PowerFLARM firmware v3.00 released (feature complete)

On Thursday, May 16, 2013 12:11:24 PM UTC-4, wrote:
A friend has proposed the idea of using a fiber-optic cable to bring the
Core's LED out to the panel. I don't know whether or not that will work,
but it is an interesting idea. He's looking into it.

Paul, I've done this. You need to get good quality fiber optic
multi-strand and it works pretty well. There is some loss but under
a shadowed part of the panel, you can see it just fine. The trick is
to make a coupling for the fiber at the LED end.

Darren

Guys, you really don't need the LEDs.
Any display device *should* echo the relevant status messages.

No, Dave is getting frustrated, and I agree with him! If you upgrade the display software and look at the stupid thing - IT HAS AN IGC FILE DOWNLOAD FEATURE! So stick in the free USB extender, route it so you can reach it without taking your glider apart, then after your incredible flight, WITHOUT CYCLING THE PFB POWER, stick in your fancy thumb drive with the pretty lights, go to the igc file download menu, and get your stinking file so you can rush to post it on OLC to the amazement of the unwashed masses and adoration of the breathless groupies...

I would say RTFM, but of course the M isn't quite up to date yet...

Sheesh, don't you guys know any 14 year olds?

Kirk

66

AFAIK, I have updated to the latest of both display and core fw. There is a menu item for "IGC Download" - On and Off. I have it on. My understanding is not that this forces a download, rather, that it has the core send the file to the USB stick or not. The new manual (3.0 US) says
quote
To read out the flights to the USB stick:
ï‚· Switch CORE OFF after flight (allow at least 2 minutes after landing to avoid losing data).
ï‚· Connect USB stick to CORE.
ï‚· Switch CORE ON.
ï‚· Observe Status LED (flashing RED/GREEN) or progress indication on display to verify flights are being copied.
ï‚· Wait until system has started up normally after copying flights.
ï‚· Disconnect USB stick.

Some displays or flight computers allow reading out flights without switching the CORE OFF after the flight. Please refer to your system’s documentation for details.

PowerFLARM CORE-Manual 3.00 US, page 15ff

unquote.

I did RTFM. If it's accurate, you're wrong; I have tried what you suggest and it does not work - the IGC files do not appear on my stick unless I cycle the power.

Thank you for your wise words; they really helped.

On Thursday, May 16, 2013 4:29:39 PM UTC-4, Dan Daly wrote:
I did RTFM. If it's accurate, you're wrong; I have tried
what you suggest and it does not work - the IGC files do
not appear on my stick unless I cycle the power.

Put the cursor on the "download IGC" choice and push the button.
Works great, Kirk is absolutely right.
This *should* be in the Butterfly documentation;
no idea if that has been updated.

There's a general rule that the best products are intuitive to use and don't need an instruction manual to operate, at least for basic functions. That's why Apple is so successful - ever read an iPhone or iPad manual - I think not!!

In Flarm's case, the product is so complex and counter-intuitive that you technical wonks can't even agree what the manual says! What chance do I have of getting mine installed and working by the start of Region 9?

Mike

On Thursday, May 16, 2013 3:48:58 PM UTC-7, Mike the Strike wrote:
There's a general rule that the best products are intuitive to use and don't need an instruction manual to operate, at least for basic functions. That's why Apple is so successful - ever read an iPhone or iPad manual - I think not!! In Flarm's case, the product is so complex and counter-intuitive that you technical wonks can't even agree what the manual says! What chance do I have of getting mine installed and working by the start of Region 9? Mike

Mike,

I will be there to help you. So chances are fair to good.

Richard
www.craggyaero.com

On Thursday, May 16, 2013 6:48:58 PM UTC-4, Mike the Strike wrote:
There's a general rule that the best products are intuitive to use
and don't need an instruction manual to operate

And you really think you should be able to install a complex radio
product in an aircraft without RTFM ? Yikes.
We have met the enemy...

On May 16, 1:58*pm, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Thursday, May 16, 2013 12:11:24 PM UTC-4, wrote:
A friend has proposed the idea of using a fiber-optic cable to bring the
Core's LED out to the panel. *I don't know whether or not that will work,
but it is an interesting idea. *He's looking into it.

Paul, I've done this. You need to get good quality fiber optic
multi-strand and it works pretty well. *There is some loss but under
a shadowed part of the panel, you can see it just fine. *The trick is
to make a coupling for the fiber at the LED end.

Darren

Guys, you really don't need the LEDs.
Any display device *should* echo the relevant status messages.

The designers of PowerFlarm must have intended to put this LED on a
Christmas tree but they confused it with PowerFlarm brick and now we
have LED there that is not needed. Great!

It's too bad the PowerFLARM display doesn't have an attitude indicator on it and a direct link to an online glider-for-sale site - then we could have a really good thread going!

Seriously, it can be frustrating, but if you ensure you have the correct files for updating the PF and display - making SURE you check the file name because Windows 7 WILL try to stick a .txt on it - the install is easy.

And if you have a Butterfly External display (the one that comes standard with the PF Core), you will no longer have to power cycle the PF to download.

And for Mike Stringfellow - With an Oudie, it is literally plug and play. The hardest part of installing the Flarm system is finding a place for all the antennas!

Let's all go flying!

Kirik
66

Am Donnerstag, 16. Mai 2013 05:43:05 UTC+2 schrieb Matt Herron Jr.:
Last weekend I flew with the PF core upgraded to 3.00 and an Oudie upgraded to 4.40.004. A V7 connects the two together (Firmware 2.02). All the flight stuff worked fine, but I still got the error -9 when attempting to download the flight from the core via the Oudie ConnectMe program.

Matt,

I don't know Oudie very well, but PowerFLARM does not support flight download via
the RS232 connection. We might add that at a laster stage, but it's *not*
on our top priority list right now. USB download is faster and modern displays
will allow you to initiate a download after the flight without power cycling
PowerFLARM (BF 3.1 display). The Oudie folks might want to implement that as well *hint hint*.

Progress indication is also implemented in newer display versions, so the
PowerFLARM Core LED becomes less important.

If you have no access to the USB slot, I'd suggest an extension cable.

Hope you guys are getting some good lift!

Best
--Gerhard (FLARM dev mgr)

Mike the Strike wrote, On 5/16/2013 3:48 PM:
There's a general rule that the best products are intuitive to use
and don't need an instruction manual to operate, at least for basic
functions. That's why Apple is so successful - ever read an iPhone
or iPad manual - I think not!!

In Flarm's case, the product is so complex and counter-intuitive that
you technical wonks can't even agree what the manual says! What
chance do I have of getting mine installed and working by the start
of Region 9?

You likely had decades of experience using computers before you
encountered an iPad. Collision avoidance systems - not so many.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl