A6 bootloader

electricmotion · Joined: Oct 12, 2013 Posts: 3 Location: belgium

Hello there,

I'm having a very hard time trying to find the bootloader for the A6.

My A6 is broken and the technician that does have it need the bootloader to fix it.

Thanks in advance for any help

G.

sunny pedaal · Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:26 pm Post subject:

is there a way to make a backup from the a6 according to the ( service or normal ) manual ?
and did you try at numark or a servicestation of them in your country already ?
can't remember a file like that , other then the os versions , appearing on this forum yet...

electricmotion · Joined: Oct 12, 2013 Posts: 3 Location: belgium

Hello,

Thanks for the tip concerning contacting Numark.

Unfortunately did that but no one replied...

And everything was tried from the service manual.

sunny pedaal · Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:50 am Post subject:

ask them for a servicestation nearby and phone that
if you find out how to backup and upload the bootloader software, i might send you the backupped version of my a6 ?
afcourse if there is anyone els having the bootloadersoftware, please let it know and we can but a copy on this site for future use....

sunny pedaal · Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:02 am Post subject:

did you read this already ?
http://electro-music.com/forum/viewtopic.php?highlight=bootloader&t=51335
http://electro-music.com/forum/viewtopic.php?highlight=bootloader&t=46899
http://electro-music.com/forum/viewtopic.php?highlight=bootloader&t=27534
http://electro-music.com/forum/viewtopic.php?highlight=bootloader&t=16867

and some additional info that might help in the search:
http://www.sequencer.de/syns/alesis/AndromedaA6.html
http://www.wohmart.com/a6/tandt/A6TipsAndTricks.pdf
http://www.wohmart.com/a6/tandt/A6TipsAndTricks.pdf

http://www.alesis.com/andromeda

? doesn't the software on the last site , the os software both update the os and the bootloader ??
i guess it does :

a6_os.update.pdf

Description:

Download

Filename:

a6_os.update.pdf

Filesize:

23.75 KB

Downloaded:

1053 Time(s)

a6v14012.zip

Description:

Download

Filename:

a6v14012.zip

Filesize:

1.01 MB

Downloaded:

925 Time(s)

tmste · Joined: Aug 17, 2009 Posts: 26 Location: Italy

No it doesn't. it Uploads only the OS.
For shure exists more than one Bootloader such as 1.20.31 or 1.20.37

in this thread PICOTTILER says he got it:

http://electro-music.com/forum/viewtopic.php?highlight=bootloader&t=51335

sunny pedaal · Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 2:36 pm Post subject:

but the others all say it can't be uploaded and probably something else is wrong with the machine....
good thing to solve this problem once and for all.
anyone else any info?
and did you try the code404 files uploaded on the first topic of this threath.
they can be searched with the normal search function in text files. bith of work but there might be some info on it in there....

tmste · Joined: Aug 17, 2009 Posts: 26 Location: Italy

Found Bootloader 1.20.31!! I receveid it from Picottiler more than 1 year ago...is a sysex file
The last one should be 1.20.42

For the ones who experiece problems or would like to update it if they have an older version, please upload it with soft button 7.
Please who tries it let the forum know if it works.

blv12031.syx

Description:

Bootloader 1.20.31

Download

Filename:

blv12031.syx

Filesize:

22.02 KB

Downloaded:

941 Time(s)

sunny pedaal · Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 2:55 pm Post subject:

that's great !
i also searched a bit, seems mostly the problems with booting are solved by looking over the cablesconnections. the worst problems where solved by replacement of the maincpuboard.
if the bootloader won't help maybe these suggestions might help ?
anyway, great job, let us know how things went from here please

electricmotion · Joined: Oct 12, 2013 Posts: 3 Location: belgium

Hey guys,

First I want to say a big thank you to everyone for
being so helpful !

This forum is really cool Smile

I will now try with the bootloader.

Concerning the part replacement (main board), i wish i could do it but mailed Alesis
about it and i have been told that there was no more spare boards at all left.

Otherwise this was my first option.

I will let you know if i get it sorted.

SecretAsianMan · Joined: May 11, 2006 Posts: 40 Location: Texas

Did anyone actually try the bootloader file attached above?

Reason why I ask is that it looks like it might be incomplete. The OS 1.40.12 .syx file consists entirely of a set of SysEx messages, nothing more. Each message starts with

SecretAsianMan · Joined: May 11, 2006 Posts: 40 Location: Texas

OK, the bootloader .syx file posted above is almost definitely incomplete.

If I understand the block format correctly, the file should have 277 total blocks in it, but it is missing blocks 0 through 206.

I am pretty sure that the bootloader CAN be uploaded via SysEx.

Does anyone have the complete bootloader .syx file? (any version)

paulxtr · Joined: Jul 25, 2014 Posts: 1 Location: Manchester, UK

Here's the full 1.20.31 bootloader. I'm pretty sure that I updated my Andromeda with this soon after purchase, but when I power up with SB7 held down my bootloader version is reported as 1.20.37. I'm reluctant to re-flash as I'd hate to potentially downgrade my bootloader. Can anyone confirm the bootloader version once they've updated with this file?

Here are the original release notes for this bootloader version copied from a posting by Mike Peake to the code404 Andromeda mailing list on 22 Aug 2001:

###

NOTE:
NOTE:
NOTE:

IF YOU ALLOW THE POWER TO THE A6 TO BECOME
INTERRUPTED DURING THE BOOTLOADER'S BURN
TO FLASH, YOU WILL =HAVE= TO RETURN YOUR A6
TO ALESIS FOR REPAIR. SO DON'T ALLOW POWER
TO BE INTERRUPTED TO YOUR A6 DURING THE BOOT
LOADER'S BURN TO FLASH. OKAY? Smile

If you have any doubts about this process DO NOT DO IT.
It cannot be undone by the user if there is an accident during
the burn to flash.

What this WILL do is protect the A6 from certain MIDI data
during bootup and will also speed the burn to flash for the OS
and the Programs by a factor of 100 times exactly.

###

@SecretAsianMan - You do understand the block format correctly and there are 277 blocks in this file! I hope it helps you to determine the checksum algorithm so you can repack Andromeda binaries back into syx format.

Enjoy!

BL_a6v12031.zip

Description:

Full syx of the Andromeda 1.20.31 Bootloader

Download

Filename:

BL_a6v12031.zip

Filesize:

43.9 KB

Downloaded:

750 Time(s)

SecretAsianMan · Joined: May 11, 2006 Posts: 40 Location: Texas

Thank you, paulxtr! That is a HUGE help.

I'm pretty sure I had the checksum figured out, but now I can make absolutely sure. Beyond that, though, having the full bootloader will give many concrete answers where before I just had assumptions.

I'll check this file out when I get home from work tonight.

EDIT: Looks good. The file paulxtr posted has a complete set of blocks and looks like a bootloader inside.

WARNING: Heed the warning in paulxtr's message above. Do NOT try to use this bootloader unless you are out of options. If anything goes wrong, your A6 might be ruined.

tmste · Joined: Aug 17, 2009 Posts: 26 Location: Italy

Where can we find or who can have and give us the latest version that should be the 1.20.42?
The Italian authorized Service point told me doesn't have it.
Peake time ago told me not to have it.

robhukin · Joined: Sep 15, 2014 Posts: 1 Location: uk

Has anyone successfully loaded this into their Andromeda? I get a checksum error...

ProFete · Joined: Aug 29, 2012 Posts: 30 Location: France

anyone have found the 1.20.42 version please?