MK Tool Puzzler

Ok, my turn to ask you folks for help again.

I'm working on a DVD, a Rather Good Beginners' Guide to MK Tool, MK_GPX, and MK_GPXTOOL.

I've got a puzzler for you: I'm running version 0.28i firmware on the Navi Control board, version 0.88e on the Flight Control board. So the way that the MK documentation (scroll down to "Info window appears") reads version 1.78x (where x is a letter other than x!) should be the correct version of MK Tool. (By the way, I know the latest version is 8n.)

If I use MK Tool 1.78d with the above, I get an error that says that the FC software is not compatible with the MK Tool version. It displays FC:90 and PC:91 in the dialog box.

If I use MK Tool 1.78a all is well.

So my questions are these:
1. It appears that the "rule" of the last digit (in this case 8) having to be the same between MK Tool, NC and FC software is no longer true? If it were then 0.28i/0.88e and 1.78d should all play happily together (1.78a works.)

2. Why does the MK Tool software display 90 and 91 when none of the version numbers appear to be close to this? I thought it might be displaying the version number "178" or "78" in hex, but that's not the case. The example at the documentation link exhibits the same thing: the FC and PC version numbers don't relate to the version numbers in the text.

I'd look it up the answers myself if the source code were open source and in the Subversion repository, but it's not.

Anyone got any ideas, please?

Thanks
Andy.

 

Thanks for the offer, Steve.
When will you be done with the hardware build?

And do you want to wear circular yellow and black quadrant stickers such as the put on test dummies? <evil grin>

Andy.

 

You're doomed! DOOOMED, I tell you!
It'll never fly, Orville.....

You'd also have to strap yourself to your reclining chair as you watch the video.

Returning to my original posting, here is the word from the mountain-top. I received a reply from Holger who replied more or less within the hour to an email I sent him. Vielen Dank, Holger!

1.​

the version Number of the KopterTool doesn't correspond to the FC or NC-Versions.​

Basically there could be a change in the KopterTool-Version-Number without change of the FC or NC version numbers.​

But maybe we could change that in the future to make it simpler​

​

2. ​

that compatibly value is an internal Value of the EEPROM-Settings.​

There could be changes in the FC-Firmware without changes in the EEPROM-Structure. So the internal Value woun't have to change.​

Cou can find the value here:​

http://svn.mikrokopter.de/filedetails.php?repname=FlightCtrl&path=/tags/V0.88n/eeprom.h​

​

The source code in question is here:
#define EEPARAM_REVISION 91 // is count up, if paramater stucture has changed (compatibility)
#define EEMIXER_REVISION 1 // is count up, if mixer stucture has changed (compatibility)


What that really means is that when you get the incompatibility message, the relative magnitude of the numbers will tell you which is the most recent: if NC > PC, then NC software is more recent and vice versa.

 

A case of good beer if you find me in a bar!

However, I think Holger's already won the prize....

Andy.

 

That's always the risk when one is dealing with a moving target. But as this is a Beginner's Guide, I'm hoping I will not have to change too much -- and right now, with Adam's assistance, I'm just working on the script so it's essentially words on paper.

Also, I absolutely don't believe in "killing the messenger" Arthur, so you're safe!
Andy.