Earthmate PN-40 Firmware Update 2.5 Public Beta 2

[Jobi Wan Kenobi]

Hello:

DeLorme is pleased to announce that the 2nd Public Beta of the PN-40 2.5 firmware update is now available for download.

For now, this update is available to PC users only. We will have a .dmg file for Mac users on Monday.

-New Features/Fixes

-Remapped device buttons while virtual keyboard is displayed. In Button:Deletes last character. Out Button:Space. Find Button:Shift. Mark Button:Jumps highlight to OK

-Added a View Field Notes menu option to the Geocache page. Note that this is View only. You cannot Edit existing Field Notes on the device.

-Fixed several issues which could lead to corrupt Waypoints/Geocaches

-As soon as you Log your Geocache Find, Navigation to the previous cache is now stopped

-Predictive Ephemeris has been extended from 3 to 5 days

-Further WAAS improvements have been made

-GPS Position indicator is now Yellow on the map when you have a Predictive Fix

-Fix to improve reacquisition after a period of signal obscuration (losing your fix)

-Fixed Use Midnight at Sunset to function properly

-Fixed a reset when adjusting Info fields on the Compass page

-Arrange Info fields on Compass page no longer brings up the Compass Arrow menu

-Fixed a scrolling problem in Delete Wpts/Caches by Symbol

-Text Display change so that seconds display in larger font until hours are available, then they return to small font

-Fixed a problem that could cause ellipses to appear at the end of lines in Geocache Comments

-Fixed an issue where converting a Geocache to a Waypoint could create duplicate Waypoints

-Changed titles for Geocache page to "Not Logged Caches" and "Logged Caches" depending on menu choice.

-Added number of Geocaches/Waypoints to the titles of those pages

-Changed Direct and Road route options to Hike and Drive for all routing scenarios (including non-Geocaching routes)

-Resolved an issue that could cause the device to reboot when Navigating/Tracking on CDOQQ data while in Power Save mode

-Entering Power Save mode while in Track Playback now ends Track Playback.

-Prepared firmware for interaction with future desktop products

-Made performance and reliability improvements to the routing engine

-Made performance and reliability improvements to the Wpts/Geocache Manager

Important Note: The Earthmate PN-40 2.5 firmware update is beta software. DeLorme does not guarantee that the included enhancements and fixes are complete. DeLorme does not guarantee that the Earthmate PN-40 will function as advertised while using beta software. No Earthmate PN-40 software technical support is available while using beta software. You may revert your Earthmate PN-40 to its original firmware version using the attached Updater application.


Instructions for updating firmware in Windows:

1. Save the PN-40_Updater_(2.5_Beta_4).zip file from this Forum post to your desktop
2. Unzip the file, and save the .exe file (PN-40_Updater_(2.5_Beta_4).exe) to your desktop
3. Connect your PN-40 to your computer
4. Hit Enter for Data Exchange
5. Select Menu…Device Setup…Connect To Computer
6. Change the USB Setting to Firmware Transfer
7. Wait for a new Removable Drive to appear in My Computer
8. If you had trouble at #5, take out the SD Card and place it in a Card Reader. Then proceed to #7
9. Once the new drive appears, double-click PN-40_Updater_(2.5_Beta_4).exe from your desktop
10. Follow the steps in this application to copy the Update to your SD Card
11. When the application is done, click on Finished
12. Select Restart on your PN-40 or…
13. If you had to use the Card Reader, place the SD Card in the PN-40 and Start the device
14. In both cases, the device should go through a process of Validating and Updating the Firmware
15. When that is complete, the PN-40 will reboot, and you can resume normal operations.

If you choose to revert your device back to the original firmware, these same steps should be followed.

If you experience any problems with 2.5_Beta, please reply directly to this topic.

ETA: 4/18/2009 - A zip file containing just the *.hex file is now attached for Mac users. Copy this *.hex file to the update folder on your SD card (either through card reader or with device in Firmware Update mode) and restart device with card in. LAW

[tommweiss]

First down and goal!

[John Moran_2]

Installed OK.
JM_2

[cervri]

Uploading to 40 now. Keeping fingers crossed.

[rknipper115]

GPS froze

[cervri]

No problem with the install, relatively quick acquisition of sats and quickly got all blue bars and WAAS lock. Tried to download Geocaches from GC. com using both the macro and the Delorme Send to GPS. Neither would transfer caches. First 2 steps were good but got a red circle with a line through it and a note "Try Again""Sending geocache information
Problem finding waypoint.". Both methods of transfer worked previously.

[John Moran_2]

Routing
PN-40
80 mile route from Santa Barbara, CA area to West Los Angeles, CA area (1300 S Carmelina) that calculated in two minutes yesterday with 2.5 beta3 firmware now takes at least four minutes with 2.5 beta4 firmware. May be an indexing issue that will improve?

PN-40 2.5 beta4 firmware routing also took an off ramp from US101 at Pleasant Valley Rd (see attachments). On SA/Topo software, this would indicate that "Major Connector" category of roads speed value is set too high in comparison to "Freeway" speed value.

PN-20
Same 80 mile route to West LA calculates and displays with less detail than PN-40, but does not take any unexpected off ramps.

JM_2
Instant coffee is OK sometimes.

[cread]

Installed Beta 4. No issues found. Tried the Geocache Plug in and it worked OK for me(2x). Got WAAS on second boot.

[mightymo]

Download fine / install fine / now reacquiring satellites (WASS 120 should be 138) / Putting device outside for better view of sky.

[twolpert]

Installed fine, acquired in about 2 minutes, stuck on WAAS 120 until I booted again, when it switched to 138 as expected. Tried the plug-in direct from gc.com. No problems.

Edited to add: Although a couple of turns around the yard do not a statistically valid sample make, WAAS appears to be much improved. With 2.5b3, only got a WAAS lock in extremely favorable conditions and never in the yard. Just got the first corrections in about 2 minutes, and a WAAS lock shortly thereafter. View of 138 is not particularly good from the yard, so this is very encouraging

[bthinnes]

No problem with install.
Aquired a good 3D fix in about 2 minutes. Everything at first glance is good.

[WolfgangStiller]

I downloaded and installed with no problems. Checked basic function of unit (it's storming outside so I haven't gone out to find any geocaches yet with the new firmware) and all looks OK. I went to geocaching.com and downloaded a few way points via the plug in and then examined them. The notes and logs came through as expected. I did a pocket query and then used Jam4ar's script and Mozilla to download the entire query. Everything looks good so far. I'll run out tomorrow and give the new firmware a field test on some caches that I just downloaded.

[RRLover]

Uhhh, . . . dmg.s please?

Norm

[Pax42]

Just installed. Since my unit was last on quite a few miles from home I chose to "set current coordinates" manually after the reset. When I click on that option in the menu it just takes me to the map page. Any one else?

[RRLover]

If the cursor is on the present position of the device, it's doin' it.
If not, bring up the cursor and put it on your current location and
touch enter.

Norm