Chrissaf Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 I'm no software engineer, but I would tend to agree somewhat with John (yelrow). Given that XP is officially un-supported by MS. It shouldn't be a case that to obtain 'bullet proof' reliability that one has to resort to using XP to obtain it. I agree with John, that Hornby (and/or their agents) should completely review and if neccessary re-write all the driver software and ensure 'bullet proof' conformity to MS driver standards for all Windows versions, including Win 8x and forthcoming Win10. I think it is time for Hornby to 'bite that bullet' (pun intended) and get it right for the benefit of all, not just XP users..I'm thinking eLink users here as well as Elite Firmware updating software..Just my opinion......rant over!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Odd though Chris that eLink has self updated from within RM on my Win 8x machine. Its only the Elite 'manual' updates that fail.I was under the impression (read it somewhere on site - may have been HRMS response ??) that the eLink and Elite drivers are one and the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Interesting addition to the debate Rob. Not an eLink user myself, so no experience to relate to. So what firmware version did your eLink automatically update from and to?.How did you know it was happening, did you get a popup saying new firmware was available from within RM?.Only thing that comes to mind is that since eLink has no buttons to push. RM must be written to update eLink firmware as the eLink needs to be put into update mode. On Elite one presses and holds the 'stop' button on power up to do that..Can't remember where, but I too have seen Hornby documentation stating the e-Link and Elite drivers are one and the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Some time ago Chris - RM said at start up '...hang on updating eLink...' and it went I think (without interrogating RM) to 1.06.How RM handles the mechanics of a firmware update is beyond me but it make you think if RM can do it with eLink why can't Elite update be as simple.In the old days we had to update the Elite with bootloader and that was a pest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Just to refresh people's memories on drivers: there was no generic driver in XP so Hornby produced their own. There was a driver in 7/8 so HRMS used it for RM with Elite or eLink. This should also work for Elite standalone. However, a subtle problem was found with the generic driver in that some eLinks would not work with it on the 1 Amp supply, so HRMS produced a new one. Remember you spent months john telling people they had to get the 4 Amp supply and I kept saying no. That at explains the drivers now being seen, if I remember correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graskie Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 I tried for about half an hour last night but just couldn't manage it. I won't go into all the rigmarole of exactly what I tried but I did follow instructions. I just left it in the end and jumped out of the window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Window 8 or 8.1? Did that work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Fishy, you forget, you did not keep saying no, you asked HRMS, to supply 4 amp, if needed, and in the odd case, they did just that. It was only hornby that said they ran happily on 1 amp. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 For me john, Hornby were never involved only HRMS. It was they who kept telling us their extensive test layout was running happily on 1 Amp. It was HRMS also who, after some time, acknowledged the problem and fixed it with an update that included a new driver. HCC never had anything to do with it. So now it would be interesting to know if the driver with the Elite firmware upgrade is the same one that comes with RM or if the Elite people have come up with their own or are using the generic one. It should of course not matter. Whatever driver is working in the first place with RM should continue to work for the upgrade. Which of course may be my famous last words? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Fishman, earlier today I looked at the driver.inf files included in the Firmware upgrade zip file. The Vista/W7 driver was dated 2001. The XP driver was dated later at 2007. Does this fit in with your thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choralc Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 After initially trying to run RM on my MacBook Pro using XP (running with Parallells software) and trying to update the Elite I gave up for sometime and then when I bought the eLink I had an ACER running Vista ressurected. After initial problems the 1.41 Elite upgrade was successful and then I also did a friend's. As the Mac is my 'working' laptop I downloaded the 1.42 and did the upgrade on it. I was given the device driver options and told XP to find and install and in Device Manager it says it is R8214 Hornby Elite (COM4). When I told my good lady about how others are still having problems her definitive explanation is 'that computers can be just spiteful.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graskie Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Window 8 or 8.1? Did that work? I'm afraid I've only got 7 Windows, Fishy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Dont apologise for windows 7, Graskie, given the choice, we would all still have it. Far better system. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I've had an absolute nightmare trying to update my elite to the latest firmware been using Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 and also 8.1 on a different laptop all I get is either a communications problem if I get to the update program I get updates failed . I have tried various USB cables also trying in compatibility mode in Windows I have also tried changing the com port to 1 it's looking like it will have to be sent back to hornby for update where do you send things these days? I wish I had never tried to update now . the really should be a hardware reset button on the eliteLooks like a call to customer care in the morning if nobody comes up with anything else I could try Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Assuming you have been meticulous with following the instructions to put it in update mode, HCC is the next place to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman_Ian Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Have never been able to update the firmware on the elite with windows 8.1I always have to fish out my old vista laptop and use that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 I have now managed to update my elite unit to 1.42 I had the idea of trying Windows XP in a virtual box before I sent it back to hornby . I ran the virtual box from Windows 8.1 and once this was sent up I downloaded the elite update installed the drivers and then started the update programme It seemed to take a while longer than it had when I tried it with Windows 7 and 8.1 I wonder if some elite units need to be updated with XP? Where others will work with Windows 7 or 8.1 my elite has 19/07 stamped on the bottom I wonder if there is a slight difference between earlier and later manufactured elite controllers ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icurus Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 I'm pretty sure the Elite does not know what version of windows it is connected too. It really is just a driver issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Olly, Hornby have never told us anything about the hardware configuration of Elites, over time or otherwise, so no info is available to answer your question. What we do know is that they are functionally similar at least to the extent that firmware is common, only the version differs. Icurus, you are right in the first instance that only driver matters. However, I believe there are slightly more subtle things at play here and may include aspects of the OS, the actual hardware configuration and maybe even the BIOS, which affect how a firmware update can work. So it may be that most XP machines work, not because of XP but the era from which the particular computer and its hardware and BIOS came when XP was the OS of choice. Consequently, running in any XP compatibility mode may get you nowhere. And it's not just XP that works, I know I updated to 1.4 then 1.41 using my laptop with 7, as did many others. Have yet to get around to trying 1.42 using the same laptop which now is at 8.1. Will be interesting when I try but won't be anytime soon as it is currently packed away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icurus Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 It would be nice if the Elite had a built in one button press update function, but as this may require more then just a firmware update it might never appear, but i'm sure they could change the display to say 'in update mode' once you have successfully managed to put it into said mode, as the current in update mode display is very non descriptive! Hey, how about a simple hold down of say, 3 buttons, to put the Elite into update mode rather then the current timed button holding routine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Olly, Hornby have never told us anything about the hardware configuration of Elites, over time or otherwise, so no info is available to answer your question. What we do know is that they are functionally similar at least to the extent that firmware is common, only the version differs. Icurus, you are right in the first instance that only driver matters. However, I believe there are slightly more subtle things at play here and may include aspects of the OS, the actual hardware configuration and maybe even the BIOS, which affect how a firmware update can work. So it may be that most XP machines work, not because of XP but the era from which the particular computer and its hardware and BIOS came when XP was the OS of choice. Consequently, running in any XP compatibility mode may get you nowhere. And it's not just XP that works, I know I updated to 1.4 then 1.41 using my laptop with 7, as did many others. Have yet to get around to trying 1.42 using the same laptop which now is at 8.1. Will be interesting when I try but won't be anytime soon as it is currently packed away. Fishmanoz it was the same laptop I used to try the update So I don't think it was anything to do with hardware or bios . it could just be that the elite doesn't like my particular setup the laptop runs as a dual boot system with Windows 8.1 and 7 had no luck updating with either of those so decided to try a virtual box set up with XP and that worked first time with the same laptop and USB cable I think I will leave the virtual XP on the laptop for next time there is an update for the elite as the laptop is only a spare as I normally use apple Mac's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I'm pretty sure the Elite does not know what version of windows it is connected too. It really is just a driver issue. What I wondered is do some elites have an earlier chip than others that don't like later versions of Windows and guess will never know unless hornby tell us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Or we all take the top off our Elites and make a list Olly. Not likely to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman_Ian Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Could be processor speed? I have noticed when trying to do the update from my win 8.1 quad core 64bit computer the update green bar (for want of a better name) completes in about 45 seconds and then I get the update failed message.When I use the old slow vista computer the green bar takes over three minutes to complete and the update works.Could be the Elite just needs more time to load the update file. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 No I don't think it well how about a list of the date codes on the bottom of the elites ? and what Version of Windows it will update with.my one is 19/07 and would only update with xp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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