Firmware for the Virtuoso Skywatcher ?

[Antoine1997]

Hi everyone,

I have trouble finding a motor controller firmware for the Skywatcher Virtuoso. Also, I don't have the hand controller. Do you think that's a problem to upload the firmware ?

Many thanks, Antoine.

[Antoine1997]

If anyone had the same problem:

I spent a month searching this firmware and Skywatcher itself couldn't help me.

Fortunately, after dozens of emails to dozens of telescope distributors, someone could give it to me.

There it is attached.

Also the upload does work without the hand controller.

A bit disappointed that Skywatcher doesn't put it on its website.

MC006_Tracking_V0216.MCF

[Geoff Lister]

Many thanks for posting the results of your search. I have not had any problems with the firmware on my Virtuoso mount, but it is always useful to have this in reserve.

Geoff

[happy-kat]

This is excellent well done.

Is this the version of the firmware that has EQ tracking option enabled if you hold down button 5 as you turn the mount on do you know please?

Edited July 14, 2019 by happy-kat

[LucaSoft]

hello, thanks in the meantime for attaching the FW of the mysterious "VIRTUOSO Sky-watcher", I wanted to ask you with which cable you connected to the mount to update the FW and maybe show me where you bought it, could you mention me how you did it, Thanks

[LucaSoft]

On 09/07/2019 at 18:58, Antoine1997 said:

If anyone had the same problem:

I spent a month searching this firmware and Skywatcher itself couldn't help me.

Fortunately, after dozens of emails to dozens of telescope distributors, someone could give it to me.

There it is attached.

Also the upload does work without the hand controller.

A bit disappointed that Skywatcher doesn't put it on its website.

MC006_Tracking_V0216.MCF 32 kB · 25 downloads

hello, thanks in the meantime for attaching the FW of the mysterious "VIRTUOSO Sky-watcher", I wanted to ask you with which cable you connected to the mount to update the FW and maybe show me where you bought it, could you mention me how you did it, Thanks

[facsi]

On 09/07/2019 at 13:58, Antoine1997 said:

If anyone had the same problem:

I spent a month searching this firmware and Skywatcher itself couldn't help me.

Fortunately, after dozens of emails to dozens of telescope distributors, someone could give it to me.

There it is attached.

Also the upload does work without the hand controller.

A bit disappointed that Skywatcher doesn't put it on its website.

MC006_Tracking_V0216.MCF 32 kB · 28 downloads

Many Thanks!! I would like to hear your tale to find this file!

 

On 14/07/2019 at 16:16, happy-kat said:

This is excellent well done.

Is this the version of the firmware that has EQ tracking option enabled if you hold down button 5 as you turn the mount on do you know please?

I believe this firmware has this EQ setting. My virtuoso has this page in the manual. Using the wifi adapter it shows the under Motor version 2.16.A1 . And his file is v0216.

Unless the version without this setting hasnt changed the version number, i guess it supports it. If your version does not support it, can you please check what version is being reported by your mount with synscan?

 

Tags for google search:

Sky Watcher Skywatcher heritage virtuoso mount mc006 synta board rev. F 2013.01 firmware file

Edited May 10, 2020 by facsi
add tags

[happy-kat]

Good idea as I have the wifi dongle to check with. My mount does not support button 5 EQ mode from what I've tested though I have not yet built a wedge to properly test it.

[facsi]

I have tested my mount. It seems to not have the eq setting. Probably this fw doesnt have either. Unless the synscan app is blocking... but I've tried up to old ver 1.0

[happy-kat]

The mount I suspect would only track in EQ mode if it has that flavour of firmware and when the synscan handset or dongle are not being used.

Ah I still need to check what firmware my mount has.

[happy-kat]

Sorry about the delay in replying, my virtuoso is 2.11.A1 and EQ mode on start up doesn't appear to work. The intention is still to knock up a wedge for the mount anyway.

 

[facsi]

On 13/06/2020 at 17:20, happy-kat said:

Sorry about the delay in replying, my virtuoso is 2.11.A1 and EQ mode on start up doesn't appear to work. The intention is still to knock up a wedge for the mount anyway.

 

Hi. Just checked mine. It has the equatorial setting. Yay. Probably Antoine's version has eq setting as well. As you said, it deactivates when you connect to synscan. I don't know if that's true for those handheld gotos. You can check if it has equatorial mode by hearing the mount. When in normal mode, with your ear inside the battery box, you will hear nothing. ignore the beeps. In equatorial mode you will hear a lot of countinous clicks.

Edited June 24, 2020 by facsi

[Bowserambo]

Sorry to revive this old thread, but i was trying to troubleshoot allignment of my mount and ended up here.
I only just found out that during allignment via synscan app, the last slewing direction need to be Up and Right before tapping...
Will try that tonight hopefully, but...
I also have 2.11.A1 Motorboard firmware and was wondering, should i Upgrade to the attached firmware? 2.16 i believe
And if i do, can i go back if required? Is it known what the differences are exactly?

[thunderstorm]

On 15/11/2021 at 12:54, Bowserambo said:

Sorry to revive this old thread, but i was trying to troubleshoot allignment of my mount and ended up here.
I only just found out that during allignment via synscan app, the last slewing direction need to be Up and Right before tapping...
Will try that tonight hopefully, but...
I also have 2.11.A1 Motorboard firmware and was wondering, should i Upgrade to the attached firmware? 2.16 i believe
And if i do, can i go back if required? Is it known what the differences are exactly?

Hi Bowserambo,

Last night I tried to upgrade the firmware on Virtuoso mount and it failed during upgrade.

Motor Controller Firmware Loader -Wifi app prompted a message that update failed, directed me to power off the mount and power on again.

But the mount not booting, no lights, no beeps, no key commands excepted anymore.

As Skywatcher firmware copy protected in flash memory of the PIC controller, it can't be read before upgrade. So, you can't roll it back.

It was risky trying to upgrade on unreliable WIFI and UDP based transport. (Apparently there is no checksum or safety check before writing to flash memory)

I will try to write a firmware on Wednesday, will update the latest situation.

hope this help

 

 

[malc-c]

12 hours ago, thunderstorm said:

Hi Bowserambo,

Last night I tried to upgrade the firmware on Virtuoso mount and it failed during upgrade.

Motor Controller Firmware Loader -Wifi app prompted a message that update failed, directed me to power off the mount and power on again.

But the mount not booting, no lights, no beeps, no key commands excepted anymore.

As Skywatcher firmware copy protected in flash memory of the PIC controller, it can't be read before upgrade. So, you can't roll it back.

It was risky trying to upgrade on unreliable WIFI and UDP based transport. (Apparently there is no checksum or safety check before writing to flash memory)

I will try to write a firmware on Wednesday, will update the latest situation.

hope this help

 

 

Have a read of this thread

It details the process of taking the BIN file, converting it HEX, removing the code protection bit, and saving as a new HEX file to burn to a replacement PIC (assuming the motor board uses PIC micros such as the 16F886).

To be honest, trying something like a firmware update over a wireless connection was risky.  You should always use a physical connection to save bricking the board.

[StevieDvd]

There is a thread on the forum which mentions using an eqmod/eqdir cable on the SW AZ-GTi for a failed firmware update, if you have the cable it's worth trying. If you have the handset that's another possible route to get a wired update of the firmware.