PDR100 Firmware Revisions

[admin]

Historical listing and links to older versions

[admin]

This link will contain the latest version of the PDR firmware-
http://www.chasecam.com/sw/update.bin

This thread will contain each version of the firmware as it is released, as well as some documentation of the changes, bug fixes,
and added features.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO UPDATE EVERY VERSION!!! All you need is the latest UPDATE version file, regardless of where your firmware level is at present.

Click on the SUBSCRIBE TO THIS THREAD (if you are a registered user) and you will be notified of any updates!

Put the file update.bin on the root of a CF card to update a PDR100 unit in the field. The field update is forced to launch by holding
down the "MENU" key when the PDR100 is turned on. Be sure to keep holding the "MENU" key until the information screen appears on the
display. If the CF card is inserted and has update.bin on it, the updater will erase and reprogram the application.

Be careful not to accidentally lose power during this operation. It is probably wise to do this with fresh batteries or when running on external power. When the update is complete, it will turn its power off. If it fails, it will display an error message and wait for the user to turn the power off. Either way, the only way to go back to the running application is to turn power off and on again. The field update preserves any settings, except that the new application version may choose to ignore any prior version's settings and revert to default values.

[admin]

Release 00.09.01 FIRST BETA RELEASE

Initial software release. Contains a complete system with limited features-

Features included:
On and Off. Record start and stop. Audio selections (Stereo Mic, Line In, PDR Mic close, PDR Mic far). Date and time settings. Video quality settings.

Missing features include looping setting, remote control/LAN-C (all to be implemented asap).

[admin]

Release 00.09.02 BETA RELEASE

Added battery/power fail handling to make file system more safe during recording.

[admin]

Release 00.09.03 BETA RELEASE

Fixed bug for use with larger than 2gig Compact Flash Cards.

[admin]

********** 00.09.04 dated 2006/06/13

Added more efficient tracking of Compact Flash card free space, and
added "Compact Flash wait..." status to display when card is being
scanned for free space.

Enhanced handling of initial file write to lessen possibility that
media with large FAT causes bottleneck in file system overhead at
start of recording.

[admin]

********** 00.09.05 dated 2006/06/15
Implemented solution to tendency of LCD display panel to fail to work
if powered up while exposed to sunlight

[admin]

********** 00.09.05 dated 2006/06/15
Implemented solution to tendency of LCD display panel to fail to work
if powered up while exposed to sunlight

[admin]

********** 00.09.07 dated 2006/06/26
Improved efficiency and speed of writing to Compact Flash during
recording.

Improved "CF Media Slow" message to indicate percentage of incidence
that recording data may have dropped out.

Added recognition of Compact Flash media change while in Recordings
List screens, allowing changing a card without leaving Recordings List.

[admin]

********** 00.09.08 dated 2006/06/30
Added menu for selection of video resolution. You can now select different resolutions (not to be confused with bitrates).

VIDEO RESOLUTION
The resolution menu will allow you to select a different screen size than the default. You might try experimenting with resolutions and bit rates to determine the proper setting you need. There are three choices.

q FULL VIDEO (740x480 NTSC or 720x576 PAL) –default-
q 2/3 HORIZONTAL VIDEO (480x480 NTSC or 480x576 PAL) SVCD size
q ¼ SCREEN VIDEO (352x240 NTSC or 352x288 PAL) VCD size - MPEG1


Added information to display during recording. Display now shows video resolution and quality setting.

Changed information display for Recordings List to show time elapsed
during recording instead of end time stamp.

[admin]

********** 00.10.01 dated 2006/07/12
Added non-volatile storage of control settings. Settings are recalled
at power up.

Time clock more precisely set at exact moment of pressing keypad
when using time setting screen.

Fixed problem related to exiting recording playback screen while
paused.

Fixed problem related to removing Compact Flash card with no
recordings while in Recordings List.

[admin]

********** 00.11.01 dated 2006/07/14
Added basic LANC control

[admin]

********** 01.00.02 dated 2006/08/14
Improved efficiency and speed of writing to Compact Flash during
recording.

********** 01.00.01 dated 2006/08/09
Added looping mode of recording

Improved efficiency and speed of writing to Compact Flash during
recording.

Made various tweaks and minor fixes.

[admin]

********** 01.00.03 dated 2006/09/07
Fixed problem with recognizing certain brands of Compact Flash cards.

Fixed problem using Compact Flash cards formatted with 64K cluster
size.

Improved reliability of stored settings.

Do not use this version

[admin]

********* 01.00.04 dated 2006/10/09

Fixed serious problem which could cause corruption of formatting and
file system on Compact Flash cards.

Removed feature allowing change of Compact Flash card without leaving
Recordings List. Changing card while in Recordings List now changes
screen back to Recording Standby.

Improved reliability of stored settings.

[admin]

********* 01.00.05 dated 2006/11/06
Added automatic start of next recording when 4 gigabyte file size
limit is reached. Does not affect size limit of loop recordings.

[admin]

********** 01.00.06 dated 2007/01/08

Added control for video monitor during recording. When recording, note new menu option on button 2. The selection will stay toggled even when powered off.

Added LCD display contrast control in SETUP menu.

LCD display backlight now comes on with any key press. Yay!

Two-tenths second duration of record switch is now required for recognition. This will help reduce the accidental switch actuation from shock.

[admin]

Note, we shortened up the switch time (how long you need to press the switch) from 2/10ths of a second to 1/10th of a second. We shall see if this brings back the vibration issues (in which case we will need to increase the duration). This should make the operation a little more intuitive. Thanks.

********** 01.00.10 dated 2007/02/26
One-tenth second duration of record switch is now required for
recognition of record on or record off.

Fixed problem with some Compact Flash cards not being recognized.

Eliminated spurious lines at top and bottom of full-resolution PAL
recordings.

[admin]

Most recent version.. 01.00.12

********** 01.00.12 dated 2007/03/09
Added playback of loop recordings.

Added loop recording file size control.

Added recording file name prefix setting.

Improved efficiency of writing to Compact Flash during recording.

Increased time delay of Compact Flash door sensing.

[admin]

********** 01.00.13 dated 2007/03/14
Removed sensing of Compact Flash door being open or closed.

[admin]

Most recent version.. 01.00.14

********** 01.00.14 dated 2007/03/15
Added file numbering control. You can now choose to allow the PDR to sequentially number the files in order.

The present default is for the PDR to create a new file number, starting at CHN_0001 and numbering forward, if the Compact Flash card is blank. Or if the card has CHN_0002, the next file created will be CHN_0003. The possible downside of this method is that as you create new files and use new cards or remove them from the cards, you end up with a lot of files all with the same numbers.

This change will write the last file number to the PDR memory so that the PDR always knows what it was... and increments the next file to the next number. So if this is the 150th file you have created with the PDR, it will be file name CHN_0150.MPG

P.S. The N in the filename is for NTSC, so PAL would P and the first two characters can now be preset to your choice of letters and numbers.

[admin]

Most recent version.. 01.00.15

********** 01.00.15 dated 2007/03/28
Added work-around for problem of unreliable Compact Flash cards with
spurious status not-busy reporting. Certain Compact Flash cards were causing the PDR to report a Compact Flash card full error message, even after recording a very small video file.

[admin]

And a new major update. The most recent version is 01.01.00 note that the middle numbers are now 01 instead of 00.

********** 01.01.00 dated 2007/04/13
Added forward search and reverse review speeds 3x, 15x, and 60x in
playback.

Improved recording of PAL video.

[admin]

********** 01.01.01 dated 2007/05/03
Added black background option to GForce display. You can now view the GForce bargraphs directly on the video or on a black background. To use, press the TURN GFORCE ON option at the top of your GForce SetUp Menu. There are now three choices you cycle through. One turns it off. One turns it on. One turns it on with black bars. Note, the black bars may be handy for bright or whiter backgrounds.

Eliminated spurious line part way down screen when recording PAL in
2/3 Horizontal resolution.

[admin]

********** 01.01.02 dated 2007/05/10
Added optional on-screen time and date display and track timer.

Fixed problem that could cause Windows Media Player to miscalculate
the total running time of a recording.

[admin]

********** 01.01.03 dated 2007/06/04
Changed default values of certain settings.

Allow monochrome NTSC 60.00 fields per second video source.

Enhanced power failure detection.

[admin]

********** 01.01.04 dated 2007/07/12
Added Compact Flash card available space and estimated available
recording time display.

Added lost video input warning during recording.

Changed certain Motec specific functions.

[admin]

********** 01.01.05 dated 2007/10/29
Added tape pre-end status to LANC control.

Added Repeat Play playback setting.

Pressing ESCAPE key during playback ends playback.

LOOP RECORDING menu titled to indicate present setting.

Fixed problem of setting date and time while on-screen time display
is turned on.

Improved battery depletion shutdown handling.

Added support for enhanced power supply (in development)

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1065&postcount=1)

[admin]

********** 01.01.06 dated 2007/12/21
Added frames option to "SHOW RECORDING TIMER" display.


Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1065&postcount=1)

[admin]

********** 01.01.07 dated 2008/01/03
Expanded displays of frame count.


Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1065&postcount=1)

[admin]

Note, confirmed bug in this version. Obscure, but if you are in the menu and XXX back out, the Video Output is turned off. We will fix this in Version 01.01.09


********** 01.01.08 dated 2008/01/28
Changed audio level meter to show both channels.

Added separate left and right audio level controls.

Added support for audio input mix feature of new hardware**

Combined audio input controls into new menu.

Added automatic start recording at power on.

Combined On Screen Display menu and Automatic Record Start control
under new menu called FEATURES.


Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1065&postcount=1)

**New feature in future PDR units, not supported in existing units.

[admin]

********** 01.01.09 dated 2008/02/13
Fixed problem in 01.01.08 of monitor output not returning when
going from top Menu to Recording Standby.

Includes special functionality for use in V8Supercars in Australia and New Zealand. This feature will not be visible in any other units.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1065&postcount=1)

[admin]

********** 01.01.10 dated 2008/02/20
Changed file name prefix from two characters to three characters.

This means you can customize the file names with three characters (note, third character must be a numerical digit). This enables racing series to code the files per racing car...from number 1 up through car number 999. Or you can use T47 and G47 to indicate Touring Car number 47 and GT car number 47 as an example.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1065&postcount=1)

[admin]

********** 01.02.01 dated 2008/03/29
Added recycle mode of recording.

Improved ability to cope with fragmented file system on Compact Flash.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1065&postcount=1)

[admin]

********** 01.02.03 dated 2008/04/09
Added GForce record trigger feature.

Made audio output on-off follow monitor output, and audio mute during
playback paused.

********** 01.02.02 dated 2008/04/03
Added support for audio output of new hardware.


Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1065&postcount=1)

[admin]

http://www.chasecam.com/sw/01_02_04/update.bin

********** 01.02.04 dated 2008/07/30
Added GForce record trigger timeout control.
User can now set up how long the PDR will continue to record after not receiving a triggering GForce signal. The PDR can record 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 60 seconds, 120, 300, and 600 seconds (10 minutes).


Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36&postcount=2)

[RandyChase]

http://www.chasecam.com/sw/01_02_05/update.bin

********** 01.02.05 dated 2008/08/26
Added automatic shutdown timer. User can now program the PDR to save internal and external batteries by shutting down after a set time without recording. User can also use the automatic shutdown to make the internal batteries act as only a temporary power backup to shut down the unit (so that the PDR is only on when the car is on for example).

Added 20 and 30 minute selections to GForce record trigger timeout
control.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36&postcount=2)

[RandyChase]

http://www.chasecam.com/sw/01_02_06/update.bin

Version history:
********** 01.02.06 dated 2008/12/01
Added record switch style selection. Record switch can now be set to record ONLY when button is pushed and for as long as it is pushed or held down... and for a programmed set time after it is released. This is a feature option. When enabled, the method to turn the unit off is now holding down the X key on the keypad.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36&postcount=2)

[RandyChase]

http://www.chasecam.com/sw/01_02_07/update.bin

Version history:
********** 01.02.07 dated 2008/12/31
Fixed problem with date 31-Dec-2008.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36&postcount=2)

[RandyChase]

http://www.chasecam.com/sw/01_02_08/update.bin

Version history:
********** 01.02.08 dated 2009/04/10
Extended lower range of audio level control.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36&postcount=2)

[RandallNoll]

http://www.chasecam.com/sw/01_02_09/update.bin

Version history:
********** 01.02.09 dated 2009/07/23
Added ability to embed Data Module data in video stream.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36&postcount=2)

[RandallNoll]

http://www.chasecam.com/sw/01_02_10/update.bin

Version history:
********** 01.02.10 dated 2009/10/27
Added SHORTCUTS to main menu.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36&postcount=2)

[RandallNoll]

01.02.11 has been removed due to a bug in the saving of the embed GF data setting. It has been replaced by 01.02.12

Version history:
********** 01.02.11 dated 2010/1/14
Added additional shortcuts for DM10 Data Module and RLC integration.
Added ability to turn on/off embedding of GF data in video file.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36&postcount=2)

[RandallNoll]

http://www.chasecam.com/sw/01_02_12/update.bin

Version history:
********** 01.02.12 dated 2010/02/26
Fixed issue in 01.02.11.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36&postcount=2)

[sales]

http://www.chasecam.com/sw/01_02_13/update.bin

Version history:
********** 01.02.13 dated 2010/07/14
Fixed issue in 01.02.11 with enter key reset time.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36&postcount=2)

[RandyChase]

http://www.chasecam.com/files/update.bin

Version history:
********** 01.02.14 dated 2011/09/16
Changed timeout for automatic power down so it never powers down
less than sixty seconds after power up regardless of timeout setting,
and countdown pauses while in menus or playback.

Click Here for UPDATE instructions (http://www.chasecam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36&postcount=2)