ASTRONICS FCT-1367-56C R8000 Series Communications System Analyzer User Guide

ASTRONICS FCT-1367-56C R8000 Series Communications System Analyzer

Product Information

Specifications:

• Product Type : Software Upgrade Procedure
• Title: R8xxx Upgrade Standard Procedure
• Model Number: FCT-1367-56 C
• Pages: 12

Product Usage Instructions

Upgrade Procedure Overview:

This procedure upgrades the R8000 Series Communications System Analyzer software utilizing the Standard upgrade procedure. Make sure to follow each step carefully to prevent any issues during the upgrade process.

Conventions Used:

Follow the conventions and warnings provided in the manual to ensure a successful software upgrade process.

Warnings and Notes:

• Warning: Perform the upgrade process with the Communication System Analyzer powered by an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to avoid damage in case of power loss.
• Warning: Use a USB thumb drive with security features disabled for the upgrade process as the analyzer does not support such security features.
• Note: Unpack the .zip file using Windows built-in ZIP file extraction for best results. Using other tools may require adjustments in the procedure.
• Note: Safely remove the USB drive from the computer to prevent file corruption.

Upgrade Process Steps:

1. Ensure you have the correct upgrade file matching your system’s version number.
2. Verify that there is no file named ‘Rufus-2.17.exe’ at the top level of the update file.
3. If the above checks pass, proceed with the upgrade following the next steps.
4. Perform the upgrade procedure in its entirety.
5. Prepare a USB thumb drive with at least three times the size of the upgrade zip file.
6. Follow the step-by-step instructions provided in the manual for a successful upgrade process.

FAQ

• Q: Can I unpack more than one .zip update file to a single USB drive?
  • A: Yes, it is acceptable to unpack more than one .zip update file to a single USB drive. However, make sure to follow the update flow chart and execute both sections for each update applied in sequence.
• Q: What should I do if I encounter issues during the upgrade process?
  • A: If you encounter any issues during the upgrade process, contact technical support via the product website SUPPORT page at freedomcte.com/freedom-support/ for assistance and guidance.

Purpose

This procedure upgrades the R8000 Series Communications System Analyzer software utilizing the “Standard upgrade procedure”. R8xxx updates may be applied only to systems that match the “from” version number listed as part of the update name. The downloaded zip file has the following nomenclature:

R8000_Update_AABBCCDD_to_EEFFGGHH.zip

AABBCCDD represents the System version number to be upgraded from as reported on the button About screen but in hexadecimal form. EEFFGGHH represents the System version number to be upgraded to that will be reported on the About screen after the upgrade process is complete.

To read the version number from the file name understand that the decimal points have been removed and each of the four dot-delimited segments is represented by a two-digit zero-padded hexadecimal value.
Example: Version “1.2.15.0” becomes “01020F00” in the name of the upgrade zip file so an update from 1.2.15.0 to 1.2.16.0 will read:

R8000_Update_01020F00_to_01021000.zip

Once you verify that you have the correct upgrade for your unit, then verify you are using the correct procedure.

Using a ZIP tool open the update file to view the top level. If at the top level you see a file with the name “Rufus-2.17.exe”, then this is NOT the correct procedure to use for this update. If there is no file with the name “rufus” in it, then this IS the correct procedure to use for this update. Please contact technical support for help; see the product website SUPPORT page:

freedomcte.com/freedom-support/

This procedure must be performed in its entirety for the update to apply correctly. A USB thumb drive with free space of at least three times the size of the upgrade zip file is required to perform the upgrade.

Upgrade Procedure Overview

Conventions Used

Soft Key – Vertical and horizontal buttons along the edge of the communications system analyzer LCD screen.

WARNING

PERFORM THESE STEPS WITH THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM ANALYZER POWERED BY AN UNINTERRUPTABLE POWER SUPPLY (UPS). IF POWER IS LOST DURING AN UPDATE, IT IS POSSIBLE TO DAMAGE THE ANALYZER IN A MANNER THAT REQUIRES FACTORY REPAIR.

WARNING

THIS PROCEDURE REQUIRES A USB THUMB DRIVE WITH CERTAIN SECURITY FEATURES DISABLED (FOR EXAMPLE, PASSWORD PROTECTION). THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM ANALYZER IS NOT CONFIGURED TO SUPPORT  SUCH SECURITY FEATURES.

NOTE

THESE INSTRUCTIONS DESCRIBE UNPACKING A .ZIP FILE USING WINDOWS BUILT-IN ZIP FILE EXTRACTION. IF ANOTHER TOOL IS USED, SOME ACTIONS FOR THE PROCEDURE MAY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED.

NOTE

WHILE IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO UNPACK MORE THAN ONE .ZIP UPDATE FILE TO A SINGLE USB DRIVE, AS THE UPDATE FLOW CHART ILLUSTRATES, IF MULTIPLE UPDATES ARE APPLIED IN SEQUENCE, IT IS CRITICAL THAT BOTH SECTIONS BELOW ARE EXECUTED FOR EACH UPDATE.

WARNING

WHEN REMOVING A USB DRIVE FROM A COMPUTER, IT IS USUALLY CRITICAL TO USE A “SAFELY REMOVE HARDWARE” FEATURE TO PREVENT THE CORRUPTION OF FILES COPIED TO THE DEVICE.

USB Drive Setup on PC

ALL SIX (6) STEPS IN THIS SECTION ARE REQUIRED. If one or more steps are skipped, or, if any step is executed improperly, “Search for Updates” on the product “Settings” | “About …” screen is certain to produce an error message that reads: “An update applicable to this unit was not found on any USB drive”.

1. Extract the USB Files

a. Move the “R8000_Update_AABBCCDD_to_EEFFGGHH.zip” file to the top level directory of the USB drive. Do not place it in a sub-folder.
b. The procedure for extracting files from the .zip file varies from system to system, particularly when a third-party archive/unarchive tool is installed, but, for reference, a number of .zip extraction scenarios for using a built-in

Windows file extraction tools are documented below:

Windows 10 / Windows 8.1

Select “R8000_Update_AABBCCDD_to_EEFFGGHH.zip” by clicking it once. A Compressed Folder Tools “Extract” menu ribbon should appear, but if it is not shown (“Extract all” is not visible), click the “Extract” menu tab to reveal it.

Click “Extract all” in the “Extract” menu ribbon.

When an “Extract Compressed (Zipped) Folders” pop-up appears, modify the path that appears in an edit box below “Files will be extracted to this folder”. Delete the “R8000_Update_AABBCCDD_to_EEFFGGHH” folder name to leave only a drive reference like “Z:\” (drive letter varies).
IMPORTANT: If the folder name is not removed, “An update applicable to this unit was not found on any USB drives” error will occur when the product “Search for Updates” soft key is used.
Uncheck “Show extracted files when complete”, then click the “Extract” button at the bottom of the pop-up window

Windows 7

Either right-click “R8000_Update_AABBCCDD_to_EEFFGGHH.zip” and select “Extract all…”, or, double-click the .zip file and click “Extract all files” on the task ribbon beneath the title bar. Alternatively, use “File” | “Extract all…” from the command menu next to the title bar. The key toggles the visibility of the command menu.

When an “Extract Compressed (Zipped) Folders” pop-up appears, modify the path that appears in an edit box below “Files will be extracted to this folder” by deleting the “R8000_Update_AABBCCDD_to_EEFFGGHH” folder name to leave only a drive reference like “Z:\” (drive letter varies).
IMPORTANT : If the folder name is not removed, “An update applicable to this unit was not found on any USB drives” error will occur when the product “Search for Updates” soft key is used. Uncheck “Show extracted files when complete”, then click the “Extract” button at the bottom of the pop-up window.

Windows XP

Double-click “R8000_Update_AABBCCDD_to_EEFFGGHH.zip” to reveal “Folder Tasks” in the explorer window.
If “Folder Tasks” appears, click “Extract all files”. Alternatively, use “File” | “Extract All…” from the command menu.
When the “Compressed Folders Extraction Wizard” appears, click the “Next” button.

In the window called “Extraction Wizard”, click the “Browse” button and select the USB drive as the destination.

NOTE : To see the USB drive, it may be necessary to click the “+” beside “My Computer” in the “Select a destination” popup window. Press the “OK” button.

Press “Next” (to extract the files to the USB drive). Ensure that the “Show extracted files” checkbox is checked. Press the “Finish” button.

c. When the contents of the .zip file are correctly extracted, a “ASTRONICS” folder and “R8000_Update_AABBCCDD_to_EEFFGGHH.cmd” file are both present on the root of the USB drive.
d. At this point, the USB drive is still not fully prepared to update the product. Perform the following additional steps to complete preparations for updating the product.

• 2. Activate the update on the USB drive by selecting only one of the sub-steps below. Choose the sub-step that best describes the operating system of the PC that the USB drive is plugged into:
• a. Microsoft Windows
• Double-click the “R8000_Update_AABBCCDD_to_EEFFGGHH.cmd” file on the root of the USB drive. A window normally pops up and automatically disappears when the operation completes successfully, but, if an error occurs, the window does not close, and an error message is displayed. Do not continue the upgrade procedure until this operation is completed successfully.
• If an error occurs, usually the drive either does not have enough free space or is write-protected. After correcting the problem, retry this operation.
• b. Any Operating System
• Navigate to the “ASTRONICS\R8000\update“ folder on the USB drive, then delete all “.md5sum“ and “.r8a“ files in it, but do not remove the folder. Navigate to the following folder on the USB drive: “ASTRONICS\R8000\R8000_UPDATE_AABBCCDD_to_EEFFGGHH”. Without removing the original files, copy “AABBCCDD.md5sum” and “AABBCCDD.r8a” from the “R8000_UPDATE_AABBCCDD_to_EEFFGGHH” folder to the empty “ASTRONICS\R8000\update“ folder.
• 3. As desired, verify the USB drive is properly prepared by navigating to the “ASTRONICS\R8000\update“ folder. When it is properly prepared, the folder will contain two files: “AABBCCDD.md5sum“ and “AABBCCDD.r8a“.
• 4. Use the “Safely Remove Hardware” controls to when ready to remove the USB drive from the computer. Details on how to do this vary by operating system and desktop configuration. For non-Windows operating systems, this is sometimes referred to as “unmounting” or “ejecting” the media. Refer to Appendix A for some examples how to “Safely
• Remove Hardware” on a PC that has one of several Microsoft Windows operating systems installed.
• 5. Remove the USB drive from the PC.
• 6. USB drive preparation is complete.

Communications System Analyzer Update Procedure

The completion time for this procedure could be anywhere from 5 minutes to 40 minutes depending on the size of the update. It is important however to follow onscreen instructions when they are shown.

1. Power up the analyzer using the green power button.

2. Wait approximately one minute for the analyzer boot sequence to complete. While the product is booting a “Loading Configuration File… Please Wait” message is shown in the product display status bar. Do not proceed to the next step until the message disappears from the status bar.

3. Insert a USB drive prepared using the “USB Drive Setup on PC” procedure into an available USB port located on the side or front of the analyzer.

4. Wait about 30 seconds to allow the analyzer to identify the USB drive. If the USB drive has a light on it, several seconds after insertion, the light blinks rapidly for a short period of time. Depending on the USB drive type, the system indicates that identification is complete by either extinguishing the light or by transitioning it from a rapid blink to a slow, periodic blink pattern.

5. Press the button located on the analyzer front panel.

6. Press the “About…” soft key.

7. Verify that the current “System” version is the one to be upgraded from (i.e. the decimal form of AABBCCDD).

8. Press the “Search for Updates” soft key.

   • a. An “Action Required” message panel is shown.
   • If the message panel is not shown, either the analyzer does not recognize that the USB drive is installed, or the USB drive preparation described in the “USB Drive Setup on PC” section was not successful. In some cases, using a different brand or model of USB drive may be helpful.
   • b. Press the “Continue” soft key to proceed with the update process.
   • c. A second “Action Required” message panel is shown after the update files have been transferred from the USB drive to the analyzer. For USB 2.0 compatible drives, the transfer requires about 1 minute to complete. Allow additional time if a slower device is used. During this time, the standard operating menu is visible. While it may appear that the system is not processing the update, there is no need to navigate away from the settings screen or to press additional controls.
   • IMPORTANT: USB drive light activity ceases prior to completion of the transfer. Do not assume that the transfer has failed if the second panel does not appear immediately after the drive appears inactive. If the panel fails to appear, a file on the USB drive is corrupt, or could not be processed, a red status bar “: code = ” message appears. The update procedure must be restarted if the transfer fails. It may be sufficient to re-run the “USB Drive Setup on PC” procedure using files previously obtained from the web site, but it may be necessary to download the files again if they are corrupted. In some cases, use of a different brand or model of USB drive may be helpful.
   • d. Unplug all USB devices from the analyzer.
   • e. Press the ”Continue” soft key to apply the update.

9. Wait for the system software upgrade to begin. The analyzer reboots automatically several times and displays an “Upgrade in progress…” message.

10. Wait as the system software upgrade continues. It is important to follow any on-screen instructions. DO NOT POWER DOWN UNIT unless instructed by onscreen prompts. If there is an FPGA configuration device update in this release the unit will display information about the firmware update and display a percentage indicating its progress. The process takes about eight minutes. During this phase, all indicators on the system will light up. When finished, on-screen instructions will tell the user to “Hold” down the power button until the unit turns off. Once the unit is off, press the power button to turn the unit back on. The upgrade will then proceed as normal.

11. Wait for the system software upgrade to complete. The unit reboots during this process. The product has finished rebooting and the upgrade is complete after the analyzer displays the standard user interface and resumes normal operation. While the product is resuming operation, a “Loading Configuration File… Please Wait” message is shown in the product display status bar. Do not proceed to the next step until the message disappears from the status bar.

12. Press the button.

13. Press the ”About…” soft key.

14. Verify that the “System” version has changed to the one to be upgraded to (i.e. the decimal form of EEFFGGHH).

15. Press the “Versions” soft key and review the list of versions.
    NOTE: If any version number is “0.0.0.0”, an additional reboot may be required to return the unit to normal operation.

16. The upgrade is complete.

Appendix A: Safely Remove Hardware Examples

Examples of safe removal of USB storage are provided below, but the procedure can vary significantly per installed operating system and desktop configuration.

Windows 10

As needed, move the mouse pointer over a “Show hidden icons” widget, then click the icon to expose the “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” icon.
Move the mouse pointer over the “Eject USB Mass Storage Device” widget for the drive letter of the USB media, then click it.
Wait for a “Safe To Remove Hardware” notification near the  “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” icon.

Windows 8.1

On Windows 8.1, extra steps are sometimes needed to show the start bar where the system tray is found. Either use the keyboard Windows key  to select a desktop with a start bar, or, swipe the mouse pointer to the lower left corner of the desktop to reveal Windows button that, when clicked, acts like the Windows keyboard key

Windows 7 / 8.1

As needed, move the mouse pointer over a “Show hidden icons” widget, then click the icon to expose the  “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” icon.
Move the mouse pointer over the “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” icon, click it to expose an “Eject USB Mass Storage Device” widget.

Move the mouse pointer over the “Eject USB Mass Storage Device” widget for the drive letter of the USB media, then click it.

Wait for a “Safe To Remove Hardware” notification near the “Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media” icon.

Windows XP

As needed, move the mouse pointer over a “Show hidden icons” widget, then click the icon to expose the “Safely Remove Hardware” icon.
Move the mouse pointer over the “Safely remove Hardware” icon, and click it to expose a “Safely remove USB Mass Storage Device” widget. Move the mouse pointer over the “Safely remove USB Mass Storage
Device” widget that mentions the drive letter of the USB media, then click it.
Wait for a “Safe to Remove Hardware” notification near the “Safely Remove Hardware” icon.

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