How to downgrade PM5 firmware

[Oliver93]

Since upgrading the PM5 system a few weeks ago, to version 175, my PM5 has required new batteries before each row.

Something is broken in the new firmware. How do I downgrade?

I have upgraded from old firmware 155 to 172 and received a massive battery drain.
Also my tach stopped generating power the same day I installed the upgrade.
I know they are two separate issues - if I am not using the rower the battery drain is still killing batteries.
And both of this are started after firmware upgrade.

I could not convince Concept2 support this is caused by Firmware upgrade - they keep telling me firmware 172 can't cause battery drain. They refused to help me to downgrade and insisting I have hardware failure.

I wish I can go back to Firmware 155 just to see if tach can generate enough power again.

[Citroen]

You need to write an email to info@Concept2.com with details of your failure and what (if anything other than simply upgrading the firmware) triggers it.

If there's a bug they should be able to find it and supply a newer firmware upgrade to fix it.

[RCarr]

I also have had this issue with the PM5 turning itself on after I have turned it off and thus draining battery power.
This has been happening for a few months.
Since 1/1 the display would not register when I used the rower, even though the monitor was on.
Today I found a section to confirm the model and once I had done that it started working again, but it still will not stay off.
Have you found a solution?

[Carl Watts]

No really getting anywhere here are we ?

You need an external 3Vdc supply and a multimeter to check the current drain. I would take the monitor off the rower and also disconnect it from the TACH.

All you can really do is factory reset it and check the actual current drain with it turned on and then turned off.

Rolling back the firmware is not going to fix it. You can try reloading the existing firmware, if it hits a problem there is an issue with the flash memory. It could have developed a hardware fault during the update.

[Oliver93]

You need to write an email to info@Concept2.com with details of your failure and what (if anything other than simply upgrading the firmware) triggers it.

If there's a bug they should be able to find it and supply a newer firmware upgrade to fix it.

It was nothing except the firmware upgrade.
I can give it another shot but they refused to do anything the first time.

[Oliver93]

No really getting anywhere here are we ?

You need an external 3Vdc supply and a multimeter to check the current drain. I would take the monitor off the rower and also disconnect it from the TACH.

All you can really do is factory reset it and check the actual current drain with it turned on and then turned off.

Rolling back the firmware is not going to fix it. You can try reloading the existing firmware, if it hits a problem there is an issue with the flash memory. It could have developed a hardware fault during the update.

Now we are talking.

I have a bench power supply which shows the current. As well as multimeter if I need it.
Is there a reference number (current) to compare against?

How do I turn the PM5 off for this check? Four "Menu" button presses?

[Carl Watts]

Run current is like 30mA and when it turns off by itself or menu button 4 times it drops really low so you need a really good multimeter that shows less than 1mA. In sleep after like 20 seconds its like 0.06mA.

Just run a lead from the power supply with alligator clips to the battery terminals. Make sure you have 3V to 3.2V before you connect it.

Run currents 3 or 4 times this and then if it continues with run levels of current draw while in shutdown will result in the PM5 eating batteries.

[Oliver93]

Run current is like 30mA and when it turns off by itself or menu button 4 times it drops really low so you need a really good multimeter that shows less than 1mA. In sleep after like 20 seconds its like 0.06mA.

Just run a lead from the power supply with alligator clips to the battery terminals. Make sure you have 3V to 3.2V before you connect it.

Run currents 3 or 4 times this and then if it continues with run levels of current draw while in shutdown will result in the PM5 eating batteries.

I got Brymen BM235 and Rigol DP832 (thanks to EEVblog ).
Disconnected PM5 from the TACH and removed it from the rover.

My figures:
I set the power supply to 3.0V.
Both the power supply and inline multimeter are showing similar result (power supply is showing about 1mA less). The following figures are from the multimeter.
PM5 on with backlight on - 69.8mA
PM5 on with backlight off - 60.9mA
PM5 off (same figure after automatic sleep or after 4x "Menu" press) - 19.46mA
After PM5 goes off the current fluctuates up and down but eventually stabilises around 19mA and stays like this for extended period of time - I checked it after 15+ minutes and it is 19.47mA now.

19mA sounds way above expected 0.06mA

I did factory reset by holding down the change units and change display buttons and pinning the reset button on the back at the same time - it did go through factory initialisation message and asked for the language before asking the time. So reset was successful.

All current measurements are exactly the same after the reset.

(unable to attach any images, even the smallest 50kb one claimed to be over allowed 128kb limit).

[Carl Watts]

I think the flash memory can be a source of high current drain issues.

On the old PM3 I found that on V97 firmware the high current fault cleared on 2 monitors over the years moving to V108 firmware but we are talking 4 to 10mA extra in shutdown before the update.

Basically your PM5 is drawing an extra 20mA that doesn't go away so it appears to have developed a hardware fault. Your option is either a new monitor or just get an old 5V cell phone charger and a long USB printer cable and supply the PM5 with power via the charger.

I highly doubt that rolling back to an older firmware version will fix it.

[Willy.VdW]

I assume, since/if a high(er) voltage is applied, it is possible that flash memory
may have been damaged during the (re)programming sequence?

[Oliver93]

I assume, since/if a high(er) voltage is applied, it is possible that flash memory
may have been damaged during the (re)programming sequence?

Firmware upgrade was done via USB cable connected to MacBook - I believed this was the best way.

[Oliver93]

Basically your PM5 is drawing an extra 20mA that doesn't go away so it appears to have developed a hardware fault. Your option is either a new monitor or just get an old 5V cell phone charger and a long USB printer cable and supply the PM5 with power via the charger.

I highly doubt that rolling back to an older firmware version will fix it.

I would prefer to test it to be sure.

I am on firmware 172 at this moment.
I can try to upgrade to buggy 175 to see if it makes any difference to the current.
After that I will try to request firmware downgrade from support.

But the bottom line - bummer, it was good until I updated the firmware. Lesson learned.

[Oliver93]

Firmware 176 is out so I didn't have a chance to try 175.
Anyway, I tried reloading 172.000 - that didn't make any difference.
Then I tried factory reset via Concept2 Utility - that didn't make any difference.
Then I upgraded to 176.000 - that didn't make any difference.
Then I tried factory reset via Concept2 Utility again - that didn't make any difference as well.

So yeah, sounds like firmware upgrade killed the hardware.

[Willy.VdW]

I assume, since/if a high(er) voltage is applied, it is possible that flash memory
may have been damaged during the (re)programming sequence?

Firmware upgrade was done via USB cable connected to MacBook - I believed this was the best way.

I didn't mean to say that the high(er) voltage came from the connected computer, but that programming
flash memory requires this higher voltage which is generated on the pc board. Nothing the user can do
about it, but it may cause memory cells to fail.

[Oliver93]

I didn't mean to say that the high(er) voltage came from the connected computer, but that programming
flash memory requires this higher voltage which is generated on the pc board. Nothing the user can do
about it, but it may cause memory cells to fail.

Ahh, I see.
Yeah, thin beyond my control.