Butterfly traffic display: firmware update available

Dave Nadler

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Jul 24, 2020, 2:08:16 PM7/24/20

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I've updated the Butterfly traffic display firmware;
fixed a number of bugs and it now works properly with
newer FLARM protocol. Lots of Butterfly displays were
purchased with the initial batch of USA PowerFLARM cores.

Special thanks to Kirk, Dan, Uli, and Cliff for the help
testing numerous releases, Patrick for loaning me a test unit,
and to the Butterfly guys for sending me the source code to update!

Update as follows:
- format a USB stick
- in your browser, left-click on link below
- save page as bfd_4_0.bfw onto USB stick (no TXT suffix or other bollix)
- with power off, plug stick into flarm core
- while depressing butterfly button, power-on flarm/butterfly
- Butterfly will initially show "Waiting"...
- Butterfly should start loading within 15-30 seconds
- Wait a couple minutes and you should see Butterfly start with new firmware

Enjoy,
Best Regards, Dave

http://www.nadler.com/backups/bfd_4_0.bfw

resi...@sbcglobal.net

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Jul 24, 2020, 2:33:48 PM7/24/20

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So "newer FLARM protocol" means the display will become compatible with the version 8 and/or 9 of the PF protocol? Wonder if you can elaborate on what one gains by moving from protocol 7 to either 8 or 9. thanks!

Robert

Dave Nadler

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Jul 24, 2020, 2:53:29 PM7/24/20

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On Friday, July 24, 2020 at 2:33:48 PM UTC-4, resi...@sbcglobal.net wrote:
> So "newer FLARM protocol" means the display will become compatible
> with the version 8 and/or 9 of the PF protocol?
> Wonder if you can elaborate on what one gains by moving
> from protocol 7 to either 8 or 9. thanks!
>
> Robert

FLARM provides extremely good backwards compatibility;
a display device can request an older protocol and it just works.
Butterfly code had a few minor issues that cropped up over the years,
like parsing assumptions that used to be OK but became invalid over time.
Butterfly now requests version 7 which all operational devices support.
Details of changes in 8 and 9 are in the protocol documentation chapter 6;
not important for most users (especially in USA) nor for Butterfly.

Hope that helps!
Best Regards, Dave

Tim Taylor

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Jul 25, 2020, 9:48:20 AM7/25/20

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Thank you Dave!

John DeRosa OHM Ω http://aviation.derosaweb.net

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Jul 26, 2020, 10:54:12 AM7/26/20

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Dave,

First, thanks for all this work for the soaring community.

Questions - Why didn't Air Avionics (nee Butterfly Avionics*) resolve these issues rather than you needing to step in? Has the company orphaned software updates for the entire line of Butterfly devices (which I think has been sold as late as 2017)?

I get that no device's support goes on forever. But to me this doesn't lend confidence with this manufacturer.

Your take?

Thanks again,
John

jfitch

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Jul 26, 2020, 3:43:24 PM7/26/20

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Actually, a manufacturer releasing the source code to a 3rd party to update an obsolete product is highly unusual, and exemplary support. It is almost unheard of. Now I wish Air Avionics would do that for the Butterfly vario (still the best in the world).

Dave Nadler

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Jul 26, 2020, 4:51:17 PM7/26/20

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On Sunday, July 26, 2020 at 3:43:24 PM UTC-4, jfitch wrote:
> Now I wish Air Avionics would do that for the Butterfly vario
> (still the best in the world).

Different developers.
Of course, I'm working a bit on something new here ;-)

k...@cni.net

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Jul 26, 2020, 6:28:51 PM7/26/20

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OK,

I'll bite. What are you working on?

Dave Nadler

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Jul 27, 2020, 8:41:36 PM7/27/20

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On Sunday, July 26, 2020 at 3:43:24 PM UTC-4, jfitch wrote:

> ...a manufacturer releasing the source code to a 3rd party ...
> is highly unusual...

Except I'm hardly a "3rd party", as these guys are extremely
familiar with my work, on PowerFLARM at least one other project...