Upgrading your firmware

[rob@vems.co.uk]

Although its not always necessary, some users may want to take advantage of new features in the newer releases and will need to upgrade their firmware.

Before we start its a good idea to recap on how things work with the VEMS ecu.  There is the firmware, which is the program that the VEMS runs, the config that defines the way the system works e.g. Trigger settings, offsets, RPM limits, fuel cuts etc. And finally the system's tables (your Maps).

So heres the steps to upgrading your firmware:

Backup everything:
Go into the config folder, make a copy of the config.txt and tables.txt files if they exist.
Make sure that you have a working copy of the release that you're currently running with.

Download the configs and tables
Go back to the main directory and run download-config.bat, you will see a load of values run across the screen - these are the config settings being downloaded.  Once the config is complete the tables are downloaded, this is considerably slower than the configs and there is no screen activity.  DO NOT CLOSE THE DOWNLOAD WINDOW as the tables will still be downloading

Generate the configs and tables
The downloaded files now need to be generated back into a form that the firmware can use, these
Go into the config directory make a copy of the config.txt and tables.txt, call them something like
config-pre-upgrade.txt and tables-pre-upgrade.txt
Go into the main directory once more and run generate-config12x12.bat (or if you are running 16x14 tables generate-config16x14.bat)
You will either see a pair of successful messages, or some error messages.  If you have error messages, take a note of them and post them on the forum under your project section along with the offending files, and we'll sort that out.

Now if everything was successful:
Upload the firmware
Now upgrade the firmware by double clicking on upload-firmware12x12.bat (or upload-firmware16x14.bat)

Upload the tables and configs
Finally run upload-config.bat, press the keys as prompted, and the config followed by the tables will be uploaded.

Testing Time
Restart VEMS, and fire up MegaTune, check that the settings look okay especially the temperatures fuel and ignition settings.
If all looks good start the engine.

If your temperature values are off, you will need to patch your temp tables, the proceedure for which is explained in this post
http://www.vems.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=122.0

[rob@vems.co.uk]

Its also worth bearing in mind that things may have changed behind the scenes that may not be immediately apparent, although the config details are described in the global.h file in the firmware directory changes may not be apparent.

For example when upgrading from a unit running 1.0.53 firmware I needed to change the spark table h[2] from
h[2]=02 01 07 01 07 01 07 01
To
h[2]=20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10

As we now use the top part of the byte to set the coil channel and the bottom to decide which channel driver it goes out of, Ignition driver or Stepper driver.

If you're thinking that this is all a bit cumbersome and could be made easier, you're right.  And a nice GUI based application is being developed at the moment that will allow firmware and config upgrades to be done by clicking a few buttons.

[Team_Dandism]

I upgraded mine from 1.053 to 1.073rc2 the other night with the help of Rob, modifying the files for me.

All went well :-)

Cheer Rob.

[Denmark]

I would also love to have the 1.0.73 firmware in my Vems, but i just dont seem to be able to find out what wrong, when i try to opload the new formware, the ignition is all wrong,

I even tried to zero all the H2 entryes before i make generate config, also i cant make the download config with the packede with the 1.0.73 firmware in it,
So i have to download it with the 1.0.53 and then copy it the the 1.0.73 packede?

Maybe someone can guide me to a place, were i acn download a packede that works, the one i got now is called VemsMT1.0.73Final.

Regards,
Skassa

[rob@vems.co.uk]

Thats what I'm using.
Link to the tables.txt file here and I'll show you want to do

Rob

[Denmark]

Here is a screen print of my table file from 1.0.53





/Skassa

[rob@vems.co.uk]

And that works with 1.0.53?

What pins are your coils connected to?

[Denmark]

Yep the car is running!.


The coil is connected to pin 34 and 36.

Is it looking weird?

/Skassa

[rob@vems.co.uk]

In 1.0.53 Pin 34 is coil 02 an Pin 36 is coil 03
So your table would read h[2] = 02 03 02 03 02 03 02 03

Because of the additional coil driver options in 1.0.73 (and newer) the values are changed to:
Pin 34 is coil 20 and Pin 36 is coil 30
meaning your table entry will be h[2] = 20 30 20 30 20 30 20 30

So if you edit your tables.txt file accordingly (after copying it and your config.txt to the 1.0.73 config directory) and then run generate-config12x12WithDefaults.bat you can then tempsensor_upload12x12.bat and upload-config.bat and you should have a running car.

Then in a couple of weeks you can do it all again to get the latest 1.1.2x version which has much nicer acceleration enrichment and improved ALS.

[Denmark]

hmm, i will wait then, and just get me a dawes device to control the boost for now,

really strange that my h2 table looks that way then, it was a tablefile i just downloaded yesterday!.


Thanks,
Skassa

[rob@vems.co.uk]

The boost control we have works well and the OEM solenoid costs about the same as a cheap bleed valve.

[Denmark]

I dont really understand that the H2 table in my file looks like it does, when you say that it is suposed to look different,
Very strange, as the car drives fine.

I will now go a try again, and change the table to :20 30 20 30 20 30 20 30

And upload the 12x12 firmware insted of the 16x14 i have tryed, maybe that will work.

I´m in desperat need of the boost control, as it only drives with 0,6bar actuator pressure right now, and i need to dobbel that.

/Skassa

[Denmark]

Well i gotr the car running last night with the 1.0.73 firmware,it did work to type in 20 30 20 30 20 30 20 30.

But i had to change it in megatune ,becourse it was 180degrees out.

Now i just need to find out how to set up the boost control, with a 3port solenoid from the Impreza,i got laying around.

thanks,
Skassa

[Denmark]

I have now also gotten the boostcontrol working, and i must say that it´s perfect.

/Skassa