Anybody successfully update a Divesoft Solo Trimix Analyzer

[divezonescuba]

I received an email from Dive Gear Express to upgrade the software on a recently purchased Divesoft Solo trimix analyzer.

The process is somewhat complex and Dive Gear Express offers to do it for you. If you want to do it yourself they have instructions on where to go to install the upgrade communications software on your computer. There are also two videos on YouTube that were posted by Divesoft. After watching the videos several times, I attempted the upgrade. The videos do not provide much detail on the virtual port driver, but I was able to figure that out.

After completing the process, the computer said verify : pass.

Now the analyzer will not turn on at all.

if you haven’t upgraded yet, you might want to wait.

 

[divezonescuba]

Divesoft USA actually got back to me within an hour on a Saturday. Pretty good customer service.

if your unit becomes inoperative, you have to do a hardware reset. This procedure is not in the analyzer manual. It is in the firmware downloading procedure document.

the document says that this is commonly caused by not continuously holding down the on button while doing the upgrade process. However, I don’t think this is the problem as my unit did not display the entire upgrade procedure as in the YouTube video and then say verify : pass. Instead, it originally flashed quickly thru a few screens and then said verify : pass.

so, I don’t think it was updated properly in the first place even though it said verify : pass. I think it would be a good idea to do the hardware reset before attempting to upgrade. The hardware reset procedure is to simultaneously hold down the Esc, up arrow, down arrow, and ok buttons at the same time. This key sequence is not in the actual Solo manual.

You can then go thru the update procedure.

Three or four upgrade attempts later, my analyzer was working again.

Yea.

 

[nadwidny]

I just got one.. What does the update do? Should I even bother?

 

[divezonescuba]

This is what they say the new release does. I probably would have waited, but

“DiveSoft that states a firmware update must be applied to those devices.”

• new Preferences option "Nitrogen source", selectable Athmospheric | Pure
• flow rate (air only) in service screen
• improved probe autosetup
• text on the screen correspond to key name (OK/Enter, on various keyboard versions)
• support for new HW release 3.0 (SOLO)
• low battery is not error
• better textation of system messages
• minimal temperature increased to 5°C(41°F)
• Calibration data not erased when "Reset to default" is applied (introduced in 2.28)

I am not sure which one of those is critical making it a “must”. Also, they were willing to pay to have it shipped to them if the user did not want to do it.