Help with Ethos bootloader upgrade-Ethos suite

[Richrfl]

I am new to Ethos, but very familiar to OpenTX. Anyways, I got a Tandem x18, and downloaded bootloader 1.2.10, as well as the Ethos suite. Following the instructions on Ethos suite, I hooked up my transmitter to the PC using a USB cable, given that my installed bootloader is 1.2.2. The DFU line appeared in the left side, then I selected the bootloader file and tried to flash. The flash failed, and I got this message :

A valid DFU suffix will be required in a future dfu-util releaseCannot open DFU device 0483:df11 found on devnum 9 (LIBUSB_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED)No DFU capable USB device available.​

Therefore, the question is two folded: Am I missing something to install (driver or anything else)? If this is not a PC originated issue, then how can I update the bootloader?
Thank you in advance for some advice.

 

[Richrfl]

I found instructions in the FAQ of the suite. However, I am most confused. I did not install an SD card, but still the explorer shows me two drives. One with just bitmaps, and a couple of files and the other with what it looks to be the contents of the SD card, plus a file named nand.cpuid and another named radio.bin. Therefore, the question is: should I add an SD card to be able to add load the bootloader, and where (folder) should I copy the bootloader to?

 

[Wayne]

@Chris - Can you provide some guidance?

 

[Chris]

Nand is the internal memory, sort of like an internal SD Card the way I understand it... You can put the bootloader file in the main directory of that and run it. I do not think you need an SD Card.
The other drive that comes up is the Flash drive. Unless updating, don't mess with that.

 

[Roland Mueller]

I have the same Problem..
I have the problem that my X20S not boot and not boot in bootloader mode after updating the bootloader from the SD card. An message error reading SD card occurred while updating.
Now I'm trying to flash the bootload on the X20S with the EthosSuite 1.4.0 and the fallowing error message occurred:
A valid DFU suffix will b required in a future dfu-util releaseCannot open DFU device 0483:df11 found on devnum 15 (LIBUSB_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED)No DFU capable USB device available

 

[HENNY]

What version of firmware do these radios report. If its 1.2.0 or later the update can simply be handled by the Ethos suite automatically.

Once you are at the above condition down load the Ethos suite and follow the simple instructions. If the firmware is 1.2.10 Ethos upgrades the radio with the radio power off.

 

[Roland Mueller]

I have played with the Zadig Tool (https://zadig.akeo.ie/) and then it has flashed with the Ethos suite. I don't know what i dit exactly with the Zadig Tool!

 

[HENNY]

You do not require Zadig to make this work.

 

[Wayne]

While playing with Zadig he may have flushed out a bad driver and forced Windows to replace it..? Wild guess.

 

[HENNY]

I just upgraded the X20S to v1.4.2 and I ran into the same issue where the DFU would not find the radio so re-installed Zadig and all is back to normal. I'm wondering if some of the recent windows 10 software upgrades may have deleted the previous version of the USB manager.

 

[m-dennis]

I had the same problem and received the same message yesterday with a new X-20. I got around it by manually updating the bootloader. I downloaded the latest bootloader file and unzipped it. I put the unzipped file named bootloader.frsk directly onto the micro-sd card under X20 SD/firmware/transmitters/X20 ISRM. I did it by taking the micro-sd card out of the transmitter, but it can be done on your PC when you have a USB cord plugged into it. After putting the file onto the sd card, eject the drive, unplug the USB cord from your transmitter, and turn your transmitter off. Restart your transmitter and select Settings, File Manager, (firmware), (Transmitters), (X20IRSM), then select the new file you just put there named bootloader.frsk. My transmitter already had a file on it named TD_2.2.0.frsk. When you select the bootloader.frsk file you will get a dropdown menu that has the options Flash Bootloader, Copy, Move, and Delete. Select Flash Bootloader and it will update the bootloader. When it says it has successfully completed, turn your transmitter off. You should be able to press the Enter button and the start button to get to the bootloader screen and have the current version in the upper right corner. Now Ethos Suite will work on your transmitter.

 

[Bill]

After reading about the problems with downloading updates and with bootloader I'm not sure I'm computer savvy enough to buy the X18SE? I would be coming over from a Spektrum system which is very easy, but I would like something of better quality and touch screen. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Joel17003]

After reading about the problems with downloading updates and with bootloader I'm not sure I'm computer savvy enough to buy the X18SE? I would be coming over from a Spektrum system which is very easy, but I would like something of better quality and touch screen. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I agree that FrSky fairly screams quality (and the price is right) and can appreciate why you're considering the move. I'm a previous DX6 and DX7 owner, now FrSky X18 and X18SE. So long as you don't mind learning a new operating system (Ethos), computer skills are becoming a bit less critical with the continuing evolution of Ethos Suite. Ethos Suite is getting markedly better at handling transmitter and receiver updates and, if you buy new (or recently updated), you're not likely to have bootloader issues. Locating and downloading files, locating those downloaded files, and copying/installing them should be the extent of necessary computer knowledge should Ethos Suite fail in some way.

Unless you're entirely computer illiterate or don't want to learn the basics, your biggest learning curve is Ethos. But if you find Spektrum AirWare "very easy" and have done more than a basic 4-channel setup, you'll be fine. Join this excellent Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/frskyethos

EDIT: If I were still using Spektrum I'd be using the iX14/iX14+. As you know, it has a color touch screen, but it irks me they still use the round type switches for D and E, and not the blade type switches all around as FrSky now does with all its radios. These round switches are hollow (my experience with the DX series) and I've had them bend and even crack from having the transmitter fall forward on its face. The case plastic feels light gauge, too, IMO, vs my X18s. No "creak" there.

 

[Bill]

I agree that Frsky fairly screams quality (and the price is right) and can appreciate why you're considering the move. I'm a previous DX6 and DX7 owner, now FrSky X18 and X18SE. So long as you don't mind learning a new operating system (Ethos), computer skills are becoming a bit less critical with the continuing evolution of Ethos Suite. Ethos Suite is getting markedly better at handling transmitter and receiver updates and, if you buy new (or recently updated), you're not likely to have bootloader issues. Downloading fies, locating those files, and copying/installing them should be the extent of necessary computer knowledge should Ethos Suite fail in some way.

Unless you're entirely computer illiterate or don't want to learn the basics, your biggest learning curve is Ethos. But if you find Spektrum AirWare "very easy" and have done more than a basic 4-channel setup, you'll be fine. Join this excellent Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/frskyethos

Thank you very much, I appreciate your feedback.

Bill

 

[Joel17003]

Thank you very much, I appreciate your feedback.

Bill

Do you like stabilized receivers? Most of my FrSky receivers have stabilization, much like Spektrum's AS3X. If you like the idea of stabilization, as I do, you'll discover that setting up FrSky's stabilized receivers is a topic unto itself. 'S' receivers don't come ready to use out of the box, except in unstabilized mode. Additional LUA scripts, downloaded then copied to the transmitter, must be used to accomplish stabilized setup until stabilized setup can be written into Ethos.

You expect to learn a new operating system when switching systems. But if you plan on using FrSky's stabilized receivers, you may be shocked at the setup required, unless you already have experience setting up a bare Spektrum AS3X receiver (AR630 and above) using forward programming. You can check out Mr. D's videos and others:

Exploring ETHOS - Mr. D Youtube Playlist
Adam 'mawz' Maas - YouTube