Updating RFM Prism problems... Really need help

[Dazzat]

Hi Guys! Hope someone can help me out here
I just received My RFM from Pinister and I have been trying to update the firmware revision from 1.3 to 1.5 or 1.6. (Why? because I would like to have the latest)
I have windows xp a db9 null modem cable plugged it all in
I have pinball 2000 update manager 1.3
It will connect to the RFM and show 1.3 revision so there is a proper connection, but as soon as I try to update the firmware to 1.5 it gives me an error 30
If I try with firmware 1.6 it gives me an error 7
I was on this for at least 5 hours and tried different settings, even tried to use fupdate.exe to dos command through to RFM and it won’t even recognise the files properly in fupudate dos (unable to find)
This is doing my head in as I have tried to find info on the net but 99% of the people who have RFM have had not a problem with updating and if there was a problem people just turned around and said go and buy a pub updater!!!

SO
I bought a prism updater board today got it home and realized this is old school 16 bit asi and I need a very old PC to update as well... No such thing in my house these days LOL

I hope someone can help me out in this matter

[pinball god]

Mate I don't know if this is the problem, but are you ale to open up both ends of your cable and jot down what wires go where. I know from my CNC engineering days that signals sent from the machine to the pc did not necessarily mean you had a good link. Sounds like you are getting info from the rfm but maybe not the other way.  On the CNC machines it was always easy to download data from the machine but uploading needed the correct null modem wiring and comm settings

I don't know what the errors codes represent so if you could find that out would obviously help. Also ensure that your comm settings are the same ie. the pc may be 9600,E,7,1 and the rfm is 9600,N,8,1 or something

[Dazzat]

Thanks for the reply pinball god, I know exactly what you mean with cnc routers LOL I used to be a tech for a company called Multicam and had to deal with com problems all the time.

I don't know what the errors represent either as when it shows the error code it shows a message area underneath in the pop up box and there is never anything in it and have searched all over the net for a clue on what they may mean with no results.

I understand what you mean by the 9600 baud rate but what are the others E,7,1 and how would I know what the rfm settings are, sounds like I may have to get into the rfm bios.... BUT once again I don't have and old keyboard with that massive pins input...

Also my db9 is pre molded ends so there is no way to open them

[Caveoftreasures]

There is info on a few forums about this...but just where is the hassle...
When Beaky(Andrew) did my RFM update, he had the same issue, then he re-read the instructions, and there was something in the instructions that he had jumped or missed, or assumed was correct, because the instructions were not exactly clear, then it was all good and he fixed the issue..

I am sure if he had 10 minutes to remember he might be able to help, so u shld give him a phonecall cause he still has all the instructions and info on his older laptop.

I will send u his contact details via a PM and u will have them in 5 mins..hope it helps...

Cavey.

[burninator]

I recently did mine.

I used this cable

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=WC7513

Standard Win XP installation, no screwing with port settings at all.

I ran the app and did the update with no issues. The filename from memory for 1.5 was a really random named file and i remember reading somewhere that you couldn't rename it otherwise it wouldn't work.

[burninator]

Another thing from memory was that the update file had to be in the same directory as the installed update program.

But if the update shows in the list as you can see in the picture here then that's not the issue.

I think you can totally screw with all the port settings in the RFM setup screen, maybe try a factory reload in case someone has screwed with the port settings?

[Dazzat]

Thanks I had done a RFM factory reset before I did the update, I might go and try that cable just in case mine is faulty from jaycar.
Both 1.5 & 1.6 show in the pinball update manager and when I press update it gives me either fault code, I tried re installing, tried win 95/98 compatibility mode to no avail.
It's becoming an annoying project just to update to either firmware, I want to give up but I'm determine

Another thing from memory was that the update file had to be in the same directory as the installed update program.

But if the update shows in the list as you can see in the picture here then that's not the issue.

I think you can totally screw with all the port settings in the RFM setup screen, maybe try a factory reload in case someone has screwed with the port settings?

[Dazzat]

Very big hassle to find! I've been looking everywhere, and many that I have followed keeps giving me the same problem. I've read and read till my eyes bled 
I Pm'd beaky to chime in on how it may be done or how he did it

There is info on a few forums about this...but just where is the hassle...
When Beaky(Andrew) did my RFM update, he had the same issue, then he re-read the instructions, and there was something in the instructions that he had jumped or missed, or assumed was correct, because the instructions were not exactly clear, then it was all good and he fixed the issue..

I am sure if he had 10 minutes to remember he might be able to help, so u shld give him a phonecall cause he still has all the instructions and info on his older laptop.

I will send u his contact details via a PM and u will have them in 5 mins..hope it helps...

Cavey.

[burninator]

Where in Melb are you?

[beaky]

the only thing i can add to this there is a setting on the pinball 2k that lets you disable or enable the update (when it is enabled you will see a message on the screen on boot up saying running code up dates or something like that).
make sure that this setting is disabled then reboot your pin 2k.

of course re enable it after your done

also make sure you choose to up date both game and sound at the same time.

[Dazzat]

Where in Melb are you?

Good ol' ghetto Frankston LOL why is that Burninator?

[Dazzat]

the only thing i can add to this there is a setting on the pinball 2k that lets you disable or enable the update (when it is enabled you will see a message on the screen on boot up saying running code up dates or something like that).
make sure that this setting is disabled then reboot your pin 2k.

of course re enable it after your done

also make sure you choose to up date both game and sound at the same time.

Mine always says disabled Beaky and there is no way to highlight enable on the RFM in utilities, it then goes on to give me a warning that it will revert back to 0.7? software if I proceed

[rustalan]

Looking in the operators manual the following says: " WARNING TO THE OPERATOR. In early releases of the Revenge from Mars game code ROMs, DO NOT perform the Disable Updated Code. Doing so will cause your game to run in free only mode and the UPDATE GAME CODE utility menu will not allow the updated game code to be enabled. If you accidentally disable the update game code, do the following:

1) Plug a keyboard into the keyboard port (located near the computer case in the backbox) or
2) plug a computer terminal into  the COM 1 port (located near the coin door).
Then at the command line (%) prompt type the following:
% fupdate enable
to re-enable the Updated game code.
Note: This operation takes about 15 seconds to complete."
It also states that if you disable the update the system will run the version of the game code located on the prism card.
Hope this helps.

[Dazzat]

Looking in the operators manual the following says: " WARNING TO THE OPERATOR. In early releases of the Revenge from Mars game code ROMs, DO NOT perform the Disable Updated Code. Doing so will cause your game to run in free only mode and the UPDATE GAME CODE utility menu will not allow the updated game code to be enabled. If you accidentally disable the update game code, do the following:

1) Plug a keyboard into the keyboard port (located near the computer case in the backbox) or
2) plug a computer terminal into  the COM 1 port (located near the coin door).
Then at the command line (%) prompt type the following:
% fupdate enable
to re-enable the Updated game code.
Note: This operation takes about 15 seconds to complete."
It also states that if you disable the update the system will run the version of the game code located on the prism card.
Hope this helps.

Thanks rustalan, I have read that too in the manual, I can disable and re enable game code not a problem without any luck of updating to 1.5-1.6... I tried again today with a new null modem 9db from Jaycar and still doing the same.

[Dazzat]

the only thing i can add to this there is a setting on the pinball 2k that lets you disable or enable the update (when it is enabled you will see a message on the screen on boot up saying running code up dates or something like that).
make sure that this setting is disabled then reboot your pin 2k.

of course re enable it after your done

also make sure you choose to up date both game and sound at the same time.

OK done that now Beaky and it won't update either way... Luckily enough it will revert back to 1.30 when I enable update again