised any of them. So thus far I have been unable to back anything up.

[one_iota]

Hi MTB

Maybe it's a Sydney thing ;)

At least I'm not Robinson Crusoe.

The Evo makes a noise when I insert the card after it is powered up and switches off when I remove the card....don't know if this is normal behaviour.

However regardless of whether I have the card in before switching on or after, still no show.

Maybe Colin will wander by later with some clues?

[PaulP38a]

I used a cheap 2GB SD card which could be read in the PC no problem (FAT32 I think), plugged it in to the Evo and powered it on.
Then did a backup, which took about 3-5mins.
Powered the unit down and removed the SD card.
When I put the SD card in the PC again it was no longer readable.

I'm guessing that it has been formatted to something other than FAT32 by the Evo, at least that is what I am hoping.

Cheers, Paul.

[BBS Guy]

Just wandering by ;)

It seems that the Evo is currently a bit Pickey about which cards and formats it is compatible with.

I am of course sorry for anyone struggling to find their own working solution, and have instructed the addition on an option to also purchase a known pre formatted and tested as working SD card from our web shop.
Also the pre testing of the SD card hardware connectivity as part of the pre shipment hardware testing.

But, in this case, i really do have to stand up for the origional developer of the Nanocom Evolution software. From my own experience, i know that there is not only a huge varience in communications from different cards from different manufacturers with different speeds and timings, but also as many variances in formatting. This can all be easily and seemlesly catered for in a PC, but not so easily in a dedicated microprocessor based system as the Evolution is.

In fact any degree of FAT compatability with a PC is really very difficult to achieve at all and is not something we would have taken on lightly.

That being said, already improvements have been made to this aspect of the system, for release with the next upgrade, that will widen the range of acceptable cards to also include SDHC standard and also allow formatting from the Nanocom Evolution of any SD card by the unit itself to the required format.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Thats all great,,

but what particular SD card did he test the software with?

[MTB]

Maybe people should post what SD cards have worked for them.

I can say that the following once did not work for me:
- SanDisk Ultra 2gb
- SanDisk 2gb MicroSD (with adaptor)
- Kingston 2gb MicroSD (with adaptor)
- MyFlash k Data 512mb SD
- Toshiba 256mb SD
- Toshiba 128mb SD

I have formated each card as FAT using Windows XP, Windows 7 and OSX.
In each case no joy, every card worked fine in a card reader and worked fine in a digital camera.

I guess I should try a card that is know to work - anyone on Sydney's Northern Beaches? - and if that still does not work it must be a hardware issue with the in-build card reader.

Frank

[one_iota]

Thanks for popping-in Colin ;)

So the device is a bit fussy eh!

As you recognise some of us are struggling to find a working solution that will allow us to use what is an important part of the device's functionality.

May I suggest (and as Pedro posted above) that you give us the details of the exact card (brand and size) and format that you guys use and recommend. At least then we will have a baseline from which to proceed. :)

[Basil135]

I bought a Kingston 2GB SD Card yesterday, and it works fine.

BTW - incase anyone had a thought of trying a bigger card, they dont work.

Had a spare 4GB card, but the Evo would not read it.

[BBS Guy]

Hiya one_iota

I never really tested the Evo on different SD cards and posted my initial thoughts based off ;

1) The reports of troubles here
2) The fact that only certain card(s) have been recommended
3) My own fear of such standards not being as they should, and microcontroller systems typically being very exacting.

However, in respect of ;

1) There has to my knowledge never been any previous reports of SD card problems.

2) Someone can only recommend what they have tried and it is likely that not many were availaible for testing at that time and the recommended ones have never been added to.

3) I have not actually looked into how robust and adaptable the code is for the SD cards function and as a software engineer, may be imagining it to be less caable than it really is.

This morning, i collected together as many cards and variances as i could, 6 in total, all previously used in cameras, PDA's MP3's, SAT NAV's etc and tested them in the Evolution. I only plugged them in and connected the Evo to windows with a USB cable to check the contents were reported by the EVO as being the same as when the card is plugged directly to the PC.

I could not find anything that did not work

The ones i tried were ;

1) Kingston SD card to Micro SD card adaptor with 2 GB Kingston Micro SD SDC/2GB110
This is what i had supplied with my Evo and is what we will be putting on our Web shop

2) Adata SD card to Mini SD card adaptor with 1GB Adata Speedy Mini SD card

3) Peak hardware 3 in one MicroSD+USB+SD card with a 1GB Micro SD card. Basically an adaptor that provides a slot for a Micro SD and a USB and SD card connector

4) An Adata super SD Duo 2GB SD card with a USB connection

5) A cheapo Maxim 2GB SD card

6) An Adata 2 GB Speedy SD card

So from my experiment, it seems the Evo is not that fussy.

The 2GB is a known FAT barrier, so i don't expect anything above that to work.

Hope this helps

[one_iota]

Thanks for following up on this Colin.:)

I'll try option 1.

[GRIFF]

sandisk 2 GB $8.70 office works ok so far

[GRIFF]

I thought i was formatting a old sd card but i think I formatted nanocom memory and lost all data nanocom will not work tells me files are missing

when I brought new card the card worked ok but when pugged to power it would not start

[Mellow Yellow]

Sandisk 2Gb SD card is working for me.

[PaulP38a]

I thought i was formatting a old sd card but i think I formatted nanocom memory and lost all data nanocom will not work tells me files are missing

when I brought new card the card worked ok but when pugged to power it would not start

that is bizzare Griff! I just plugged my Nanocom Evo in to the PC, with no external power to the Evo. First time Windows tried to install the "Mass Storage Device" driver it failed. Unplugged the Evo and tried again. This time it installed ok.
The drive presented contained a file in the root directory called TD5ENG.BIN and a folder called NCRF which contained the RESTORE.BIN file I created a few days ago while testing the backup feature of the EVO.

I see no other drives (mounted or not) that could be the internal flash(?) memory of the EVO.

If I plug the EVO in to the PC after it has powered up from external power, no drives are mounted.

I hope your issue is just a passing problem and it goes away after a couple of reboots ;)

If not, have you tried to contact the support@nanocom.it email?

I am heading off to Bundalene's place in the morning, so will hopefully be able to play with my Evo on his D2 and Defender(s)... if he'll let me :D

Cheers, Paul.

[GRIFF]

Thanks Paul

Tryed to reboot but only get 5 second error message then screen blank emailed surport team yesterday still waiting

[MTB]

Griff
you can download all the system files from the Nanocom website, in the restricted area.

[brookvale]

Ditto here re unable to read SD card in brand new Evo.
XP, WIn7 and Vista all refuse acceptance of the device, left alone being able to read the cards (Verbation SD 2Gb & Sandisk 1Mb SD)
All three OS' say "unable to recognise the device".

Interstingly, I was able to write a TXT file while the Sandisk SD was in the Evo and connected to the 90 (before trying PC connection). After writing it, the EVO flicked off and I had to fiddle unplugging the Evo from the OBD port, wait, touch screen for 8 seconds etc etc (yawn...) until eventually the Evo decided to restart.

One of my own card readers shows the TXT file but cannot read it: "either the file or the directory is corrupted".

Tried multiple plug in/out but still no go.

I feel bound to say that A$450 for a device which can't (in this era) connect to any recently made PC in mass storage mode simply, is very upsetting.

[brookvale]

Interesting but not helpful.
SD card not plugged into Evo.
Hook up USB;
PC says "USB malfunction not able to connect to device or similar (Vista and XP)"
Evo bleeps and shows lovely USB plug and hard drive icons plus:
"MSD USB connection
Firmware memory connected to USB"

Plug in SD card - no change.
was worth a try.
Have now mailed nanocom.it for guidance.

[GRIFF]

have $ 450 paper weight.

have message that files are missing email support they sent files to load but still will not work.

I was asked if i made backup file before I messed it up

bloody could not format sd card before i could do so.

seem so cheaply made

will see the out come buy the end of the week before I go to war

[peter5111]

Interesting but not helpful.
SD card not plugged into Evo.
Hook up USB;
PC says "USB malfunction not able to connect to device or similar (Vista and XP)"
Evo bleeps and shows lovely USB plug and hard drive icons plus:
"MSD USB connection
Firmware memory connected to USB"

Plug in SD card - no change.
was worth a try.
Have now mailed nanocom.it for guidance.

Are you inserting the SD card before plugging the Evo into your PC's USB port ?
I know it is a suck eggs question but it has to be asked. I don't think the Evo's SD interfacing module is smart enough to detect hot plugging of an SD device. (Happy to be wrong, but I am not risking my hardware to test this out :( )

I am using a SANDISK 2GB MicroSD card with a SANDISK MicroSD / SD adapter as supplied by Mattia. There is no obvious part number so I can't help any further than that.

From memory, Mattia mentioned the the card needs to be formatted as FAT16 but I can't recall what document stated this. Running a CHKDSK on my functioning SD card shows it to be FAT16. Well to be precise, it shows up as FAT. But not FAT32, so I am assuming it to be FAT16.

Does the card read and format from within Windows ? Is there somebody nearby with a known good SD card you can test your Evo with? As the old saying goes, one test is worth a thousand opinions. :)

Until you boot your unit up with a known good SD card, it is pretty hard to point fingers at exactly where the fault may be. It is possible there may be a fault with the SD socket though I find that very unlikely. Much higher probability of either a fault with the SD card or a compatibility issue between the Evo firmware and the SD card. As others have mentioned the SD protocols _should_ be industry standard but Mattia made a point of offering a known working model of SD card with every Evo purchase so there must have been issues with compatibility.

What firmware revisions are you running, in particular the Kernel, FILEMAN and MAINEXEC ? I doubt it is a firmware issue since the SD module would have been pretty well sorted out very early on in the development. Again, this is an assumption since I have no connection with Mattia or BBS and I do not have access to the source code.

Hey Colin, do you need somebody in Adelaide to provide Evo tech support ?? :cool:

I can certainly appreciate any irritation or disappointment Evo owners may be feeling due to the patchy SD card support. Please be aware when programming microcontroller based hardware most resources are scarce including memory. This can mean code modules are maybe not as robust in their error handling or timings as a modern desktop PC. I know it _shouldn't_ be like that but when you consider the Evo has been basically a hobby project of one man, it is astounding the Evo exists at all. Especially when you consider the build quality and the original price point.

BBS have only just got their hands on the hardware and code so give the boys a chance to get their heads around some quite complex code that they did not write.

Please keep us informed on how your tech support query is handled. It will be useful to give other BBS-Evo owners a good idea on how well the BBS support team function.

Regards,
Pete

[peter5111]

have $ 450 paper weight.

have message that files are missing email support they sent files to load but still will not work.

I was asked if i made backup file before I messed it up

bloody could not format sd card before i could do so.

seem so cheaply made

will see the out come buy the end of the week before I go to war

G'day Griff,

Which files are missing / corrupt ?

Does the Firmware drive appear in windows when you connect the Evo with a USB cable and no card in the SD slot ?

There is (or used to be) a procedure to re-flash the kernel that would still work even if the current Kernel is missing or corrupt. THis procedure requires opening the case and playing with jumpers, so we really need to see what files are causing the problem first.

Regards,
Pete

[brookvale]

Are you inserting the SD card before plugging the Evo into your PC's USB port ?
I know it is a suck eggs question but it has to be asked. I don't think the Evo's SD interfacing module is smart enough to detect hot plugging of an SD device. (Happy to be wrong, but I am not risking my hardware to test this out :( )

I was more than careful to read the installation and operating instructions (minimal!). The instructions say "insert card into slot then plug in cable to PC". I tried that and it failed.



I am using a SANDISK 2GB MicroSD card with a SANDISK MicroSD / SD adapter as supplied by Mattia. There is no obvious part number so I can't help any further than that.

Where in the instructions/website does it mention that the Evo will ONLY work with XYZ make/model of SD card?

Where in the instructions does it say "WARNING!" this unit has little memory and the software hasn't been coded to be robust"?

All my cards work in every SD reader/camera/PC/car stereo I have with no problems whatsoever. I was able to write a TXT file to card when the Evo was on the OBD port with engine running. After writing it, the Evo flicked into hyperspace and I had to fiddle/re-boot to get it back working again.
That TXT file shows on on my PC with a normal card reader but it cannot be read.

I was not offered a 'known' SD card for purchase with the Evo.

Does the SD card have to be plugged into the Evo before booting it up?
Instructions do not mention if this is a caveat.

>>What firmware revisions are you running, in particular the Kernel, FILEMAN and MAINEXEC<<
I have only just bought the darned thing... it should have the latest (best?) ones.


>>... but when you consider the Evo has been basically a hobby project of one man, it is astounding the Evo exists at all. Especially when you consider the build quality and the original price point. <<

Sorry, but this is not good enough. If the sales blurb said "WARNING! you are buying a machine which needs care when plugging in/using SD cards" I would know what I was buying.
There were no such warnings so we punters expect to be able to plug in SD cards without hassles. (and the 'Country' problems already reported...)

Sorry for the bleat here - it would be better placed with Nano.

I'll keep posting as and when Nano reply.

And thanks to all here who are offering support and guidance in the face of upset users.
Neil

[GRIFF]

Blackbox emailed me to say they will not deal with me and send to place of purchase.

I emailed them how angry the way I was treated as a dumb person

They said I messed it up and after they sent a link to reload file.

This did not work, I was told it worked with others and it should work end of story

Now they will not give me support as i was rude with them.

Great service

Any one want to buy a little blackbox

[Basil135]

I bought a Kingston 2GB SD Card yesterday, and it works fine.

BTW - incase anyone had a thought of trying a bigger card, they dont work.

Had a spare 4GB card, but the Evo would not read it.

Despite the SD card originally working, the Nanocom will now not recognise it.

I will try formatting it on another pc, but am not holding my breath...

Damn, I don't need another paperweight....:mad:

[peter5111]

G'day Neil,

I can't find a reference on the Nanocom website about SD card fickle-ness. My info was inferred from my communication with Mattia when I ordered one of the first few back in September.

At that time Mattia was offering an SD card with the Evo for 8 (?) dollars extra. I figured it was a small price to pay to assure compatibility. Looks like I was right. :(

I don't know BBS's approach, but hopefully after all these problems they will now source a known good card and make it available as a recommended option.



Pretty sure you need to have the SD card plugged in before powering up the Evo. Again, not sure if that is documented anywhere but the SD communication module does not appear to be very robust so no point in tempting fate.


Firmware revision checking is purely as a sanity check. It is entirely possible for a unit to slip through the cracks and make it into the wild with outdated firmware.


The number of folks here that are trying to help is evidence that once it is working, the Evo is a damn useful piece of kit that is worth the effort.

Apologies if my tone ever comes across as patronizing. When troubleshooting computer problems assumption is the mother of all screwups.

I can understand your frustration with having a non functioning unit. When I got mine it still had Rev 1.0 firmware which didn't actually let me interrogate or control any of the onboard computers. About all I could do is display the live instruments. Sitting on my hands for a fortnight waiting for firmware that actually worked drove me mental.

Keep bleating here, seriously. It is useful for other owners to know they are not alone with any issues they may be having. It also shows the Evo is not perfect but it does have an enthusiastic user base. Probably the most important point though is your feedback gives potential buyers a good indication of what BBS's customer support is really like. Be it good, bad or inconsistent.

Regards,
Pete


I was more than careful to read the installation and operating instructions (minimal!). The instructions say "insert card into slot then plug in cable to PC". I tried that and it failed.

Where in the instructions/website does it mention that the Evo will ONLY work with XYZ make/model of SD card?

Where in the instructions does it say "WARNING!" this unit has little memory and the software hasn't been coded to be robust"?

All my cards work in every SD reader/camera/PC/car stereo I have with no problems whatsoever. I was able to write a TXT file to card when the Evo was on the OBD port with engine running. After writing it, the Evo flicked into hyperspace and I had to fiddle/re-boot to get it back working again.
That TXT file shows on on my PC with a normal card reader but it cannot be read.

I was not offered a 'known' SD card for purchase with the Evo.

Does the SD card have to be plugged into the Evo before booting it up?
Instructions do not mention if this is a caveat.

>>What firmware revisions are you running, in particular the Kernel, FILEMAN and MAINEXEC<<
I have only just bought the darned thing... it should have the latest (best?) ones.


>>... but when you consider the Evo has been basically a hobby project of one man, it is astounding the Evo exists at all. Especially when you consider the build quality and the original price point. <<

Sorry, but this is not good enough. If the sales blurb said "WARNING! you are buying a machine which needs care when plugging in/using SD cards" I would know what I was buying.
There were no such warnings so we punters expect to be able to plug in SD cards without hassles. (and the 'Country' problems already reported...)

Sorry for the bleat here - it would be better placed with Nano.

I'll keep posting as and when Nano reply.

And thanks to all here who are offering support and guidance in the face of upset users.
Neil

[brookvale]

Ron at BBS got back to me and asked me to clarify the situation which I have now done but will have to wait 12 hours or more for a reply.
There was confusion as to how I was able to see an Evo TXT file on the SD card. I had managed this before taking the Evo to my PC. The TXT file however was unreadable or "directory corrupt".

Today I have tinkered with 4 SD cards with no joy at all. If any SD card is in the slot when I OBD connect to my truck, the Evo sits there dead.
Unplug SD card, unplug OBD, replug OBD and Evo wakes up normally.
Sticking the SD card while Evo running simply results in blank screen and dead Evo.

I have taken video of many of the tests and will try uploading them to U-Choob later today - I'll post the links here.
They are very unexciting but will serve as 'proof' I hope of all my texting here!

I can only imagine now that I'll have to post the brick back to BBS for them to ferret the problem out. :(
There's no sign of any hard reset button and without PC connectivity there is no means to reload any firm/soft/squishy ware...

Very annoyed but somehow resigned to waiting and spending many minutes typing out precisely what I did and what results I got.
The time zone difference makes it even worse for BBS support but them's the breaks.

Instruction/Operation manuals:
There's no dedicated Evo operation manual as to how to do stuff (I want to record a driving run collecting all engine data/faults for diagnosis later).
The Nano One has an ops manual - are the functions the same - albeit without the touch screen?

[peter5111]

Instruction/Operation manuals:
There's no dedicated Evo operation manual as to how to do stuff (I want to record a driving run collecting all engine data/faults for diagnosis later).


I don't think the Evo has the option to capture a log of real time data. About the best I think can be achieved is the Max/Min tracking of the real time instruments which I think you will have to record manually

Pretty sure you need to interrogate individual computer modules to extract fault codes but these can then be saved to the SD card for future reference. (once you have a functioning SD slot :( )

[brookvale]

I don't think the Evo has the option to capture a log of real time data. About the best I think can be achieved is the Max/Min tracking of the real time instruments which I think you will have to record manually

Pretty sure you need to interrogate individual computer modules to extract fault codes but these can then be saved to the SD card for future reference. (once you have a functioning SD slot :( )

So what is the "Diagnostic Files" section in the reference manual referring to?
Would I have to hit the [save] icon each time I want a snapshot?
I also found the "Graphic Viewer" download on the Nano site. Does that read the CSV files created by the "Diagnostic Files" system?.
Has anyone here worked out how to best use them?
(presuming they have a working SD card/USB system :D )
Neil

[peter5111]

G'day Neil,

I am suffering from a touch of foot in mouth disease this morning. :bangin:

You are right about the save icon producing a CSV. I tried to capture an hours worth of data on my drive home last night. Turns out you must press the save icon at the end to close out the file and force it to actually save. If you don't do this then you get a zero byte size file. Another gotcha, if you pull the card out with power applied then there is a very good chance you will stuff the card. Trust me. :mad:

The graphic viewer application is a supporting tool for the original Nanocom and is not designed for the Evo.

I will have another crack at the creating CSV's this morning and will let you know how it goes. I am curious to see if it only logs the data from the active screen or if it logs all variables.

We shall see.

Regards,
Pete


So what is the "Diagnostic Files" section in the reference manual referring to?
Would I have to hit the [save] icon each time I want a snapshot?
I also found the "Graphic Viewer" download on the Nano site. Does that read the CSV files created by the "Diagnostic Files" system?.
Has anyone here worked out how to best use them?
(presuming they have a working SD card/USB system :D )
Neil

[peter5111]

Looks like the CSV file contains all the live instrument figures, sampled at 1Hz.

SD card was formatted as FAT16 in a Windows XP system.

The diagnostic file does need to be closed at the end of a capture session.

~40 minutes of data is under 300kB and 3000 lines

[brookvale]

Good to hear Pete.
Would be interested to have a copy of the CSV (if you don't mind) to see if there's a simple way to create Excel graphs or, use another graphical data graphy software gizmo to display the results in a nice format.
We might even come up with a useful tool for other AULROers :p

Is there any sign that the Evo captures fuel-used rates?

Information for all:
BBS have offered to repair my Evo - I am now waiting for an RMA form to be sent. If they consider the fault to be manufacturing/defect, they pay/re-imburse freight to/from. If it a user induced fault, damage etc then I pay all freight and an inspection/repair fee. Sounds reasonable to me.

Neil

[peter5111]

G'day Neil,

I have dropped a copy of the CSV here
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9735122/Nano_log.CSV

I didn't see a fuel flow or injector duty cycle that could be used for calculating fuel flow. Maybe we can massage something useful out of air mass flow and TPS ?

Great to hear BBS is working with you to find a solution.

Regards,
Pete

[Basil135]

Despite the SD card originally working, the Nanocom will now not recognise it.

I will try formatting it on another pc, but am not holding my breath...

Damn, I don't need another paperweight....:mad:

Ok, back to square 2.

The when I plugged the card into a pc, it showed it was not formatted.. :confused:

Re-formatted it, and now the Evo is happy to read it. Strange happenings.

[dusty disco]

Hi All

I have a query relating to this old thread. I have asked BBS too and will post their reply.

I have downloaded their latest firmware for my Evo and successfully read my Td5 .map file from the car. Using a 4GB SD card (which is formatted to the current FAT32 standard).

So it appears the Nanocom now works with the modern FAT32 format. But before I instal my new remap file I want to check that my moden SD card should work!

Does anyone have an answer please?

Cheers
Adrian

[OffTrack]

All you can do is try it out.

It's worth formatting the card before you load the .map file. This ensures the file is written in contiguous chunks to the start of the card which should help the Nanocom read the map file cleanly.

It's also been suggested that you should save the .map file direct from your email program to the sdcard rather than copying from you hard drive. I haven't tred this personally but I have it on good authority that this dramatically improves the odds of a successfully uploading a .map file.

cheers
Paul

[BBS Guy]

Adrian

Your question is a little confusing as you state that you have sucessfully read a Map file to your 4GB SD card and so it is clearly "working" and accessible by the EVO. So it is hard to understand what you are actually asking.

All i can do is tell you what i know.

The improvements that have been made to the Evolution are not really to do with the FAT system but more to do with adding support for SDHC cards.

In reading or writing a Map file, the Nanocom Evoultion is really just the piggy in the middle. If the ECU or the SD card rolls over during either the read or write data transfer process, there is not really much that the Nanocom can do about it.

[OffTrack]

Colin,

I think there may be a few issues at play...

If the Nanocom is using the Microchip supplied FAT libraries there does seem to be widespread issues relating to write/read speeds from developers. The Microchip forums have a number of threads dealing with access speed issues. From a quick scan it looks like many users are recommending use of FATFs ( FatFs - Generic FAT File System Module (http://elm-chan.org/fsw/ff/00index_e.html) ) instead.

The second thing I've come across is that the SDCard Consortium claims that OS supplied disk utilities don't format SD Cards in a way that gives optimal performance! The recommended formatting tool can be downloaded from https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_3/

Versions are available for Windows and Mac.

I haven't tried this out as yet so can't report on improvements or otherwise.

cheers
Paul

NB: On OSX the program will not access SDCards without elevated access permissions but doesn't provide the usual dialog to do this.

You can side step this problem by opening

/Applications/Utilities/Terminal

And at the command prompt type


sudo /Applications/SDFormatter.app/Contents/MacOS/SDFormatter

then hitting return. You'll be prompted for an administrator password. Assuming you are using an account with admin privileges, type your password and hit return. This will launch the formatter program with correct privileges.

PJ

[dusty disco]

Hi Paul

I followed your suggestions, reformatted the card (using coincidentally the same SD Card Association formatter) to FAT32, and saved the new .map file directly from the email. The subsequent downloading of the .map file using Nanocom Evo went flawlessly.

Conclusion: Evo can use a FAT32 - formatted SD Card.

Thanks for your assistance.

Hi Colin

I emailed this query to you but it bounced back seemingly due to my internet provider and something called SPF. Due to the potential for an expensive failure in remapping, and my own weakness in the IT field, I took a cautious approach which included reading your information sheet on the reading/writing to the engine ECU. This sheet specifies using SD formatted to FAT, and not to FAT32 - hence my query on this. Also, I could not find a Formatter on the web that could do the old FAT(16).

Thanks for coming in on this thread.

Cheers guys
Adrian

[OffTrack]

This might be a bit over the top but I seem to have improved reliability of uploading .map files on my Nanocom by doing the following:

SD Card Prep

1) Low level reformat of SD Card.
I used HDD-LLF HDDGURU: HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool (http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/) to do this. It leaves the card unpartitioned and is pretty slow.

2) Format SD Card with SDFormatter ( https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_3/ )

3) Move .map file to SD Card
Following a tip from JustFishing in another thread I've tried to avoid copying the .map file to the SD Card. I used Td5 Map Editor ( td5 map suite (http://luca72.xoom.it/td5mapsuiteweb/downloads.html) ) to open the .map file then used "Save As" to write the file to the SD Card. Saving from email program probably does the same thing.

Uploading .Map file

1) Ensure battery is in good condition and fully charged.
If you can take the vehicle for a long run (1-2 hours at highway speed is ideal) the day before this will help ensure the battery is a good charge.

NOTE: Avoid trying to do the upload when the D2 is hot as there is potential for the air conditioning fan to switch in/out to assist engine cooling.

2) Turn off all accessories (air con, stereo) and shut doors so interior lights are not illuminated.

3) Insert SD Card into Nanocom, connect cable to Nanocom, connect cable to OBD-II port, and turn ignition to position 2.

4) Once the Nanocom has started up, go to the Td5 Map application, and "Read Map from ECU" to verify that communications with the ECU and ability to write to SDCard are ok. If either step fails do not proceed any further until you have identified and rectified the cause.

5) Turn Ignition off

6) Disconnect Nanocom from OBD-II port, wait 30 seconds, then reconnect.

7) Go directly to the Td5 Map application and select "Upload Map to ECU".

8) Follow the directions given on the screen to upload .map file

NOTE: If the "Protection Verify" progress bar jumps from about 10% to the "Ok to upload map?" dialog, I strongly advise you abort the upload and return to step 6. If you proceed it is guaranteed that the upload will fail at some point before it completes.

I've gotten into the habit of leaving the Nanocom sitting on the lid of the cubby box while doing the entire process, and I don't touch the Nanocom, or cable at any time. Also leave the doors in the same state as when you began the upload.

cheers
Paul

[BBS Guy]

Hiya Paul

Thanks as ever to your seemingly endless efforts in helping other owners and BBS in figuring out such odd problems as this.

It is becoming apparent that there is something going on that makes the Nanocom Evolution seem iffy when it comes to reading and writing map files, such that those using it for this task on a regular basis will eventually end up with an ECU that needs manually reprogramming.

Not good for anyone, and not something i can or will ignore and since this is now one of the last few aspects that seems to cause trouble, it is high time that we looked into it more deeply.

Over the last 10 days i have had my guys extensively testing many Evolution 2 units, including one sent back with reports of flashing problems, as well as the origional Evolution's, evolotion one's and the MSV-2 in differing situations encompassing an ECU only test rig, a Full Disco II in the form of a complete wiring loom with all other ECU's present, that has been powered by a power supply, A battery alone and a battery with a high power charger on.

It is a pretty slow process and we intend to spend a lot more time collating sufficient results such that we can compare the resultant data in a meaningful and accurate way.

However, even at this stage, power is not looking like half the problem we once thought it was and i am quite convinced that you are onto something in respect of the nanocom's SD card access being its main problem in this feature.

There have however also been a few instances where the TD5 ECU has simply not replied to a read or write command and in this case the Evolution just errors but the MSV-2 often overcomes this due to it's coding employing a retry element the Evolution does not currently have.

In fact it is a bit more detailed than this as quite some time ago we discovered that when asked for a block of memory, very occasionally, for no explicable reason the TD5 ECU would reply with data that was just random rubbish. To overcome this the MSV-2 program was changed to read every block of data twice and compare the results. If they match fine but if not we re read the block a third time and re compare, using the data from the 2 matching reads.

Although it will make things a lot slower, i am thinking to appy this methodology along with retry coding to the Nanocom Evolution, and am even looking into the possibility of implimenting a scratch file in the Evolutions Firmware memory to pre copy Map data into and out of rather than rely on the SD card.

[OffTrack]

Hi Colin,

Thanks for the detailed response. I have to admit there is a large element of self-interest in getting to the bottom of the flashing difficulties as I've had to revive my ECU twice after failed uploads thus far.

I've been told by one Td5 tuning firm that the One is significantly more reliable for uploading maps. I'd have to assume that if this is actually the case then implementing memory buffering on the EVO might go a long way to making map uploads less finicky?

cheers
Paul

[BBS Guy]

Hiya Paul

I think most folks will appreciate me / BBS being open and totally honest about any problems the Evolution may still have. With your and many other members help, regardless of your motives, we have collectively not only saved the Nanocom from possible extinction but turned it into a total sucess.

That is not really a bad result for anyone and is a true Team effort.

The Nanocom one of course shares the same methodology and base code in respect of its Reading and Writing commands to the TD5 ECU, so any difference must be due to the difference in the memory it also uses during the process to read / write the data to.

I plan to impliment not only additional retry coding that may counter any ECU problems but also to try and pre / post buffer files off the SD card to a more stable memory.

I am sure you would be willing to help us beta test if these changes improve things sufficiently.

[td5inside]

Hi Colin,

I've been told by one Td5 tuning firm that the One is significantly more reliable for uploading maps. I'd have to assume that if this is actually the case then implementing memory buffering on the EVO might go a long way to making map uploads less finicky?

cheers
Paul

That´s what I´ve experienced with the evo!!

I dont remember having one single problem with the nanocom one in terms of reading/uploading map or tun files. In fact, I have an evo lying around at the office and still prefere the nanocom one.

Funny thing is that, with the nanocom one, I´ve managed to recover some Ecu´s wich crashed during the upload process with the Evo.

Regards

[BBS Guy]

td5inside

The most significant difference between the One and the Evo is in where the data / file is read from.

As expressed, our testing so far is all encompassing, as we really want to figure this discrepancy out no matter what and so far everything i have seen so far totally supports Pauls belief that it is all down to the SD card aspect.

We are now testing the effects of file fragmentation on the SD card amongst other things.

Paul.

It seems that other than in the initial comms with the TD5 ECU that the retry function in the event of an initial non response by the TD5 ECU is actually already implimented, but i will be testing that to be sure it is working as it should be.

But before close of business tomorrow i expect to have a version of the software that automatically pre copies a file chosen to be written to an ECU from the SD card to the firmware memory before writing this to the ECU.

I hope you will be ready to test this

[djam1]

Colin I thank you and your team for your efforts I was at the point of buying a PowerGate Master to do my mapping.
The cost was worth more than 2 Nanocoms so this has saved me a bundle

Duane

[BBS Guy]

Hiya All.

Sorry it has been a few days more than expected before i have some news on this.

Some may remember that in our first BBS release we were having some owners managing to somehow corrupt their Firmware drive contents which resulted in us making this read only and totally protected against any changing ogf its contents except for during an update.

Naturally, to now have the remapping function be able to pre copy a map to that memory was sort of counter to that protection.

We have therefore pretty much been fighting ourselves in this respect and as such implimenting this has taken longer than initally expected.

It is now however finally done and the new methology of moving the data to be written to the TD5 ECU into the Firmware memory prior to attempting to write it into the ECU has had quite a few previously unforseen benefits that make the process much smoother etc.

We are currently performing some in house testing prior to releasing this for Beta testing, but already things are looking much improved.

[OffTrack]

Hi Colin,

That is fantastic news. I'm looking forward to giving it a try.

cheers
Paul

[djam1]

Colin quick quick I have an urge to do some mapping

[BBS Guy]

Cheers Guys

We really appreciate the support and understanding on this, as i am sure you also appreciate being directly informed of the situation and nitty gritty Detail.

Our in house testing went well and showed that there are indeed significant benefits of this new methodology and we are now almost totally matching the Nanocom one's programming in every aspect, and so have indeed removed the negative effects that are added by using the SD Card as the data source during programming, that is unique to the Evolution and seems to be the core problem, but our in house testing did throw up a couple of problems that needed addressing, interestingly also the ability to improve things even more.

But then that is why we do in house testing first;)

These changes have now been made and the new software changes will soon be re tested in house and as long as nothing major is flagged up wil will release this for Beta Testing.

I appreciate it is always agonising to have to wait for something like this, but it is better to be waiting for a bus you know is coming rather than one that may never come.

[djam1]

Cheers Guys

I appreciate it is always agonising to have to wait for something like this, but it is better to be waiting for a bus you know is coming rather than one that may never come.

Colin thank you for your thorough testing! That way the bus that we get on doesn't break down after we start the journey.

Duane

[BBS Guy]

Sorry to not get back to you all sooner on this, it's been a really hectic time recently, as i have so many things on the go at once and on top of that i have been having to deal with the most ridiculous and abusive customer we have possibly ever encountered.

Our last in house testing of this new TD5 map writing methodology was actually pretty stunning.
We worked an already Iffy SD card right to the limit, filling it completely with files, deleting them, re adding loads and then adding a map file. We proved that with the existing process it would always fail, but with the new process it had a 95% sucess rate.

But very occasionally we were seeing that the system would freeze in the initial security access negotiation prior to even attempting an upload.

While a fail at this point would never cause a non working ECU situation anyway, like a mid point write would, call us greedy, but we have already achieved so much and if at all possible, we really do want that missing 5% reliability

And therin lies the problem. It's really hard and very time consuming to track down a problem that only ever happens one time in 20 or 30.

We do however think we have now sussed this and with time going by, are now preparing a Beta release for others to test which we hope to have ready before the weekend.

In fainess it is a bit of an untested gamble, but since it is only for the last 5% anyway we feel it worth beta releasing at this point.

Warmest Regards

Colin

[Rimmer]

Any updates please?

[QLDMIKE]

Yeah updates?

I am about to write a map file and want to make sure I use the best process possible.

[OffTrack]

Any updates please?

There was a beta released about a month ago. I reported some issues with the initial file read/and verification stages which seems to point to problems reading from some Sdcards. The good thing for me anyway was that in these cases the write process failed prior to accessing the ECU. Once I got the file to read I found the write process to be rock solid. I know one member who has been trying to uploaded protected .map files with the beta has not been so lucky in this regard. That said I was unable upload a sample file from the same vendor i'd be given to try prior to installing the beta.

So basically the update is not ready for mass consumption.

I haven't heard anything further than that. I'm sure Colin will post here when he has something to report.

Cheers
Paul

[Rimmer]

Thanks Paul,
As long as things are progressing positively, we live in hope.:)

[BBS Guy]

Hiya All

As Paul has correctly stated, cheers Paul, the new methodology we have implimented in pre copying the map file to internal memory and validating it before even appempting to write this to an ECU does indeed seem to have been a very positive move.

As expected, it has moved any SD card iffyness to a stage that any file reading error can be pre detected and so effectively eliminate any associated risk to the ECU during the flashing stage.

However one beta tester of this new methodology has still somehow managed to end up with a non functional ECU.

It may be a problem in our software, his files, his unit or his ECU, and we are working closely with him to try and decode the mystery and learn more, but clearly we need to figure out the problem in this case before we can ratify this new methodology for general release.

This all takes a lot of time and effort, and i can but only hope that you all appreciate and understand this.

ATB

Colin

[towe0609]

Any update on this Colin? I have a new map file ready to go, but waiting on a solution to this problem. Don't want to risk bricking an ECU. Thanks, Tim


Hiya All

As Paul has correctly stated, cheers Paul, the new methodology we have implimented in pre copying the map file to internal memory and validating it before even appempting to write this to an ECU does indeed seem to have been a very positive move.

As expected, it has moved any SD card iffyness to a stage that any file reading error can be pre detected and so effectively eliminate any associated risk to the ECU during the flashing stage.

However one beta tester of this new methodology has still somehow managed to end up with a non functional ECU.

It may be a problem in our software, his files, his unit or his ECU, and we are working closely with him to try and decode the mystery and learn more, but clearly we need to figure out the problem in this case before we can ratify this new methodology for general release.

This all takes a lot of time and effort, and i can but only hope that you all appreciate and understand this.

ATB

Colin

[djam1]

Tim
The updated firmware was released some time ago if you update your Nanocom you will minimize the possibility of damage to your ECU.
You need to do a search on this forum and follow the advice relating to writing maps.

Main ones in my book are remove the red plug from the ECU while writing
Have a CTEK battery charger or equivalent running in supply mode while the writing is taking place. Your battery needs to be fully charged as well
Also format the sd card in your Nanocom with your computer while it is in your Nanocom and only use fat16
There is also advice from BBS to disable the AS10 Security Alarm while writing.

[BBS Guy]

Yea we pretty much discovered that the problem was not Nanocom Software related just before Christmas and so released this as an upgrade.

Sorry that i did not post this info up about this on this site, but i do have my reasons.

ATB

Colin

[OffTrack]

Just a heads up for AULROians,

If you have any issues reading from SDCard then I strongly recommend you format the card with the SDFormatter from

https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_3/ as mentioned previously.

I've found that I get the best results by

a) selecting "Overwrite Format"
b) selecting Yes in Option > Logical Address Adjustment

cheers
Paul