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DrBDC
01/10/2007, 09:19 PM
Ok, I downloaded it. Connected directly to my computer with a crossover cable. Run ac3loader, then set the IP address on the Firmware/update tab, on the DHCP tab I set it to lower than the AC3, I just made the last couple 00.

It says ready
Then I push the Update web pages button?

Says:

AquaController Web Page Update Starting
Formatting Flash - Sending aqua.css - Sending index.htm - Sending aquagr.jar - Sending menu.htm - Sending title.htm - Sending blank.htm -

Then it stops but no message completed. During each of the sending commands, I see the green activity led blink.

Then I unplug the unit, hold the select, go to update firmware, it doesn't show dots and goes back to the date screen.

Whazzup?

DrBDC
01/10/2007, 09:20 PM
And if I self check it' still on 3.00s.

dougchambers
01/10/2007, 11:33 PM
I think you missed the actual firmware update. All you've done is update the webpages.

Here is the excerpt you are missing;


Shut off all firewalls/filters on your PC.

Then restart the AquaController 3 by power cycling.
Press the select button and hold down during the Memory Test, when the display goes blank
release the select button.
Scroll to the update flash entry and press select
You should see several dots appear in the status text box as the firmware is downloaded.
After the download go to the selftest screen of the AquaController. The firmware version should
be 3.20S with a date of BA06.

clp
01/11/2007, 06:21 PM
You've got to update the firmware first before you can update the web pages. Here is the readme (following):

Curt


********************************************************************************
*
* Updating the AquaController's Firmware
*
********************************************************************************

Follow these steps to update:

Extract the files in the zip file into a new directory. Run the ac3loader.exe application.

On the DHCP Setup tab:
Make the IP pool starting address an unused IP address on your local
network (usually something like 192.168.1.50).
Set the netmask (usually 255.255.255.0)
Make the size of pool equal to 1 or more.
Set the boot file to aqua.bin


Make sure that no other DHCP server is running on your local network. If you computer is plugged into
a router then it likely has a DHCP server running. Login into your router via your webbrowser to shut
down its DHCP.

Shut off all firewalls/filters on your PC.

Then restart the AquaController 3 by power cycling.
Press the select button and hold down during the Memory Test, when the display goes blank
release the select button.
Scroll to the update flash entry and press select
You should see several dots appear in the status text box as the firmware is downloaded.
After the download go to the selftest screen of the AquaController. The firmware version should
be 3.20S with a date of BA06.

DrBDC
01/20/2007, 07:04 AM
I'm still having problems. I'll probably need to call in and go through it on the phone but maybe I can figure this out before Monday.

Could it be that I can't use a direct ethernet to the home computer? I've tried a regular ethernet AND tried a crossover cable. Maybe I need to do it with a serial cable?

I've tried it from my regular computer by disconnecting it from the router and turning off all Norton stuff and making sure the windows firewalls were off. I tried that by booting in safemode with netword support as well.

Next I tried it with a notebook that I had wiped clean and was just installing all fresh operating software on. On that all I had was windows on it, nothing else, and also made sure it didn't have the windows firewall on. That was tried with both standard ethernet and crossover cable as well.

The only thing I can think of is that I HAVE to use a serial cable OR, ??

Slickdonkey
01/20/2007, 10:26 AM
When disconnected from my router I found I needed to manually assign an IP address to my computer (i.e. 192.168.1.100).

clp
01/20/2007, 01:16 PM
DrBDC,
Use your laptop w/ the fresh windows install as it will probably be easiest. Plug the laptop directly into the AquaController w/ the crossover Ethernet cable. Both the green and yellow leds should be on on the AC3.
Configure the ethernet port on your laptop to something like 192.168.1.100 Assuming that the AquaController is still using its default ip address of 192.168.1.50. uSE Network Connections control panel to configure the IP address on your PC.
Put 192.168.1.50 or what ever the IP address is of the AquaController into your web browser. If you get the AquaController's web pages then the network is setup up correctly. You can then follow the instructions in the readme w/ the firmware, and perform the firmware update.

Curt

gman19
01/20/2007, 04:16 PM
So folks,
Is it impossible at this point in time to update the firmware via wireless??

I have an AC3 and have not ever did a firmware upgrade...so this will be my first one...

Slickdonkey
01/20/2007, 04:18 PM
Yeah I managed to do it. Read through the thread, a couple posts back we were talking about it.

DrBDC
01/22/2007, 09:34 AM
:thumbsup: :D

OK, I got the ac3 to update it's firmware with the notebook. After assigning the notebook an IP, I was able to pull up the controllers web page for the first time on the notebook. Could this be the same reason I could never pull it up on my main computer? Funny thing is that now it comes up on my main computer too even though I never "manually" assigned it an IP either. But when I check it, it shows an IP address. Wierd. Confused but happy it's working.

Now off to update the aquanotes. BTW I did already save the config settings of timer names and program.

1SickReefer
01/27/2007, 11:31 AM
I'm having the worst time updating the controller! I have done everything I can think of. trying it over my network, disabled DHCP on the router, turned off all firewalls/filters etc opened the acloader, my controller IP is default, port is default, I assign an IP to the DHCP tab as 192.168.1.49 (as the directions say! an unused IP) starting pool is 10, aqua.bin is the boot file, 255.255.255.0 is the subnet. I have done the above on 2 different PC's on my home network and nothing is working..


NEXT!
I disconnected my laptop and hauled it next to my tank...... I used a crossover cable and assigned 192.168.1.100 to the laptop...... I can connect to the controller and check it's status.... next, I again follow the direction for updating the firmware, IE: power cycling, press select.. update fw...I get no "dots"... the loader does nothing and the controller reboots normally. I check the selftest and it says 3.20s 1A07

It figures, I travel M-F and only have weekends to mess with this kind of stuff, neptune has no support on weekends... besides this forum.

if someone wants to call me b/c it would be easier, PM me

Thanks for the help,

Dr BDC, it sounds like we are having the same issue, but I did the direct connect with a crossover, and i can ping 192.168.1.50 (the addy of my controler) I can check the status, look at temps PG etc... but when i do the updates I get no dots...

What is the IP supposed to be on the DHCP tab if the controller is .50 the laptop is .100 and the IP pool is .49?????

clp
01/27/2007, 12:41 PM
It sounds like a firewall is blocking packets on your PC. Try booting your PC in safe mode with networking. Reboot your PC and press the F8 key after the bios finish and right before windows starts loading - in the menu select safe mode w/ networking. Then try running the ac3loader application again.

Curt

1SickReefer
01/27/2007, 12:44 PM
I did everything you rec. rebooted in safe with networking, connected directly to the controller with a crossover cable. re-ran acloader, still no luck

DrBDC
01/27/2007, 03:22 PM
Go to control panel then security center and make sure the firewall is off on that too as well as any norton etc. stuff. I kept trying so many things and I think I finally got it that way.

Now if I could only get my IIS to work. When I try to install it, it hangs. I think my problem on that is I use an original XP disc before sp1 even came out. It's missing a lot of stuff. I built a new office computer and I couldn't even boot up and load this version of xp on the new computer because it couldn't recognize a sata raid drive. I was told I had to slipstream the sp2 and create a new install disc to make it work. That was a nightmare and a half yet still didn't boot. Lucky I had server 2003 enterprise in my action pack set. That seems to work so much nicer I may upgrade my home computer to that. I found another thread where someone asked about the server 2003 and Curt had a set of instructions related to that os. I've been out of the "loop" since NT4 and so much has changed but I had my office computer hosting a web page in about a half hour.

1SickReefer
01/27/2007, 06:02 PM
Curt hooked me up and cleared up the issue I was having. Neptune has some of the best CS around!

So BDC, you goona turn on IIS and open you controller up to the web? I had mine this way but disabled it all, I want to me able to monitor connections and such but I could'nt figure it out.

Then I used gotomypc for awhile but got tired of paying for that lol..

I want to set up a website and have that website poll the controller for data like some others have done. Now I just need to learn how to do so lol...

GL

DrBDC
01/27/2007, 07:06 PM
I want to if I can get IIS to install and work. I think I'll go see if there is a downloadable updated version of IIS on microsoft.com and start with that.

Chicago
02/04/2007, 10:21 AM
some direction please.. just need toupdate the firmware... not concerned with the web page.. i have my programining set to send alm status every couple of hours to my phone..

is there a page to show specifics on how to update the firmware.. for computer illetrate and those that cant spell..

thanks

dougchambers
02/04/2007, 01:41 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9155817#post9155817 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Chicago
some direction please.. just need toupdate the firmware... not concerned with the web page.. i have my programining set to send alm status every couple of hours to my phone..

is there a page to show specifics on how to update the firmware.. for computer illetrate and those that cant spell..

thanks Let's start with these. Here are the instructions included with the firmware files. Give it a shot and give us a shout if you run into trouble.

NOTE:
If the firmware is being upgrade from version 3.0 to 3.2, then make sure to save the AquaController’s
program configuration before upgrading the firmware. The internal program statement structure has
changed slightly, and the probe names may change after the firmware upgrade.
Also after the upgrade only use version 3.4 of AquaNotes. Previous AquaNotes versions do not
support the new internal program format.


********************************************************************************
*
* Updating the AquaController's Firmware
*
********************************************************************************

Follow these steps to update:

Extract the files in the zip file into a new directory. Run the ac3loader.exe application.

On the DHCP Setup tab:
Make the IP pool starting address an unused IP address on your local
network (usually something like 192.168.1.50).
Set the netmask (usually 255.255.255.0)
Make the size of pool equal to 1 or more.
Set the boot file to aqua.bin


Make sure that no other DHCP server is running on your local network. If you computer is plugged into
a router then it likely has a DHCP server running. Login into your router via your webbrowser to shut
down its DHCP.

Shut off all firewalls/filters on your PC.

Then restart the AquaController 3 by power cycling.
Press the select button and hold down during the Memory Test, when the display goes blank
release the select button.
Scroll to the update flash entry and press select
You should see several dots appear in the status text box as the firmware is downloaded.
After the download go to the selftest screen of the AquaController. The firmware version should
be 3.20S with a date of BA06.


If you have trouble updating the firmware, please send me the log on the bottom of the window to
support@neptunesys.com.


********************************************************************************
*
* Updating the Webpage
*
********************************************************************************

Follow these steps to update the AquaController's webpages. The controllers firmware must
have been updated first to revision 3.20 or this update will not work.

On the Firmware/Web Update Tab enter the login and password of your AquaController.
Put the IP address of the AquaController in the IP Address text box.
Click the Update Web Pages.
It should take about 1 minute to download the 6 web pages into the controller.



********************************************************************************
*
* Firmware Revision History
*
********************************************************************************
- Added graphing support to the web server.
- Added multiple feed Cycles.
The Alternate feed cycle is specified with a letter A through D following the 'If Feed' statement.
i.e. If FeedA 005 Then PMP OFF or If FeedD 005 Then PMP OFF
- Added Paramter to Feed Cycle statement so that the feed cycle remains active for an extra period
of time. i.e. 'If FeedA 005 Then PMP OFF' will shut off PMP for the duration of the feed cycle,
and it will remain off for 5 minutes after the completion of the feed cycle.
- Added Paramter to Power Fail statement so that the feed cycle remains active for an extra period
of time. i.e. 'If Power 010 Then COL OFF' will shut off COL for the duration of the power failure ,
and it will remain off for 10 minutes after power is restored.
- Seasonal tables values are now stored in EEPROM.
- Manual On/Off and Auto are not stored in EEPROM.
- Fixed email ALM name change on webserver program updates.
- fixed reset datalog command on telnet.

Chicago
02/04/2007, 02:40 PM
yep will do... questions

on the acrloader program.. i do not have to intiate anything after i enter the numbers ect... what happens the aquacontrller will communicate with it when i do the powercycle?

next question... when marine depot sold me tis unit and aquanotes they told me that it was the latest firmware..but not.. i note that the notes state that i now need to have aquanotes 3.4 running on my computer.... can i get a upgrade? do i complain to marine depot.. none of these problems would exist if marine depot sold me a unit with the right firmware

thanks

dougchambers
02/04/2007, 06:00 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9157748#post9157748 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Chicago
yep will do... questions

on the acrloader program.. i do not have to intiate anything after i enter the numbers ect... what happens the aquacontrller will communicate with it when i do the powercycle?
You will need to do the power cycle and get into the update firmware screen like this;

"Then restart the AquaController 3 by power cycling.
Press the select button and hold down during the Memory Test, when the display goes blank
release the select button.
Scroll to the update flash entry and press select
You should see several dots appear in the status text box as the firmware is downloaded.
After the download go to the selftest screen of the AquaController. The firmware version should
be 3.20S with a date of BA06."

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9157748#post9157748 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Chicago
next question... when marine depot sold me tis unit and aquanotes they told me that it was the latest firmware..but not.. i note that the notes state that i now need to have aquanotes 3.4 running on my computer.... can i get a upgrade? do i complain to marine depot.. none of these problems would exist if marine depot sold me a unit with the right firmware

thanks Complaining to MD won't really help much. Firmware can roll between shipments so it's nice that Neptune has a way to update everything.

You can get the latest Aquanotes from the website at;

http://www.neptunesys.com/AquaNotes_3_4a.zip

-Doug