Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

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w-u-2-o
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Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby w-u-2-o » Sun May 05, 2019 1:47 pm

Introduction

As of the date of this post there have been at least two unfortunate "bricking" incidents when programming new firmware onto 7000DLE MKII units. Bricking is a slang term for a situation where both the normal and Bootloader FPGA images in non-volatile memory are corrupt and none of the normal programming tools (HPSDR Programmer or Bootloader) will work. The only way to reprogram a bricked unit is to open it up and use a JTAG programming pod (aka "USB blaster") with special software to reload the Bootloader image.

This post will explain the problem and how to avoid it.

Background

All electronic designs suffer from the problem of obsolescent parts. The Orion MKII SDR board in the 7K and 8K series radios is no different. When a part goes obsolete and is no longer available there is usually a simple answer in the form of a newer replacement part. Such is the case for the Orion MKII board when the original EPCS128A memory IC went obsolete. The board was revised with an almost identical EPCQ128A memory IC and these later revision boards are the ones used in the 7000DLE MKII units. In order for the unit to work properly with both kinds of memory ICs there is a jumper, J14, that must be correctly configured. For the older EPCS128A no jumper should be placed. For the newer EPCQ128A a jumper shoud be in position.

The Problem

If the jumper is incorrectly configured and an attempt to reprogram the unit with either HPSDR Bootloader or HPSDR Programmer is made, the contents of the memory will be corrupted and the normal programming tools will no longer work.

In this case the specific issue is that at least two 7000DLE MKII units were shipped from the factory with J14 missing when it should have been installed. The owners of those radios tried to upgrade firmware and were left with bricked units. Both were able to recover them using a JTAG programming pod but this is probably something best avoided for most people!

What you can do to avoid this situation

If you are worried that your unit may be missing its jumper you can remove the bottom cover of the chassis and look at the Orion MKII SDR board to confirm that the memory IC part number and J14 configuration is correct. J14 should be jumpered if the memory is an EPCQ128A. Below are two photos that show the location of the memory IC and of J14 (the blue jumper next to U15, it may not be blue in your unit).

OrionMKII_EPCQ128A.jpg
OrionMKII_EPCQ128A.jpg (1.3 MiB) Viewed 44978 times


OrionMKII jumper.jpg
OrionMKII jumper.jpg (1.59 MiB) Viewed 44978 times
w3ub
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby w3ub » Sun May 05, 2019 8:58 pm

Can we assume that if we have previously updated FW on our 7000 that the jumper is correct, or should everyone check it?
Is there a procedure somewhere for removing the covers?
Thanks (from a new user)
Doug
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby w-u-2-o » Mon May 06, 2019 1:38 am

Doug,

If you have already successfully updated firmware then there is nothing to worry about.

I'm not aware of a procedure to take the bottom off. I have an 8000 here so I'm no help on that part of it ;)

73,

Scott
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby Tom-KJ4WQ » Mon May 06, 2019 8:02 pm

Thanks, Doug, for the most helpful pictures of the chip and the jumper location.

Having just received a 7000DLE MKII, I was very relieved to read about the resolution to the trouble Gordon N1MGO had trying to flash his unit. I had followed his well-reported saga with great interest and some concern.

I found that my radio, S/N 117, delivered 30 April, has the EPCQ128A chip but lacked the jumper on J-14. Fortunately, I hadn't tried to install any updates.

If you have a 2.5 mm hex driver bit (and a Phillips for the four feet), the bottom plate is very quickly removed. The Orion board is very accessible.

73,
Tom
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby w3ub » Mon May 06, 2019 9:57 pm

We can thank Scott!

And I just noticed this is only for the MKII, I have the original 7000DLE.

Doug
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby w-u-2-o » Wed May 08, 2019 10:00 pm

And I just heard about another user who received their 7000DLE MKII apparently pre-bricked, and with the jumper missing. :o
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby Gary_Sitton » Sat May 11, 2019 3:02 pm

Doug,
I haven't attempted a P2 firmware update ,nor have I looked to see if J14 has a jumper, nor have I looked to see if it is needed because of the reported possible EPROM memory change. I will open up my 7000DLE Mk-II this weekend and see what needs to be done. I assume that if the jumper is necessary, then putting it in will only effect future P2 firmware updates and nothing else. I am waiting on using the P2 compatible PSDR software for other reasons for the time being, but will eventually definitely want to go the P2 route.
Thanks, Gary
73, Gary K5AMH
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby w-u-2-o » Sat May 11, 2019 11:24 pm

Gary,

The J14 jumper must be installed if you have the newer memory IC. This is true for any firmware you choose to load, P1 or P2, in any order, with any of the three firmware loading app's.

73,

Scott
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ramdor
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby ramdor » Wed Jul 03, 2019 11:03 pm

Just received a new 7000dleMKII from ML&S in the UK today (no embedded i5/i7), looks to be serial #19. Arrived with firmware 2.4. The jumper was missing, but I only found out after hours of head scratching after a failed 2.7 update using programmer. Found this thread, checked chip ident and added the jumper that was missing. So added a jumper and used bootloader. Managed to get it back to life with 2.7... shhheeesh, what a nightmare first day. Hopefully things will improve :D

Totally amazed there was absolutely no paperwork in the box, not even a sheet of paper saying 'go to this quick start up guide' or anything, or even slip of paper with a reference to this thread.... bit of an eye opener to be honest considering this issue has been known about for a while. Just the radio and a clear bag with powercable + fuse. Oh and a free magazine offer card and an invoice !

73 Richie - MW0LGE
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Tony EI7BMB
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby Tony EI7BMB » Thu Jul 04, 2019 10:18 am

I'm surprised MLS were not aware of this
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ramdor
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby ramdor » Thu Jul 04, 2019 11:25 am

Tony EI7BMB wrote:I'm surprised MLS were not aware of this


Have just spoken to them and they were very grateful for the feedback. I think this is very rare, but something does need to happen in the way of informing new owners with regards to very important info. This jumper problem being one, and the attenuation critical update requiring at least firmware v2.6.

Anyway, clogging the thread. All working great, fantastic bit of kit/software :D
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Tony EI7BMB
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby Tony EI7BMB » Thu Jul 04, 2019 3:38 pm

Hope it goes well Richie , hoping to get one myself if I can sell my current Anan 100.
73
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby Tony EI7BMB » Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:16 am

Just got my 7000 MK11 but in my excitement forgot about this thread . I was able to re write the IP address using bootloader without a problem is it safe to assume that i can safely update firmware too ?
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby w-u-2-o » Sat Aug 31, 2019 2:01 pm

No, I would check the jumper and the IC part number as described above before writing any firmware.
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Tony EI7BMB
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby Tony EI7BMB » Sat Aug 31, 2019 2:17 pm

Thanks Scott, will do
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby Tony EI7BMB » Sun Sep 08, 2019 1:47 pm

Just checked mine and jumper is in place . Found a piece of plastic cable tie lying on the board too

Image

Image
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FM5GB
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby FM5GB » Mon Sep 09, 2019 1:41 am

Friday afternoon job or poor workmanship...

73s Phil
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PaulManc
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby PaulManc » Mon Sep 07, 2020 6:32 pm

Great post tnx. Im new here and reading to get familiar......warts n' all.

Ordered today the 7000DLE MKII Black edition, I wonder if this should be checked on arrival, I guess so ?
Paul
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby w-u-2-o » Mon Sep 07, 2020 9:30 pm

Wouldn't hurt. Cheap insurance and all that sort of thing.
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby PaulManc » Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:29 pm

w-u-2-o wrote:Wouldn't hurt. Cheap insurance and all that sort of thing.


Thanks.

So, the radio arrived with v2.7 loaded so PowerSDR mRX PS is working fine. On this black edition it has six CSK screws holding the brushed aluminium base cover in place, would it be best to remove the rear/front cover plate or both in order to check the board?

Would my warranty be void if I went inside this radio if only to confirm the "jumper". Wondering if I provided Apache Labs with the serial if they could confirm.

Im feeling the pressure :?
Paul
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby K1LSB » Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:45 pm

I have the black model too, it arrived in February. I just fired it up and "put the hammer down". Been running fine ever since so I assume the factory has the jumper issue sorted.

One thing I did do was tighten all of the chassis screws and all of the nuts on the rear panel connectors. They were all quite loose (some weren't even finger tight!).
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby PaulManc » Sat Sep 12, 2020 9:33 am

K1LSB wrote:I have the black model too, it arrived in February. I just fired it up and "put the hammer down". Been running fine ever since so I assume the factory has the jumper issue sorted.

Not exactly sure of your response. I presume it came with P1 and you just went ahead and installed P2 without checking. If so, which method did you use was it Programmer V2 nopcap or Bootloader.

K1LSB wrote:One thing I did do was tighten all of the chassis screws and all of the nuts on the rear panel connectors. They were all quite loose (some weren't even finger tight!).

I have not found anything loose or anything wrong with this radio, everything is marked up including the BL switch underneath. I am very impressed with the overall quality its excellent.

TIA
Paul
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby K1LSB » Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:03 pm

Paul,

Sorry for my lack of clarity, You are correct, it came with P1 and I just took the chance and installed P2 without checking anything.

I can't recall which method I used to flash P2. My BL switch was not marked.
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby Pete4638 » Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:28 am

My 7000DLE MKII came from the factory with v2.0.0 firmware. I read on the forum that the most current firmware is 2.1.18. Fortunately, before just using bootloader to install the new firmware, I read the warning about the possibility that my radio shipped without a jumper being installed, which could lead to the radio being bricked. Good; I'm happy that I found this post. But I can't find any instruction on how to remove the bottom panel to identify the memory chip or to see if the jumper is installed.

I have spent a fair amount of time inside computers, radios, amps, and other electronic equipment, but this case is a bit confusing. I don't see anyway to remove the bottom panel without removing the part of the case that encloses the top and sides of the radio. To do that, it appears that the front panel should be removed first. Is there an easier way to do this? Are there any photos or videos available that show how to remove the case?

Thanks

Pete - KD4CQZ
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby w-u-2-o » Sun Aug 14, 2022 1:30 pm

Pete4638 wrote:My 7000DLE MKII came from the factory with v2.0.0 firmware.

Pete--that doesn't seem correct. 2.0 is a Protocol 2 version number, and so is 2.1.18. The factory only delivers with Protocol 1 loaded.

Is this one of the brand new units with the new revision Orion board in it? Is the serial number DX8300497A or higher?

It's important to understand exactly what your current situation is before providing additional advise. Chances are good that you do not need to open the ANAN to check the jumper.
Pete4638
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby Pete4638 » Sun Aug 14, 2022 6:34 pm

w-u-2-o wrote:
Pete4638 wrote:My 7000DLE MKII came from the factory with v2.0.0 firmware.

Pete--that doesn't seem correct. 2.0 is a Protocol 2 version number, and so is 2.1.18. The factory only delivers with Protocol 1 loaded.

Is this one of the brand new units with the new revision Orion board in it? Is the serial number DX8300497A or higher?

It's important to understand exactly what your current situation is before providing additional advise. Chances are good that you do not need to open the ANAN to check the jumper.


Cutting to the chase, I used bootloader to upgrade the firmware to 2.1.18 without any issues, or having to take the radio apart to verify the jumper or memory chip code. My serial number is DX8300227. The radio was delivered in September 2020, which was around a year after the warning was posted about the possible missing jumper issue. I assumed that Apache-Labs had sorted out the jumper issue and I rolled the dice.

However, the radio was delivered with Protocol 2 firmware. I have used this radio with only one computer. A search of the computer by File Locator Pro, didn't turn up any firmware files or a copy of bootloader. There is no way that I could have installed a protocol 2 firmware after receiving the computer from Apache-Labs.

Your post got me thinking that the jumper issues probably didn't apply to my radio. Thanks for the reply.

Pete KD4CQZ
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby w-u-2-o » Sun Aug 14, 2022 7:35 pm

Glad it worked out, Pete.

AFAIK your ANAN is the only one in history to be loaded with P2 firmware at delivery. Another entry to the list of known QA issues.
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby Pete4638 » Sun Aug 14, 2022 11:08 pm

w-u-2-o wrote:Glad it worked out, Pete.

AFAIK your ANAN is the only one in history to be loaded with P2 firmware at delivery. Another entry to the list of known QA issues.


I remember having a discussion online with someone, perhaps this forum, or even Facebook or elsewhere about installing Thetis. I had read that I need to install P2 firmware to install Thetis. Then I discovered that the radio already had P2 firmware. I installed Thetis (the original Thetis download is still in my download folder) without a hitch.

I also remember a discussion with another new 7000DLE owner who wanted to install Thetis. Someone else replied before I did that the firmware that was shipping with the 7000DLE MKII was P2. If I had ever performed a P2 upgrade, the downloaded files for bootloader and the upgraded P2 firmware would be in my downloads folder. I never delete any file from that folder. I have files that I downloaded over ten years ago on my desktops.
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w-u-2-o
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Re: Warning for 7000DLE MKII owners

Postby w-u-2-o » Sun Aug 14, 2022 11:37 pm

Thetis has supported both P1 and P2 for some time, now.

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