Ask Alexey if you can ignore the error.
Well, ignoring is what I did already ;-) But, I have contacted Wyrzboski on Discord already and pointed him to this thread. So let's wait for his reaction.
The FPGA chips used are mostly clones (as original chips are very expensive)
Could this cause the issues I ran into? I bought mine from Maxiol.
at first, I'll remind you just in case
https://forum.maxiol.com/index.php?showtopic=5537
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RETURN AND REFUND POLICY
In order to receive a replacement or refund, the defective cartridge must be returned first. After the cartridge has been checked and we do not find any signs of violation of the warranty, we will proceed to replace the device or refund the payment. In case of loss of warranty, all operations, including cartridge repair, are paid.
The warranty is lost:
1.after opening the cartridge
2.with mechanical damage
3. other damage as a result of careless / improper use or modification, including software.
After loss of warranty, cartridges are not eligible for replacement or refund of any kind.
Please note: if you accidentally delete the BIOS of the cartridge, we will not provide technical support during the flashing process, since after opening the cartridge, the warranty will void. If you would like your cartridge to remain under warranty, please send it to us for reflashing. There is a charge for the firmware update procedure. Shipping costs are not refundable.
The cartridge is assembled from high-quality components and, if properly operated, will work for many years and delight you.
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I guarantee that what I sell works properly
however, I cannot guarantee operability after self-flashing;
it's a complex operation:
even touching the connector with your fingers can already disrupt the firmware process
for example - motherboard manufacturers also do not give guarantees when flashing a new BIOS
I've discussed this with our manufacturer and he told me that such errors may come from a weak contact in AS socket (hold firmly as instructed), touching the cartridge when flashing the firmware (hold by the edges) or from unstable or noisy power source. If you excluded all that and there's still a verification error, let's hope that none of the critical parts of the firmware are affected.
Please also note that opening the cartridge upgrading the firmware voids the warranty:
https://forum.maxiol.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=5537&view=fi...
Well, I already expected the warranty was gone after opening it ;-) Common knowledge I guess ;-)
As for flashing / touching components: I used an ESD bracelet & mat, so that shouldn't be the problem. Power supply was taken from the USB from my laptop, so that should be stable as well. Leaves the connector in the AS socket. I think I held it in it's place, but... no guarantee there of course. But the blank-check error & verification error remained even after multiple tests
So my guess it a faulty Altera or me not holding the AS connector into the AS socket tightly enough, which might have damaged the Altera. I don't know, and it's hard to find out afterwards.
Anyway: I seem to be lucky as the device seems to work fine. But it's something to keep in mind for the people buying the Carnivore 2: Upgrading it's BIOS does come with some risks if you do it yourself ;-)
So my guess it a faulty Altera or me not holding the AS connector into the AS socket tightly enough, which might have damaged the Altera. I don't know, and it's hard to find out afterwards.
A bad contact during the flashing can not damaged the Altera. Either it was already defective or the welds didn't hold up during transport. This is common when you weld this kind of component by hand.
It's a little too easy to revoke the warranty just because we did an update. I would understand that only if the user damaged the equipment by improper handling.
So, maybe a professional re-solder job could "fix" this issue as well?
Do you have any plans to simplify the upgrade process? Most if not all other cartidges can be upgraded from a SD card or even over the network: Megaflahrom SCC+, Gr8net, SD2IEC, U2+, U64, Kung Fu Flash etc.
Do you have any plans to simplify the upgrade process? Most if not all other cartidges can be upgraded from a SD card or even over the network: Megaflahrom SCC+, Gr8net, SD2IEC, U2+, U64, Kung Fu Flash etc.
We have created the proof-of-concept methodology to flash the firmware from a card. It works. But the current firmware is 99% full. Would you really sacrifice something nice from the firmware just to be able to flash it once a year without USB Blaster?
I guess we need a Carnivore #3 with a bigger FPGA ;-)
I guess we need a Carnivore #3 with a bigger FPGA ;-)
As I once mentioned in one of my interviews at Nijmegen, Carnivore3 is unlikely to happen. And even if there would be a successor for Carnivore2, what would be the demand? I doubt that people will dump their existing Carnivore2s to get a slightly better cartridge with easy firmware updating. Or am I mistaken?