Bug in EFILive - refusal to perform full PCM flash

[Mr. P.]

Friday night 6/24/11 - using EFILive Tune 7.5.7 b167 to update calibration, the flashing process failed leaving the PCM in a non-operative state. I was not paying attention to the software during the flash process so I have no idea exactly what happened, but I do know for sure that there was no power interruption of any kind and that the PCM was DOA.

The bug I am reporting is: after failure to flash the "calibration only" I went to GUI to perform a full flash, and the option to do so was wrongly disabled. As I was sure the bootloader was still in-tact on the PCM (I observed a two-way dialog between EFILive and the PCM in the flash status window) I was confident that the PCM was 'alive' enough to be able to receive a complete OS & calibration reflash. However the only flash option available to me was "calibration only" and repeated attempts to do so were met with 'there appears to be no PCM present' dialog window, even as I could see EFILive having a conversation with the bootloader.

Closing/reopening EFILive (with its default behavior of reloading the most recently used TUN-file) did not restore the option to do a full PCM flash; after a several restarts of EFILive I was able to launch the software 'cleanly', then load my TUN-file, and the 'flash OS and calibration' option was then present - at which point I was able to sucessfully recover my PCM.

This entire process took over an hour, at which time I was stranded at a race track over 1-hour from home and worried I would not be able to recover my PCM. This frustration and worry can be eliminated, would you please examine the GUI to make PCM "recovery" straightforward.

Thanks -
Mr. P.

[Chevy366]

Friday night 6/24/11 - using EFILive Tune 7.5.7 b167 to update calibration, the flashing process failed leaving the PCM in a non-operative state. I was not paying attention to the software during the flash process so I have no idea exactly what happened, but I do know for sure that there was no power interruption of any kind and that the PCM was DOA.

The bug I am reporting is: after failure to flash the "calibration only" I went to GUI to perform a full flash, and the option to do so was wrongly disabled. As I was sure the bootloader was still in-tact on the PCM (I observed a two-way dialog between EFILive and the PCM in the flash status window) I was confident that the PCM was 'alive' enough to be able to receive a complete OS & calibration reflash. However the only flash option available to me was "calibration only" and repeated attempts to do so were met with 'there appears to be no PCM present' dialog window, even as I could see EFILive having a conversation with the bootloader.

Closing/reopening EFILive (with its default behavior of reloading the most recently used TUN-file) did not restore the option to do a full PCM flash; after a several restarts of EFILive I was able to launch the software 'cleanly', then load my TUN-file, and the 'flash OS and calibration' option was then present - at which point I was able to sucessfully recover my PCM.

This entire process took over an hour, at which time I was stranded at a race track over 1-hour from home and worried I would not be able to recover my PCM. This frustration and worry can be eliminated, would you please examine the GUI to make PCM "recovery" straightforward.

Thanks -
Mr. P.
Had this happen a long time ago (3,4 years) , mine was the lap bat died during flash , had to do a neg bat cable pull , and was able to continue flashing the PCM .
If you open any other tune file and then reopen the original it should reset with options .
Sucks getting stuck with a PCM not flashing .
Seems there is only a short time in the flashing process that it is critical to not interrupt the process , when doing a full flash and the indicator is red showing critical process it will surely kill the PCM , yellow indicator seems is recoverable .

[ScarabEpic22]

Did you try saving as a .ctd and full flashing it using V8? Looks like the LS1B_F.obj file is included now and so you can full flash using V8 or a V2/AC unit.

Sorry to hear about that, I dont do very much full flashing though as on the P10s you cant full flash in EFILive.

[Mr. P.]

Did you try saving as a .ctd and full flashing it using V8? Looks like the LS1B_F.obj file is included now and so you can full flash using V8 or a V2/AC unit...

No, I was under the impression that using V8 to read/write the PCM was not yet supported, and I have not taken the time to setup & test BBF with my Flashscan V2 - I was using the latest EFILive 7.5.7 with my V2 in USB/passthrough mode.

Chevy366: yeah I was sh*tting pink bricks for a half-hour, I was in a panic because I stepped away from the truck during flashing and did not actually see what the failure was in the flash process. At first I thought also that the flash process had bombed writing the bootloader to the PCM, then it occurred to me that *probaby* was not possible under the assumption that the software on "calibration only" flashing most likely does not alter the bootloader segment - I dunno for sure, I am not knowledgeable enough on the architecture but after looking at the status window during flashing I could see the PCM actually "talking" so I knew it was there still... I am assuming here, but it looks to me that by nature of the process it is impossible to "brick" a PCM with the calibration-only flash option; OTOH if flashing is interrupted during the writing of the bootloader segment then you're screwed, and that's only available during a full flash *I think* - EFILive dev staff will have to confirm my assumptions. Undoubtedly this has also been discussed before on the site.

Mr. P.

[Blacky]

A cal only flash cannot brick a PCM due to a failed flash. (It can brick it if certain calibrations are set outside of their legal ranges, but that's another story).
The full flash icon in the tool bar will be disabled ONLY if there is no cable attached to the PC (or the software can't communicate with the cable) when the software starts and the license details cannot be read from the license.txt file.
I.e. if the software thinks you are not licensed to full flash.
If it happens again, please check the Help->About screen to see what EFILive thinks the license status is.

Sounds like it may have been a USB driver issue where FlashScan could not communicate with the cable correctly and so it did not set up the license to allow full flashing.
Are you using the latest USB drivers? If so I recommend trying downgrading to the earlier V2.02.04 drivers.
Use the program Start->All Programs->EFILive->V8->Tools->USB Manager to change the USB drivers.

Regards
Paul

[Blacky]

Did you try saving as a .ctd and full flashing it using V8? Looks like the LS1B_F.obj file is included now and so you can full flash using V8 or a V2/AC unit.


Well spotted :) I didn't think anyone would notice. Yes the LS1B full flash option is almost ready. However, the LS1B_F.bix file (the boot loader) is not present yet so it will not work just yet.
The LS1B full flash is probably the most dangerous full flash because it has the potential to brick the PCM, so we are taking slow and steady to verify it works 100% before making it available.

Regards
Paul

[ScarabEpic22]

Yep V8 has had the ability to read and cal-write most controllers for about 6 months now IIRC, minimum 4 months. Full flashing has slowly been implemented, looks like some of the files are there for the LS1B controllers now so it should be along soon.

Been there done that, Ive spent 45min on the side of the road with a customer trying to get a tune to load. Finally realized his stereo was communicating on the VPW bus and messing everything up, even then it took 15 min to get it to load.

Just happened to check Paul, and you thought you could pull one over on us lol! :D So any chance a mysterious P10_F.obj and .bix will show up? j/k

[Mr. P.]

Versioning info:

OS = Win-7 6.1.7600
V2 Bootblock = 2.07.02
V2 Firmware = 2.07.13
USB Driver = 02.08.20
USB Library = 03.02.04

Now that I remember, it well could have been a driver comm issue???
1. I fired-up both EFILive_Scan.exe and EFILive_Tune.exe and hooked-up the V2
2. I logged a pass down the track with the laptop & V2 in the front pass seat
3. I unplugged the USB cable from the laptop, and sat on the tailgate evaluating my run and simultaneously making changes in EFILive_Tune.exe
4. I plugged the USB cable back into the laptop, and started the calibration update process, and saw the progress bar appear and begin flashing
5. I walked to the front of the truck to check underhood for a minute
6. I returned to see the flash had failed
...

Mr. P.

Mr. P.

[Blacky]

Versioning info:

OS = Win-7 6.1.7600
V2 Bootblock = 2.07.02
V2 Firmware = 2.07.13
USB Driver = 02.08.20
USB Library = 03.02.04

Now that I remember, it well could have been a driver comm issue???
1. I fired-up both EFILive_Scan.exe and EFILive_Tune.exe and hooked-up the V2
2. I logged a pass down the track with the laptop & V2 in the front pass seat
3. I unplugged the USB cable from the laptop, and sat on the tailgate evaluating my run and simultaneously making changes in EFILive_Tune.exe
4. I plugged the USB cable back into the laptop, and started the calibration update process, and saw the progress bar appear and begin flashing
5. I walked to the front of the truck to check underhood for a minute
6. I returned to see the flash had failed
...

Mr. P.

Mr. P.

Next time the full flash icon is disabled, check the Help->About. It will tell you if the software thought that no cable was connected when the software was started.
If the cable was connected but the software did not detect it, then as I said earlier try downgrading the USB drivers to the previous version V2.02.04.

Regards
Paul