CDM1250 rear connector firmware & programming cable

[nmfire10]

I am going to make one of these so I can firmware update both of my CDM1250's. I just want to confirm a few things before I blow something up again. I don't have test equipment or any of that crap. I just want to confirm that for firmware upgrading, all I need is the RIB to radio portion (highlighted in red) and all the rest can be ignored. Also want to confirm with this configuration, not other crap is needed like flash adapters, switches, connectors, etc.

[Al]

Looks like it should work fine if you also have the flash adapter or place a switch so as to ground the radio's boot control line at the appropriate time during the upgrade process. BTW, if you find the 20 pin equivalent of the rear panel accy connector, please post information on your source....I haven't been able to find them in any of the commercial catalogs.

[nmfire10]

What is the boot control wire for going to the rib then? Do I need to disconnect that from the RIB or leave it connected when I ground it? Is it a momentary ground contact or should it stay grounded once it reaches that point in the process?

And crap, this won't work with the normal accessory connector, will it? I'll have to "make it work"

[a_j_b]

And crap, this won't work with the normal accessory connector, will it?

You'll need to use the 20pin in the back of the radio with a flash adapter, cable and rib. I recommend you use OEM cables, the adapter you can probably get away with making yourself. Or most shops (around here anyway) will do the firmware for about $35 per radio. 5.12.02 is the current version as of today.

[Al]

Boot control is a line that, when held low, prevents the radio's uP from booting normally, i.e. the radio uses only memory internal to its uP, not external memory. When you start the firmware upgrade, the software will read the model and other data from the radio. At this time, the boot control line must be ungrounded(high) to allow the read. Once the software decides that it can update the radio's firmware, it will tell you to, in effect, pull the boot control line low, then power down the radio followed by a powerup. When it senses that you've done things in the right sequence, it'll proceed to load the radio's eeprom with the new code. After it's done, you power down, reset the boot control line high. Then on a powerup the radio will boot normally.
If you're using an RLN4008(x) RIB, there's nothing connected internally to pin 25. I can only guess that M's specification on the boot control line wired to pin 25 is with an eye to future RIB designs. The flash adapter I mentioned has a toggle switch that's used to ground the boot control line when the software calls for it, and it's a spdt switch with one position labelled "A" and the other is "B" with the center position being "OFF". With the toggle in center position, you use the cable as a normal programming cable.

[kurt meltzer]

Al ,

I have the 20-pin CDM accessory connectors and related items for sale in my eBay store, mre1032.

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-Pack-20-Pin-Blank ... dZViewItem

Kurt.

[Al]

Thanks, Kurt.....I'll have a look.