800mhz Astro Saber

[saberjerk]

Is or was there ever an Astro Saber 800mhz radio with a 512k vocon in it?

[Code3]

Yep.

[saberjerk]

Thanks code 3. Do you have or know someone that can get a codeplug from one of these?

[motorola_otaku]

512K and 1 Meg Astro Sabers use the same codeplug architecture. The extra memory is occupied by HOST firmware 6 and up.

More important is what the firmware in your particular 512K Astro Saber allows. Anything below HOST5/DSP6 won't do P25, but will handle most other options. You can even dump in a whoreflash codeplug and get normal operation out of the radio except for digital voice. Most people tend to frown on this as a dishonest practice when such creations are offered for sale, but for personal use it works just fine.

[saberjerk]

Ok, great. It's nice to know that information.
So what you are saying is there is no specific codeplugs for 512k and 1meg?

So all codeplugs from 1meg radios would fit in a 512k radio? But some of the functions
wouldn't work if not supported in the 512k firmware?

I guess that I am finding out is that there is a problem with really old firmware.
I have a couple vocons that won't accept any codeplugs from more modern firmware. 02.02 ~

Would be nice to know what exactly is that bottom limit is and to avoid that.

Guess you could say I did find one that is to be avoided.
That's probably why they were on epay.

Dennis

[Pj]

Again...just have the firmware updated. All this has almost nothing to do about the codeplug. Forcing in a different codeplug will not do a thing.

Its all about the flashcode and firmware.

[akardam]

Again...just have the firmware updated. All this has almost nothing to do about the codeplug. Forcing in a different codeplug will not do a thing.

Its all about the flashcode and firmware.

Good luck ordering a firmware refresh kit on an 512k Astro Saber...

[MotoFAN]

Good luck ordering a firmware refresh kit on an 512k Astro Saber...

It's impossible?

Or possible, but But searches of MSS with proper firmware files will occupy a lot of time?

[Hightower]

Ok, great. It's nice to know that information.
So what you are saying is there is no specific codeplugs for 512k and 1meg?

So all codeplugs from 1meg radios would fit in a 512k radio? But some of the functions
wouldn't work if not supported in the 512k firmware?

A 512 codeplug can be shoved into a 1Meg or vic versa and will work, however if the wrong codeplug is shoved into the radio and you try to perform a firmware upgrade it most likely will brick the radio. The codeplug in the radio contain a "flag" that identifies it as a 512 or 1meg radio. So you put a 1 meg codeplug into a 512 radio, and try a firmware upgrade. The CPS / Srib setup reads the codeplug thinking it is dealing with a 1Meg radio, and attempts to shove 1 meg worth of firmware into a 512K. Halfway through the firmware upgrade you offically have a brick. Make sense?

[escomm]

Wouldn't the size of the firmware file be dependent upon the CVN file used for the upgrade?

[saberjerk]

Does the smart rib and computer software actually choose the size of the file that is used for the update?
Or does the file you buy for the update also have a 512k or 1meg signature.
I'm really clueless to this stuff. Thanks for all the good info and help.

[akardam]

Well, when you order a firmware refresh (or Flashport upgrade), Moto will send you the right CVN for the radio, based on information you give them at time of order (model, serial, flash).

My understanding is CPS will pull a codeplug from the radio, and do various checks on it, before processing a firmware uplift. For example, checking analog, VSELP, or IMBE in the flashcode, checking that there aren't conflicting VSELP/IMBE options (IMBE with Software Crypto), etc. I would also assume it would check the internal codeplug to see if the codeplug says the Host ROM is 512k or 1m. I don't know if it actually verifies the physical size of the ROM - one would think but I'm not sure.

Long story short, CPS shouldn't let you do something catastrophic during firmware uplift due to mismatch in platform, etc.

[Motofanatic]

Both Hightower and akardam are correct.

The *cvn file contains both variations, 512K/1Meg. The CPS uses the information from the codeplug to determine the size of the Host.

Yes there is a specific bit in the codeplug that indicates the Host size. Anyone who may have seen the VSELP Labtool RSS would have found this to be true.

You'd think the CPS would be smart enough to interrogate the radio directly to determine the size of the Host but it doesn't.

So while it is true the CPS should not let itself do anything catastrophic during an upgrade, if the codeplug contains invalid Host size info, the CPS can brick the radio as what Hightower mentioned.

[Motofanatic]

Well I spoke too soon. I've been informed this is not the case (at least not using a recent CVN file with Host 7.71.xx in it). A flash/hardware mismatch error occurs when attempting to refresh a 512K Astro Saber.

My bad for not verifying this personally as I was basing my reply on the fact the XTS2500 CVN does contain both 4Meg and 8Meg refresh images so I assumed the Astro Saber CVNs contained both 512K/1Meg.