Hornby Elite Firmware Update Problems

[DelGreco]

Hello All, I am hoping you can help me.

TLDR: Hornby Elite will not turn on after a failed firmware upgrade on a Windows 10 PC. It just gives me a blank screen and flashing green light until it turns itself off about 1-2 min later.

I've retried and with older firmwares, 1.42, 1.43, 1.44 and 1.45, all with the same result. And different USB ports on my PC too.

I'm very unpopular in our house and could do with getting this fixed before xmas.

Full story:

I have a small train set of 00 and 009, with a range of locos from fully DCC and sound enabled, DCC Ready, where I have added chips, and Analogue where I have physically upgraded (rewired, added sockets, LEDs, etc).

My only DCC controller is the Hornby Elite. It was on firmware 1.42.

Its worked fine for the last 2-3 years, until this year when I bought a new loco. A Roco 72273, fully sound enabled, with smoke generator, etc. I had a couple of wierd interactions with the loco. I cant read or write anything to it, and function 0 for the headlights wont active. All other functions work, and my other locos seem to be working as expected too.

I decided to upgrade the firmware as I thought that may be an issue, as the chip in the Roco is a very new one.

I downloaded the latest official firmware (1.45) and instructions from the Hornby website, and tried running the update. It seemed to connect ok, transfer the files all ok, but then just gave me a popup saying update failed. (And then another popup saying "update failed" would appear next to it every 5-10 seconds until the computer screen was full, or I click cancel.

The Elite just sits with a blank screen and the green LED lit solid.

If I unplug the elite, and try to boot it up normally, it just has a blank screen and flashing green LED!

Every time I turn on the elite, i get that same result. Blank screen, and flashing LED.

Tech-wise I'm running windows 10, on a high spec VR pc.

I've tried running the firmware update several times, using several different USB ports on the computer, all with the same result.

I've also tried installing firmware 1.44 and 1.43, to the same result.

Please can you advise what I should do as I am very unpopular for killing the the Christmas train. (We collect the xmas wagons, and grown the train every year, and this year they are a stationary exhibit, and the expensive new loco is quiet and smokeless!!)

[ColinB]

I suspect 96RAF will reply, but I will cover the basics. The Elite reprogramming is pretty crude so the issue you are seeing is not unusual. If I remember right in the reprograming/upgrade there is option to select at what speed your PC downloads the data to the Elite, you have to play about with this setting. The Elite has basically erased its main program, so you are stuck in the routine on the Elite that reprograms itself. 1.45 is the right version so you are doing nothing wrong, it took me several attempts to get it to work. Trouble is the Elite was designed in an age where reprogramming was designed to work with old slow computers.

[96RAF]

Colin has it right. There is an option in the installer to select PC type, usually type 2 will be OK even on Windows 10/11. Type 1 is for an ancient pc and type 3 for a latest racing pc.

The essential is to get the com port correct - confirm with dev mgr. the next essential is to allow time between events. With the com port noted unplug the USB. Power the Elite back up whilst holding the STOP button. Release the button and wait up to 30 seconds, plug in the USB and wait again, then execute the update installer. Select the com port previously noted, select pc type and press go.

The installer should take a few minutes to perform the update. If it flashes over in less than a minute then a fail is definite. If it takes a really long time, possibly up to an hour, the update maybe OK.

If the update fails, simply unplug it all and start again. Several times if necessary.

I have seen the cascading fail dialogue during installer testing but that was many, many years ago and I cannot remember the resolution.

Be aware that at v1.42 the new simplified fool-proof installer was launched. Prior to that you had to fiddle with boot-loaders, etc. Trying to install a previous firmware version is not advised.

I would suggest that you delete the device and its driver in dev mgr then replug the Elite and let windows find the Elite and load its own driver for it.

Another problem may be the pc com port, so if you can try a different one.

[Fishmanoz]

My memory tells me that since the 1.42 installer was released, no one has reported failing to update after getting the com port and speed correct and following the instructions with all the delays.

My own recent experience, after having the Elite packed away for some years was that it worked first time using a laptop with Windows 11 and took a lot less than the hour RAF suggests.

[ColinB]

I don't remember it taking long either.

[Yelrow]

Was it in the same drawer as your Select, Fishy ?.

[96RAF]

The 1 hour was if you selected type 1 when using a newer device. As an analogy type 1 is sending the update word by word, type 2 sentence by sentence and type 3 paragraph by paragraph.

[Fishmanoz]

Ah, a memory test - my Select is in the Mixed Freight set box on the top shelf in the wardrobe in the other bedroom/office, same shelf as all the other OO sets. The Elite was the problem - it was hiding in its own original box and not in the bottom drawer with the door stops.

And the Rocket’s in the packet in the pocket of the jacket - with apologies to Red Skelton!

But a real memory test - our school final year exam results have just been released. One of the top students in the hardest maths exam is quoted as having repeated pi to a thousand decimal places. I can do that too, or almost - 3.14159265358 and only 989 to go.

Edit - typo corrected.

[Yelrow]

Top of the class. I knew your select, was a door stop.

[Fishmanoz]

Thanks pd, fixed.

Hopefully the “bricked” Elite fixed too?

[DelGreco]

Hello all,

Firstly, huge apologies in the reply. I didnt get a notification anyone had responded to my post, and then i was very unwel over the Christmas period.

In a nutshel, I got the elite back up and running. I bought a new USB A-B cable, tried on several PCs, and gave much longer delays between every step than outlined in the instructons.

And the Elite controller is now mostly working. I am having some difficulty with coding engines still. Even ones I have coded before, with the same controller / track setup. I'm going to do some more investigation over the coming couple of weeks. Cleaning track, wheels, pickups, cables, connectors etc. Everyone says the connection is the key thing causing problems, and this last few months I've had more problems than I've ever had, so something is definitely up.

I'll post an update in a week or so once I've had a better chance to play & test etc.

Thanks again for all your help, pointers and suggestions. And I hope you all had a good Christmas break.

Kindest Regards,

Del

[96RAF]

See if you can read a decoder address. If not despite all the cleaning and other tips it may be the Elite programming output is unserviceable. If you have a track tester led it should flash in concert with the Elite relay clicking and the red led lighting during programming.