Skywatcher Star Discovery motor controller firmware update?

[smd100]

Hi, 

Newbie here - can anyone please help?

I have acquired a Skywatcher Star Discovery mount (shown here - https://skywatcheraustralia.com.au/product/150-750-star-discovery-pro-synscan-reflector/) with an external plugin wifi adaptor.

I have successfully updated the firmware on the wifi adaptor to v1.07 (first item on this page http://skywatcher.com/download/software/accessories/ )

Now I am trying to update the motor controller firmware - when I run the motor controller firmware loader (second item on this page - http://skywatcher.com/download/software/motor-control-firmware/ ), it reports that my motor controller firmware is v2.18.A2 (very old). The 4th item on this page says "Motor controller firmware for the AZ-GTi, AZ-GTe, Virtuoso GTi, Skyliner series Dobsonian GOTO(with Wi-Fi) and Star Discovery(with Wi-Fi) mounts" - and is version 3.36.

But when I try to update the firmware using the firmware loader software, it says "Not a valid motor controller firmware file".

Where is the latest motor controller firmware for my Star Discovery GOTO mount?

Thanks for any advice...
SMD

Edited December 30, 2021 by smd100
Links didn't work properly

[Malpi12]

56 minutes ago, smd100 said:

Hi,   Newbie here - can anyone please help?

Where is the latest motor controller firmware for my Star Discovery GOTO mount?

 

Hi smd, welcome aboard the lounge  and I'll try

The simple answer is "I dont know"  ! But ,,,  I am going to guess, the 2nd and 3rd links you give dont work, hence the guess; that you are trying to use a 'motor controller firmware' for the later  integrated-wifi-Discovery which may have different motor controllers to those in the early version ?

You need to look in those pages for a motor controller firmware for the  early  Discovery.  the non-integrated-Discovery.

Did the mount not work with the original firmware ?

,,, now I will have a look round for where those links should be , , , 

hth.

 

Edited December 30, 2021 by Malpi12

[Malpi12]

Ok, found your link, (there were spurious characters on the end of yours ) 
http://skywatcher.com/download/software/motor-control-firmware/

The 4th item (your attempt?) says

Firmware: Universal DC Motor Driver with Built-in Wi-Fi, Version 3.36
Motor controller firmware for the AZ-GTi, AZ-GTe, Virtuoso GTi, Skyliner series Dobsonian GOTO(with Wi-Fi) and Star Discovery  (with Wi-Fi)  mounts.

Whereas the 1st on that page says
Windows program: Motor Controller Firmware Loader, Version 1.76
This application is used to update the motor controller's firmware of a Skywatcher GO-TO mount, with a SynScan hand control programmed with the SynScan Relay firmware, a SynScan USB dongle or a SynScan hand controller working in PC-Direct mode.

and the 2nd says 
Windows program: Motor Controller Firmware Loader - WiFi, Version 1.76
This application is used to update the motor controller's firmware of a Skywatcher telescope mount, which has a built-in Wi-Fi module or an   external SynScan Wi-Fi dongle.  *Please note that this program does not support the firmware update for a Star Adventurer Mini via WiFi.

So I would guess you want one of the 1.76 updates,  all we have to do now is find the difference between dongles and adapters, ! have you a link to your adapter ?

 

 

Edited December 30, 2021 by Malpi12

[smd100]

Thanks for your help, Malpi12! Sorry about the links - I've fixed them now.

Yes, I have the Star Discovery mount without integrated wifi, but have a Synscan wi-fi adaptor - this one: https://www.ozscopes.com.au/skywatcher-wifi-adapter.html

As the fw loader, I am using the 2nd link you refer to above: "Windows program: Motor Controller Firmware Loader - WiFi, Version 1.76" which connects to the mount fine and reports the motor controller fw version.

I see what you are saying about the firmware I have downloaded though - it probably is designed for the mount with built-in wifi. But I am unable to find anything for my Star Discovery mount (i.e. the one without built-in wifi). Am I right in assuming that there is no fw update for my mount version (i.e. nothing beyond v2.18.A2)? I can't find any info about fw for this mount anywhere!

In terms of your question: "Did the mount not work with the original firmware?" - yes, it does. But there are a couple of updates in the v3.36 release notes for the wi-fi version fw that would be good to have.

Cheers,

SMD