Upgrade of the Pink firmware
Goran (Sweden)
Posts: 68
I have a PINK with Rev 1.0 and tried to get an update to V1.1 with no success.
Below are the emails with respond from Netburner.com and Parallax support.
Since I not happy with the responce I attached the email here for any PINK user
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from G
Below are the emails with respond from Netburner.com and Parallax support.
Since I not happy with the responce I attached the email here for any PINK user
************************************************
from G
Comments
<incorrect information deleted, sorry for inadvertantly disseminating falsehoods>
·Hopefully this won't turn you away from buying Parallax's products in the future since this issue is pretty much unique to the single product.
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Paul Baker
Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 1/13/2009 9:26:26 PM GMT
but if my english is good enough I understood that there is a contract between Parallax and Netburner. Why is Netburner than suggesting Goran to obtain the file from Parallax? Are they aware of the contract?
Regards
Netburner _sales_ is suggesting that he obtain the file from Parallax. I wouldn't expect sales people to know what's going on.
I find nothing surprising about either company's response, though I certainly sympathize with the original poster re. his issue.
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It's Only A Stupid Question If You Have Not Googled It First!!
Sorry for the confusion. Let me see if I can clear things up for everyone on this issue. The PINK Module is really just an SB70 development module from NetBurner with our own custom firmware on it. We worked with NetBurner to develop the firmware for the module so we could replace the Red-I web server module we used to carry. Now, the firmware is technically ours, which is why NetBurner would not be able to distribute it.
It is up to us to either give out the firmware or not. By distributing the firmware we allow anyone out there to essentially make clones of the PINK module. There would be no reason to purchase them from us if you could make your own. This is the same concept with the BASIC Stamps. Customers don’t go to Microchip for firmware for the BASIC Stamp. If they had it, they could buy inexpensive PIC microcontrollers and make their own. The firmware is proprietary.
When NetBurner sells the SB70, it is a development module and customers typically have to write their own firmware for it. This is the difference. When we get the modules from NetBurner they come as a development module and we program the firmware into them. This is why the utility CD is included which has the AutoUpdate program on it. It just happens to be on the same CD as the IPSETUP program which is required.
If a customer ordered some interpreter chips from us years ago and the firmware had since been upgraded, we would not send them new firmware. We would have the chips sent in for reprogramming. Tech Support was correct in that to have your firmware updated you must send your module in. They are not allowed to send the firmware outside the company. I apologize if this is an inconvenience. Take care.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
Before order the PINK I read about it on your website.
Then I ordered from an authorised dealer in Sweden.(Lawicel AB) which I normally order from (always good support/ fast delivery)
I expected I would receive the same as on your webstore. (since I ordered it from an authorised dealer)
Looking at Lawicels website it seems they still have PINK with V1.0
I assumed that you would track that your dealers do not stock different units than you have on your own webstore. (i.e older versions)
Sending units back from Sweden is both very timeconsuming and costly.
Regards/Goran
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Paul Baker
Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 1/13/2009 9:33:26 PM GMT
I'm utterly shocked to read something false on the internet.
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Paul Baker
As I always say, everyone makes mistakes: only the real adults admit to them.
Sadly, it's pretty rare.
We do not track the stock of distributors…had the firmware upgrade been due to a bug or error on our part we would have contacted various distributors to get the modules replaced. We do not do this for feature upgrades, which is what that upgrade was for. For example, if you buy a Car at a dealership and later in the year that same model comes with an upgraded stereo, the dealer does not recall the cars to upgrade the system. They’re simply improving the value of what they’re currently selling, as do we occasionally make changes to our products to improve them. My point is you did not get a defective module. We’ve been very generous in our commitment to help our customers and we’ve offered to have the module upgraded. There are limited options for doing so. It may be possible to exchange it with your distributor for a current unit. That would probably depend on when you purchased it though. Aside of that you would have to send the module to us for the upgrade. I hope this helps. Take care.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering