New Phase IQ Firmware Update

[kdphotography]

Not including my "factory default" fw 1.18, I now have a library of six different firmware versions for the IQ180 that I will now keep archived just in case for unfortunate events such as this.

I think part of the problem is that as technology gets increasingly advanced with our "super car" IQ MFDBs, there is this expectation that they be as easily maintained as a simple Toyota. It's pretty eye-opening that a firmware update could effect the pc sync signal that the MFDB receives, but it does. Then again, whoever thought we would also be controlling household appliances with our smartphones? :loco:

Regardless, my IQ180 does work, albeit without USB3 capability as promised. I don't mind taking my MFDB offline from work; I just don't think I should be incurring any additional out of pocket costs in order to update the firmware or upgrade some internal bits just to get a feature (USB3) that I was promised in the first place two+ years ago.

I'm pretty confident that this will get sorted out in short order.

ken

 

[rga]

Great thread! Would never have known of this problem of PC synch on tech cams from official websites of our dealers/manufacturer (both CI and DT as well as PhaseOne) though it appears they have learned of it… That's even more a disservice to owners than not originally publishing about the tech back synch problem…

Though I know if I ask the support at dealers about this PC synch problem, they will in all certainty help me through it. Not sharing this problem with the PC synch on some backs (which ones??) on their sites is really a confidence degrader, IMO. :loco:

So now that I've vented..

Could I please ask for help from anyone?

My IQ160 is currently on version 3.03.4. C1 is telling me to update to 5.00.51, which I understand is necessary to then update to 5.10.1 (would really like the BW display).
I only use my back on an Alpa. Having read that the PC synch cable doesn't work on some older models of IQ backs after the 5.10 update, how do I tell if my back is one of these? I'd really like the BW display… Also, any known problems with 5.00.51?? Apparently can't rely what's on official websites… :dh2:

Thanks to any/all who can help,
Bob

 

[kdphotography]

I thought I'd give an update on my IQ180. In short, I spent the holidays alone this year, and sent my IQ180 out to Phase for servicing.

CI was great in helping to confirm the mere existence of the problem with Phase One and this new firmware and early generation IQ180 MFDBs when paired with a technical camera. Yup---not user error.

CI tech support (Zac) was very helpful in getting my IQ180 back to fw 3.01.13 which is a stable firmware, but still short of the latest firmware releases, which enable USB3. We were not able to update the firmware beyond version 3.01.13. For whatever reason, the latest fw update will not allow use of a technical camera and fails to recognize the pc sync signal. Normal latency, zero latency, regular release, and one-shot cable---all fail to work with the latest firmware. No problems with fw 3.01.13!

As far as we could ascertain, this is an issue that is limited to early generations of the IQ180. The firmware otherwise works well. I could have just continued on with fw 3.01.13, but I knew that I was simply delaying the inevitable. The IQ180 would need to be updated eventually. I want the promised USB3 capability, and other features such as B&W viewing are a nice addition. Furthermore, I'm told that the latest firmware tightens tolerances and otherwise makes the IQ1/2 MFDBs better. If I ever decided to sell my IQ180, the buyer would expect these features and the latest firmware. The period following Christmas is my slow-time. It's the right time to give my IQ180 the attention it needs to bring it back to current specifications.

Rather than send the IQ180 directly to Phase Denmark, CI arranged for Phase in Melville, New York to take a look and see if they could address the firmware issue, and if not, they would be able to confirm if a trip to Denmark were necessary. I agreed. So off to Phase One in Melville, NY my IQ180 went. With the holiday schedule, I haven't heard anything back yet, and don't expect to until next week.

I have a few days off and was contemplating traveling somewhere. But I have absolutely no desire to use my DSLR for personal or landscape work. It sure is quiet here in studio without my IQ180.

Stay tuned.

ken

 

[GrahamWelland]

I have a few days off and was contemplating traveling somewhere. But I have absolutely no desire to use my DSLR for personal or landscape work. It sure is quiet here in studio without my IQ180.

Stay tuned.

ken

Ken, I hope you get your baby back soon. It always happens that the weather is great, scenery fantastic and shooting opportunities at their best when your favorite gear is either being upgraded or fixed! :chug:

I'm still running scared with my IQ260 and have held off any upgrades yet. Ideally I'd send my DF+ and the back together to CI and have them do the pair since I don't have a grip to do my DF and hopefully these new changes make that platform better. Killing tech shooting would truly ruin the Xmas break.

 

[rga]

I just updated my IQ160 from 3.x to 5.00 to 5.10.1. Thanks to Ken and also Scott from DT, I was able to get firmware update files back to 1.something.

All seems good. BW viewing is VERY helpful (looking at some images on the CF card from my last outing). Haven't put it on the Alpa yet, but will tomorrow. No news is good news…

I think this experience has highlighted a couple of important facts for me:
1. This is a terrific forum!!
2. Dealer support is so important. Between Ken and I, both CI and DT have stepped up to the challenge of great customer support.
3. Continue to take claims of "features to come" with a skeptic frame of mind...

So thanks Ken. And thanks DT support. Hopefully, as Ken thinks, this is a problem only with earlier IQ180s…

Best,
Bob

 

[Don Libby]

Ken and I normally call each other several times a week (if not a day) and this has been our number one topic. I was set to do an upgrade to my 160 until Ken ran into the wall with his. My back was originally Guys so it too is in the first batch; will that mean the same problem for me? Don't know and won't know until I try it out. I'm unwilling to attempt this until I return to Tucson in a couple weeks and until then I'm waiting to hear what Phase tells Ken what the problem is. Does this effect just the 180 or both earlier models.

It'd be nice to hear from others who have done the upgrades (either 160 or 180) to gauge the level of problems.

Don

 

[Don Libby]

It's funny in a strange way just how fast a tool of the trade becomes a major part of you and how much you miss it when it's not there. I shoot just about 100% medium format with either the WRS or DF and can't for the life me think of what I'd do without my back for several weeks. Hell, you can only do so much infrared and Sandy is using her camera.

 

[dchew]

Hello all, here's my update:

Ken and I have kept up with each other throughout this process. First I want to add my dealer Dodd Camera to the list of thank you's: Denny has consistently been a big help.

My issue is slightly different from Ken's, in that I seem to have no issue jumping between firmware versions. I've gone directly from 3.1.13 to 5.10.1 countless times in the last two weeks without issue (everyone please find some wood to pound on for me...). But as previously stated I do have the same problem with 5.10.1 and using a sync cable. It works once or twice then gets into a mode where it totally ignores any signal from the PC port.

Phase’s theory is that the new backs have tighter tolerances, and some components have been upgraded since the original release of the IQ1XX backs. The signal from wake-up sync cables is too “noisy” for the new firmware in at least some of these original backs. It is still true that if I use the standard pc sync cable and fire the shutter twice (once to wake the back and once to record the image), there are no problems w/ 5.10.1. Just inconvenience!

But, and this is a big but, the noise from the wake up sync cable is NOT too noisy for the new backs with the new firmware. I confirmed that in a recent trip to my dealer. I threw a new IQ260 onto my camera with my lens and my sync cable with 5.10.1 installed. There were no issues at all. I interpret that to mean the newer firmware relies on the tighter tolerances associated with these newer components. That last part is me talking, not Phase One, but it certainly seems to follow.

Anyway, as a test Phase decided to send my dealer a Schmitt (sp?) cable to add in-line. This cable is basically a filtering device. With that installed, my IQ180 worked flawlessly with 5.10.1 installed.

So, in my case Phase’s position is everything on my back is working as it should; Alpa’s sync cable causes problems because the cable is noisy; the Schmitt cable proves that. I can’t really blame Alpa though, since they designed the cable for a back with earlier firmware, for which it works fine. Well, almost fine. In Phase’s defense my back did occasionally have sync errors, probably related to the cable. But it was a periodic problem with individual captures. It never made the back ignore future pc signals that requires a reboot.

If I read between the lines, I think Phase added the filtering capability of this Schmitt cable into the port or some other component inside the back. This filtering allows the back to work under these tighter tolerances (whatever that means) with the new 5.xx firmware. When they upgraded the port is anyone’s guess; was it sometime during the IQ1XX lifetime or when the IQ2XX was released?

So my choice is between sending the back in for a possible fix (port replacement), or using this Schmitt cable from now on.

I’m telling you all this because I don’t think Phase believes there is a problem with firmware 5.10.1. They don’t look at this as faulty firmware. No one that I know of has an issue with an IQ2XX back. If someone did, that would change the whole ballgame!

Dave

 

[kdphotography]

I should have more details on my IQ180 from Phase One in a couple days. Looking forward to starting the New Year on a good note!

For those that are interested in archiving older versions of the IQ firmware, these are located at the following Dropbox link, which I'll leave active for a few weeks at least.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/258ngmkjxewo04e/fHEftLJnUM

ken

 

[rga]

Great trouble shooting David. Thank you for your efforts. I'll be testing my back today. I don't have Alpa synch cables, but the ones that came with my various Phase backs (3 over the years…).

 

[GrahamWelland]

Just wondering if people were having the same problem with KG and Alpa synch cables since they inherently work in the same way to trigger a wake up and shutter circuit connection to the back.

 

[kdphotography]

It didn't matter for me, Graham. I used both KG one-shot and regular pc sync cables. Zero latency and normal. With the latest firmware installed, my IQ180 would not receive a signal and no image would be recorded using a technical camera, in my case, Cambo WRS and HR40. The 5.10.1 firmware did work for me initially, but I had only used it with the Phase DF at that point. Once I tried it on the Cambo, it was a no-go. Once earlier firmware was re-installed, the MFDB behaved normally and worked on both camera bodies.

The issue now presented for Phase One to resolve, is getting my IQ180 up to specification as advertised---in other words, I want USB 3.0 capability. I should be able to have the latest firmware installed and enjoy a fully featured MFDB---without my having to pay any further for what I was promised in the first place!

ken

 

[stephengilbert]

Using it only on a tech cam, the new firmware seems to work properly on my IQ 160.

Has anyone had problems with the 160, or is the fault* appearing only on the 180s?

* It is a fault, isn't it, and not a feature?

 

[Don Libby]

It's good to hear that Stephen had no problems with his IQ160 maybe there's hope for mine. I've still decided to wait till I I return to Tucson next month.

On another note - I've been meaning to comment on how well Ken is doing about not having his 180. Throughout this entire ordeal Ken has remained calm which is the opposite of what my reactions would have been. All that deep breathing is working Ken.:angel:

 

[dchew]

Using it only on a tech cam, the new firmware seems to work properly on my IQ 160.

Has anyone had problems with the 160, or is the fault* appearing only on the 180s?

* It is a fault, isn't it, and not a feature?

lmao. Thanks for that Stephen.

Interesting question. If this is limited to IQ180's then I will be less forgiving.

Dave

 

[fotophil]

Since Phase has indicated that there have been component changes during the IQ prodction cycle that may be responsible for the PC sync issue, I wonder if they can provide serial numbers of those early IQ backs that might be at risk using the newest firmware.

 

[rga]

My IQ160 has updated without issue, including working well on my tech cam. The PC cables I use are the ones that came with the back. I haven't tested the KG cable as I don't use it.
Best,
Bob

 

[jlm]

what is the advantage of the upgrade to an early IQ160?

 

[kdphotography]

John,

I put the Phase 5.10.1 release notes in the DropBox folder with archived older fw versions: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/258ngmkjxewo04e/fHEftLJnUM

It's a worthwhile firmware update. Adds B&W viewing of images option. USB3, tighter performance, etc. I just gotta get there... All is good

ken

 

[fotophil]

Bob - Did your IQ160 upgrade consist of factory modifications or was your upgrade limited to firmware changes? Is your IQ160 an early model? If the factory peformed the upgrade, did you incur any out of pocket expenses?