Epic Netplex/USB printer won’t accept flash

[sccarlso]

Greetings,

I’ve got an Epic 950L Netplex/USB printer that’s got me stumped!

It powers up & prints a test ticket, and is detected by my AVP on USB no problem.

But it isn’t flashed with IGT firmware so of course it won’t work as is.

The programming cable is simple.  Name brand USB to serial cable.  The programming interface is an easy 4 pin plug, tx/rx/ground pins on the 950 correctly wired with a DB9 breakout cable to the 4 pin molex plug.

Correct baud rate, 115,200 xon/xoff enabled.

Put the printer in programming mode, and the downloader software establishes connection and returns boot loader 1.13 and such so no boot loader update needed, communication is good to the printer.

I have IUU firmware for IGT.  Select it and click download.

It establishes communications with the printer and changes to Flashing on the app.

But that’s it.  Nothing flashes on the printer, it just stays in programming mode.  Should only take a min or two.  If I leave it for 10 mins nothing changes. 

If I use a different version of the firmware utility it does the same.  Restart the printer and no change, same firmware on a test print.  Only DIP switch on is 2, normal.

Am I missing something?  Videos show the same process but the flash completes.  Comms are good or it wouldn’t return the bootloader version or establish comms with it.  No errors or anything.

Anyone have an idea what could be wrong?  I’ve run out of ideas on what’s keeping it from flashing the new firmware as everything else in the process is working as it should.

Thanks!

[Stayouttadabunker]

Erase whatever file is on the printer first, then flash it with the FW file you want.
You may be watching videos of printers already erased? 

[sccarlso]

Maybe a dumb question.  But how do I erase?

That’s not mentioned in any doc.   

Thanks!!!

[Stayouttadabunker]

Don't thank me because I've never flashed any printers.
The "FLI Downloader" printer utility program I have, I don't even know how to use it.
I just opened it to see what options there are and I do not see any that would allow me to erase anything.
All I know is that when I need to flash an eprom, I normally wipe it first with a "erase" option in the program burner.
I figured that needs to be done as well with printer embedded eproms?
That is why I suggested it.
If there's no option to erase anything with your program utility, then maybe it doesn't need to be done.
Maybe your best bet is to continue trying until you succeed, or hope for a better answer from someone that flashes these Epic 950 printers.
If you're doing the same thing as the guys are doing in the videos, maybe there's something else different you're overlooking?
Or something physically different in the harness?

[sccarlso]

Could be!  There just isn't much that can be wrong if the printer is returning proper data over the RS232 port to the app.  The app will return an error if a serial setting isn't correct, so there has to be two way communication that is working correctly or it would return an error. 

The exact steps are direct from Ithica for the Epic 950L printer, so I don't think they would omit a step.  lol

Hopefully someone has experienced this before that might know of something else to check that could cause this behavior.

Thanks!

[sccarlso]

Well I finally got it!  The simple 4 pin diagram was correct!  The USB to serial Ithaca 950 programming cable is very easy to build, and it worked perfectly!  $30 for the parts.

If you have a DB9 female connector and an old harness with a 4 pin molex plug you can cut off with the wires on it.  So you need is the USB to serial cable. 

Then it’s just $11 to make one and you only need to solder 4 wires.  No soldering at all if you get the RS232 breakout box and have a 4 pin molex you can clip off an old harness.  I used Win 7, but it should work on Win 10 as well as there are USB to serial drivers for Win 10.

While researching why it would connect but not program the flash was the serial adapter!   I found that most USB to serial adapters use the Prolific chipset.  However that chip doesn’t handle Xon/Xoff communication that the printer uses very well.

So!  When dealing with serial connections on older devices.  Unless you have an old computer that still has a built in serial port….very few anymore.  Always use a USB to serial adapter with an FTDI chipset!

The only rub is finding the flash file you need.  Printer flash files for your machine can’t be posted on NLG of course.  But if you search enough, you can find it.  For IGT USB the firmware file starts with IUU.  The downloader app can be obtained on the transact website.   And for an Epic 950 on an AVP, you want a nexplex/usb printer, not serial.  On the back of the printer it has 4 pin power, a netplex connection, and USB.  The 4 pin molex on top is only for flashing it.

If you do find the flash file you need, download the flash app from transact, then here’s all you need to get it flashed.  Below are parts needed if you don’t have anything and need to assemble one.  Even a YouTube video with pinouts, cable assembly, and doing the flash itself.

USB to serial adapter with FTDI chipset

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0759HSLP1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1


RS232 breakout box

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DL13B32/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

4 pin molex connectors 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0753VW1B4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Video explaining connector and pinouts of the cable, and flashing the firmware.

https://youtu.be/pk0BbE2oHEk?si=JFzKzYfB7-YgMbeK

Hope this helps anyone going nuts trying to flash their Epic 950 printer for their machine.