Jump to content

New Meridian "Hidden" Codes


TeamCNJC

Recommended Posts

As pointed out in the Meridian Yahoo group, the new Meridian (MeriGreen/MeriGold/MeriPlat) firmware has two new codes on the hidden menu. Not being content with a successful firmware upgrade, I decided to check them out. As a reminder, the "hidden" menu is accessed by hitting "MENU" then rocker "Left" then "Right" then "Left" then "Right" then "Left." Use the rocker to enter the code, then "Enter."

 

Code 88 will update the firmware from the file "firmware.hex" on the SD card. I copied "personal.hex" to the SD card, renamed it "firmware.hex," invoked code 88, and confirmed. The unit entered the "software update mode," and "erasing" appeared on the screen, followed shortly by "writing." However, after 30 seconds, the screen displayed an "X" next to "writing." After 10 minutes, I knew I was stuck. icon_frown.gif I had to 3-finger salute and recover the old fashioned way. I'm going to try this again using a "clean" firmware.

 

Code 86 will update the basemap from the file "basemap.img" on the SD card. I copied the Euro basemap onto my SD card, renamed it to "basemap.img," entered code 86, confirmed the update, and about 1 minute later, had the Euro basemap installed and functional in my MeriGold. Copying the NA basemap to the SD card and using code 86 again successfully reverted to the NA basemap. icon_cool.gif

 

I used a Lexar multi-card reader/writer to move and rename these files. Now all we need is a way to change filenames on the SD card without using any external hardware. I guess I can load the extra basemap on my 64Mb SD card, and keep an old 16Mb SD card with the NA basemap handy to revert back.

 

Has anyone else fooled around with these codes, or found any other new codes?

 

-Craig/TeamCNJC

 

... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took off through the thorns, chest high, ...

Link to comment

I have a Magellan GPS 2000, that the hidden menu comes up in by using menu, right, left, right and two zeros come up on the screen but the codes are different functions back then because the older unit didn't have the features that the new units have now. It mainly looks like a testing and upload menu for the gps.

Link to comment

I couldn't get code 88 to work, even with a clean copy of 4.02 firmware. Maybe it's due to the fact that I'm going from 4.02 to 4.02. I'll give it a try once the next firmware update comes out.

 

For now, I'll be content to change basemaps using the SD card and code 86.

 

-Craig/TeamCNJC

 

... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took off through the thorns, chest high, ...

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by TeamCNJC:

I couldn't get code 88 to work, even with a clean copy of 4.02 firmware. Maybe it's due to the fact that I'm going from 4.02 to 4.02. I'll give it a try once the next firmware update comes out.

 

For now, I'll be content to change basemaps using the SD card and code 86.

 

-Craig/TeamCNJC

 

... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took off through the thorns, chest high, ...


Link to comment

You are right; i did upgrade from 4.02 to 4.06 via SD Card without problems.

 

Ed

 

quote:
Originally posted by TeamCNJC:

I couldn't get code 88 to work, even with a clean copy of 4.02 firmware. Maybe it's due to the fact that I'm going from 4.02 to 4.02. I'll give it a try once the next firmware update comes out.

 

For now, I'll be content to change basemaps using the SD card and code 86.

 

-Craig/TeamCNJC

 

... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took off through the thorns, chest high, ...


Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Ed2002:

You are right; i did upgrade from 4.02 to 4.06 via SD Card without problems.

 

Ed

 


 

Hmmm. I tried this going from 4.02 to 4.06, got as far as "erasing" and had no change for 10 minutes after that. Needless to say I had to force off and force upload to get 4.06 into my Gold.

 

Did you reset first? Did you access the function from the hidden menu after starting up (left/right/etc) or did you start up in the hidden menu mode?

 

-Craig/TeamCNJC

 

... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took off through the thorns, chest high, ...

Link to comment

Thats how i did it:

-copied "mgold406.hex" to the SD Card

-renamed it to "firmware.hex"

-cleared all memory in the Plat without the Card

-from the Sat screen Menu l r l r

-Menu 88

-upload took at max. 1 minute.

 

Ed

 

quote:
Originally posted by TeamCNJC:

quote:
Originally posted by Ed2002:

You are right; i did upgrade from 4.02 to 4.06 via SD Card without problems.

 

Ed

 


 

Hmmm. I tried this going from 4.02 to 4.06, got as far as "erasing" and had no change for 10 minutes after that. Needless to say I had to force off and force upload to get 4.06 into my Gold.

 

Did you reset first? Did you access the function from the hidden menu after starting up (left/right/etc) or did you start up in the hidden menu mode?

 

-Craig/TeamCNJC

 

... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took off through the thorns, chest high, ...


Link to comment

After my first firmware upgrade mentioned in my post above i had just the same problem: changing the basemaps via menu 86/Sd Card was without problems, but when i tried to upload V4.06 firmware after lawyer screen modification (using MyMeridian) i got exactly the same as Craig: the unit hanging on the "erasing" screen; i tried 2 more times without success;

after reading a post concerning a possible problem with Windows XP (i am using XP home) i formatted the SD Card in the Platinum using Card Utilities; now i could use firmware upload over Menu 88 two times successful.

 

So i know this does not explain why menu 86 works and menu 88 fails, but i think it is worth to try.

 

Regards, Ed

(BTW in the meantime quite a lot of users were successful with menu 88)

Link to comment

Ed,

 

Following your lead, I formatted my 64MB Sandisk SD card in my MeriGold, and was successful in downgrading to 4.02, then upgrading to 4.06 using a personalized version of the firmware. Each update took less than 1 minute.

 

I'm NOT using WinXP. I use Windows 2000 at work, and I don't have the slightest idea of where/how this SD card was originally formatted.

 

-Craig/TeamCNJC

 

... Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took off through the thorns, chest high, ...

Link to comment

Let me guess, you're still running DOS 6.0 on your computer, right? icon_smile.gif

 

These firmware upgrades are from Magellan, so I really don't view it as "screwing around with the hardware." It's a firmware upgrade form the manufacturer, and a significant upgrade it is.

 

dyslexics of the world, untie.

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Greatwhite6:

You guys a freakin crazy........I;m going to use whatever code came with my unit because it works just fine....."If it works, dont fix it"

You start screwing around with the hardware and then reliability goes out the window.


Maybe we are freakin crazy, but..

 

1) Magellan (and Garmin even more often) publish firmware updates about 2 times/year because they add new features and correct some problems (just take e.g. the much discussed annoying way the power button worked before V 4.02; no card utilities; no support of bigger SD Cards....icon_wink.gif so most users believe firmware upgrades are useful and upgrade to the newest version; of course if you are fine without this features your "staying with the code your unit came" is right; and sometimes the newest version is not the best(?).

 

2) Update of firmware or changing the basemap over the serial cable takes much more time and most people experienced in this technology (i am not) believe it is more prone to failure than to do this directly from the SD Card; there are quite a lot of messages of problems doing firmware upgrade over serial cable.

 

3) So of course doing this procedures directly from the SD Card is not a very important point; maybe we do some "experimenting" with new features just out of interest; but we find this a possibility to make firmware upgrade easier, faster and more reliable than the usual way over the serial cable, and i assume this was the reason Magellan included this menus in their firmware.

 

I am happy my Platinum is reliable as always,

Best regards, Ed

Link to comment

To the experts here and I do sense their presence, I have a Merigreen with 4.02 loaded and a 128 meg sd card. I use USA mapTopo to load maps. It (GPSr) seems to work reasonably well, but I like to get the best out of my toys.

Is 4.03 likely to improve my units reliability or my pleasure in using it?

Anyone know the reason for the new version?

 

I have flouted the wild, I have followed its lure, fearless. familar, alone; yet the wild must win, and a day will come when I shall be overthrown. By: Robert Service

Link to comment

If the definition of an expert is someone who knows just a little bit more than somebody else, then I may take a stab at your questions.

 

I reply from the context of following the online discussions of the issue: although many people saw no problems with 4.02, there were a sizeable number of folk who complained of satellite lock and other problems. A user in the Yahoo Meridian group mentioned that Magellan had sent him 4.06 as "an interim firmware release to fix some of the problems in 4.02." (a rough quote) No explicit mention was given of what problems were fixed, but several people claimed getting a quicker lock and better display with the track on turns (the "chicken-track" problem). 4.06 was only for gold/plats.

 

Just recently, 4.03 became available for the green/yellows. I think this came off the current MapSend CD, not sure. At least a few people have claimed that they are seeing faster lock, I saw one person report the opposite. So I would say it's too soon to know if there is a clear picture of what improvements are offered.

 

4.02 is still the most recent firmware version posted on the Magellan site. We are expecting something newer, oh, any day now. So if you are not experiencing anything distressing, you may reasonably elect to stay with 4.02 until the official 4.X is posted. If you want to try 4.03 out, you can, but Infosponge has warned that this is a little more convoluted than the usual upgrade and not advisable for those unfamiliar with upgrade ins and outs...something about the possible need of reloading a basemap (I have a plat).

 

To my knowledge, there are no features added with 4.03 over 4.02.

 

Max

Often wrong but seldom in doubt

 

[This message was edited by embra on March 30, 2003 at 07:45 AM.]

Link to comment

Embra,

I dont know if I'm the one your refering to who had negative effects of upgrading to 4.03, but I also have noticed much slower lock, and the still present chickentracks in 4.03.

 

I also had some difficulties doing the upgrade, which I had never seen before.

 

From what I have gathered from online info, you CANNOT upgrade from 4.02 to 4.03 on a Merigreen/yellow using the SD card and hidden menu 88/86 functions.

It HAS to be done with the serial cable.

 

This is at least, the general consensus at this time from other online users.

I wasnt able to use the SD card method, and had to use the serial cable. I messed up the firmware upload somewhere along the line, and killed my Merigreen. I even called Magellan and got an RA# to send it back. But after playing with it some more, I found out that to get to the hidden menu with the power off, hit NAV & POWER. I was then able to get it into software upload mode, and after trying to reinstall the firmware (4.02), several times, I FINALLY got it to take. Once the unit was working again with 4.02, I tried doing the upgrade to 4.03 using the serial cable , and it took OK.

 

I think later today, I'm going to try reinstalling 4.03, to see if it improves my long lock-on times and chickentracks.

 

Art

 

www.yankeetoys.org

www.BudBuilt.com

http://www.ttora-ne.mainpage.net/

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...