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Firmware nightmare — gibberish (!) help needed

 

I attempted to update the firmware using my MacBook Pro. I followed the manual as follows:
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  1. I navigated to the firmware menu choice and clicked "TUNE"
  2. Then I used a USB-C cable to connect to my Mac, and the drive appeared on my desktop no problem
  3. Then I copied the new file (yes, unzipped, named "1_01_003.QMX") to the drive
  4. It copied over no problem; and then it rebooted into screens that look like the screenshots below
I have a second QMX, but I'm too spooked to try it with that one now!
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Has anyone ever seen this before? Is there a way out? I'd rather not have to open the radio (I bought it assembled). Help! :)
73, Randy K7RAN
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Update... still no solution... but I was able to use the Terminal to enter the QMX's Terminal apps... I tried a factory reset, but it still booted into gibberish... So I then rebooted into the Terminal apps, and I selected the firmware function, and loaded "1_00_027.QMX"... but it rebooted into gibberish yet again. I tried that a few times, hoping that doing the same thing repeatedly would merit a different outcome, hi hi. No dice.
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Any help would be appreciated!
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73, Randy K7RAN
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I'm wondering if the "EEPROM.???" file I see there became corrupted (???) ...
 

How are you copying the firmware?? Drag and drop has been problematic for some people.? Copying/cutting the source file and pasting to the destination is recommended.? Also, do not attempt to delete the old firmware from the QMX drive.

-- rec --


On Tue, Apr 1, 2025 at 7:31?PM Randy K7RAN via <padawer=[email protected]> wrote:
I'm wondering if the "EEPROM.???" file I see there became corrupted (???) ...
 

Aha, Roger, thank you. I dragged-and-dropped. Using the Terminal app to get back to it, I'll try copy-pasting the file instead. I didn't attempt to delete the old firmware. Will report back.
Randy K7RAN
 

Unfortunately for me, copy-pasting the file (instead of drag-dropping) made no difference. Still back to gibberish screens. :(
Randy K7RAN
 

Hi Randy. I know it seems like updating the firmware caused this but it may have been a coincidence. Gibberish on the screen usually means that one of the data lines to the display has come loose. You might inspect those connections closely while you are at it. ?

Ron

On Tue, Apr 1, 2025 at 18:47 Randy K7RAN via <padawer=[email protected]> wrote:
Unfortunately for me, copy-pasting the file (instead of drag-dropping) made no difference. Still back to gibberish screens. :(
Randy K7RAN
 

Ok, I've figured this out.
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Firmware versions 19 and earlier work on my QMX — every one of them back to v6 (the earliest one I tried). Thank goodness for Terminal mode.
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Firmware versions 20 and later do not work on my unit. This was a very early unit — not sure if that matters.
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So I asked ChatGPT (the oracle, hi hi)... and it suggests a few possibilities (pasted below).
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Now I'm going to update my newer QMX (hopefully without trouble)! I do wonder if the older one can ever run the newer firmwares, though.
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73, Randy K7RAN
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? Results Recap:

Version Range Display Status
1.00.006–1.00.019 ? WORKING — screen readable
1.00.020+ ? BROKEN — gibberish display

? What Likely Changed in v1.00.020?

Though QRP Labs doesn’t publish full changelogs, this kind of breakpoint often indicates:

  • A new display init routine

  • A change to font handling or character encoding

  • Swapping display libraries or restructuring how the OLED is accessed

It might’ve been something meant to improve performance or reduce memory usage — but it probably made assumptions about the display controller that don’t hold for yours.

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Randy, I think that was about when the firmware started using all 8 of the LCD data lines. Prior to then it only used 4 of them. One of the 4 others may not be soldered well. Good luck.?

Ron

On Tue, Apr 1, 2025 at 19:58 Randy K7RAN via <padawer=[email protected]> wrote:
Ok, I've figured this out.
?
Firmware versions 19 and earlier work on my QMX — every one of them back to v6 (the earliest one I tried). Thank goodness for Terminal mode.
?
Firmware versions 20 and later do not work on my unit. This was a very early unit — not sure if that matters.
?
So I asked ChatGPT (the oracle, hi hi)... and it suggests a few possibilities (pasted below).
?
Now I'm going to update my newer QMX (hopefully without trouble)! I do wonder if the older one can ever run the newer firmwares, though.
?
73, Randy K7RAN
?

? Results Recap:

Version Range Display Status
1.00.006–1.00.019 ? WORKING — screen readable
1.00.020+ ? BROKEN — gibberish display

? What Likely Changed in v1.00.020?

Though QRP Labs doesn’t publish full changelogs, this kind of breakpoint often indicates:

  • A new display init routine

  • A change to font handling or character encoding

  • Swapping display libraries or restructuring how the OLED is accessed

It might’ve been something meant to improve performance or reduce memory usage — but it probably made assumptions about the display controller that don’t hold for yours.

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Hi Randy

The master of gibberish is ChatGPT ;-)

As Ron said, it's because you have a connection fault on one of the data lines D0-D3 to the LCD. Earlier firmware used the LCD in 4-bit mode (D4-D7) so any connection faults on D0-D3 would be hidden. But when you updated the firmware to a version which uses full 8-bit mode, you exposed the fault.?

All QMX and QMX+ PCB versions are compatible with the latest firmware versions.

73 Hans G0UPL


On Wed, Apr 2, 2025, 05:30 Ronald Taylor via <wa7gil=[email protected]> wrote:
Randy, I think that was about when the firmware started using all 8 of the LCD data lines. Prior to then it only used 4 of them. One of the 4 others may not be soldered well. Good luck.?

Ron

On Tue, Apr 1, 2025 at 19:58 Randy K7RAN via <padawer=[email protected]> wrote:
Ok, I've figured this out.
?
Firmware versions 19 and earlier work on my QMX — every one of them back to v6 (the earliest one I tried). Thank goodness for Terminal mode.
?
Firmware versions 20 and later do not work on my unit. This was a very early unit — not sure if that matters.
?
So I asked ChatGPT (the oracle, hi hi)... and it suggests a few possibilities (pasted below).
?
Now I'm going to update my newer QMX (hopefully without trouble)! I do wonder if the older one can ever run the newer firmwares, though.
?
73, Randy K7RAN
?

? Results Recap:

Version Range Display Status
1.00.006–1.00.019 ? WORKING — screen readable
1.00.020+ ? BROKEN — gibberish display

? What Likely Changed in v1.00.020?

Though QRP Labs doesn’t publish full changelogs, this kind of breakpoint often indicates:

  • A new display init routine

  • A change to font handling or character encoding

  • Swapping display libraries or restructuring how the OLED is accessed

It might’ve been something meant to improve performance or reduce memory usage — but it probably made assumptions about the display controller that don’t hold for yours.

?
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Thanks, Hans, I think they call those "AI hallucinations"!
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Randy K7RAN

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