Unified tektool released ! (Firmware flash tools for old Tektronix TDS series)

[madao]

The thread is here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/ar488-arduino-based-gpib-adapter/

It enumerates as a USB serial port and uses mostly standard GPIB commands.

Oh, it look good, but i must take  time for him.  (actually , i have less time  :-/ )

[vaualbus]

Were you find those firmware list? I'm looking if possible to update my TDS firmware to newer mine is 2.13 I see there a 2.16e.
You think is that possible? I guess there has not diffs between the version?

[hgross]

Hello Matt (madao),
Thank you very much for your tektool. Together with Ghidra it opens new possibilities for me to understand and hopefully repair old TDSxxx Scopes. I was able to repair a TDS644A and it seems to work 100 % o.k. but the self test fails due to the digACCalDiag test. The built-in frequency test range seems to be set too narrow. Either my firmware (3.8.5e), which I have copied from KO4BB is not good for my TDS644A or something in the file is corrupt. Could anyone in this forum provide a similar or even newer firmware for the TDS6xxA series?
Regards
Helmut, DL5HG

[vaualbus]

We shall reverse engineer the firmware yeah, apparently reading the extended service manual I got for the TDS540A they had a tool that described and allow to execute any of the diagnostics procedures tha the TDS520 repair manual suggest to run. I guess there is ay to write such a a program our self and finally allow to simplify the repairs of these scopes.

[vaualbus]

Can you provide the tools for Win98/95 so we can use with the official card suggest in the manuals that is the ISA National GPIB-PCII/IIA Card?

[drforbin]

I'd like source code if possible

[eurgenca]

Hello, Matt.
I have a faulty tds420a and I want to play with your software. I don't have GPIB adapter and need to buy one.
Does this sw work with USB to GPIB adapters or I must find some ISA/PCI card?
Thanks, Sebastijan.

[madao]

100% confirm: it works with NI GPIB Adapter,   USB or  PCI or PCIe, is not important.  Important is NI 488.2

(not 100% confirm, work with agilent GPIB-USB Adapter, doze people told me, it works)

[eurgenca]

Hello.
So this chinese clone will be o.k.?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002298355146.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.67972e0e7Yk0v5

Sebastijan.

[Tantratron]

Hello.
So this chinese clone will be o.k.?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002298355146.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.67972e0e7Yk0v5

Sebastijan.

If I were you, best to buy a used NI-GPIB-USB (made in Hungary) where for sure it works including with Macintosh.

[eurgenca]

Hi. I suppose you thinking on something like this:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32827480178.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.78302e0e8V6ayj

[Tantratron]

Hi. I suppose you thinking on something like this:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32827480178.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.78302e0e8V6ayj

Yes that is correct but be careful with Chinese clone because there could be firmware issues. But that is the correct model except they do not show what is printed on its back. My company TANTRATRON in France has bought recently 5 used of these units from Europe, in fact from Hungary via eBay.

The advantage of these legacy NI (National Instruments) is that NI offers free software for Windows, MacOS and Linux so you can really do very serious stuff with TDSxxx and other test lab projects. I do use MacOS only for years where it is not clear if Agilent is so Universal with different platform.

Ironically the chinese clone of NI-GPIB-USB states original from Hungary but someone needs to explain why these units are sold from China... there must a catch but maybe I'm too paranoid

Albert

[Tantratron]

P.S. Regarding chinese clone of National Instruments NI-GPIB-USB issues, there is one interesting thread https://www.electronics-lab.com/community/index.php?/topic/48408-ni-gpib-usb-hs-issues-no-original-fake-hack-firmware-replacement-from-orginal/&tab=comments#comment-165981

[eurgenca]

Yes I read that.
Today I bought this clone from max-bit but I only need this adapter for firmware upgrade and other testing. If this works with sw ver 17.0 I think that is this good for me.

[lastguy]

Interesting to found the problem is not counterfeit from China, but NS 17.6 added counterfeit check, to make it works NS removed all its older legal parts, so these NS parts becomes counterfeil.
the solution is to use NS 17.0. not sure current solution.

[HighPrecision]

Hi,

I'm trying to update the firmware of an old TDS744A scope (s/n: B012xxx), using the unified tektool software, my PC is the Thinkpad X301 with Win7, installed NI-488.2 v20 connected with interface 'GPIB-USB-HS'.

ID of flash chips is: 0x012a = 28F020 (AMD)

I'm getting this errors with backup commands for NVRAM and Flash:
"read_memory: response reading failed"

I used these commands to read:
tektool -r NVRAM-original.bin -b 0x4000000 -l 0xA0000
tektool -r OLDFW-backup.bin -b 0x1000000 -l 0x300000

Any idea to resolve this problem ?

Thanks!

[HighPrecision]

Problem solved relaxing GPIB interface timing.

[DC1MC]

Hello all, maybe someone here could help me, could anybody provide a firmware version newer than 4.1 for a TDS724A ? My previous request got totally buried  .

Many thanks,
DC1MC

[HighPrecision]

Hello,

I've found firmware v4.2.1e for my TDS744A, same oscilloscope with 4 input channels.

[DC1MC]

Hello,

I've found firmware v4.2.1e for my TDS744A, same oscilloscope with 4 input channels.

I found it as well, the problem is that TDS724A is the strange animal with 2+2 channels and I don't know if it's compatible  .

 

[madao]

Hello,

I've found firmware v4.2.1e for my TDS744A, same oscilloscope with 4 input channels.

I found it as well, the problem is that TDS724A is the strange animal with 2+2 channels and I don't know if it's compatible  .

This newer firmware will work with your units.

[DC1MC]

Hello,

I've found firmware v4.2.1e for my TDS744A, same oscilloscope with 4 input channels.

I found it as well, the problem is that TDS724A is the strange animal with 2+2 channels and I don't know if it's compatible  .

Many thanks @madao for taking the time to check, unfortunately after fiddling a bit with the heavy guys (520A and the 724A) I've decided to set them free for younger and stronger people  , see the TEA thread and BSW forum soon, the new owners could take care of updating the FW and doing the upgrading tricks.

 Cheers,
 DC1MC


This newer firmware will work with your units.

[TERRA Operative]

I successfully updated the firmware on my older version TDS784C from 5.0a to 5.2e, using an ebay sourced Keysight 82357B USB-GPIB adapter.
Here's the full instructions on how I did it, combining info from madao and rodd.

1.) Install Keysight IO Controls and set settings as shown in the included images. (This is important to allow tektools utility to access the GPIB adapter!)

2.) Run IO Controls (Icon should appear in task bar) and run Keysight Connection Expert.

3.) Plug 82357B USB-GPIB adapter into PC and scope. Turn hidden switch in scope to unprotected mode and turn on scope.

4.) Check for the scope appearing in Keysight Connection Expert as shown in the included image.

5.) Open Command Prompt and navigate to folder containing tektool.exe

6.) Type in the following commands shown in quotes (don't type the quote marks).

7.) Identify flash type "tektool -i  -b 0x1000000 -l 0x10"

8.) Save existing NVSRAM (not for TDS400 series, unknown address) "tektool -r NVSRAMSave.bin -b 0x4000000 -l 0x100000"

9.) Save old firmware "tektool -r example.bin -b 0x1000000 -l 0x400000"  (28F010 = 0x180000, 28F020 = 0x300000 instead of 0x400000)
(example.bin = name of existing firmware file)

10.) Fill zero to flash (only for old flash 28F010 and 28F020) "tektool -z -b 0x1000000 -l 0x10"

11.) Clear firmware "tektool -e -b 0x1000000 -l 0x10"
   
12.) Flash new firmware "tektool -p example.bin -b 0x1000000 -l 0x400000" (28F010 = 0x180000, 28F020 = 0x300000 instead of 0x400000)
(example.bin = name of new firmware file)
This will take a while. On a TDS784C, it took just under 45 minutes or so.
   
13.) Writing NVSRAM back into memory (optional, not for TDS400 series, unknown address) "tektool -w NVSRAMSave.bin -b 0x4000000 -l 0x100000"

14.) IMPORTANT: Power cycle unit before verification of firmware. Wait 10 seconds after power-on, then switch protect-switch to "protect" for safe verification.

15.) Verification of firmware "tektool -v example.bin -b 0x1000000 -l 0x400000" (28F010= 0x180000, 28F020 = 0x300000 instead of 0x400000)
(example.bin = name of newly flashed firmware file)

16.) Reboot scope, enjoy.

16a.) I did a factory reset on my scope for good measure, just to make sure there were no incompatible settings etc from the old firmware to the new firmware.

[Johnny10]

 

[picburner]

There is also a firmware v5.3 for the TDS784C, someone in this forum owns it but has never made it available.