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Lectrosonics SMWB Firmware Question


jawharp

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Hey Guys,

 

Just starting to research the new SMWB transmitters and I'm wondering if I'm missing something in regards to the software on the transmitter itself and updating.  

 

Is what is available at this link:

 

https://www.lectrosonics.com/Support/category/98-smwb-smdwb.html

 

the software running on the transmitter (the OS) or is this something more low level than that?  If so, are OS updates available to do yourself or do you have to send them in?

 

Thanks

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  • 4 months later...

Incidentally, be VERY careful not to use a firmware with an 'E' at the end of it. Their firmware update instructions are confusing, to say the least, and those versions available on their site with the E are for European models not sold in the USA, and will brick your transmitter. I just found this out the hard way, and had to send mine in to get flashed in Rio Rancho. In fact, version 1.52 is current, and is not available on the site. You can get them to email it to you, if you're the owner of a transmitter with a serial number in the right series.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/7/2019 at 10:28 AM, Eric Darling said:

Incidentally, be VERY careful not to use a firmware with an 'E' at the end of it. Their firmware update instructions are confusing, to say the least, and those versions available on their site with the E are for European models not sold in the USA, and will brick your transmitter. I just found this out the hard way, and had to send mine in to get flashed in Rio Rancho. In fact, version 1.52 is current, and is not available on the site. You can get them to email it to you, if you're the owner of a transmitter with a serial number in the right series.

Hi Eric,

Karl Winkler at Lectro just sent me a note that he has made the instructions less confusing. There are still a lot of choices. If you don't know the series of firmware your unit uses due to a botched reload of firmware, a quick call to service with the unit's serial number and the model number stuff from the blue tag will get you in order. The proliferation of choices is somewhat due suppliers changing their DSPs and CPUs. Then some of it is due to bug fixes. Occasionally, it's due to bored engineers.

 

Seriously, thanks for pointing this out. It helps both us and our suffering users.

Best Regards,

Larry Fisher 

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  • 9 months later...

Is it possible to downgrade your firmware to a previous version?  I ask because I just updated my SMDWB only to find that the tail end of block 23 was truncated due to FFC restrictions.  I imagine some people will react to this question negatively as it is technically will be illegal to broadcast on those frequencies - although I just read that the date those new frequencies had to cease operation isn't until July 13 2020 - about a week later.  My SRC will still scan the full block 23, but my SMDWB will no longer tune to that last chunk of frequencies on 23 as I had updated the firmware just the night before.  If I am out of line in asking this I will respectfully listen to the advice of others, as I consider myself to be an ethical person with good values.  I never want to break the law, but I was in a situation where I had a rooftop dinner scene in Seattle and block 21/22 were completely congested, and the only spot where nothing was coming up in the scan was the tail end of 23.  I imagine it will not be this way for long as those frequencies will eventually be in use but I was in a very difficult situation as two of my transmitters of the 5 in play were getting constant hits - the SMDWB being one of them.  I had my PSC RF Multi hooked up to two dipoles and was in close proximity but was still experiencing problems.  In hindsight I would have been better off setting some shark fins on stands and shooting them down toward the table - however it wasn't discussed with me in pre production that this dinner scene would be taking place on a rooftop.  It was a reality gig - one man band situation so I didn't bring my fins with me in my kit because I was operating under the idea that I wanted to remain as mobile as possible. Regardless I did my research ahead of time, looking up the cleanest sections of 19, 21, 22, & 23 and had a sense of what might be a better shot, but as most of you know rooftops can be atrocious environments for RF.  If I would have had that ability to use one of those clean channels of 23 I would have only had one mic that was having problems and I perhaps could have resolved that sooner.  It was my first day on the job recording the most important scene of the whole episode (as it turned out) and I was having mad problems.  I was using my lectro RM app to change frequencies on mics, and despite my best efforts to contain that sound to just the transmitter I was wanting to adjust, I ended up retuning other transmitters in play by proximity and had to stop down and deal with fixing all of them.  I ended up booming the whole scene to deal with the transmitters getting hits (first having to figure out which ones those were), but there were three cameras in play and I was constantly getting the signal to boom up, and the added awkwardness of the dipoles sticking out of the front of my bag made my mobility more difficult/clumsy.  I could tell people were getting impatient with me and I felt like I wasn't making a good first impression.  Not to say that the one additional channel of a working transmitter would have solved all my problems, but it certainly would have helped - if I only had to troubleshoot one of them it potentially could have gone better.  And I know I could have switched the SMDWB to record mode but it didn't occur to me in the frantic moments.  So I guess the long and short of my post is to ask if it is possible to downgrade, (assuming those older firmwares still allow 608 and above) and if so what are people's ethical take on if this is something I should/shouldn't be considering?  I want to do the right thing but I just don't think broadcasting on those frequencies on a rooftop at 100mW is going to disrupt other wireless operation to any significant degree - not to mention we aren't even at the cutoff date yet.  Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks to anyone who is able to offer advice.  (I was on 6.51 previously and upgraded to 6.56)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Super confused...

 

From https://www.lectrosonics.com/Support/category/98-smwb-smdwb.html :

"If you have SMWB version 7.xx firmware, use only SMWB version 7.xx firmware and boot loader version 2.01."

Where do I get boot loader version 2.01 (for my SMDWBs)? The only download I see is 1.03

 

Also: my SMWB is at version SMWB 1.04. I don't know what /X means but none of the bullet points seem to address vanilla "SMWB" firmware lower than 6.xx...unless /X means with or without a suffix?

 

And finally:

"New firmware versions with iXML header support require a bootloader update before they are installed. This applies to the following firmware versions:

  • SMWB, SMDWB v6.52
  • SMWB/E07, SMDWB/E07 v1.50
  • SMWB/E01, SMDWB/E01 v1.50
  • SMWB/X, SMDWB/X v1.50"

Does this apply to those firmware versions AND newer? Or just to those exact firmware versions?

 

I know Karl or Gordon spruced this page up, but I need this to be so easy a caveman can do it.

 

Edit: One more. For the HMa, "

Please note: version 6.x firmware for the HMa is for use only in new product shipped after October 13, 2018 to US customers. These will bear the following new FCC ID numbers:

  • DBZHMAA1A
  • DBZHMAB1A"

My Hma is FCCID'd as DBZHMAA1 (no A at the end). Does this mean I stay in the firmware version 1.xx line? Do I install HMa/E01 Firmware Update v1.04 or is that the European version?

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3 minutes ago, BAB414 said:

Super confused...

Yep I have talked to Gordon and Dave ( who does all the firmware) told them it is very confusing still. 

My advice is to call service for help because if you load the wrong "branch" of firmware you can brick the unit. 

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