Codeplug too new...

[Hey Nurse]

Hey all....Fresh from bricking another MTS2K, I have acquired a new one (already saved the S Record!!).....
I have tried reading it with MTSX Ver 6.0, 6.4, and now 6.07 and still get the "Code plug too new...." message, which leads me to believe that CPS was used in writing the current codeplug.

I, being an MTSX RSS N00b (and having bricked another of them oh so recently) wonder if it is possible to program an older codeplug (readable in one of the 6.xx DOS versions) into this radio..............or if I am going to have to find a new "old" computer and CPS?

Again, your help/suggestions are much appriciated

--Allen

[tvsjr]

Why do you need a "new old computer"? MTSX CPS will run just fine on XP...

[Hey Nurse]

Why do you need a "new old computer"? MTSX CPS will run just fine on XP...

The New computer i have is a gateway runing Vista....and NO Serial port.......the other computer i have (to program everything i own) is an old toughbook running win95.......

[MTS2000des]

your "older computer" should not be too old. MTSX is pretty RAM hungry, the faster the CPU the better. I run it on a dual core 3400 Toshiba Tecra M5 (has a real serial port) booting to real DOS from a CD-ROM. It runs pretty quick and stable, for the few DOS radios (MT2000's and HT1000's) we still have. CPS is recommended for MTS2000 if your radio's firmware is new enough (higher than 5.65 IIRC).

You should be able to pick up a P4 1.6GHz laptop with a serial port (like a Thinkpad T30) for a hundred bucks or so. This way you can run current CPS, and newer DOS RSS, using a dual boot configuration.

[Hey Nurse]

Thank you both for the computer info....but I'll leave that for another pay period.
What I am really interested in knowling is the answer to the question regarding whether locating a codeplug that WAS programmed in DOS RSS (ver 6.xx) and then programming that into this radio will brick it or not?

[wa6ylb]

Hey all....Fresh from bricking another MTS2K, I have acquired a new one (already saved the S Record!!).....
I have tried reading it with MTSX Ver 6.0, 6.4, and now 6.07 and still get the "Code plug too new...." message, which leads me to believe that CPS was used in writing the current codeplug.

I, being an MTSX RSS N00b (and having bricked another of them oh so recently) wonder if it is possible to program an older codeplug (readable in one of the 6.xx DOS versions) into this radio..............or if I am going to have to find a new "old" computer and CPS?

Again, your help/suggestions are much appriciated

--Allen

A couple things to check there. See if the firmware in the MTS2K is Version R05.31 or older. If it is, you won't want to use the windows CPS on this radio. If this radio has been "touched" by windows CPS, your only recovery is to use an older archive that was written with DOS. I've found such older archives, and have read them in using the older DOS programs. Stay away from 6.08 and or 6.07 etc, as they were made just about the transistion time to CPS. They don't help you.
What I did, is, to run an older verison of RSS, such as V6.0. I then loaded in a archive of a simular radio, and then did a clone function to put this into the radio. It has recovered many radios this way.
I've gotton onto Motorola about their corruption of an older version radio by CPS, but their take on it is two fold - its an obsolete product, and you should have been sending them $$$ for updates over the years anyway.
The latest firmware I purchased was version R08.73, a far cry from R05.31.
To update the firmware in a MTS2K radio, you need the smart Rib and a flash upgrade ($75.) from Motorola.
The Windows CPS will do the updating job - RSS will do it also. I did run into a problem with a couple of flashes
that I finally let the salesman send in. The flash process went fine on one radio, but a couple others came up with an error.
When calling the help person at M, they said the processor had partitioned itself, and as such, the flash couldn't take place.
I did talk with the guy at M that actually flashed the radios, and when I look and saw what he used, (lab tool), no wonder he had no issues. He even went as far to say that there wasn't any issue when flashing the portables. Ha! He was using a tool
that us common folks don't have.
Oh well.
In any case, I always read the version of an MTS before connecting it to RSS or CPS, just because of what I have found out in recent months... To put into service mode, touch the lowest side button 5 times within 10 seconds of being turned on.
You'll see the version number there.
B.

[Hey Nurse]

This Radio has Firmware Version 5.44 in it.

[Hey Nurse]

Anyone have a codeplug for a UHF MTS2000 model II, Model ## H01RDF9PW1BN, Firmware R05.44

[tvsjr]

Anyone have a codeplug for a UHF MTS2000 model II, Model ## H01RDF9PW1BN, Firmware R05.44

And what do you intend to do with it? You do realize that, if you force a new codeplug into an MTS with firmware 05.42 or greater, you'll brick yet another radio... right?

Your Vista-equipped Gateway will work just fine if you use CPS and get either a quality USB-serial converter (IOgear seems to work) or a real serial card with UART to go in the machine.

[Hey Nurse]

I didnt realize that, no......thanks for the warning! I'l monkey around with cps/vista...

[tvsjr]

I would suggest you slow down, take a deep breath, and do lots of reading before mucking about with tools and procedures you don't understand. You've already bricked one radio, let's try to avoid bricking another...

[Hey Nurse]

I would suggest you slow down, take a deep breath, and do lots of reading before mucking about with tools and procedures you don't understand. You've already bricked one radio, let's try to avoid bricking another...

That is the goal.

Got my latest copy of CPS to run in compatibility mode.....got a USB to Serial adaptor.....but apparently the former owner of this MTS used the VERY latest version of CPS to program it.......I only have 2.0.01 and am still seeing that $%^&*ing " Codeplug too new..." error message.

Ugh.

[motorola_otaku]

Actually, there is a way to retrograde a codeplug in a Toolproof-enabled MTS2000 without invoking FAIL 01/93. It's tedious and must be followed TO THE LETTER, but it works.

You need two software packages: Lima Alpha Bravo version 02.00.01 (DO NOT use Version 03.whatever, it won't work) and a legit RSS package, preferably 06.07.00 since it seems to work with everything.

Before attempting any of this..

READ AND SAVE A S-RECORD.


READ AND SAVE A S-RECORD.

To do this, start up youknowwhat with "runtime," go F3-->F4-->F2, then F10 out and go to F6 - Archive/Srecord Disc Files. Type a name in the box (preferably with some part of the serial number so you can later identify it to THAT particular radio)ending in .s and hit the option for "Write Srecord." Hit that same option again in the next window (NOT "Pack Srecord") then F10 all the way out back to your DOS c-prompt.

Then follow this procedure EXACTLY. Failure to follow it exactly AT ANY POINT WILL RESULT IN FAIL 01/93. Luckily you saved a s-record before starting so if you slip up you can bring it back to life. Anywho:
1.) Start up youknowwhat with "mtsx." DO NOT use "runtime," it won't work.
2.) Read the radio normally. DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING.
3.) Save a codeplug normally. DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING. Note that the date changes when you save (it helps to have your BIOS clock set correctly) and that the "Program Source" says "RSS." If it says "Lab," "Depot," or anything else, YOU WILL GET FAIL 01/93. Go back to step 1 and start over, making sure that you're starting with "mtsx" and not "runtime."
4.) Exit youknowwhat and start up MTSX 06.07.00.
5.) F3-->F3, then change the directory to where youknowwhat is, and select the normal codeplug you just saved. If you didn't change the name, it'll be the serial number with a decimal point preceding the last 3 numbers. Once selected, go ahead and open it up.
6.) DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING YET.
7.) F7 to save the codeplug again. Don't change the name and select OK when it asks you to overwrite. The date/time may change again depending on how long you took with the preceding steps.. this is okay.
8.) F10 back out to your c-prompt.
9.) Start MTSX 06.07.00 back up again.
10.) Open the normally-saved codeplug again and write it to the radio with F8. If you followed everything correctly, the radio will power back on and you can now read it with MTSX 06.07.00. If you get FAIL 01/93, well, you missed a step somewhere.. go back to youknowwhat, write the s-record back in, and start over.

Here's what's happening. Youknowwhat ignores the last-read-with byte but doesn't understand toolproofing and therefore doesn't fix the toolproof checksum when you write to the radio, which gives you FAIL 01/93. MTSX 06.07.00 does understand toolproofing, however. Opening and overwrite-saving a codeplug will fix the toolproof checksum, letting you retrograde the radio from whatever CPS version it was read with.

This has been verified to work with radios all the way up to Version 06.xx controller firmware. I really wouldn't recommend trying it with 08.xx rebanding-enabled radios.. just suck it up and get the CPS.

[Hey Nurse]

AWESOME! Thank you SO MUCH!